A/N: Well what can I saw, you're all so wonderful and I'm being a slow slacker. I hope you enjoy this chap, and thanks so much for all your wonderful reviews.

-.-

Chapter 43

The young blonde woke to the musical styling of a cell phone sounding throughout the room. She lifted her head off her mothers shoulder as she scanned the room for the phone. The room looked different in the light, it looked rather bare. There were no pictures, the furniture was all fading, and it just didn't feel like a home.

Home, Emma missed her home, but where was her home. She always thought it was in California. On her beach with the sun shining down on her as she laughed as her and Cassie laughed at her Aunt Patty and Mom trying to convince Max to go swimming with them. She missed those days. When she was just happy enough to forget about her life, and the things that had happened to her. She missed it, but she wasn't sure that it was home.

She wasn't sure of anything anymore. She just, she wanted to be that carefree little three-year-old that asked when she would meet her daddy, and what was for lunch, or when she could go play in the sand. She just missed the times when she didn't worry as much. She missed just living.

She threw the covers off herself as she sat on the edge of the bed listening to the phone ring. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she made her way to the table by the door. She opened her mother's purse and pulled out her phone.

"Hey Low," She said in a sleepy yet somewhat perky voice.

"Someone's in as good mood," The voice on the other end replied.

"I just woke up, next to my Mom, who I haven't seen in a few weeks and I missed her Cassie so shush, and stop making fun of me," Emma laughed as she plopped herself down on the couch.

"Ah, that explains it. Mommy's little girl is home," Cassie said with a laugh.

"Damn straight and proud of it," Emma said as a smile came to her face.

" Yeah, well I called to tell you that you need to keep that damn phone of yours on. I mean god damn girl how am I supposed to call and tell you that room service is making me want to gag and I need some real food," Cassie said in a rather speedy hyper voice.

"I thought we agreed you would lay off the coffee in the morning, and I have no food here, maybe if I were at Ja…" Emma paused as she realized what she was going to say, "Can you settle for Kelly's? They have some good pancakes."

"Yeah, Sure. You want to meet somewhere," Cassie said as she heard the change in Emma's voice, she didn't sound as relaxed.

"Yeah, I'll come to the hotel since I know where that is. I just got to tell my Mom that I'm going out," Emma said with a shake to her voice.

"Yeah, okay. See ya in a bit."

"Bye," Emma said as she snapped the phone shut and got up to change.

She walked out of the bathroom in her red and orange ocean scene printed bikini top a pair of extremely baggy jeans. She walked to the bed and jumped on it causing her mother to let out a groan. Courtney rolled over to look up at her daughter eyes still half shut. Emma smiled down at her mother as she let her head hit the pillow next to her mother.

"Morning," Courtney mumbled as she ran her hand through her hair.

"Morning," Emma replied as she propped herself up on her elbow, "Cassie wants food so we're going to go to Kelly's and grab a bite to eat. Want anything?"

"Not right now. I think I'll go see Carly, maybe get some food over there."

"Good luck. She doesn't keep that much food in the house."

"Yeah, well you have fun with Cassie and don't get arrested," Courtney said with a look at her daughter.

"You heard about that," Emma said as she went to stand up.

"Yeah, John called me. Asked if I was crazy. I told him no, that it was only Carly who was crazy. He just laughed."

"Well then I'm off and I'll try to stay out of trouble. I can't promise a thing though," Emma said with a smile as she grabbed a shirt and slide it over her head. She slipped her feet into her thongs and went out the door.

Courtney laughed at her daughter a bit. She was one strange girl. Courtney only hopped that the girl stayed out of trouble. She could do a number on Port Charles, and given the chance the police would be begging to have Emma and Cassie return to California.

-.-

The curly haired brunette sat at the table across from the young men. She hadn't meant to break down like that, she really hadn't. She just wanted answers. To understand why her mother had done the things she had. She wanted to know where all this hate was coming from. She didn't know. She didn't understand it.

She had put on a pair of sweat pants and a light sweater. She just didn't feel like dressing up. She didn't feel like doing much of anything. She had just wanted to sit at home and mope, but Riley had said she needed to eat.

She sat there playing with her food as Riley and Morgan watched her. She wasn't the same this morning. She was off, lost in her thoughts, and not clawing all over them. It confused them.

"Hey guys. What's up, how's everything," Tricia asked as she took a seat next to Morgan and Riley, and across from

"Everything's great, but Lila doesn't seem to like hers," Morgan stated.

"Are we here to complain bout the eggs again or something. If you wanted perfect you should have had Daddy make you breakfast," Tricia said with a laugh.

"No. They're fine," Lila whispered as she continued to push her food around her plate.

The three of them stared at the young girl completely flabbergasted. Never had they heard Lila so quiet, so small. She had always been so loud, so outgoing. Yet here she was silent and lost.

"You okay," Tricia asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

Lila was about to comment when the door to Kelly's burst open and two giggling teens walked in. They walked past the table and up to the counter. Everyone seemed to notice them, and the four were unsure of why. Emily and Nik sat at a table with their son, eyes glued on the two, while Liz stood in shock at what she saw. Ned sat at a table with Dillon as they whispered something to each other. Everyone seemed to be watching the two at the counter.

Bobbie walked out from the back and up to the two. She was drying her hands on a towel and wasn't really paying attention. She grabbed the coffee pot and turned the cups over in front of the girls. She looked up and nearly dropped the coffee pot. She set it down and reached out for the counter.

"God Bobbie. You look like you've seen a ghost," Emma laughed as she reached for the pot of coffee and poured herself a glass.

"What," Bobbie asked flabbergasted.

"What's going on? Someone important here," Emma asked as she turned around and looked at everyone. They were all people that she had met for at least a few minutes each already. She didn't get what the big deal was. Emma turned around and looked at Cassie, "I don't see anyone important. Do you?"

"Hell no, I mean I get that I'm gorgeous and all, but people don't need to stare," Cassie said with a grin.

"God you are so full of yourself," Emma said with a laugh.

"Oh I know, but you love me anyway. What the hell is up with people," Cassie said as she took Emma's coffee.

"I have no clue. You would think they knew that staring was…" Emma started.

"Well lookie what we have her," The drunk woman yelled as she walked into the room.

-.-

Courtney stood at the front door searching for her keys. Carly had given her a set a while back in case she ever needed to get in. She pulled her keys out and fumbled to get them in the lock. Sliding the key into the lock she turned it and unlocked the door. Pushing the door open Courtney had an eerie sense of fall over her as she stepped into the silent house. She looked around and saw nothing in any of the front rooms. It was too quiet for Carly's home. She walked into the kitchen and looked around, she saw no one. Walking to the fridge she opened it looking for a glass of milk or something. She grabbed the milk and turned around to grab a glass when she noticed her.

She lay on the kitchen floor. Hurt, bleeding dead, in pain, Courtney didn't know, but seeing your friend huddled in a corner in a fetal position isn't usually a welcome sight. Courtney rushed to her friends side and knelt down next to her as she gently felt her cheek. It was warm, good. She gently began to shake her friends shoulder as she softly called her name.

Carly heard a voice. It was calling her name. She didn't want to wake up. She was having a good dream. She was sitting on the couch, in Sonny's pent house. Courtney, Cassie, Emma, Lila, and Kris were there, they all looked older. Not much, just a bit. They had junk food everywhere, a movie in and it was just them, happy. They were laughing and having a great time when Sonny and Jason come crashing through the door yelling about how they shouldn't be eating that junk. Of course in Carly's dream all Emma had to do was look at him with those big baby blues of hers and they crumbled like little babies.

""I'm sleeping," Carly mumbled.

"You're talking so you can't be that asleep," Courtney laughed as the realization that her friend was okay hit her.

"But I want to sleep," Carly whined.

"On the kitchen floor," Asked a puzzled Courtney.

"What," Carly said as she pushed herself off the ground. She looked around her and then it came to her, last night, Sonny had come by. He had upset her and she just cried herself to sleep, right there on the floor.

"So, why are you sleeping on the kitchen floor?"

"It's a long story, and I need Coffee. So how bout we talk over breakfast," Carly said as she ran a hand down her face.

"You go change and we can run to Kelly's," Courtney said as she stood up.

"Yeah. I'll be down in a second," Carly said as she stood up and walked out of the room to change.

Courtney stood in the kitchen as that eerie feeling that she had when she walked in returned. Something was off. Something was happening, and she didn't like it. What was it with this town? All she ever seemed to find was trouble.