Chapter 18

Author's note- I want to take a second to say thanks to JC Morgan, Ashyen and Meridithand Derekfan for leaving reviews. These stories are easier to write if I know someone is waiting to find out how they turn out.

The Quatermaines had just finished breakfast and went into the living room with Dillon saying "Get those school bags, kids. The bus will be here in ten minutes."

The doorbell rang. The butler answered the door and said, "Come right in."

Brooklyn and her children stepped inside and headed for the living room. She said "Hey everyone."

She went over and kissed a smiling Tracy on the cheek. Her twelve year old daughter Ashton went over to Ned and hugged him.

"Good to see you. I didn't know you two were coming to town." Dillon said happily

Brooklyn lived north of Port Charles in a large home on a lake.

Brooklyn answered, "We had to go into New York when I booked a last minute job to sing at a club tonight. So, I hoped you could keep Ash here while I'm working?"

"Where's Jake?" Ned asked about her husband

"Away in Europe on business. Again." Ashton said with a eye roll "Daddy is never around anymore."

"Hmm." Tracy said "I hope that does not mean there is trouble, Brook?"

"Of course not." Brooklyn answered "Now enough about me. Tell me all about Clark. We have been praying for him like crazy, right, Ashton?"

"Yeah and it worked. You should have heard mom cheer when she read that email that said he was recovered."

The clock chimed.

Dillon looked at it and yelled. "Kids! The bus."

Frankie came bounding down the stairs and into the room.

The doorbell rang. The butler went into the foyer to answer it.

"Hey Ash!" Frankie said "it's a school day. Why are you here?"

"I get to ditch today."

"No fair!" cried Frankie

Mac came down the stairs, his back pack slung over his shoulder. He stopped a few feet from him Clark and looked up. Mac pushed his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes and adjusted his glasses.

Hesitantly, Mac said, "Hey."

"Um, hi. Are you Malcolm?" Clark asked. He had studied ever article he could on Dillon since he left the hospital. He knew about Georgie, her death, and the two kids she left behind.

"Yep."

" I'm Clark."

Mac smile shyly. "You don't look sick. That's cool."

The butler came into the living room and said "Mr. Clark Olsen is in the foyer."

The whole family hurried out there. They all started speaking at once

"Hi!" Ashton said

"Son, it's good to see you."

"Finally I meet my grandchild. You look just like Dillon."

"I see Lulu." Dillon said

"Hello, we're cousins."

"I'm your uncle."

"Good to meet you all." Clark said, overwhelmed

A horn honked.

Ned, Dillon and Tracy said "Kids. Bus!"

" I can't go to school today. My new brother is here." complained Frankie.

She stepped closer to Clark and stuck out her little six year old hand. She wore pig tails, her banned from school flip flops, a white shirt and blue skirt. Her knees were scraped from climbing trees. "I'm Frankie. I'm named after a boy like my mom. I'm your sister and that means you have to love me."

Clark shook her hand. He crouched down. "You should go to school. We can hang out later on today, sis."

"Okay."

The bus honked again.

Mac and Frankie ran out the door.

Clark stood up. "So...um, I just wanted to stop in and say that I will be living over Kelly's for the next week, at least."

"Well you can't eat what they call food at that place." Tracy said "You'll have your meals here."

"Mother, you just met him and your ordering him around." Ned said

Tracy gave Ned a withering look. "He needs proper nutrition. As his grandmother I can not allow him to survive on milkshakes and burnt grease soaked french fries."

"I'll be okay." Clark said

"Let's go sit down and talk." Dillon said leading everyone back into the living room. "So, Clark I suppose you figured out that this is Tracy, my mom. My kids call her Nan because she is too vain to respond to Grandmother. And this is your Uncle Ned. Brooklyn here is his daughter, your cousin. And Ashton is her daughter."

Clark nodded and forced a smile. There were a lot of people and a lot of expectations in this house.

"We're really thrilled you decided to visit." Tracy said "but sleeping at Kelly's is so...not done by Quatermaines. This family had an unfortunate incidence of having to stay there once and once was more than enough. Now my ex-husband he loves that place. It is so Luke Spencer's common folk style."

Clark wore a horrified expression. "You were married to my grandfather? Lulu's dad? The other side of my family?"

"It was very brief but memorable." Tracy said with a twinkle in her eye

Clark looked at Dillon.

"Long story." Dillon said "Why don't you and I take a walk around the grounds? I would love to show you your Great grandmother Lila's rose garden."

"Talk to you later, Clark." Ned said

"Sure." Clark said to him. Then looked at Tracy "Bye, nan."

She teared up. But said in a clear strong voice "See you at dinner. Cook serves at eight. Not a moment before or after."

Clark nodded and followed Dillon outside.

They walked for a while in silence and Clark started to not feel as pressured as he had inside.

When the reached the garden Dillon said, "Lila and Edward Quatermaine are both gone now but everyone you met today and you we are all their legacy. They also left us this home that anyone in the family knows they can always come home to and a very successful corporation. But the most lovely memory of them, beyond our love for each other as a family, are these flowers. Lila loved this garden and it still lives on because of work she put in thirty years ago."

Clark took in the vibrant colors in front of him and thought of how much happened in this place, in this family, before he was ever born. It had all lead to him and he hadn't even known about it until recently.

Dillon said, "Edward really wanted Lulu to allow you to be raised here."

Clark cocked his eyebrow in surprise. "Really?"

"But I think Lulu knew that wouldn't work. I couldn't see it. I wanted a chance to try. But your mother knew you deserved parents that were stable and ready to have you. You seem like your pulled together. So I'm hoping you had a good childhood?"

"I did. I loved my parents. We were a small family but extremely close and loyal."

Dillon sighed. "I needed to hear that. It was great of you to come here. Don't let how loud or crazy we seem scare you off. We our loyal to each other too. And to you, Clark., from now on."

"Just because of DNA?"

Dillon was surprised to hear that question. "The Quatermaine side of your family wanted you back then and we do now. Because you're part of us. It's more than because of a biological connection. We started to love you before you were born. We had dreams for you and wanted to watch you grow up. Seeing you now feels like a homecoming of hopes we lost years ago."

Even though Clark was touched by Dillon's words he was still nervous and said , "What if you end up not liking me?"

Dillon laughed.

Clark looked at him, hurt.

Dillon quickly said "Sorry I'm not laughing at you. But that idea that I wouldn't like you is not even possible."

Clark look unconvinced.

"Listen, Clark, I know I like you already. I like how you fought to live. How you were brave enough to come here. I like that you have insecurities like your mother and study film making like me. But, around here, liking each other is not always guaranteed. Still we love each other constantly. You could burn this mansion to the ground on purpose and we would rebuild and move back in together and ask you to live here still. We're all a little nuts but we are nutty as a family unit and that makes us all feel safe. If that makes any sense at all."

" I think it does. So Lulu's dad pretended to be a doctor and your relatives are loud and bossy but we are all stuck with each other so we just make the best out of it."

"Basically."

Clark smiled and said, "Got it."