Carly had a feeling something wasn't right as she walked outside into the Rockford Hills Academy parking lot and a familiar black and white Imponte Phoenix caught her attention, Brayden flashing a smile at her from the driver's side.

"Hey, Tiny. Hop on in." Brayden responded.

"You okay? You kind of ran out of Science class in a hurry." Carly replied.

"Need to get away from my pregnant girlfriend. Come on, I'm not gonna hurt you. I tutor you and your sister for a part of my upperclassmen program." Brayden explained.

Carly got into the passenger side and buckled up after closing the door, Brayden driving off and Somebody Up There Loves Me by David Bowie playing on KDST.

"Station's different without Tommy 'The Nightmare' Smith on it." Carly replied.

"Yeah, which is alright. Carly, I didn't want you to get bullied by her cause she pregnant, she cares too much about herself and our son and I can't believe that she wanted me to leave her alone. Probably one of her mood swings again, but I'm doing it to let her calm down." Brayden explained, holding on to the steering wheel and keeping his eyes on the road.

"I tried to help calm Rita down earlier… she went off yelling that someday, I'm gonna end up in over my head with no way out." Carly admitted.

"I'm just hoping that when mine and Rita's son is here, I can let you and Blake see him. Somehow, Rita won't let anyone near our baby cause she doesn't like strange, weird and tiny people. Which is not you and your sister in my book. You two are the greatest." Brayden said.

Carly smiled at the last part and started to relax as the drive continued and the two reached the Sandy Shores area, driving through it and Paleto Bay without incident.

But then they were in Angel Pine before they knew it… and it was as Carly and Brayden were singing along to Hold The Line by Toto that Carly reached for Brayden's phone when it rang… and then it happened.

Before either could blink, the ZR-350 crashed into them and sent the car spiralling out of control, eventually colliding with a utility post.

Brayden coughed up blood as he opened his eyes and turned to see Carly unconscious, bruised and bleeding… he gripped his phone with what little strength he had and dialed it.

"911, what's your emergency?" The dispatcher responded.

"H… Help… ambulance…" Brayden struggle to say before he dropped his phone and his body finally gave up on strength.

A few hours later, Carly woke up in the hospital bed as Johnny, Blake and Michael were next to her, Carly's right ankle in a brace because it was badly sprained and her head stitched up.

She looked around… and then back at them, tears trailing down her face as Blake pulled Carly into her arms and Carly cried.

"He's gone, Carly… our protection from that bitch!" Blake cried.

Michael hugged his daughters, knowing that they were heartbroken at losing their friend.

And as Johnny held her, Carly thought back to one memory she would always keep with her…

Five months earlier…

Carly was outside with a beer in one hand before she heard the sliding glass door open and slam shut and saw Brayden.

"Fighting?" Carly asked as Brayden sat down.

"Hell yeah, and this time it was over fuckin' baby names." Brayden answered. "I told her that if we have a boy, I want to name him. But now, she wants to name our child for now on. It's my child too, I have every right to be involved." He explained.

"First time around is nerve wracking from what my dad said before my sister was born… my parents weren't much older than you and Rita." Carly responded, Brayden smiling slightly.

"Guess we're turning into them, but a younger age." Brayden stated. "I know she's pregnant but somehow… I have this funny feeling that she'll be a horrible mother at some point. Like abandoning him or her or not sure when to feed the kid." He explained.

"Brayden, she might change, she'll have to… but I know you'll be a great father. The second you hold the little baby, you'll never want to let him go. Someone so innocent and precious, you'll be thinking 'How can I ever let you go? You're my whole world and you have my heart in your hands, I'll never let you down.'..." Carly said with a slight sniffle. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to get all sappy." She replied as Brayden stood up and then sat back down but next to her.

"Hey, being sappy is alright. Not like what Rita has, and to let you know. If she decides to let me name our son, if we do have one. I want to name him… Bobby. I don't know how I thought of that name, but it's stuck on

to me." Brayden explained.

"I like that name… what about if it's a girl?" Carly replied.

"Well the second the name Victoria Jade left my mouth, Rita looked at me like I was crazy." Brayden responded before both chuckled.

"Combining my sister's middle name with mine…" Carly said as Brayden rested his left hand on her right shoulder.

"Yeah, as a good memory of my favorite people who I tutor with." Brayden stated…

Present time…

Carly snuck out of the room and down to the morgue, pulling the sheet back… she had to see him.

"I… today started out with both of us alive, the world at our feet. You were so excited about being a dad, Brayden… this isn't fair to your son…" Carly whispered as she absentmindedly ran her fingers through Brayden's light brown hair. "I'm so sorry, Brayden." She said as tears fell again and she kissed him on his forehead.

Carly pulled the sheet over him and turned, leaving.

She'd do one last thing for her friend and make sure that his son knew who he was.