AN: I would like to take a moment to apologize to the readers of my other stories. I have been feeling a little swamped lately, but I'll try to finish the next chapters soon-no promises, thought.
Anyway, I was listening to Keri Noble's "Ooh Oh," and the idea for this story came out of nowhere. I know some people aren't happy about some OLTL character's coming to Port Charles, but I will stay positive about it. Love OLTL or hate it (which seems a bit unlikely), I hope you enjoy theverysemi-song-fic.
Wasn't it the pain that brought us together?
Michael slouched in the uncomfortable plastic chair and rubbed a hand over his tired eyes. He'd been traveling—running away, if he was being honest—for months. Port Charles held little desire in his mind. If it wasn't for his family (most of them), he would have gladly stayed away. As far as he was concerned, a call at least once a week back to anyone to let everyone know that he was still alive was courtesy enough. But now he was back to join his family in initiating in a new member. He swore, if it wasn't Jason and Sam, he probably wouldn't have come back so soon, but he owed them a lot. And he had to admit, he was kind of anxious to meet this new sensation everyone was fussing over. Just the thought of this innocent miracle lightened the darkness that seemed to surround Michael. Finally, someone was able to be happy. It was something he hadn't really felt since Abby.
He'd told everyone that he was arriving two hours after his actual arrival time. It wasn't a necessary lie, but he just felt that he might need time to gather his thoughts and emotions before seeing anyone he knew. And he was right. This city was filled with terrible memories, and this was supposed to be a happy occasion. He needed to get himself in check so he wouldn't bring any of his negativity onto his little cousin. He just needed a moment…
Wasn't it the heartache that brought me to you?
Starr wringed her hands, her recently manicured nails already ruined from her nervous chewing. This was ridiculous; there was no reason for her to be nervous. Maybe she just felt guilty for lying. She really didn't mean to, but one thing led to another, and before she knew it, she was being sold as the newest, hottest, unattached breakout star, no pun intended. Her new manager told her not to give too much away and to be who they wanted her to be, but she didn't mean to hide the most precious thing in her entire life like she was something to be ashamed of. When she finally grew a spine, she told her manager that she could either accept Hope, or shove her "package deal." Even though she knew that she was doing the right thing, she breathed a deep sigh of relief when it was agreed that Hope was to be a part of that deal. After all, this is what she wanted. She wanted the fame and the glamour, and the best people in high-fashion making her beautiful, and her baby girl.
She felt like the worst type of person. Was she really willing to sacrifice her daughter's happiness for her own? She wanted so badly to say no to that, but she had a history of being a brat, and she was her father's daughter, willing to do whatever it took to win. Now she was waiting for her parents to get off of the plane with the light of her life. Sometimes it still amazed her how much she needed to be with Hope. It had been only three weeks and they made video calls every day, but it was the longest they'd ever been apart. She paced the small area by the chairs, too anxious to be still.
Wasn't it the look that you saw in my eyes that told you I knew what you'd been through…
Michael occasionally looked up to see this little blonde woman clicking furiously across the floor. It wasn't helping his own nerves any. He wondered why she could possibly look so distraught. He could tell that she was well-off by the clothes she wore and undoubtedly designer shoes that gave her an extra two inches, not to mention the diamond that sat comfortably on her right ring finger. He playfully thought of different scenarios that could have landed her here in a near panic, just to pass the time. Maybe she was about to be confronted by her boyfriend for cheating on him, or her parents were coming to pick her up from an unsolicited vacation that she forgot to mention was charged to them. He kind of doubted that one, though. She was young, but old enough to take care of herself. He figured maybe she was around his age. He sighed and looked away, tired of this game. He was sure her life was perfect, compared to the crap that he and most of the people he knew went through. Then again, he should know by now that you can't judge a book by its cover. He glanced up at the girl one last time, only to see that she had stopped moving and was looking right at him.
Her brows furrowed and she put a hand on her hip. "What?" she demanded.
"I—I…" Michael stammered. He hadn't expected her to look back at her because she was so preoccupied, let alone for her to be so defensive right off the bat.
"You were staring," she said matter-of-factly. "Why?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare, I was just…" He didn't even know how to explain what he was doing without sounding like a jerk or a creep.
He took a breath and stood. "Sorry. I just noticed that you seem a little upset. Are you okay? I mean is there something I can help you with?"
Starr's wide blue eyes narrowed, suspicious of his generosity. This was New York, and she was her. With her luck, she'd end up locked in this guy's basement if she accepted any kind of help from him.
"Why?" she asked again.
Michael raised his eyebrows. "Why….do I want to help you?"
Starr raised her own perfectly arched eyebrows and tilted her head in response.
Michael scoffed. He should have realized that she was nothing but a snob when he first saw her. She was a little too flashy for his taste. He raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry, I was just being nice."
He turned and walked back over to his abandoned seat. He was looking everywhere but at that woman.
She folded her arms over her chest and slowly continued on her previous route, heels tapping again. With every other step she looked over her shoulder at the young man who'd been nice to her. She was curious as to why a complete stranger—who looked more troubled than she felt—wanted to genuinely help her. She definitely appreciated the kindness of strangers, but one could never be too safe.
She walked even slower and really took in his appearance. His dark blue jeans were a bit tousled, as was his light blue dress shirt, which was unbuttoned at the top. That and the state of his dark blonde hair led her to believe that he must have fallen asleep on the plane. And then her blue eyes met his.
"You were staring," he said.
Starr bit the inside of her cheek. She should know how to be sneakier than this. She wasn't embarrassed, though. She just rolled her eyes and told him, "I know."
Michael couldn't help but smirk at that. He knew she wouldn't even apologize for it. Normally he wouldn't mind, but she'd nearly pop a blood vessel over it earlier.
Starr quickened her steps and sat down two seats away from him. "I wasn't trying to be rude before. It's just that everything about this town has me a little paranoid and I'm already stressed out on top of that. So…sorry about that."
Okay, so maybe Michael had been wrong. He simply held out his hand and said, "Apology accepted."
She looked at his large hand for a moment and looked around quickly to make sure someone would witness the exchange, just in case. She made eye contact with a security guard and gave him a small smile. She finally took the man's hand and shook it. He held on while he introduced himself.
"I'm Michael Corinthos."
He regretted it almost immediately as he saw her smile drop and her eyes widen.
Starr still kept his hand, too shocked (or afraid) to let go. She hadn't been in Port Charles that long, but she knew enough to know that anything Corinthos was probably bad news. Then again, the same could probably be said about the Mannings. But of course she would run into the mob the first time she insisted on going out alone (her father usually made sure she had security detail everywhere she went, but she was adamant about it). And the way Michael's demeanor suddenly became stoic made her sure that this was how she would die.
"So this is it?" she asked out loud. Michael dropped her hand and looked at her questioningly. "This is what?" he asked in return.
"Oh, nothing. I was just…thinking…out loud. Anyway, I'm sorry I bothered you earlier. And I swear, I don't usually talk this much, not to people I don't know anyway. I was just having a weird day. So, yeah…I'll leave you alone now." She stood and gave him a tight smile.
"You don't have to do that. I'm not in the mob, if that's what you're worried about."
Starr put on her best innocent look, eyes as big as saucers. "Of course not! Why would you even say that?"
Michael sighed. Having people fear you wasn't as alluring as his dad made it seem. "It's okay. Just go."
Starr was really about to, already turned on her heels, before she heard him mutter under his breath, "They all do."
She brought her hands together again in front of her as a battle ensued within her. The most logical thing to do was to run away as fast as should could and wait for her family someplace else. But he tugged at her heartstrings. He was just another human being, no different than he was before he said his name. And it would be hypocritical for her to judge anyone before she got to know them, and then try to instill the very opposite idea into her daughter. She shut her eyes and conceded with her heart, as usual. She whipped around and faced him again.
"I'm Starr. Starr Manning." She immediately kicked herself mentally. She could have given him a fake name. Or at least stopped and "Starr."
Michael looked up at her again.
"Do you mind if I sit here? My feet are killing me."
His brows inched closer, as he tried to assess this girl's angle. Curious, he nodded and gestured to the seat she sat in earlier. "So, 'Starr,' that's different. Starr, like—"
"Please don't say 'twinkle, twinkle.'"
Michael eyed her amusedly. "That's not what I was going to say, but okay. What's wrong with twi—"
"It's a long story."
"Well, I'm free. How much time do you have?"
Starr looked down at her watch, a Christmas present from her aunt Dorian. "Um, I've got about an hour."
"An hour? Why are you here so early?" Granted, Michael's reason for having so much free time wasn't the best.
"Oh. I don't know. I guess I got a little excited for the plane to come in. You know how when you haven't seen someone you love in such a long time and then you finally get to see them, time goes too slow and you just don't know what else do with yourself."
Michael grinned at her forming smile that he wasn't even sure she was aware of. He could just sense the immense love that she had for "someone."
"Yeah, I vaguely remember that feeling."
Her smile faltered a little, but she quickly regained control. "Are you here to meet someone too? Or are you leaving?"
"Uh, neither. I'm just waiting." He looked at her and saw the question in her eyes, her willpower barely sustaining as she lightly bit down on her lower lip.
"I got in a little while ago," he obliged.
"Oh. So now, you're just waiting…" she bobbed her head as if understanding, while trying to decipher the deeper meaning behind his words.
Still nodding, she looked over to him. "Okay," she sighed, "what exactly are you waiting for?"
Michael smirked. "Well, it's more like stalling. I'm here to see my family," he explained.
"Ohh. You're not really looking forward to that, I guess?"
"Actually, I am looking forward to meeting my new cousin. And his parents. Now my parents, on the other hand…"
"Yeah, I've been there before."
"Yeah? Crazy parents who think they can control any and everything as long as they can justify it in their minds? Who tell you what you can and can't do, even though you've been making tough decisions in your own life for years? Who manipulate you and try to be your best friend and expect everyone else's lives to revolve around them?"
He probably shouldn't have unloaded all of that on her—his anger took over at the most unfortunate times—but who better to talk to than a stranger who you'll most likely never see again? He looked at her now, sure he scared her off.
Instead, Starr looked him square in the eye. "Yep. Been there, done that."
Michael scoffed at this angelic-looking girl who claimed to share some of his familial struggles. It was really hard to believe just looking at her. But then he remembered how tough she was earlier. Whether it was an act or not, he couldn't be sure yet.
"Actually, my mom and I really are like best friends. Then I have my possessive, manipulating, crazy-ass dad. Both of them."
"Both of them?"
Starr smiled sadly. "Yeah. That's a longer, definitely more complicated story."
Michael wasn't going to press her. After all, they didn't even know each other, he couldn't expect her to tell him her entire life story, and he didn't want to divulge his.
"So who are you waiting for?" Michael asked, effectively changing the subject.
She let out a small chuckle. "My family."
Didn't it feel good to only need each other?
"Have you ever been in love?"
Michael looked up from the snacks that his new airport companion pulled from her purse and insisted he join in on. "What?" he asked.
Starr quickly lowered her eyes. "Sorry. I don't mean to pry. I shouldn't have asked you that. It's none of my business. I was just wondering."
"Why?"
She looked back up to meet his eyes. "I just…you look kind of lost. I've seen that look before. Hell, I've been that look before. Like something shattered you. Or some things?"
She saw pain flicker across his face and regretted ever asking. "I'm sorry."
"No, no. It's, uh, it's okay. Yeah, I've been in love before."
"Just once?"
He chuckled dryly at that and looked down to his lap. "Just once. I don't exactly allow many people to get too close to me. But she…she was special."
"'Was'?" When Michael didn't say anything more, she decided to drop it. "I've been in love a couple—maybe a few—times. I think maybe I have the opposite problem. Maybe I let too many people in."
"There can never be too many," Michael insists right away. "I wish I was more like that. But I've already built this wall around myself, you know. And Abby was the only one….Well now it's back up again."
"Well, I don't think it's ever too late to let that wall down again. I mean, look at us right now. You don't even know me, but you're willing to open up to me. Before you know it, you'll be sharing all of this with the people you love."
"That's because…this is different. It's easier because I don't know you, I think."
"Hmm, maybe. Maybe this is just the first step."
They sat in silence for a moment, which was surprisingly rare during their conversation.
"So where are you from? Not Port Charles." He didn't say last part as a question. He was sure he would have seen her at some point in his life if she had been.
"No, I'm from this, uh town in Pennsylvania called Llanview."
"Llanview. Sounds kind of familiar. I think my cousin Skye might have mentioned being there before."
"Skye?"
"Yeah, well, she's kind of my cousin. It's a long story."
"I'm sure," Starr mumbled.
"What's that?"
"Oh, nothing. Um, what were you saying? Oh yeah. So I take it you are from Port Charles?"
"Yeah. I've been trying to stay away from town for a while. I just needed to get away from all the chaos and—"
"Omigod!"
Michael looked startled as he was interrupted by her screech.
"Oh, sorry!" Starr placed a hand on his arm for a second. "It's just that I can't believe I didn't realizethis before. Your mom is Carly, right?"
Michael sighed and nodded. "I guess you know her?"
"I do! Well, sort of. She's letting me stay in her hotel. Well, not so much her as her partner, Kate Howard. I've only really met her a couple of times. I remember you called her once while we were talking and I saw your picture on her phone. She's very…interesting."
"'Interesting' is putting a bit nicely. So you work for Kate?"
"No, her company is…working with me? I don't know. Mostly I get dressed up by her assistant and given talking points by their PR people."
"So you're a model? Actress?"
"Aspiring singer. Apparently I'm not 'there yet,' according to everyone, but that's okay. I'm willing to learn."
Michael didn't say anything, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable. She felt like she was hogging the entire conversation.
"So what do you do?"
Michael dipped his head a bit and narrowed his eyes. "I thought you knew," he whispered.
Starr narrowed her own eyes and pressed her lips together. After a little intense staring, she lost her edge and rolled her eyes. "If you're not joking, then I'm leaving."
He couldn't keep his face straight any longer and laughed. "Relax. I was serious before. I'm not a part of that." Starr seemed to take comfort in his words. "No, I've just been travelling for a while," he continued. "My uncle suggested that I just leave it all behind, so I did. Well mostly. I still made contact with civilization back home every now and then."
"That must have been nice, to just pick up and leave. Sometimes I wish I could do that, and not worry about responsibilities and family and friends."
"Isn't that what you're doing now?" Michael asked seriously.
"Not exactly. I still have my responsibilities and, if you remember, my family's going to be joining me."
"At least you came knowing what you were looking for. I just looked."
"And did you find anything?"
Michael nodded his head. "Yeah, I think I did."
What if I want you to just to walk away from all the pain we have both been through?
"So you have a new family member? That must be pretty exciting."
Michael couldn't help but smile. He'd only seen a few pictures of the little guy, but he already felt a connection with him. Daniel Michael Morgan was already changing the world around him, which came as no surprise considering who his parents were. He gave Michael a renewed hope that not everything was bad in the world.
"I'm pretty excited. That kid's already a big crazy family falling over their feet to get to him first. And his parents are seriously two of the best people I know. Without them, I don't know if I would even be here today…"
"That's nice. To have that kind of bond with someone. I can name a few people who've had that kind of impact on me. But I think one of the only people who has always made me feel that way is Hope. She's just…she's my everything. Until I finally got to hold her—and know that she was mine—I was so lost. I was always searching for a purpose, sometimes with self-destructive results. I'm still not quite there yet, but I've got some time to figure things out. And she's my driving force. She makes me want to be better at everything. She's the reason I don't give up."
Starr quickly swiped a stray tear and smiled embarrassedly over gushing so much.
"And Hope, she's part of the family you're waiting for today?"
Starr mentally smacked herself on the forehead. She realized she just brought up Hope out of the blue; he had no idea who she was talking about.
"Yep." She pulled out her phone and went to her photo album. She stopped at a picture of the two of them taken at Hope's last birthday party. "That's my Hope," she said, smiling from ear to ear. "My daughter." She couldn't wait to see her again.
Michael smiled at the picture of mother and daughter, who looked eerily identical. "She's beautiful. She looks just like you."
Starr couldn't help but blush a bit. "Thanks. She's pretty perfect."
Michael looked back up to her and then behind her. "Speak of the angel," he said.
Without hesitation, Starr turned around.
"Mommy!"
"Sweetie!"
They rushed to each other, and Michael couldn't help but think that it was like the perfect movie scene.
"Mommy missed you so much! So, so, so much!"
"I missed you, Mommy."
"Oh, I know, baby. I'm sorry I had to be away for so long. Never ever again, I promise."
Starr let her tears fall unabashedly now. Even Michael felt himself go a little soft at the reunion before him.
"Well, it's not like we've seen you in about a month, but whatever. Just pay attention to the kid. We don't care." For the first time, Michael noticed to people standing near Starr, a man with a scar on one cheek and a tall blonde. They had to be her parents.
Starr stood up with Hope pressed tightly against her. "Dad, you know I missed you too. And you mom. I'm so happy to see all of you."
She proceeded to place kisses all over her daughter's face, each one answered with a precious giggle.
"Mommy, stop!"
"Oh, alright."
"So, where's this fancy, shmancy hotel we're staying for free?"
"Todd! You haven't even hugged your daughter yet, for God's sake," the blonde reprimanded in a southern accent.
"What? It's not like I've never seen her before."
"Dad!" "Todd!"
"Hey, now. You know I'm just kidding. Come here kiddo. You too, Blair, let's do this."
The women both rolled their eyes, but joined in on the group hug.
"Now really, let's go get our bags and get the hell out of here."
"Get the hell out!" Hope announced proudly.
"Hope! That is a bad word, okay? In fact, let's not repeat anything grandpa says."
"Dammit!"
Starr sighed while Michael sat back and enjoyed the little girl's sense of humor.
"Thanks a lot, you guys. Now I've got a little potty mouth on my hands."
"Please, you were saying much worse at her age."
"Thanks to you, I'm sure."
Starr turned back to Michael, almost forgetting that he was even there. "Hey, come here!"
Michael thought about declining, but not finding any harm in complying.
"I met the nicest person while I was waiting. Michael, this is my mother, Blair, my dad Todd, and this is the little one I was telling you about. Hope, can you say hi to mommy's friend?"
"Hi to mommy's friend," she repeated with the wave of her hand.
Michael chuckled. "It's nice to meet you, Hope." He turned to Starr's parents and offered them his hand. "Nice to meet you, Michael," Blair said first and shook his hand. "Thanks for keeping our daughter company."
"It's more like she was keeping me company. It's nice to meet you too." He turned to Todd, who didn't hold out his hand.
"You have got to be kidding me."
"Dad!" "Todd!"
"Sorry, Michael. My dad can be a real jerk sometimes."
"No, no. Don't go blaming this one on me, Starr. Blame yourself and your terrible instince."
"What? Relax, Dad. I just met him. And what's that's supposed to mean?" she asked indignantly.
"Oh, come on. The druggie deadbeat convict who knocked you up at sixteen and a carjacker-slash-kidnapper and now the town's biggest crime boss's son? Sorry, darling, but your record speaks for itself."
"Todd, go get the bags," Blair ordered. Before he could protest she barked out, "Go!"
With a scowl, Todd left the group.
"I can't believe I ever slept with that man," Blair spat as she watched him walk away.
"Oh, God. Michael, I guess I win this round of My Family Sucks More, so I'm just going to pretend that didn't just happen and walk away."
"Hey, don't worry about it. Really. Besides, you haven't met my dad yet. If you thought my mom was something else…"
Starr smiled at his attempt to make things less awkward. Her dad was wrong. She had good instincts, like the one to try to get to know the guy with the infamous last name.
"Thanks, Michael. I, uh, It was nice meeting you."
"You too, Starr," he said with a soft smile. "I'll be around for a while, so maybe I'll see you."
"Yeah, maybe. I'll see you around, Michael."
Blair gave him a wave before she turned around and began to walk towards the baggage claim. Hope imitated her grandmother and waved to him.
"Goodbye, Hope."
"S'ya later, alligator."
Starr and Michael both laughed at her, before exchanging a final farewell smile and nod.
Michael watched the family until they blended into the crowd. Before, he was sure he would try to avoid going there, but maybe he'd pay his mother a visit in her office at the MetroCourt…
'Cause I've been hidin' all my life and I've been trying to keep me safe but I've been healing, I've been thinking I am ready finally for something more than this…