"...for those of you who were affected by the riots, power is being safely restored to the affected areas of San Andreas…"
Carly nodded and smiled in relief as she and Ethan finished making sure that the apartment was lit up.
"Finally, I was starting to go insane!" Carly said as she and Ethan got the last of the boards off the windows.
"Hey, we survived through worse." Ethan said. "At least we stayed here at my place for now."
"Yep. Still have to get back out there and check on the others." Carly replied as Ethan noticed a bruise shaped like a handprint on Carly's left shoulder.
"Did she put her hands on you again?" Ethan asked. "Cause, you're welcome to stay with me, dad, Norah and even Charlie."
"There was something I didn't mention yesterday… I ran into Norah's ex. Grade A prick he is, started shaking me like a ragdoll til I clobbered him with a bat." Carly explained.
"If you killed him, I'll be happy to hear that, cause he been trying to see her since she was pregnant with Charlie, claiming that he got her pregnant." Ethan said.
"He's sick in the head… I've seen pics of Uncle Carter as a kid, Charlie even has the same strawberry birthmark on her back." Carly answered as she put the power drill away and turned the radio up.
"...in other news, a shooting has taken place in Ludendorff involving Marcelline Rose…"
Carly went frighteningly pale when she heard that, Ethan helping her sit down.
"Whoa, calm down… that can't be our Macey we know… right?" Ethan said, unsure.
"If it is… where's Blakey?" Carly asked, dialing an old number she hadn't in years… to her surprise, Jade Knight picked up.
"Hello, who's this?" Jade asked.
"Jade, it's me, Carly Townley… is Blake with you? We just heard on the radio about a shooting involving Macey." Carly answered.
"That was two days ago when her mother got killed… but listen Blake is on her way to Los Santos, I think… and once she arrives, get her to a hospital as soon as you can, cause… she lost her… God, I can't say it… it's too gruesome to talk about it." Jade explained.
"Okay…" Carly said, hanging up and her and Ethan grabbing their weapons in case they ran into stray rioters along the way.
Reaching LSIA, Carly and Ethan looked around frantically for Blake after Johnny had found them.
"Car… Carly…" A familiar voice startled Carly as she turn around to see Blake, without her left arm and a bandage patch over her right eye, while wearing her black hoodie to covered herself from her battered state.
Carly caught Blake in her arms as Johnny dialed 911.
The waiting at Mount Zonah was excruciating as Blake had been taken to the OR to drain several abscesses where her arm used to be and try to fix her eye… Carly closed her eyes and let her tears fall before hearing concerned babbling and turning after opening her eyes.
"Hey…" Carly said, Norah placing Charlie into Carly's arms and helping Carly sit down.
"Is everything okay, Carly?" Norah asked.
"Blake's…" Carly started to say, covering Charlie's ear. "Her left arm is gone, they can't find it… her eyesight in one eye…" She said, trailing off as she couldn't continue any further and felt Charlie's tiny arms around her, hugging the 5 month old.
"Oh my… who would do such a thing to her?" Norah asked.
"I hate to say it but I think it was her own mother…" Carly said quietly, Norah sitting down and carefully hugging Carly.
"Well, let's hope for the best and see what can we hear from her when she's out of the OR." Norah said.
Carly nodded after they let go, Charlie pressing her tiny mouth to Carly's nose.
"I love you too, Charlotte Grace…" Carly whispered.
"She loves you too much…" Norah said with a smile.
When it was night, Charlie was asleep in Carly's arms with her head on Carly's left shoulder as Carly was in the room Blake was in. Norah was asleep in Carter's arms and Johnny was returning some missed calls.
Blake struggled to open her left eye… and from the anesthetic, she was confused as she saw Charlie in Carly's arms.
"Holy peanut butter cups! Carly, you have a baby?" Blake questioned herself. "How long was I away?!"
"Too long, Blakey… and she's my goddaughter…" Carly answered as a tiny yawn escaped Charlie's mouth and Blake saw the birthmark. "Charlie, ready to meet your step sister?"
The newborn's eyes open and Blake saw the way she looked at her… it was the same facial expression that Carter had.
"Is that… my dad's kid?" Blake asked.
"Yeah. Her mother's name is Norah… she's a really kind hearted lady." Carly answered as Charlie babbled at Blake, which made Blake laugh slightly.
"You're such a cutie pie, ain't you?" Blake asked.
"Yeah…" Carly said, Charlie resting her tiny hand on Carly's nose and Blake smiled.
"Did I… did I make it to Los Santos?" Blake asked.
"Yes you did, Blakey… and you're safe here. No one's ever gonna hurt you again." Carly answered as Blake reached over with her right arm and lightly touched Carly's collarbone length light brown, violet and silverish purple hair.
"I… I ran… from her." Blake managed to say to Carly.
Footsteps were heard and Blake looked up, seeing Carter and Norah.
"Take your time… come on Charlie, let's go set up a bottle, okay?" Carly said, Charlie clapping her tiny hands together before they left.
"She's gonna be a great mother one day…" Blake said as she and Carter hugged. "I missed you so much…"
"I miss you too, Ladybug." Carter said, letting go. "It's been happiness, but sometimes hell with me, Carly and the others."
"I need to tell… Carly something very important." Blake said.
"What is it?" Carter asked.
"I… need… Carly, not you." Blake said.
"Okay, just stay here." Carter said as he found Carly while Norah stayed.
When Carter found Carly, he also heard a loud burp from Charlie.
"That a girl, yeah…" Carly said as she set the empty bottle down, Charlie babbling as Carly cleaned her mouth with the rag before putting her in Carter's arms. "Blake okay?"
"Yeah, but she needs to talk to you. It's very important." Carter said.
"Okay… be good now, precious." Carly said quietly, the last part to Charlie before she kissed her on her head and walked back into Blake's room.
"You look tired…" Blake said as Carly sat down.
"It's been a chaotic few days. What's going on? Is Macey… dead?" Carly responded.
"No…" Blake simply said. "She's not."
"But she's hurt badly… Blake, you can hide out with us. It's just me and my dad now in an apartment, much quieter than that house…" Carly said, Blake realising something.
This wasn't the same Carly she knew in childhood.