CHAPTER 8

As Carly battled for her life, Hope finally got the whole bio of her relationship with Bo, though not from Caroline. Her mother-in-law had confirmed Justin's story that she and Bo had been engaged to be married but couldn't or wouldn't explain why no one had spoken of her in years. And after Justin's reprimand and narration of what had actually happened to Carly, Victor had maintained a sullen silence on the matter. In angry desperation, she turned to her aunt, Maggie Horton. After putting up with her shocked exclamations about Carly's sudden resurface and Larry and Vivian's cruel deceit, she firmly demanded answers to all her questions. And Maggie, albeit reluctantly, had given her the whole story. Now she knew who Carly Manning was.

A doctor who'd worked at Salem University Hospital. Of blue-blood lineage and older sister of Frankie Brady; their birth names Lady Katarina and Lord François Von Leuschner. She and Bo had become close friends after she'd climbed down an oil well at the risk of her own life to rescue little Shawn Douglas. Once finally admitting their love for each other, they'd been inseparable, despite Victor and Lawrence Alamain's efforts. They'd lived together on the Fancy Face, raising Shawn Douglas, who'd adored her, but never called her Mom, out of respect for Hope. She and Bo were named Brady Black's god parents. She'd raced against time to formulate an antidote for Bo when he'd been stricken with a rare virus and had nursed him back to health. Tom Horton, Hope's late grandpa, had recommended her to be the head of the Trauma Unit and she'd started the Medivan Outreach Programme. All in all, a completely down-to-earth, selfless lady who Bo had loved very much, despite the huge difference in backgrounds.

Hope has always revelled being Bo's first love; having first met him when she was a mere 17 year old. They had had their highs and lows, but they knew their deep love kept them as one, more so after their Shawn Dee had been born. It hadn't been easy for her watching him with Billie after her sudden return to Salem, had been so upset when it looked like he was going to marry her but then he and Billie had parted after he'd realized that he still loved Hope. Suddenly discovering that there had been a woman whom he'd obviously loved far deeper than Billie and probably more than her, burned Hope up to the core.

Studying the inscrutable expression on Hope's face, Maggie said gently, 'Hope, you have to understand... Bo was inconsolable, almost demented with grief when it happened. He yelled at anyone who mentioned her name; afterwards no one could make him stop crying- not even Alice. Caroline and Shawn had to take down her pictures, her things, everything. He blocked out memories of her and made us all promise not to talk about her or refer to her in anyway. When you came back... there was simply no point bringing her up. '

'She was that important that he did all that? Wow, it was certainly easier for him when I was gone.' Hope said bitterly.

'Stop that, Hope!' Maggie snapped, annoyed at the statement and the tone. 'Bo loved you very much; he was upset, very upset when we all thought you had died. You're wrong and very foolish if you think it was easy for him to move on, well it wasn't! He kept to himself for months in the boat, only Shawn-Douglas kept him from losing his mind. He denied his feelings for Carly for a long time, kept pushing her away but suddenly came to his senses after Victor tricked her into marriage.'

'Tricked her? I would have thought that his money was more than enough reason...'

'Hope, I'm really going to get mad at you if you insist on trashing Carly this way!' Maggie scolded. 'Carly's old money, she didn't need Victor or any other rich man! She married Victor because Bo made it clear he'll never over his grief, Victor took advantage of her misery. But then she and Bo found their way back to each other when he got sick. I guess he realized that life was too short or something but he moved on.'

Hope said nothing; every word that came out of Maggie's mouth was torture. The Bradys and her own family, the Hortons, had cared so deeply for Carly that they had followed Bo's wishes.

'Hope, listen to me. Bo's way of dealing with his grief over Carly may appear very extreme to you. Yes, he grieved deeply because he loved her, but he was also mourning for the married life they never had, or the kids she was unable to bear... after Nicky's birth, she was told she couldn't conceive.'

Hope laughed shortly. 'Yeah, well... Someone up there thought otherwise.' Skipping the altercation at the house, she informed Maggie about Olivia Alamain and Larry's murder.

'He actually threw Carly off a balcony?' Maggie cried in horror. 'My God, is she alright?'

'Justin just said she's still in a coma.' Hope said reluctantly. 'And Bo's brought Olivia back here.'

'She's here already?' Maggie's eyes lit up with interest. 'Really? What's she like?'

'How did Carly Manning look like?' Hope asked, ignoring the question.

'Hope!'

'Tell me, Maggie.' Hope's voice was cold.

Maggie glared at her. 'Why is it so important to you, I want to know about Carly's daughter!'

'Well, since Justin did a double take when he saw her and her mother's been a deep, dark secret all this while, I'm entitled to know.'

God, she sounds like the bratty teenager she was so long ago! Maggie thought in exasperation.

'Fine. She was beautiful. Her eyes were green, rather slanted. Chestnut hair down her back and really fine cheekbones, the type you'd see on sculptures.'

Hope rocked herself to and fro. 'Huh. Well, Olivia's is her carbon copy then.'

Maggie wanted to ask more questions but the look on her niece's face made her decide otherwise. She was clearly jealous of the child and of Carly herself, based on all she'd heard about her. It was as if Bo had committed a crime, moving on and it was so ridiculous. Surely Hope hadn't expected him to have wallowed in misery for the rest of his days? Or, was she worried, now that their marriage was on the rocks, that Bo would find his way back to Carly?

This is the first entry to the story; the story of how the Mayans came to be.

Always in suspense, at peace and in silence. There was not yet a man or a woman

Neither were there animals or birds, fish, trees or stones.

In this way, the heavens existed, and also the Corzon Del Cielo- the heart of Heaven;

This being the name of God and this is how he is called.

The word then reached here, together came two gods and the darkness in the night

And they joined their words and thought. Then it became clear that when dawn came, Man should appear. "'Now that be done thusly, they said, "let the emptiness be filled.

If this water withdraw and vacate space, let the land surge up and it shall be solid.''

So they spoke: "Then let there be light. Let there be dawn in the heavens and on earth.

"There will be neither glory nor grandeur in our creation until a human creature exists."

And with these words of two... the world began.

Carly put down the scroll and looked up at him out of her crystalline green eyes, illuminated by the candles' light. 'I don't think I've heard anything more beautiful than what we've just read.'

Bo understood why Marlena had given it to them as a wedding present. The story wasn't just about the Mayans, it was actually about them; how they had started. He said so and Carly nodded in agreement.

'You keep saying I brightened your darkness.' She replied. 'Well, it goes both ways, my love, because you brightened mine too. For years I walked alone, lost in the dark, trying to find a light. And I found that light, not just you but Shawn Douglas as well.' She held his face with her two tapered palms. 'I love you both so much. I am so blessed.'

Moved by her words, Bo drew her into his arms, her jasmine perfume enveloping him. 'I love you too, princess. And this is just the beginning. As long as we're together, the light will never die.'

He kissed her, his mouth devouring hers and she feverishly kissed him back, her arms round his neck in a vice grip. He caressed her back before moving his hands lower and began undoing the sash of her lace dress...

The shrill sound of his cell phone ringing jolted Bo back to reality. One glance at the Caller I.D made him curse loudly.

'Where is she, Bo?' Victor barked. 'I expected her here AGES AGO!'

Bo swallowed his aggravation, with difficulty. 'Once again, Olivia's not some new property you just bought, she's MY DAUGHTER and I'll let you see her when I'm good and ready.' he coldly replied.

'Do you mind explaining to me why you're keeping Olivia from me? You think I'm going to hurt her in some way, is that it?'

'Considering how much you hated her mother, most likely still do... I'm not at all anxious for her being in the same room with you just yet. And I sharply recall how obsessed you were with the idea of Carly having your baby; so I'm guessing what's going to happen the second Olivia walks through that door; it will be a tug of war for her, just it was like for Carly. You'll never want her out your sight.'

'I've never heard anything so preposterous in my life!'

'What's preposterous is the hatred you still have for Carly. Justin told me how you described her to Hope, so save your breath denying that.'

Silence. 'I want to meet her, that's all. I have a right to.' Victor said at last, quietly.

'And I have the right to protect her, as her father. I wasn't able to protect her from Lawrence Alamain but I'm sure as hell going to make sure I protect her from you.'

'I am not going to harm her, Bo. She's my granddaughter, for God sake. Next thing you'll say is that I might hurt Ciara.'

'Speaking of which, I'm getting her out of that house as soon as possible.'

'I'll like to assume that it means you'll be making up with your wife very soon and stop this divorce business at long last. Which brings me to my proposal, once Hope and Ciara moves back to your house, Olivia can come and stay with me.'

Did he hear to a word I said at all? Bo thought incredulously. He's already obsessed with Olivia like he was with Carly so long ago; what makes this much worse was that Kiriakis blood flows through Olivia's veins.

'You will meet her, WHEN I say so, Victor; not before then.'

He hung up before Victor could get a word in and instantly put the phone on voice mail, he wasn't about to put up with more bellyaching from him.

The way Bo ruthlessly analysed him always infuriated Victor, but this time he'd gone too far with the assumption he would harm a hair on Olivia's head. He'd been more than sincere in the note he'd sent with the flowers, once he'd gotten over the shock that Bo and Carly actually have a child together, stolen and hidden away for so long. And while he didn't want to feel sorry for Carly Manning, the very idea of her kicking and screaming in a buried casket gave him the shivers. He'd long discovered that his ex-wife was a devil woman but what the hell had possessed her to do such a thing to another human being, he'll never know. All he knew was that if she dared set foot in Salem, Bo will shoot her on sight, if Olivia didn't kill her first. She clearly was her father's daughter; doing exactly what Bo would have done to anyone who ever laid a finger on his precious Carly.

Justin walked in as he was pouring his second cup of coffee out of the ornate silver teapot. 'Spoken to Bo yet?' he asked, sitting opposite his uncle.

'That cousin of yours is skittish at the idea of me being anywhere near his daughter.' was the bitter reply.

'Based on the way you graphically described her mother, if I were Olivia's Dad, I would definitely be more than skittish.'

Victor refused to dignify Justin's remark with a reply. 'What was your impression of her?'

'Very beautiful and clearly her parents' daughter.' Justin helped himself to some toast.

'That's not what I meant.' Victor said abruptly, swallowing his jealousy. 'I meant her state of mind.'

'If you're asking if she seemed traumatized, the answer is no. When she and Bo told me the whole story, she didn't break down or cling to him.'

'I refuse to believe a teenage girl would go through that entire trauma over the years and not be emotionally affected. Once we get to know each other a lot better, I'm recommending a first class therapist for her.'

Justin managed not to choke on his coffee. Was he serious?

'You honestly think Bo will allow you to do that? She's his daughter, not yours.'

'If he cares about his daughter at all, he will.' Victor insisted. 'Even if she has his and her mother' traits, doesn't mean she isn't human. I stand by what I say. She needs to be looked at by a professional and I'll see that she gets it.' He finished his coffee and left the table, Justin staring after him.

Sitting at his laptop in his study, Victor typed the address of a very popular shoppers' website. He was going to get his own way, whether Bo liked it or not. If things went according to plan, his new granddaughter will insist on meeting him. After he'd sent the flowers, he'd contemplated sending Olivia a diamond necklace but discarded the idea because he knew Bo would never let her accept it, besides what were diamonds to the only Alamain heir? No, it had to be something meaningful and sincere.

This morning as Ciara had kissed him goodbye before leaving for school, he'd found the answer. Clicking a few buttons, the picture of the item appeared on screen. Lucky for him, the bidding was still on. Victor smiled. Olivia will not be able to resist the present he was about to buy for her.