The Greatest Secret
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own iCarly
A/N: By the way, if you're an older reader or a new reader, chapters 90-94 marks Mitch's first appearance. Yes, he went with Freddie in that arc, simply due to the fact that I, as the author, felt it was more appropriate for that episode to center Freddie, for this story. Some things that happened in those chapters will be discussed as happening in this mini arc with Mitch.
Chapter 175 (Coming Together)
It wasn't until the next day that Melanie was almost certain how she wanted to go about getting her family back together. Obviously Morris's death, along with Sarah's, kept them apart. So, what would they do when they realized Sam was around? That Lucy was alive? She could either force Sam away from Lucy, or maybe try to talk to her about the truth. "Mitch? Mitch!" She was in her bedroom, tapping her foot and growing impatient. Mitch already told her that when she did everything she needed to do, no matter how many days passed, he could get her back to the very moment she was brought into this timeline. "Mitch, come on, I'm ready to get moving."
"Sorry!" Out of nowhere he appeared, smiling brightly and dancing around happily. She crossed her eyes and gave him a deathly serious glare. "Okay I get it, we have work to do, fun time's over." He clapped his hands together and Melanie prepared herself for the room to begin spinning. It wasn't nearly as nauseating as it had been before, she must have gotten used to it. "When we get there, what do you intend to do? You said you wanted to talk to Lucy before the others showed up? Ask her to turn herself in or something?"
"Yes, but I'm going to call my family. They need to know what's going on. Even Buzz, though he's in prison…he still deserves to know Sam's okay. I've already called Aunt Violet, because she was the furthest away. Told her that I'm in Seattle and I'm in trouble. She said she's driving over with Venus. Then I did the same with Brian, only I told him that he had to come with Madeline and Leon."
"He bought into that?"
"Took a bit of convincing him why I felt he should come. I told him it was of grave importance and involved the family, that if he didn't come, he would be forever deemed an asshole in my book." She grinned as the angel lifted his eyebrow.
"And so…"
"Well I know he doesn't want to be deemed an asshole to his niece, so he couldn't possibly refuse. He's on his way to the same park that Violet will be at. Maggie, Greg, Annie, and Garth are all in Seattle, so I haven't quite called them yet. Dad's actually here on a business meeting today, so, that helps me out immensely."
"You really thought this through!"
"Had all night." She beamed with pride and took a step forward when she appeared in front of Lucy's home. Her heartbeat slowed when she saw Sam in the backyard. All this time, now she found her sister. Was this how it felt for Sam? She moved her hand to her heart and breathed in quietly. "S-Sam!" When she called out, Sam stopped walking around and glanced over. She was covered with dirt and grass, a sign she was probably gardening. "Sam, please come out here."
"What? Who are you?" In a moment's time, Sam came walking out of the backyard. When she saw Melanie for the first time, her eyes widened and her heart stopped. "Holy…shit…" She remained still as Sam looked her up and down, her eyes filling with anxiety. "W-Who-"
"Whatever you do, Sam. Do not call that woman 'mom'. She isn't your mom." She pulled off the backpack she was wearing and much like Sam did in her timeline, pulled out everything Sam might need. "In this manilla folder is all the important documents and papers. The woman in there is our mom's older sister, Lucy. Dad's still alive…Mom passed away a little over five years ago…" Sam froze as Melanie slowly handed her the papers. "I know this is a shock, god believe me, I know…There isn't anything you can do to prepare for something like this."
"I don't understand, how…how did this happen…"
"That woman in there…" She pointed to the house and Sam slowly looked over. Her emotions were shot and her heart was beating hard, Melanie hadn't felt this way since she'd been found. "Is Lucy Davidson, going by the name of Sheila Carmichael. She took you when you were a baby, with the help of the doctor helping to deliver us. Mom was…she was distraught all her life, since then, she and dad separated from the rest of the family. Hell, they all kind of went their own ways. Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Brian, Uncle Buzz, Aunt Maggie, and…Uncle Morris seemed to be the only one…believing…that you were alive. Mom and Dad never stopped praying something went wrong."
"They didn't?"
"Right." Melanie started to tear up and quickly wiped her eyes. Her stomach was churning and her throat was clenching up, trying to prevent her from speaking. "All these years, I thought it was just me, I thought…I thought I was alone, but to think I have a sister…it's the greatest gift God could ever have given me." The tears started to stream down her cheeks and Sam quickly moved over to hug her, tearing up as well.
"I think we need to talk to…Aunt Lucy?"
"Yeah, she has all the proof of what happened…probably under her bed. I can distract her while you look, if you'd like?"
"Yeah…I'm still not sure…"
"Go around back or something, I'll go in the front." Sam nodded and started walking away. Melanie watched her wipe her eyes and turn the corner. She breathed in heavily and made her way into the house. When she got in, she was overcome with a sense of nostalgia and grief. She hoped to never have to see this house again, yet, here it was. It even looked the same. Lucy came walking in and smiled when she saw her.
"Oh there you are! Strange, I thought you were out in the garden, and wearing other clothes?"
"I-I changed real fast." Lucy nodded and lifted her eyebrows up as she watched closely.
"Why are you crying?"
"Because, I…" She shook her head and walked over to the couch. When she sat down, she bent over and brought her hands to her face, sobbing lightly. Lucy moved over next to her and started rubbing her back, attempting to comfort her in the best way she could. Melanie fought her urge to cry and slowly sat up, breathing in and exhaling softly, she had to steady herself. "I know who you are…" How was she supposed to have this conversation? How? "Your real name, what happened, everything." Lucy's eyes widened momentarily as Melanie turned her head to her. "Why? Why'd you do it? You were such a good woman before, you could have adopted, Aunt Lucy." Lucy gasped and brought her hand to her chest.
"You…You can't know that…"
"I know everything, but I'm not who you think. Think back. Right or Left, you could have gone for left, but you went with right."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying…I'm Melanie." Lucy's eyes widened as the girl pointed to the doorway. "Sam is about to find out…what you did." Lucy could have screamed right there, she was going to run and call for Sam, but Melanie took her by the wrist. "Please. Hear me out, okay?" Lucy looked to her eyes and frowned. "What you did, it tore your entire family apart. They were always so close, but now…Morris is dead Lucy. Uncle Morris died trying to find you and trying to help Marissa's family." The woman's eyes started to water as a look of shock struck her face. "Uncle Buzz is in prison because he shoplifted something. Aunt Maggie's depressed, Mom's passed away several years ago…"
"N-No, it can't…"
"Aunt Violet doesn't even keep in touch with her family. Uncle Brian…God, I don't know what he's doing. Everything is just so…so wrong." Lucy lifted her hand and pointed to her chest, as if to ask if it was all her fault. "I don't know if it was a series of things, I don't know if it's what you did or if it's what someone else did. I know you went through a lot of pain, struggling and dealing with a quote, perfect, family. I don't think they're all that perfect now, or ever were to begin with. No one can ever be perfect, Aunt Lucy. It's when you expect that they are, that it all crashes."
"I…I can't go back…"
"Why? No one's going to hate you, you're family. They'll be disappointed, yes, but…you do have to prepare for them to be really mad at you, of course. Yet, if you consistently lie to them, then they're going to want nothing to do with you."
"Sixteen years…my sister's gone? I didn't know…"
"She and dad went through a lot of pain losing Sam like that." Her cell phone went off, so she quickly checked it. She was receiving a text message from Uncle Brian. He was asking where she was, the entire family was at the park, everyone was looking for her, worrying about her. Her dad was distraught and they were trying their best to keep him calm. She sighed and clicked off her phone. The good thing was, they were all working together. "They're all looking for me at the park, not that far from here."
"All of them?"
"Uncle Brian, Aunt Madeline, Leon, Aunt Maggie, Greg, Annie, Garth, Aunt Violet, Venus, Grandma, Grandpa, and…Dad…"
"Oh, I see…so…" Sam came into the living room, holding all the important papers. Her face was red and streamed with tears. She heard everything. Lucy gasped and stood up, covering her mouth and letting her own tears fall. "What have I done?"
"You've torn a family apart. This is the first time in years that they're all together. Working together, no less…"
"Samantha?" Sam turned away from her and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I…I was jealous of your mother…"
Sam choked back a sob and clenched up her fists, screaming at Lucy. "My mother's dead now! You lied to me all my life! How do you expect me to trust you ever again! How do you expect me to forgive you?" The words struck Melanie in the heart, they were almost word for word with what went through her mind when she discovered Aunt Lucy's secrets. Lucy lowered her arms and sighed, she was definitely feeling the ramifications of her actions.
"Let me…Let me take you to your family, then…" Sam's eyes widened as Melanie felt a pang strike her. All Lucy needed was someone who cared, someone who understood her pain, someone to tell her it would be okay. Maybe if she'd gotten counseling long ago, she never would have taken one of Sarah's children, but no one ever took the time to listen. "Look, I..I know I can't erase what happened, but maybe…I can do something for my family, if they'll find it in their hearts to forgive me. I wouldn't bother forgiving me, though…"
"Aunt Lucy." Melanie took Lucy's hands and cupped them together, smiling gently at the older woman. "They're your family. You're family, no matter what. It will be okay, I promise."
"Nothing scares me more right now."
"I know, but you have to face up to your consequences, and that takes a lot more strength and effort than hiding. Do you understand that?"
"Yeah…"
"So are you-" Her phone went off again and she let out a sigh of exasperation. "Excuse me one minute." She pulled out her phone and answered it, it was her father. "Hi Dad."
"Melanie? Where are you! We're looking everywhere!"
"Oh give me the phone," Violet said as she grabbed the phone away from David. Rather than dealing with David's frantic, panicking tone, it would be best if Melanie listened to someone calm under the pressure. "Melanie dear…where are you?"
"Aunt Violet, please tell everyone to stay in the park. I found someone who wants to meet you…" She turned her head to Sam and Lucy, then turned her attention back to the phone. "Just give me five minutes, okay?"
"Okay…" She heard Violet pull away from the phone and call for everyone to gather up. She valued the act of bonding under stressful, tense situations. This was one of those times, so hopefully her family would be a little closer after this. She hung up her phone and pushed it back into her pocket.
"I really need a purse." The other two women raised their eyebrows up and Melanie emitted a small, nervous chuckle. "Ignore that. Let's go! Remember Lucy, no matter how painful this could be…the truth is always less painful than the lie. Imagine what would happen if…one of your other relatives, say Brian, found you and a police officer arrested you right off the bat? No chance to talk or anything."
"Really?" Lucy started to pale and Melanie shrugged nonchalantly.
"It could happen."
When they made their way to the park, they saw everyone positioned randomly around the central fountain. David was pacing back and forth, his hair was a mess. Maggie was sitting with Annie and Greg, putting out a cigarette with a depressed sigh. "I hate smoking…"
"So why do it, mom?" Annie asked.
"I don't know…it calms my nerves?" Violet moved over to her and took her hands, gazing into Maggie's eyes.
"Do you want to quit?"
"Yeah."
"I think I can help you with that, if you'd like."
"Really?"
"Sure…anything for my brother in law's family. David and Morris were always great friends of ours." Brian nodded his agreement and Maggie smiled in return. This exchange lifted Melanie's heart, she was watching them from a hiding spot, not quite ready to come out. "Maggie, I'm really sorry to hear about Morris, he was a good man." Maggie smiled softly as everyone started to move closer to her. "I don't know what happened…"
"I'll tell you what happened," Susan said from behind. The family looked at her with sorrowful expressions as she rebuked them for only a second. "You let little things separate you from your family. Each of you forgot the importance, and it took David's daughter to remind you of the importance of being together as a whole family unit."
As Susan talked, reminding them what family was supposed to be, Melanie carefully made her way to them. After a minute, they finally noticed her. "Melanie!" David hurried over to her and hugged her. "I know I've told you to stay out of Seattle."
"I know Daddy, but I had a reason."
"What reason would have your entire family searching this town? It's so dangerous here now…"
"It shouldn't be. The killers are gone, they've been arrested. That's not important right now, though…I have a few people you need to meet." She backed up from her family and smiled at them. "But for the record. This, this right here…is great, but it's not perfect yet…" She looked to the side and called out. "Aunt Lucy!" The family gasped and Violet's eyes widened as she watched her sister and Sam walk into view. "Now it's perfect."
"Oh my god, Lucy?" David's eyes were frozen on Sam while Melanie hurried over to her and held her hand. It didn't take long for them to put one and two together. Violet stammered and pointed to Sam, staring at Lucy. "Explain this, please. Why…why is Sarah's daughter with you? Didn't she…" Lucy's eyes started watering as Sam slowly moved over to David.
"Look, I know what I did was wrong, and I'm sorry. It's just…I was jealous, I thought everything was going so well for everyone else and I…I was just falling. I took Samantha and ran, without looking back, without thinking of how my actions could affect everyone. I screwed up, I know I did…I know you might hate me, but you have to understand…"
"Lucy." It was Hugh who spoke up, he looked extremely disappointed in his daughter, but he still seemed to care. Lucy bowed her head as he walked over to her and set a firm hand on her shoulder. "If you were having problems, you should have said something. What you've done…taking a child from your own sister, it should be unforgivable by anyone's standards."
"I know!" She held her sides and choked out a sob. "I'm just…I messed up, I know I did. I didn't know how it affected anyone until now. Please…I've raised Sam well, so maybe…I just didn't want to be alone."
"You never were alone. And now that our family is together again…" He turned to his two children and Maggie, the cousins walked over and met his firm eyes. "We're going to start acting like a family. No one's going to be alone again, got that?" They nodded and Lucy quickly wiped her eyes, trying desperately to stop crying. He turned back to her and breathed in. "Lucy, thank you for bringing her back to us, thank you for being honest…"
"A-Am I…am I going to jail?" He pressed his lips and slowly shook his head.
"I can't condemn my own daughter to prison. I suppose it's really up to David, but you were honest and you came clean…I don't think any of us need to press charges, but you will have to give David custody of his daughter."
"I will Daddy, I will."
"Okay. Come here." He hugged Lucy and she sobbed on his shoulder. Melanie smiled pleasantly and closed her eyes. This was appropriate, this was what needed to happen, and now they could all be a happy family again. When she looked to her right, she saw Freddie and Carly walking through the park, talking like brother and sister for once. They smiled at her and moved over to her. With that, she moved over to Lucy and tugged on her shirt.
"Aunt Lucy, if you would like…I have two friends who have no family, they need to stay with someone." Carly and Freddie raised their eyebrows as Lucy looked over to them. "Marissa passed away a while back, Bana and Lionel destroyed their families, so…if you can please take them in? Carly, Freddie, do you want to?"
"Sure, I guess," Freddie said with a slight smile. "I wouldn't mind hanging with my sis." Carly nodded and folded her arms over.
"Yeah, I'll go for it."
"Great! So what do you say, Aunt Lucy?" She saw Sam was hugging David, so there wasn't an upset there. Lucy thought about Marissa and slowly nodded, smiling lightly as Carly and Freddie walked over to her. "You won't regret it!" Sam walked over to Melanie and gave her a hug, when she did this, Melanie watched Freddie's gaze fall onto her.
"So, uh, Mel…that's your sister?" Sam stepped back and looked over at him with a friendly smile.
"Yep, she's my sis!"
"She doesn't look a thing like you…"
"Thanks, I uh…I think." Freddie walked around Sam and grinned.
"Hey, you're kind of cute. Are you doing anything this weekend?" She sighed as Sam's face started to glow bright red.
"I don't think so, I mean…I'm going to be hanging out with my family for a bit."
"Well if you get the opportunity, maybe you'd like to hang?"
"Sure…" Sam leaned in towards Melanie and pointed her thumb to Freddie. "He's hot!" Melanie laughed and started walking off, leaving the two to spend some time together. Mitch appeared next to her and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well you did it Melanie, I have to say, you sure know how to get things done. I guess you've also learned the value of family.
"Yeah Mitch, is there anything else? I'm thinking that I'm pretty much finished, right?"
"Yeah, yeah you're done. You've done everything you can, so get some rest, you've earned it."
"Awesome…" She walked over to a small, grassy hill and sat down, watching her family with a smile on her face. They were laughing, talking, catching up on old times. Perhaps, even talking about Morris and Sarah, and learning to be a family again. After a few minutes, Sam came walking up to her and sat with her.
"Hey Mel, I just want to say…thank you."
"For what?"
"For everything…I mean, it's okay now with Aunt Lucy. She just didn't want to be alone, I see that. Now she doesn't have to be. I'm back with you and Daddy, our family's whole again…and now I've got a date with a cutie. I never thought I could be this happy."
Melanie laughed briskly and laid back, putting her hands behind her head. "If only you knew, Sam, if only you knew." As she closed her eyes, she felt Sam lay beside her. She basked in the warmth and glow of the sun as she slowly drifted out of consciousness. Her work here was done.
So everything's coming together. I know it looks like there's a missing chapter, and I can't explain it, I don't think there is but my save files indicate a gap between 173 and 175. I don't think there is a problem, but again, not sure. Just hope you enjoyed the chapter.