Chapter 3:

"It doesn't make sense, Jason!" Carly yelled at him in her usual demanding tone. "It's not like him. It's not what he usually does and they haven't found a single body part that belonged to her." Her cousin's untimely death had struck a strong forgotten note within her. Sour revenge plots had been replaced with undying memories of two people who used to rely on each other.

"Carly…" Jason started off as calm and as possible. Slow words in a calm tone to keep her from another burst of hysterics. "There was too much blood at the apartment. Nobody could have lived through that kind of blood loss."

"Who is to say that it was all her blood?"

"They tested it, Carly. It was Lulu's blood."

"Lots of things get tested and are wrong. Come on, how many paternity tests have been paid off or switched. Hell... you've switched a paternity test yourself when you wanted everything to think that Sam's baby was yours. How do we know that those test are accurate."

"Look… Dante and Lucky are cops themselves. We're talking about their friend's sister."

"I don't care! She's not dead! I would know if something had actually happened to her!" she shouted through her thread of tears. Jason wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back until her breathing returned to normal. "She can't be dead, Jason," she told him as they pulled away and she wiped her eyes. "She'd tell you the same thing, you know, if it were me… We just know. You know that." She wasn't completely wrong. The vast amount of mannerisms and philosophy between Carly and Lulu had been uncanny even if lately they had seemed worlds apart. "If I were missing and some sick freak wanted you to believe I was dead… you'd never give up on me. Neither would she…"

"Alright. Alright," he attempted to appease her. "But Carly, what if she really is dead?"

"She's not!"

"Listen to me, Carly! Your guilt won't bring her back to life. I understand that you spent the last year of her life hating her for letting Dante turn in Michael…"

"How dare you! If you're not going to help me then I'll go find someone who will!" She stormed out the door.

The table was made of a cold and silver metal that made the shoulder blades hurt against the flat surface. Lulu jumped in the threat of panic to find herself tied to the table. Paper crunched underneath her with every shift of her body. Her eyes too inventory of the room. Plain white walls, white marble floor, and nothing else. She kicked her legs against the changes and tugged at her arms. A sticky read fluid was painted on her arms and available skin. Her shirt was hard under spots of dried blood.

Her mind twisted the events in her mind, but her memory was empty. She had just closed her eyes for a moment when she was in the shower and had woken up somewhere completely knew in clothes she had never seen before. It was the very definition of her worst nightmare.

"Good morning, Lulu," a sinister voice greeted her from the dark corner of the room.

"What the hell could you possibly want?" Dante demanded the second he saw the unwelcome woman's face. "I don't want you here, and you know what, I don't think Lulu would either."

"Lulu was my family!" Carly tried to explain calmly.

"Family you took every opportunity to hurt. You wanted to ruin our lives! You wanted to ruin our relationship… everything that mattered to either of us… You wanted to hurt her, Carly. You're not welcome here!" He continued to shout at her, but she remained unmoved in the doorway.

She looked to Olivia who didn't dare look back. She knew the woman had agreed with every word her son said, and there was no ally there any longer. One of the many bridges she had managed to burn for what seemed like no apparent reason any longer. She had hoped to gain some kind of comfort from her own son, but Michael's face was still and unreceptive. "I don't think Lulu's dead." She took the plunge.

"You bitch!" He couldn't sensor himself. "Don't you dare think you're going to use her death as a way to hurt me, because I can assure you Carly nothing will ever hurt me as much as…" He ran out of breath as his eyes welled up. "You don't get to use her in some sick and twisted attempt for revenge. You don't get to use her ever again… EVER!" The last word he screamed in hysteria.

"I truly don't believe Lulu is dead," she genuinely cried. Michael took notice of the sincerity and rushed to her side. "I'd feel it… if she were really dead. She's my family."

"I'd hate to be related to you," Olivia scoffed under her breath.

"Why hasn't Franco sent pictures…? Or left what's left of her body posed for you? Why hasn't he made more phone calls to try and torture you? It doesn't make sense! If she were really dead he'd make sure we'd never forget it. He would…"

"…immortalize her…" Dante interrupted. His eyes went wide.

Sneak Peak: Carly and Dante join forces.

Author's Note: I'm a Carly fan…. I feel the compulse need to remind myself as well as others that. "I love Carly. Mel hates Carly." is said in the chat room under a daily basis. So… just saying.

Thank you for reading and all the beautiful comments. Made me want to instantly get started and post the next one.