The Greatest Secret

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own iCarly

A/N: As you know, thoughts are in italics and speech is in regular font.

Chapter 125 (The Real Mom)

Even though she chose to continue on, Carly was still feeling unsure than ever about meeting her true mother. The one thing she was happy about was the fact that Emily was there for her. Having her being there made her feel happier and more confident than she was feeling earlier. She also felt a firmer bond with Emily, perhaps it was because she knew Emily was closer to being a real mother because of Spencer, she didn't know. All she knew was as long as Emily was there, she didn't care how her birth mother acted.

Emily could vouch for one thing, she was not happy that she was related to this woman. There was just no proof of relation. There was, but they seemed far too opposite to be related. It was probably like Arian and Tyrone, too impossible to imagine, even if it is true. She wanted to smack this woman so hard, even though she did already punch the woman out once before. She had to try her best to remain civil while Carly was there.

Carly and Emily slowly walked toward the front door, the bad feelings they had inside seemed only to remain relaxed with each other there. Carly still wanted to talk to Emily, still she had questions that she needed to know. She felt like the woman would answer her questions, where Linda wouldn't be honest enough to do so. "Did you choose Sasha for Spencer?" Emily stopped walking and so did Carly, she smiled softly and looked at the young girl. She could see so many questions in her eyes, it was like she didn't want to bother with Linda, and she didn't.

"Honestly, no. I…" Emily was unsure if she should tell Carly that Spencer was her child, but it was obvious that she knew about it anyway. It wasn't hard to figure out. "He didn't know I was his mother at the time he met and proposed to Sasha. He found out all on his own afterward…Robert and I did sort of discuss it and we agreed she would make a good wife for him." Carly nodded in reply, she could agree with that. Sasha was the best wife Spencer could ever have.

"Well, she is a good choice. Do you think you'll be looking around for my spouse?"

"It's highly probable…well, your dad most likely will do that, since it's the father's basic job in the culture. We're going to talk about it, you would have a lot to learn." Emily sighed and closed her eyes, trying to think how to break it to Carly that she wouldn't be permitted to date Freddie. She figured it was pretty clear, and she didn't want to be harsh, but sometimes bluntness was best. "Carly, I'm sure how to break this to you…but you do know that you aren't going to be allowed to date Freddie, right?"

"I figured." Carly took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, she wasn't surprised at all about it. She still liked Freddie a lot, but there was a chance that he was happy with some other girl. She wouldn't ask, she knew well that they didn't trust her with that information. She felt horrible to think that Freddie couldn't trust her, but it was obvious, she was too loose lipped when it came to her grandfather. If she knew who his bride was, she'd spill her guts. She didn't think that Tyrone would do a thing, but she just wasn't sure anymore.

"I'm sorry Carly." Carly shrugged her shoulders and looked at the door, she was still afraid to knock and afraid to enter. She felt like if she did, she was going to hear so many things that she just didn't want to know. She had to meet her mother at least once, though. She just had to. How many secrets were behind that door? How many secrets were filling the air and surrounding all of her friends? She didn't know anything. Emily lifted her hand to the doorbell and stopped when she felt Carly squeeze on her hand. She looked over and wondered what the girl wanted.

"I don't care to know who Freddie's wife is...I don't want to know, not until I know and they know and everyone knows I could be trusted. I'd probably tell Grandpa, I still don't know if he'd do anything…I haven't seen for myself anything at all…" Emily smiled sadly and felt a slight tinge inside of her. She felt for Carly, knowing the girl probably wouldn't believe anything about her grandfather very easily. It hurt, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. "However, other than that…I don't want any more secrets. If there is something that I should know, that I need to know…please don't hide it."

"There are several things that you could and should know, but until the time is right and we know how to tell you certain things…then we can't tell you." Carly nodded with understanding. It still hurt, but she figured whatever she didn't know, she wouldn't make Emily tell her. She would just let everyone go at their own pace. She knew for a fact that a big problem was a trust between the Davidsons and the Shays, and because of telling Tyrone about Amanda, it probably put a damper on their trust for Carly. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." Carly took a deep breath once more and watched nervously as Emily hit the doorbell. The door opened and Linda stared back with a mean sneer on her face, she was starting to grow impatient. She glared coldly at Emily and Carly noticed Emily glaring right back at her.

"Took you long enough to decide if you were coming or going," Linda said with a cold voice that sent shivers down Carly's spine. She already felt like she wanted to leave. Emily huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Are you going to let us in or are you going to force us to stare at your ugly complexion?" Emily retorted. Linda scoffed and entered the house. Emily entered and Carly followed, she tried not to laugh at her stepmom's remark.

"I'm not too happy about this meeting either, and is that any way to talk to your cousin?" Carly's eyes widened slightly and Emily raised her eyebrow. She had to wonder how Linda knew about their relations. If she had paid attention, she might have known that Zamira found a way to contact Linda. Linda turned around as Emily and Carly sat down in the chair. "My mother called…seems I didn't realize that I was related to filth like you."

"You shut up you hag!" Emily shot up quickly and the vein in her neck started to bulge out with her anger. Carly was too stunned by Linda's words to react. If Linda was Emily's cousin, that meant that she was related to Freddie by blood. Even if Freddie wasn't getting married, it could never work out! "You have no right to use words like that! You could at least show some respect and start acting like a mother should!"

"Oh shut up, that child was never mine to begin with."

"You bitch!" Emily clenched her fists and Linda simply rolled her eyes.

"Sure I gave birth to her, but why should I recognize her as my kid? She's the spawn of that pathetic, no backbone son of that old bastard who forced us together anyway." Carly's eyes widened some more and her eyes began to water, she was seriously hurt by the way her birth mother was acting. Linda never wanted her, that seemed clear. "If I could have had an abortion, I would have."

"How dare you say that with your daughter in the room!" Emily told herself that she'd restrain herself from punching Linda, but it was getting harder to do. She didn't even want to recognize that she was this woman's cousin. If anything, Linda was completely opposite from how a real mother should act. "A real mom cares! A real mother would never say the things that you're saying, especially in front of her child!" Carly stared down at her feet and her body began to shake. She was thankful that Emily seemed to be defending her, but she hated how her birth mom was acting.

"You think I care about some motherless brat who believes anything that a cocky old bastard has to say? I don't understand what your problem is, anyway. I mean you should hate them too, after all, Tyrone did tear you apart didn't he? Took your kid away and then put that man with me. Made me give birth to a girl who I frankly could care less about…" Linda was acting so nonchalant and haughty, but she didn't care, it was how she was raised. Emily wasn't too thrilled with the attitude, nor did she want to accept that Linda was a Davidson.

"Why are you so stuck up? Why don't you just get an attitude adjustment!" She felt guilty that the moment they entered the house, a fight begun. This was supposed to be Carly's moment, and now she was ruining it for her. Linda scoffed and crossed her arms, she didn't feel it was her job to change how she acted. If people didn't like her attitude, they could just suck it up. Emily straightened herself and looked over at Carly. It broke her heart to see Carly with the tears streaming down her face. Linda didn't seem to mind at all. "You've got your birth daughter here, she's got questions…"

"Oh suck it up. I don't have the time nor the care to answer questions." Emily glared back at Linda, the rage was beginning to build up inside her once more. She had already begun trying to calm herself down, too. "You wasted your time coming." Linda leaned forward and put on a mocking smile and spoke to Carly with a stuck up tone. "Um Carly dear, you have questions, I have answers. I hate children. I don't want children. I never cared for that slob of a father of yours either." Emily clenched her fists more and ignored the fact that her nails were beginning to dig into her palms. She hated that anyone would speak about Robert in such a manner. Carly closed her hands on her pat legs and tried desperately to hold back the tears. "It's not worth it marrying a man who had a child with another woman, believe me. Man he had such a screwed up life, and you do too, dearie. I assure you, you're probably always going to walk in your father's shadow, and without a good mother to speak of as well. You don't deserve a mother, just like Robert doesn't deserve a wife…therefore, you probably will never have a good one at-"

"Shut the hell up!" Emily couldn't take it anymore, she wasn't going to let Carly sit there and take the abuse. She roared with anger and swiftly threw her fist into Linda's jaw. Carly gasped and looked up with wide eyes as Linda fell to the ground. She was shocked that Emily would do such a thing, but she also felt happy that she did. Linda rubbed her face and seethed with anger.

"How dare you!"

"How dare me? How dare you! You have a lot of nerve to sit here and talk to Carly like that! I guarantee, you may be the daughter of my aunt, but there is no way in hell that you are one of my family!" Linda was stunned into silence, she was trying to think of a comeback, but couldn't. Emily turned to Carly and huffed. "Come on Carly, we're leaving." Emily started walking to the door and Carly slowly stood up and followed, she didn't even give Linda a second look. She didn't care about the woman anymore, she had seen all she cared to see. Emily slammed Linda's door shut and the two made it halfway to the car when Carly began to break. All the words Linda said began to sink in and weigh her down.

"I don't have a mother," Carly said as she started to fall to her knees and bring her hands to her face. Emily quickly spun around and wrapped her arms around Carly in a hug, she knew the girl needed comfort. Carly sobbed into her shoulder, letting all her pain out. "My own mother didn't want me!" Emily sighed slowly and rubbed Carly's back.

"In all due respect, I don't think it's safe to even call that woman a mother. She's more like a monster. Also yes, you do have a mother, just not her..." Carly chuckled once through her tears and shook her head. She still felt really bad, it wouldn't be easy to deal with the weight of everything she heard from Linda.

"I-Is it all true? What she said…is it true? Was dad really forced to marry her?"

"She could have gone about a better way of saying what she did…but for the most part…yes." Carly closed her eyes and sobbed, she was afraid now more than ever of forced marriage. It was up to Emily to comfort her in that area.

"Tell me arranged marriage isn't like that…"

"It's not, sweetie. Believe me, I would never put you, Spencer, or Freddie with anyone they didn't love." Carly smiled lightly in response, she felt Emily was telling the truth there, and it felt great. She didn't have to fear anything then. She frowned and wiped a tear from her eye as Emily continued to rub her back and comfort her.

"I didn't know…I was Freddie's second cousin."

"I know, I know you didn't…neither did we. In fact, I just found out at the reunion that I was related to Linda."

"Wow, bad time to find that out, huh…" Emily chuckled and nodded. It had been horrible then.

"Carly, we found a lot of things out at the reunion. By that, I mean a lot of things. You'll learn a lot in due time, but for now, how about we start heading home?"

"Okay." Carly smiled gently and hugged Emily, she was very thankful that the woman was there today. She had a few more weeks until she actually moved in with Robert and Emily, but she was glad to do so. She felt that with all things considered, Emily was a real mother, her real mother. "Thank you for being there for me…mom." Emily gasped softly as Carly seemed to snuggle closer. She smiled softly and hugged Carly tighter. She hadn't been expecting that word to come from Carly's mouth, so naturally she was taken by surprise. She wasn't even married to Robert yet, but Carly felt like they already were, all things considered. "Thank you."

I hope you liked this chapter. Sorry my updating has slowed, so has my writing, heh. There are a few changes happening in my life, so bear with me. I've got someone I'm dating and will most likely begin a long term relationship with, she's actually a writer here ^_^. She's great. I'm also going into the Job Corps for a few months, then after that I'll move to Indiana, so yeah, updating will be a tad slower, but don't worry, I will NEVER leave my readers behind. Unless I'm talking to Andrea all the time, lol