Part Four-

To some, he looked to be a very attractive man. He had soft light brown hair and twinkling green eyes. He had high cheek bones and a smile to die for. His face was soft and kind.

But, right now, he was anything but. His eyes were hard and icy. His lips were set in a straight line. His hair fell into his narrowed eyes.

"What do you mean he failed?" The man asked slowly.

"We haven't heard from him in six hours. He had said he had found her. That he was going to kill her. We haven't gotten any confirmation of any kind." A man named Carlos said.

"And, he didn't tell us where she was?" The blonde man asked.

"No sir."

"Damn it!" The blonde man yelled, throwing his glass of bourbon against the wall.

"Marcus, calm yourself." Carlos said softly.

"No. She betrayed me. She left me. Caroline with get what she deserves, in due time." Marcus murmured, a sick smile on his face. "My dear wife will learn respect for her husband. So sad she must die in the teachings."

Marcus sat in a hospital bed. Half of his face was covered in bandages. One left was propped up, a cast covering the whole leg.

His wife had done that to him. But, she hadn't gotten away unharmed herself, which made Marcus smile.

"When I am well enough, I want you to find her. I want you to bring her to me." Marcus ordered, then whispered to himself. "In due time, Caroline. In due time."

*

It was well after noon when Carly walked into Kelly's dark sunglasses on her face. Her head was killing her. And, her migraine was about to get worse.

She saw Luke sitting at the counter, smirking at her.

"Well, well. If it ain't my sweet Car-o-line." He drawled loudly, making her flinch. "You didn't see it fit to tell your Uncle Luke you were back? I had to find out from the damn papers, you devil." He smirked.

"What papers?" Carly asked, sitting across from her uncle.

"The PC Pursuit." Luke said holding up the local tabloids.

It had a full color front page of her and Sonny. It was when she had fainted, but the picture made it look like a passionate embrace. In bold words it read;

PC's Leading Lady, back in town, with PC's Most Wanted!

Carly rolled her eyes and buried her face in her good hand. Damn local paparazzi. Couldn't they just leave her alone? She idly wondered if Sonny had seen it. She smirked. Hell, he had probably set it up himself.

"Well, I'm sorry I didn't drop everything in my life to tell you I came back, Uncle Luke. I didn't feel like a bucket of 'I Told You So's'." Carly retorted.

Luke smirked. That was a thing they both shared. Their smirk and sarcastic humor.

"I'll let it slide for now, Car-o-line." Luke said, drawling out her name as he always did.

"Great, Luke. Can I have some coffee?" She asked.

"Do I look like I work here, Car-o-line? Your legs ain't broke. Get some yourself." He smiled.

"Damn redneck." Carly muttered as she poured her own strong black coffee.

Carly remembered the first time she had met Luke, when she had first come to town at the age of fourteen.

*

She didn't like this tiny town. Everything was too close and she felt like it was all closing in on her. She missed Florida. She missed Mama. God, all she wanted to do was go home!

Her real mother led her through town. Her real mother, what a laugh. This women had given her up at birth. She would never be here real mother. They stopped at a club and Bobbie looked down at her.

"You ready to meet your Uncle, sweetheart?" She asked softly.

"I don't care." Carly murmured softly.

She tried to hate this women. She tried to be cold and unfeeling to her. But, whenever their brown eyes met each others, Carly felt the hate and emptiness melt away. But, she would never tell Bobbie that.

Bobbie took her daughter's hand and Carly didn't pull away. She didn't have the strength. A man stood behind the counter, his eyes gazing into Carlys'.

"Well, well, well." He said softly. "This little Caroline?"

"I'm 14." Carly bit out.

"Good for you." He shot at her, then looked at Bobbie. "This one's got an attitude on her."

"Luke!" Bobbie warned.

"So, why didn't you stay in Florida, Caroline?" Luke asked.

"It's Carly." Carly snapped. "And, for your information, my life is none of your business. I don't know you. I sure as hell don't like you. So, you can just leave me alone and butt out of my damn life." Carly said calmly, her eyes burning fire.

To her surprise, Luke laughed loud and long.

"Luke!" Bobbie exclaimed, then looked at her daughter. "Carly!"

"No worries, Barbara Jean. This one's pure Spencer. I can see it in her eyes. Welcome to the family, sweet Car-o-line." Luke drawled.

Carly couldn't stop a small smile from breaking out. She looked at him, her eyes twinkling. "Asshole." She murmured and walked out, Luke's laughter following her out the door.

*

"Earth to Miss. Caroline." Luke bellowed in her ear.

Carly jumped and glowered at her Uncle.

"What?" She snapped.

"You were in your own little world, Car-o-line. Must be a scary place." He muttered.

"Shut up, Luke." Carly said as she downed the last of her coffee. "Tell Momma I said 'hello' and that I'll call her later." She said standing up.

"Pay for your coffee, you little ingrate." Luke called as she started to walk.

"Put it on my tab." Carly said over her shoulder and was nearly knocked down.

She stumbled, but caught her balance.

"Watch it." She bit out to the person.

They turned around and she was met by brown eyes, much like her own.

"Caro?" The boy asked.

Carly broke out in a big smile and hugged the teen.

"Luca!" She squealed.

It was her own flesh and blood, her baby brother Lucas.

"What are you doing back?" He asked her, pushing her away playfully.

"It turns out that California wasn't all it's cracked up to be." She said softly, looking at her brother.

"Does Ma know your back?" Lucas asked her.

"Of course, baby brother. She was the first person I saw. "You so…tall." She said, laughing.

"Um, Caro, it's called puberty." He retorted.

"Smart ass." Carly rolled her eyes. "Look, kiddo, I got to get going. I'll come by the Brownstone later, and we can have dinner, ok?"

Lucas shrugged. "Later, Caro."

"Bye Luca." She said, teasingly using his nickname.

Carly remembered when her mother had told her she was pregnant. She had been 14 years old, and in Port Charles only mere weeks

*

"Carly, can you come down here for a moment?" Her mother called up the stairs.

"What?" Carly asked, bounding down, her hair flying behind her.

"I have to talk to you, sweetheart." Bobbie said to her, leading her to the dining room table.

"What is it?" Carly asked, taking in her mother's expression.

Her heart fluttered in her chest. What if something was wrong? What if she was sick? She couldn't lose her! She couldn't lose another mother. Not like she lost Virginia…

"Momma?" She asked in a soft, scared voice.

Bobbie chocked back tears. It was the first time Carly had called her anything but Bobbie.

"Darling, I'm fine. I'm fine." She said, taking her daughter's hand. "But, I do have news. Whether it be good or bad is up to you."

Carly took in her mothers appearance. She was pale. She had rings under her eyes. But, it was her smile that was brought to her attention. Bobbie was ecstatic.

"Baby, I'm pregnant." Bobbie blurted out happily.

Carly pulled her hand away from her mothers as if it burned. Her brow furrowed as she looked from Bobbie's face to her belly.

"How… How long?" Carly asked slowly.

"Five weeks." Bobbie said softly.

Carly blinked away tears and stood up.

"Congrats, Bobbie, really." She said in a wounded, angry voice. "You plannin' on keepin' this kid? Or ya gonna dump it, like you did me?" Carly asked, lashing out.

"Carly!"

"Ya know what? Forget it. I gotta go to work." Carly said, grabbing her apron and wallet and running out of the house.

*

Carly sighed and remembered what a hellion she had been when she had first come here. She had hated everything about this town. She hated her family.

She hated herself.

Her world had been turned upside down when Virginia had died. It had come so suddenly, so shockingly. Virginia had been there one moment, and the next laying in a hospital gurney, her breathing labored.

*

Virginia and Carly had been fighting. Carly had been screaming at her mother, telling her all kinds of awful things.

"You are the worst mother anyone could ever have!"

Tears had entered Virginia's angry eyes.

"Caroline Leigh Benson!" She had screamed at her daughter. "That is enough!"

"No! It's not, mother. We've just gotten started!" Carly yelled back.

Virginia had opened her mouth to say something, when she stumbled forward and clutched her chest. A small groan escaped her lips before she fell to the ground. Carly had rushed to her side.

"Mama?" She asked, her voice hysterical. "Mama, say something!" She demanded.

"Carly…" The women whispered.

"Oh God… Oh my God…" Carly mumbled as she scrambled for the phone. She dialed 911 with shaky fingers and didn't even wait for the operator to greet her. "My mom's collapsed! She-she's having a hard time breathing!"

Carly then dropped the phone and went to her mothers' side. Carly took the ailing woman's hand and fought to keep back tears.

"Carly…" Her mother said again. "Port Charles." She said.

"What?" Carly whimpered.

"Port Charles, New York." Virginia whispered. "Find Barbara Spencer."

"Mama, what are you talkin' about?!" Carly cried.

Virginia just closed her eyes and Carly screamed.

The ambulance came and took her away.

Too little, too late.

*

Carly had made her way to the docks, lost in memories of yesteryear. Carly's hands shook as she remembered her mothers' funeral. She remembered her step-fathers' anger at her.

It had been Carly's fault Virginia had died.

Virginia had been sick. She had been stressed by her work and upcoming divorce from Frank Benson. Carly had made it all worse by lashing out.

*

Carly wore black on the day the lowered her mother into the ground. Her eyes were red. Her nose was stuffed. Her hands shook as she tried in vain to compose herself. A handful of friends and family stood by her. Her step-father glared at her as the casket was lowered.

Carly stood in front of the grave and threw a single white rose into the tomb.

"Goodbye, Mama." She whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Frank grabbed her arm and dragged her to the car.

"Get in, Carly." He bit out and shoved her into the passenger seat.

"I wasn't done! I need to say goodbye!" Carly screamed as he started the car and took off.

"

This is your fault, ya know. If ya woulda just shut a smart-assed mouth, ya motha would still be with us." His voice thick with his New York accent.

"She would have been with me! She was divorcing you! She hated you, what you did!" Carly screamed at him.

"Shut ya mouth, ya brat!" He yelled and backhanded her, hard.

"Don't touch me!" Carly shrieked and slapped his hands away from her.

Nothing more was said. Frank dropped her off at her house and drove away. Carly walked up the porch and saw her mother's lawyer, Donald Franken, sitting in front of the door.

"Caroline." He smiled, holding out his hand.

Carly shook it hesitantly. "What are you doing here?"

His smiled dimmed. "I have your mothers will. There are things you need to know now." He said

Carly just shook her head and let him into her home. She led the way to the kitchen and he spread out papers on the table. Carly gazed at them all with glazed eyes, that is, until she saw the word ADOPTION in big, bold words.

"Wh-what is that?" Carly asked, her voice raspy.

"This is what I need to talk about with you." Mr. Franken said. "There is no easy way to say this, Miss. Benson. Virginia Benson, is not your biological mother."

Carly said nothing. Her lips formed a straight line, her eyes clear.

"She adopted you two months after you were born. I was there, consulting her. She was smitten with you. She adored you." He said, his eyes distant.

Carly was old enough to know that Mr. Franken was more than her mothers' consultant. But, it never bothered her. He was a good man. So much better than Frank. He was the man she had always hoped her mother would be with.

"Who is…my birth mother?" Carly asked in a small voice.

"Her name is Barbara Spencer. She lives in-"

"Port Charles, New York." Carly finished. "Mama said her name before she…she died." She said when Mr. Franken looked at her.

"Carly, you don't know how sorry I am all of this is happening to you." Mr. Franken apologized.

Carly nodded vacantly. "Who's gonna take care of me?" She asked softly.

"Certainly not Frank Benson." Mr. Franken told her. "That man is not fit to take care of a child. For the time being, you are old enough to take care of yourself. But, only for now. You didn't have Godparents. Or Grandparents. If we don't find someone, you'll be put in foster care."

"What about Barbara Spencer?" Carly asked. "After all, she is my flesh and blood." She remarked, her voice sardonic and angry.

"She is your mother. I'll have to contact you. Until then, Carly, stay safe. Don't do anything rash." He said.

Then, he left.

*

Carly honestly did not remember a whole lot of the following hours. She vaguely recalled screaming and crying and tearing up the kitchen. She must have packed her things and left some sort of a note, because the next thing she remembers is that she was on a bus.

A smelly, hot Greyhound bus. Carly remembered it rained as she arrived into New York. She remembers the lightening and thunder and the rain streaming down the windows. It blurred her vision, or had that been her tears?

It had been dark when she got off the bus. Everything was strange, and as strong as Carly had been, she was scared.

Almost as scared as she is right now. She had been running then, and she was running now. She just wanted it all to stop. She wanted to be happy. She wanted to be safe. But, that couldn't happen as long as Marcus was around.

He'd be here, crashing into her life.

And, soon.