Author's Note: Just a reminder that this story is meant to embrace the cliches of soap opera. It's meant to titillate, excite, sadden, and create joy. Above all, it's not meant to be taken so seriously. It's a soap opera! Expect the expected and unexpected. Expect the ridiculous and the insane. It's why I so love the genre.

"I'm still not convinced this is a good idea," said a nervous Carly, wringing her hands. "A lot of people will want to know why I'm there and I don't have a good excuse to give them."

Kurt raised a brow and looked at her. Carly looked quite beautiful in a conservative black dress with a hem that ended just below the knee and her shoes, for once, were modest. Her hair was pulled into a severe chignon and her minimal makeup made her look both mature and, strangely, chaste.

"Do you want to go?" he asked.

She blinked. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I want to pay my respects. Robin was a part of my life for a very long time, and though most of that part was bad, she didn't deserve what happened to her. She saved my friend at the expense of herself. I respect that. I want to honor that." She shrugged anxiously. "And I want to be there to support you."

He gave her a small smile. "Those are your reasons. If someone feels a need to question them further, please direct them to me."

Amused, she shook her head. "I'm not going to draw you into one of many tangled webs. Not today, at least." She sighed. "Still, don't be surprised by the whispering and perhaps even heckling that will erupt at my presence."

"Carly, I'm going to this funeral for Patrick and Emma, and because it's all I can do for my sister. What anyone else thinks about anything - about Robin, her death, you, or anything else - can kiss my ass. I'm not in the mood to placate anyone today, and if people want to take up arms against you, they'll be dealing with me. Trust me, I'm used to torches and pitchforks."

Holly sailed into the room and patted his shoulder. "Try not to ruin too many people, darling. You've only just arrived in town."

Kurt nodded. "You might have to remind me later. You know how difficult it can be for me to pace myself."

Holly snickered, kissed his cheek, and went off in search of her purse.

Carly watched them, a soft smile on her face. This was the most relaxed she had seen Kurt since he had arrived in Port Charles. Despite the many laughs and tears they had shared, he had always appeared to be on guard. Not necessarily because of her, but just in general. Ever since Holly's arrival, however, she had seen him lower his automatic defenses. He smiled more, brooded less, and was never without a clever quip for any given situation.

She was somewhat fascinated by their relationship. Kurt and Holly were not biologically related, but the more time she spent in their company, they more similarities she noticed. Perhaps the old adage was true and the more time you spent with someone, the more you began to look like them.

If that was true, she could certainly understand why Kurt and Holly were so close. Both of them were truly stunning people.

They didn't argue, but they sometimes quarreled. They discussed their differences of opinion and then agreed to disagree. It was a rather eye-opening experience and she felt kind of dumb that she needed to be shown this avenue of debate. Her way was always outshouting another or crying or scheming behind someone's back. Disagreeing and then walking away had never occurred to her.

Kurt and Holly had so many inside jokes, but Carly never once felt left out. It was a nice feeling, being included, and Holly did include her. She had met the woman before but they had never really spoken. However, when she had arrived at Kurt's room that night, Holly had been very solicitous, asking about her children, about Jason, how she enjoyed running the hotel. At first, Carly thought she was merely being polite, but Holly had appeared truly interested in her answers.

She then gleaned that the woman was assessing her, judging her worth to be included in Kurt's circle. She didn't mind; in fact, she totally understood. She did the same with her children and probably always would. Whatever the case, she had apparently passed. She was surprised by how much this pleased her. It had been a long time she had ever garnered someone's approval, especially that of another woman.

Holly and Kurt were like mother and son, sister and brother, and high school best friends. Carly could tell that they knew everything about each other, accepted that knowledge - even if it wasn't tacitly addressed - and loved one another deeply.

Then there were Brittany and Santana.

Santana Lopez legitimately scared her. She had looked into those dark eyes, like snapping Dobermans, and had no problem imagining why Sonny did not want to antagonize this woman. Surprisingly, they had gotten along very well, though Kurt had later told her he had expected no less.

It had been very difficult, however, to imagine Brittany Pierce as an enforcer, particularly a feared one. She wore her long blond hair in pigtails and pulled on them when anxious. She cooed over Kurt and soothed Santana's almost constantly-ruffled feathers. Carly could see plainly the effect this woman had on the other two. But, after a while, Brittany's mask had slipped and Carly had glimpsed the woman who could kill without compunction. She would never cross her.

She couldn't even imagine what it was like for them - Kurt, Santana, and Brittany; as well as Kurt and Holly - to trust someone so much, to have someone believe in you to that extent. It was both awesome and humbling. She wanted that for herself one day, but she knew that day was not today. She'd get there, however. She had a lot of work do to, a lot to make up for, and a lot of cleaning house, but she'd do it.

She had to.

She'd been mortified when, the other night at home, Morgan had come to her with a sheaf of papers, articles he'd printed from the internet about her many escapades, asking if they were true. When she had looked at the articles and then back at her innocent, trusting son, she hadn't been able to lie, though she had certainly wanted to do just that.

She told him the truth. She had watched, saddened, as he struggled to reconcile the woman in those articles with the person he believed his mother to be. She wanted to be that woman. She had always tried to so hard to protect her children from everything, never realizing she might one day have to protect them from herself, from her reputation and burned bridges.

She needed to grow up, finally. She wanted her children to be proud of her.

And while Robin's death and Elizabeth's life and Morgan's questions had spurred all of this introspection, it was Kurt's quiet acceptance which had deepened her resolve. For this, she was grateful.

She wasn't out to kiss anyone's ass or make a lot of phony friends. She wasn't going to apologize for things for which she was not truly sorry just to make someone else feel better. She was, however, determined to be more thoughtful and perhaps more compassionate. She entertained no scenarios that she would make herself over into a clone of Robin or Elizabeth or Emily. That wasn't her, and she still firmly believed they needed, or had needed, to be a little more like her and fight for what they wanted.

But she didn't have a bitch for the sake of it.

Kurt had said that she could be honest and have integrity and still be a bitch. He was living proof.

Carly thought she could work with that. She didn't have to put on airs or pretend to care. She just had to think before opening her mouth. She had to make sure the emergency brake was on before she flew off the handle. She had to think of her children more and herself less.

"Are you all right?" Kurt gently asked, startling her from her thoughts when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

She turned and smiled. "You know, I think I am? For the first time in a long time, I think I'm going to be just fine."

He returned the smile, which slipped from his face when someone knocked on the door. He wasn't expecting anyone.

Holly closed the door to the hall closet and turned around. "Do you want me to get it?"

He shook his head and crossed the room, opening the door. His face softened into a warm smile. "You didn't have to come."

She scoffed. "As if I'd be anywhere else! I'm offended you weren't expecting me."

"I didn't want to presume," Kurt said, almost bashfully, "and I certainly had no desire to make you feel guilty..."

"Guilty?" she interrupted, snorting. She pushed her way into the room, raising an imperious brow at the other woman before turning back to Kurt. "Excuse me, have we met? I'm Erica Kane. I don't do guilt."

Holly was finding all of this a bit too surreal. She was in a stretch limousine which was gliding towards Queen of Angels, the church hosting the funeral of her daughter in everything but name. Accompanying her was the man she considered her son; his new best friend, who was also Luke Spencer's niece; his other two best friends, a mafia princess and her wife; and Erica Kane.

Holly knew that Kurt was close with Bianca Montgomery, but had been unaware the friendship had expanded to include the young woman's mother.

As if reading her mind, Kurt and Erica's conversation turned toward her daughter.

"Bianca so wanted to be here," she said, patting Kurt's knee. "She had only met Robin once or twice, but thought her to be lovely." She paused. "When I told her that Robin was your sister..."

He gave a small smile. "If anyone understands sudden siblings, it's Bianca. How is Kendall, by the way?"

Erica recognized his desire to change the subject and accepted it gracefully. "She's well. She, Zach, and the boys are all doing just fine," she said, beaming.

He didn't ask for details about Bianca. The last time he had spoken with her, she confided that she was considering filing for divorce from her wife, Reese Williams. He desperately wanted to know if she had pursued that course, but this wasn't the appropriate time. Besides, he knew Bianca would prefer he put his questions to her, not her mother.

"You understand this is going to cause a scene, don't you?" Holly said to Kurt.

He merely shrugged.

She arched a brow. "Really? You're escorting me, Carly, Erica Kane, and two very powerful young women. There will be talk; perhaps even a backlash."

He sighed. "Holly, I'm unconcerned about how Anna or anyone else will react to this. She wanted me there and I agreed to attend, but on my terms. She already knows how close I am with you and Carly. She has no quarrel with Santana or Brittany, and she knows Erica."

Erica smiled. "Don't worry, Holly. If necessary, I will intercede with Anna." Her eyes dimmed and the smile became forced. "Besides, I'm sure she's far more concerned with other matters. I've been where she is; I don't envy her."

Holly accepted that and let it go.

"Give us a rundown of the major players, Rainbow," Santana asked, knowing that forcing Kurt to channel his energies in another direction would be a good thing."

He nodded. "There's Anna, of course, and her ex-husband Robert Scorpio; they're Robin's parents."

No one noticed that he omitted the fact Anna was his mother.

"Mac Scorpio," he continued, "is Robert's brother and the chief of police. He, with Holly's help, raised Robin after Anna and Robert were presumed dead. Dr. Patrick Drake is Robin's husband and Emma is their daughter."

"How old is she?" Brittany quietly asked.

"Four," Kurt murmured.

"Like you were when you lost Anna?"

He nodded and turned away, clearing his throat and not wishing to consider that strange symmetry. "Elizabeth Webber is a surgical nurse at General Hospital and was one of Robin's best friends. Nikolas told me that she's been spending as much time as she can trying to help Patrick with Emma, but it's difficult because she has a young child of her own."

"Cameron's a really sweet boy," Carly said, almost wistfully, remembering when Michael had been so young and innocent. Perhaps she should suggest to Elizabeth that they get Cameron and Morgan together for a play date. She wanted her son to have friends. "The few times I've seen him since Jake died...he's so sad now."

"Who's Jake?" Erica asked.

Carly blinked back tears. "Jake was Elizabeth's other son, and the son of one of my best friends, Jason Morgan."

She didn't notice Santana stiffen.

"He was mowed down outside his house," Carly spat, suddenly furious. "They still haven't caught the bastard who did it."

"Oh, my goodness!" Erica exclaimed, eyes wide with horror. "Who could hit a child and drive away as though nothing happened? It's unconscionable!"

The tension left Santana's shoulders. She'd had no idea Morgan had even had a son, let alone that the son had died. La Kane was right. Who the fuck could run down a kid and drive away? She looked toward Kurt, who was obviously considering the situation.

She smirked. She had no doubt that Jake Webber's case would be one of the first he tackled as the city's new pathologist. If there was any forensic evidence to be found, Kurt would find it, and the guilty party should only hope he turned it over to the cops rather than meting out justice himself.

"That poor woman," Holly sighed. It always devastated her when she heard about a mother losing her child, which was why she empathized so much with Anna's situation regarding Kurt. Once again, she feared she would never get over her miscarriage, that it would haunt her well into her dotage.

"Elizabeth is amazing," Carly whispered. "My daughter, Josslyn, was in the hospital when Jake was killed. She had just been diagnosed with kidney cancer." She swallowed and trained her eyes on the floor. "Elizabeth donated Jake's organs, and he was a match for Josslyn. My daughter lived because of Elizabeth and her son."

"What an extraordinarily unselfish woman," Erica remarked. She didn't know if she could make the same decision. Kurt had informed her of Elizabeth and Carly's tempestuous past, and she doubted she could do the same for a woman she disliked, such as Barbara. She tilted her head. Though she probably would have done it for Brooke English. She shrugged. Their relationship had always been bizarre.

"Erica," Kurt gently interrupted, "when are you returning to Pine Valley?"

She looked toward him. "I booked a suite for two days. Why?"

"I was hoping you would consider speaking with Carly after the service and burial, once things have calmed down."

Erica was baffled, but agreed. "Of course." She frowned. "Is something wrong?"

Kurt and Carly exchanged a glance.

"Carly needs guidance regarding a situation with her son, Michael. I...am unequipped to help as much as I would like."

"You've been more help than you will ever know," Carly said hotly. "You listened to me. You shared with me. You were there for me in a way that no one else ever has been. You even managed to convince me to speak with Elizabeth. That's no small feat."

She sighed as she noted Erica and Holly's curious eyes upon her. "My son was raped."

Holly drew in a sharp breath as Erica's eyes bulged.

Brittany stared at Kurt, who gave a tight nod. Too bad. She wouldn't have minded killing a rapist before dinner.

Anna, Mac, and Patrick stood outside the church doors to welcome the mourners, having sent Emma inside to sit with Elizabeth and Cameron.

Patrick was still unconvinced it was wise to allow Emma to attend the service. Robert and Maxie had argued that she was too young, while Elizabeth and Anna cautioned that not allowing the girl to say goodbye to her mother would only cause her to resent her father. Mac had simplified everything, as he usually did, by suggesting that they ask Emma what she wanted to do.

Emma wanted to be there. She wanted to be with her daddy and her grandparents and thought her mommy would be sad if she looked down at the church from heaven and didn't see her.

That statement effectively quashed any contrary opinions.

Robert was pacing around the courtyard, very obviously uninterested in interacting with anyone else. Those present respected this.

Lucky arrived with Luke and Lulu in tow, each of whom expressed their sincerest condolences. Lucky had somberly shook Mac's hand before hugging Patrick, while Luke embraced Anna and muttered in her ear words lost to everyone else. Lulu quickly hugged Mac, who was confused, but assumed that it was in lieu of hugging Maxie.

Nikolas was the next to arrive, holding the hand of his son, who was pale and appeared frightened, no doubt remembering the last funeral he had attended was for the woman who had been the only mother he had ever known. Spencer had been very young at the time, but he remembered Emily. He missed her. He felt bad that Emma now had to miss her mommy, too.

"There's my favorite nephew," Lucky chirped, scooping Spencer up in his arms.

The little boy rolled his eyes. "I'm your only nephew, Uncle Lucky, and your behavior is improper."

Lucky raised a brow. "Excuse me, my prince."

Spencer waved his tiny hand. "All is forgiven, peasant," he said airily, before lapsing into giggles and all but strangling his uncle with a hug. "I miss Emmie, too," he whispered.

Nikolas watched as his brother's eyes turned suspiciously bright and wondered what his son had said. He crossed to them and wrapped his arms around them.

"All right?" he quietly asked his brother.

Lucky just nodded and rested his head on Nikolas' shoulder.

Luke and Lulu watched this with bewilderment, wondering when Nikolas and Lucky had become so close. Lulu felt left out, and Luke, while concerned, wished Laura were here to see just how tight her sons had become. It had once been her greatest wish.

"There's something I never believed I would ever see," said a soft voice.

They turned, stunned to see Laura Spencer standing before them.

"Mom!" Lulu cried, throwing herself at her mother.

"Hello, my baby," Laura whispered, smoothing her daughter's hair. As she wrapped her arms around Lulu, her eyes found another mother. "Anna, I am so sorry," she said. "Robin was one of the best people I have ever met in my life. It was my privilege to know her."

Tears appeared in Anna's eyes. "Thank you, Laura, and thank you for coming. I'm very pleased to see you are well, and I know Robin would have been, too."

Laura smiled sadly and released her daughter, who scooted off to greet a newly arrived Maxie and Spinelli. Maxie looked awful, as though she hadn't slept or eaten in days, and Mac knew his little girl was remembering not only her cousin, but her sister. His ache for Georgie, while always present, sharpened intensely.

He blinked back tears and scowled. "Criminals approaching."

They all turned as one and said nothing as Sonny, Jason, and Sam walked toward the doors.

Sonny felt as though he were a complete failure. His relationship with Robin hadn't been as strong as it once was, but he still remembered when she had been an integral part of his world, when, after Stone had died, just seeing her face could get him through the day. He had promised Stone, his brother in everything but blood - and what was blood, really, when he shared it with Ric? - that he would look after Robin. He hadn't.

Sam looked miserable because she was. Her husband, after angrily confronting her about trying to keep Robin's death a secret, was not talking to her. He had only relented in his silence to order her to stay away from both Elizabeth and Carly. Of course this led her to feeling very insecure, and though Jason had assured her that he loved her and their baby, he would not tolerate secrets and lies between them.

Further, she had had no right to antagonize Elizabeth in her workplace, nor in barring Carly from his room. They were his friends, that's all they were, and if she couldn't accept that, it was on her, not him or the other women.

And she had listened. She had understood that she was walking a very fine line and had no desire to step over it. It had taken a long time for her and Jason to find their way back to each other, but they had. They were married and expecting a child. Why was she tempting fate by attacking Elizabeth and Carly when she knew it was a surefire method of enraging her husband? She knew she had a lot to think about and planned on doing just that.

Jason knew he shouldn't be here, but he hadn't been able to stay away. He knew how the people in this town viewed his past relationship with Robin, that he had broken her heart so badly all those years ago that she had run off to Paris to escape him. He knew they were judging him for living at Robin's expense, when everyone, himself included, would agree the world would have been a much better place had he died rather than her.

He nodded tightly at Anna, Mac, and Patrick, and followed his wife and Sonny into the church.

People began arriving in greater numbers, far more than Anna had anticipated: Bobbie Spencer, escorting Carly's two sons, Michael and Morgan; Sean and Tiffany Donely; Lucy Coe; Ned Ashton, with his ex-wife Lois and daughter Brook Lynn; Edward, Tracy, and Monica Quartermaine; Kate Howard, her cousin Olivia Falconeri, along with Alexis Davis and Diane Miller; Sonny's son, police detective Dante Falconeri, who stood beside Lucky; Doctors Kelly Lee and Lainey Winters, with nurses Nadine Crowell and Epiphany Johnson; Patrick's father, Dr. Noah Drake, and Patrick's brother, Dr. Matt Hunter, who stood stalwartly at his brother's side.

Then the hospital personnel began arriving en masse. Doctors, nurses, residents, interns, physician's assistants, nursing assistants, x-ray technicians, respiratory technicians, nuclear medicine technicians, pharmacists, and everyone else who had a more than passing acquaintance with Robin had turned out to honor her, leaving a skeleton crew to monitor General Hospital for a few hours.

Several staff members of Mercy and County, those with whom Robin had consulted on a regular basis, also showed up.

Felicia Jones appeared and a furious Maxie ran to her father's side and refused to leave him. She knew that Robin and Felicia had once been very close, so she could appreciate her mother's presence, but didn't wish to interact with her.

Brenda Barrett then arrived, shockingly with her sister, Julia, whom Ned greeted warmly, much to the consternation of Lois.

Anna couldn't believe the numbers, that her daughter had touched so very many lives. It filled her with joy and wonder and acute agony that she would most likely feel for the rest of her life. Still, there was one person she was desperately hoping would still come.

And then he appeared, encircled by women. Carly and Holly were givens, but she didn't know the other two. She blinked harshly.

"Erica?"

Erica hugged Anna tenderly. "I am so sorry about Robin, Anna."

Anna stared. "I wasn't aware you even knew her."

Erica averted her eyes. "Truthfully, I didn't, though I knew of her from Dimitri and Edmund. I'm actually here for your son."

The stare became blatant. "You know Kurt."

"He's very close with Bianca," she said softly. "I believe you would understand why."

Anna's eyes filled with tears and she nodded. "Thank you for coming. Thank you for being here for him."

"Of course," Erica said quietly, before standing aside.

Carly gave her respects to the others, though only Patrick voiced his appreciation. She ignored Maxie's scowl.

As one, Nikolas and Patrick made their way to Kurt. Patrick shook his hand while Nikolas wrapped an arm around Kurt's shoulders.

"Thank you for being here," Patrick said. "I appreciate it, and I know Robin would've wanted you here."

Kurt nodded but didn't feel much like speaking. This entire experience was anathema to him. He kept his thoughts focused on Robin and let everything else go.

"So that's him," Lucky murmured, staring at Kurt with fascination. Finally, he shrugged. "He's cute."

"Dollface has a pair, too," Luke chimed in. "You should have seen him face off with the Queen of the Damned. Smooth, man. Smooth."

"Excuse me?" asked a baffled Laura.

"That young man, Angel," Luke said, "is Anna's long-lost son and, if your eldest gets his way, he'll be your son-in-law."

Lucky snorted.

Laura stared. "I'm sorry?"

"He's Anna's son?" Lulu trilled.

"You know him?" demanded an irritated Maxie.

Lulu eyed her. "He's in tight, and I mean tight, with Kate."

Maxie's eyes bulged. She shook her head. "He's friends with Kate and Erica Kane?" She released her father. "I need to go sit down." She then wandered into the church to do just that.

At the same moment, Elizabeth emerged from the doors, crossed the courtyard, and held out her hand.

To Carly.

Who took it.

Luke, Lucky, Laura, Lulu, and practically everyone else stopped and stared at the gesture, as though this were a spaghetti western and the clock was about to strike noon.

Elizabeth and Carly, hand-in-hand, went inside the church. The stares followed them, as did Santana and Brittany, arms linked. Erica was next.

Kurt stood off to the side, distancing himself from both Nikolas and Patrick while remaining close to Holly, who met Anna's stare unflinchingly.

Then accented voices erupted.

"Anna!" called one. "I got here as quickly as I could."

"Mac!" the other said. "My god, I am so sorry."

The two men then halted in their tracks and stared. "Kurt?" they asked in unison.

Kurt felt his heart sink. He couldn't deal with this. Not now, and not ever. He had lived so much of life isolating himself from others, only allowing a few in and only one at a time.

And, now, they were all here converging upon him, making him feel things. Making him hurt.

"Jax," he said with a pleasantness he didn't feel as he struggled for some modicum of normalcy, nodding at the man. He turned and nodded at the other. "Aidan," he said, his tone slightly warmer. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" they both demanded before turning on each other. "Who are you?"

"Oh, no," Kurt whispered.

And then a most unwelcome thought wormed its way into his mind, a horrible one that he had absolutely no wish to consider yet knowing that he had no choice.

"I live here in Port Charles," Jax said blankly. "You didn't know? You're not here...to see me?" he softly asked.

"Why would he be here for you?" Nikolas barked.

Jax narrowed his eyes at the very small distance separating Nikolas and Kurt.

Oh, hell no. Not again. Not after Courtney. He was not losing anyone else to Nikolas Cassadine.

"I'm here for Anna," Aidan answered Kurt, who blanched. "Why are you here?" he asked with heartfelt concern before his eyes widened. "Kurt, are you all right?"

"How do you know Anna?" Kurt whispered, voice tremulous.

Aidan's brow furrowed. "She's my aunt."

And it was all Kurt could do not to vomit, because if Aidan was Anna's nephew, that meant he and Aidan were first cousins.

Which meant they had spent two years, off and on, committing incest.

As if sensing one of the herd was about to be felled, Santana, Brittany, Carly, Elizabeth, and Erica flew out of the church and joined Holly in surrounding Kurt before shepherding him inside, leaving a very confused populace in their wake.