CHAPTER 11

'Olivia, answer me- where did these scars come from?'

Olivia winced at her grandmother's stricken face. Obviously Roman hadn't told her she too had been a victim of Lawrence's brutality. The thin scars running across her back were faint except when the viewer was up close and Caroline was treated to a full view of his handiwork.

'It's... it's nothing really...'

'NOTHING?' Caroline exclaimed, 'how can you say they're nothing- these scars were made from a whip! Lawrence beat you too, didn't he? That beast didn't just hurt Carly; he put his hands on you as well. Didn't he?' her voice shook, hands gripping Olivia's arms.

Literally in a tight corner, Olivia had no other choice but to nod slowly. Caroline began to cry, sitting down on the closed toilet.

'Grandy,' Olivia knelt in front of her, 'please don't... you're going to make me cry as well.'

Caroline only cried harder. Olivia bit her lip, eyes burning with held back tears, willing herself not to succumb to them.

'Grandy... Grandy, look at me!' she held Caroline's face between her palms firmly, looking at her in the eye.

'He can't hurt me or Ma or anyone else ever again. I killed him and I'm not sorry at all; I would have killed him earlier given the chance! You mustn't cry over what he did to me because he's serving his comeuppance in hell as we speak. The only thing you should do now is move forward. I'm here now and always will be. Don't think over what he did, only about what he can never do again.'

Caroline stared at her granddaughter through her tears, her horror and grief subsiding. Roman was right, Olivia had Carly's maturity and fortitude and a huge dose of Bo's toughness- it was like listening to Bo talking.

They were two of a kind- her son and granddaughter. Bo had endured beatings at the hands of Torres and his men during the months of captivity had been shot in the line of duty several times. But no one ever succeeded in breaking his indomitable spirit, and he either scorned or got embarrassed at shows of pity. Olivia had weathered the storm with Carly, protecting her in her own way- like Bo would have done and ultimately freeing them both from Lawrence.

'Grandy, you're alright now?' Olivia asked anxiously, wiping Caroline's eyes with the back of her hands.

Caroline smiled faintly, taking her hands. 'I can't pretend I never saw the evidence of what he did to you all these years. But, I want you to know ... I'm so proud of you; not just for defending your mother but the way you held your own against him- refusing to let him break you. That's what he would have wanted; he clearly saw Bo in you and probably knew he was wasting his time! You're truly Bo's daughter.'

'After hearing so much about him and being with him, I wouldn't trade him for Prince Charles himself.' was the sincere reply. 'I love him and I hope I'll always be a credit to him.'

'Oh, I know you will be, my darling girl.' Caroline hugged her. 'Because you already are. To him, to Carly, to all of us.'

Oh, Shawn... she thought wistfully. If only you were alive to see this lovely girl the Lord blessed us with!

Clad in Arianna's blouse, Olivia came out of the bathroom with a now composed Caroline and re-joined the group.

'Ah, here she is.' Bo took her hand as she approached them, 'Olivia, I want you to meet someone.'

A young man sitting next to Brady rose and came around the table, his eyes fixed on her keenly. 'This is our Olivia, whom you've already heard so much about. Kitten, this is Shawn Douglas' cousin- Nathan Horton. He just recently started his internship at Salem University Hospital.'

'A doctor.' Olivia took the outstretched hand. 'Wotcher, Nathan. I'm pleased to meet you.'

'I can say the same,' Nathan replied, as if the words were forced out of him.

'Nathan, it's wonderful seeing you, heaven knows we hardly do these days,' Caroline moved to hug him.

'Well, you know the doctor's lot, work piled on top of the other.' Nathan replied, curbing his disappointment as Olivia sat down next to Bo. Maggie had called him at the hospital and he'd listened in astonishment at what Hope had told her. She then gave him the task of finding more about Olivia and her mother from Bo and he'd been told at the station he was at the pub with his kids.

Nathan had never seen a girl more beautiful in his life; a halo of curls, the face of a fragile Madonna and those green, green eyes... he could lose himself in them. The way she spoke, her smile- he liked everything about her very much. It was as if she emanated a golden light and he was caught in the glow, a glow he never wanted to escape from.

From the moment he'd touched her hand and she'd smiled at him, he knew she was the one he'd been waiting for all his life.

Only Bo saw the expression on Nathan's face, immediately recognizing it as the look of a young man captivated by a beautiful girl. Considering he'd fallen victim to Carly's green eyes so long ago, he didn't blame him. But the natural protective instinct of a father prevailed; no matter how mature Olivia was, she was still a child, compared with Nathan's age of twenty four. Soon or later he'll have to make Nathan realize that any relationship with Olivia couldn't pass beyond the boundaries of a platonic friendship, at least for now.

If he had seen the eyes of another young man, standing at the doorway of the Pub, keenly fixed on his daughter, Bo would have thought otherwise of having that talk with Nathan.

::::::::::::::::::::

Caroline trapped them in spending the rest of the day with her so it was towards seven when Bo and the children got back to the house.

A limo was packed in front of the house and leaning against it was a uniformed chauffeur Bo recognized immediately.

'Parker,' he said as the man straightened up and nodded respectfully. 'What are you doing here?'

'Mr Kiriakis sent me sir, to deliver a gift to Her...'

'She's NOT using her title!' Shawn Douglas interrupted before his sister could speak.

'Be that is it may, I was told to deliver this...' he walked to the back of the car, opened the truck and lifted out something large and obviously heavy.

'Good heavens!' Olivia gasped.

'Jesus Christ!' Shawn Douglas exclaimed as Parker set it down. ' A 1965 Harley Davidson Sprint 250? No way!'

'It comes with this note, ma'am.' Parker handed an envelope and a set of keys attached to a key chain Bo suspected was made of pure silver, to Olivia.

'I certainly didn't expect this.' Olivia moved forward to examine the classic bike, a bright red bow attached to one of the handle bars.

'If you don't want it, can I have it?' Shawn Douglas asked hopefully.

Neither of them noticed the look of utter fury on their father's face.

Conniving old bastard, Bo thought, thoroughly disgusted. When Shawn Douglas was a little boy, Victor had lavished him with expensive toys as a way of getting into Bo's good graces. Carly also, when she was his personal doctor following his recovery from a stroke, it had been baskets of "Sterling Silver" roses, jewellery, invitations to his villa in the South of France which- she confided much later after she was free of him- had embarrassed her more than anything else.

The only way Victor could get past the line drawn between him and their daughter was this so called thoughtful gesture because he knew very well Olivia would want to thank him for his gift. Once she called him, he won't waste any time inviting her over to the house for dinner and then try to get further into her good graces. Bo knew his bio-father well enough that this was his big plan. He couldn't keep Carly but he certainly wanted her daughter; the child that could have been his if things had turned out differently. Carly would throw a fit if she knew.

'Victor doesn't know we're seeing each other.'

Carly shook her head, her lovely face set in worried lines. 'Not yet.' Turning away, she began pacing.

'He's really got you spooked, doesn't he? What did he say to you today?'

Carly halted, surprised. 'How did you know I saw him today?'

'Mrs H told me; I was also graced with his presence today.'

'You saw him too?'

Bo shook his head, frustrated. 'He's really flipped out; he's talking about how you guys are going to be reunited.'

'Did he tell you about the house in Greece?'

'No.'

'He's building a villa for us to live in after our honeymoon. He wants us to have our first child there.'

He shook his head again. Victor was so hell bent in keeping his young wife, he simply refused to face the cold hard fact that Carly was never going back to him. 'he's NOW wrapped up too tight these days.'

'Yes! And that just makes him more dangerous, he's SO sure of himself. I'm really afraid him, I'm afraid of what he might do to you.'

'We'll figure out a way of how to handle him.' He soothed her, holding her shoulders.

'How are we going to do that, we haven't been able to do anything so far!' Carly insisted, really worried.

'We've got people on our side; Roman, Mickey... maybe the law will work for us this time.'

'Victor is a very powerful man...'

'I think it's time we changed the subject.' He interrupted. He was fed up of talking about the old s.o.b- it was a beautiful night and he would rather spend it doing something else.

'To what?'

He touched her silken hair, redolent of coconut oil, before holding her face with his palms. 'To this.' His lips captured the soft sweet mouth and immediately got her fiery response. Victor was shifted aside.

Bo could almost hear Carly's pleading voice; Keep Olivia AWAY from him... Lord knows what he might do to her. Protect our daughter!

I'm on it with my life, Princess, Bo said in a monotone.

'What's that now, Dad?' Olivia looked up inquiringly.

'I... was just saying, that's a very nice bike you've got there, honey.'

'Very nice?' Shawn Douglas said, awed. 'Any collector would kill to have this sweet piece, Dad- it's totally awesome, makes mine and yours look like tricy...'

'I GET IT, Shawn.' Bo barely managed not to raise his voice, for fear of freaking Olivia out. 'what does the note say?'

'Oh, right.' Olivia opened the envelope, drawing out the paper and unfolded it.

'Please consider this a ''welcome home" present and I hope you're a safer rider than your father. I hope to meet you soon. Grandpa.'

BULLS-EYE, thought Bo. He turned to Parker. 'that will be all, thanks.' The chauffeur bowed to Olivia before getting into the car and driving off.

'He hasn't met me yet and already has me pegged,' Olivia observed. 'I wonder how he knew I liked bikes?'

'Dad has a Harley, I have a Harley and then there was three,' Shawn Douglas said mockingly. 'it would cut quite a sight, the three of us cruising through Salem in our leather jackets.'

The picture her brother painted was so comical that Olivia burst out laughing and it set him off as well. Their father however was unamused.

'You know you can't ride that thing till you get a licence, Olivia.'

'Oh, yes, yes... I know.' Olivia ran her hand across the leather seat. ' I guess I have to call him and say thanks.'

Damn it, how can I talk her out of it? Bo thought with angry dread.

'Can I take it for a test ride in the meantime?' asked Shawn Douglas, itching to climb the bike.

Olivia threw the keys at him. 'Enjoy.'

Gleefully, Shawn Douglas mounted it. The engine started with a roar and soon he was moving down the street.

Bo turned to Olivia. 'Kitten, about Victor...'

But Olivia shook her head at him. 'Dad, I know what you're thinking and it's alright, really.'

'Yeah?'

'Yes. Victor thinks he's got me pegged but he doesn't. What he's trying to do is clearer than a magic mirror; an expensive classic bike, flowers... I'm not an idiot. I can't be bought with presents and sooner or later he'll see it and stop trying to. Surely you didn't think I would fall for that old trick?'

Bo shook his head, filled with relief. 'no, of course not. It's just I have my reasons of not wanting him near you right now. If your Mum was here, she'll say the exact same thing. '

Olivia looked at him, a rebellious look in her eye, a look way too familiar to Bo. 'I believe I've proven I'm capable of looking after myself, I don't need protection from him.'

'Yes, you do- Olivia and as your father, it's what I intend to do!' Bo argued.

'I faced a man far worse than Victor Kiriakis and you weren't even there!' Olivia snapped, infuriated at being labelled a damsel in distress.

'EXACTLY!' Bo winced at the look on her face and took her hand. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell, I'm not mad at you. It's just...I missed so much! I missed seeing you being born, missed your first step, your first word, your first tooth, everything. You have no idea how much I hate Lawrence Alamain every day, not just for what he did to your mum but for what he did to you. You never had a real childhood, he forced you to grow up way too fast! I'm very proud of you, I really am but I want the chance to do what I wasn't able to; look out for you and protect you like any father would, from anyone who dared put his fingers on you! This isn't the same as mollycoddling, kitten- I love you very much, like I love Shawn Douglas and Ciara and my poor Zach.' He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, willing her to understand where he was going with this.

Olivia clung to him, her anger forgotten. 'You honestly think Victor might hurt me? Because Ma scorned him?'

Bo hesitated. He'd told her about Carly's marriage to Victor and his obsession with her but not about the elevator "accident". Anger and jealousy had driven Victor to set a trap for him- a rigged elevator at the Salem Inn. But Carly had been the one in it and Bo had very nearly lost her. And Olivia was yet to know about how Victor had faked his death and framed Carly for his so called murder. Telling her would more than solve the problem; Olivia would refuse to have anything to do with him, especially if he also told her of his suspicions of Victor getting obsessed with her.

But he soon realised that while he owed it to Carly to keep their daughter away from Victor, she wouldn't want him to take that course of action and Caroline would be furious and probably accuse him of purposely poisoning Olivia's mind against her grandfather.

He pulled away, brushing back Olivia's curls from her forehead.

'In a nutshell, I don't trust him, I never did- especially around my kids and Brady for that matter- he and John don't get along. I don't want you to fall into his trap, he's really manipulative. He tried that with your mother until she fought back.'

'And if I'm anything like her and you, I'll do the same thing.' Olivia assured him. 'His reasons of trying to win me over, well... I don't know, I'm not interested and I'm not interested in him. But in the meantime, I have to thank him for the gift because it's the polite thing to do but I'm not going to let him get to me with other gifts, I'll make him see that. But as for you,' she smiled, 'you have to stop worrying about me all the time.'

'I'd be lying if I said I'll try.'

Olivia bowed her head briefly then looked at him again. 'I love you for so wanting to protect me, for everything you've done since we met. I suppose it's time to let someone else watch my back besides Ma and myself. My gift to you.' She pressed her lips to Bo's rough cheek.

At that same moment, far away in Paris, Carly's hands began to move again...

Entering the house, Bo checked his messages on the answering machine while Olivia went upstairs. He froze on hearing Hope's voice.

'Bo, it's me. Look, I'm sorry about today, I really feel awful. We need to talk. Call me.'

No we don't. Bo said silently. The next message came up, it was Alice Horton.

'Bo, Maggie just told me everything, I'm still trying to get over it... Carly's alive? Call me back as soon as you get this message.' Bo smiled. Hope's grandmother had been one of the people who'd constantly pushed him and Carly together. He felt guilty for not telling her the whole story himself.

The next message was from Jennifer Deveraux, Hope's cousin and Carly's old classmate and best friend. Her voice sounded teary. 'Bo, it's Jen. Is it true; is it really true Carly's alive? Maggie just sent me an email, it sounds too good to be possible... after all these years? Call me fast.'

No more messages.

Bo dialled Alice Horton's number. 'Hi, Mrs H.'

'Bo dear,' Alice's ever warm voice flowed through the receiver. 'I was expecting your call. Why didn't you tell us about this as soon as you heard? Maggie said she heard the story from Hope.'

'I'm really sorry about that- everything happened so fast; as soon as I heard the story myself, I flew to Paris to see Carly and Olivia.'

'Maggie said Carly's still in a coma.'

'Yes but the doctors are positive she'll wake up any day from now.'

'Lawrence and Vivian Alamain!' there was a trace of venom in Alice's voice. 'How could they do such a thing to the three of you? And speaking of three, when are you bringing Olivia over to see me?'

'I will very soon, count on that.'

'I'm so very happy for you, Bo. I remember how you and Carly badly wanted a baby of your own.'

'I am happy; more than you know Mrs H. She's everything Carly and I pictured our daughter to be.'

'Then I'm even happier for you. Bring her over to lunch tomorrow, alright?'

'I'll do that.' Bo said, as Shawn Douglas entered. 'Yes, bye.'

'Who that?' Shawn Douglas asked, putting the keys on the coffee table.

'Your Gram, she wants me to bring Olivia over to the house tomorrow.'

'Ah, right.' Shawn Douglas sank onto the couch. 'I guess I'll crash here tonight.'

'No problem.'

Olivia came down. 'If anyone's still hungry, I'll order pizza.' Bo suggested.

'What's that?'

Bo kicked Shawn Douglas just as he was about to exclaim. 'Once you get your teeth in it, you'll be addicted. I'll order three now.' He brought out his cell but it began to ring.

'Shit!' He glared at the Caller I.D. 'it's Victor again.'

'Ignore it.' Shawn Douglas and Olivia chorused.

'Yeah, like that will stop him.' Bo pressed the answer button. 'What do you want now?'

'Did she like the bike?'

Bo sighed with exasperation. 'Since you're so anxious to hear her appreciation, ask her yourself.' He held out the phone to Olivia. 'He wants to talk to you.'

'Might as well get it over with.' Olivia held the phone to her ear. 'Hello?'

A booming voice came back. 'Am I speaking with Olivia?'

'That's me, last time I checked.' Bo and Shawn Douglas high-fived at that.

'I was actually meaning to call you myself, to thank you for the fab bike. It's lovely but you didn't have to go through all that trouble.'

'It was the only thing I could think of, considering you're past the age of doll houses and Malibu Barbies,' Victor chuckled at his own joke. Smarmy, that's what he is, Olivia thought.

'Yeah, well... thanks for the gift. I really like it.'

'My pleasure, my dear. But this isn't a proper meeting; we have to meet face to face, get to know each other. I would like it very much if you can come over to the house tomorrow for dinner. Your father and brother are invited of course.'

But of course. If they hadn't been, Olivia would have insisted on them coming.

'Dinner at your house, no problem.'

'Excellent, I'll have the chef make something special. I can send a limo over to pick you.'

'Dad's car will get us there as well as any of your cars can. We'll be there. Thanks once again. Yes, bye.'

She handed the cell back to Bo.

'That's putting him in his place, kid.' Shawn praised as she sank down on the carpet, her head resting against Bo's leg.

'Ah, please- I can read him clear. One dinner and that's it.'

'He won't go out like that, kitten.'

'We'll just see about that, won't we?'

Miles away from Salem, Carly's hands moved agitatedly and her eyes began to flutter. A nurse assigned to watch her immediately summoned Dr. Simpson.

'What do you think sir? Should we call Miss Alamain?' she asked as he examined her.

'It might be a reaction to the medication or she's experiencing a memory- it's common.' Dr. Simpson replied, thoughtfully. 'We don't want to give that young woman false hope.'

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In Milan, a woman paced the length and breadth of her bedroom suite, her bare feet sinking into the thick pile carpet; thoughtfully smoking a cigarillo. Now and again, she would move to the window staring at the hundreds of twinkling lights of the city before continuing to pace. She didn't see the view, nor the expensive, pretentious decor of her surroundings for her mind was too full of dark thoughts.

The phone on the nightstand rang and she hurried to answer it. 'Please tell me you have good news for me, Gus.'

'I'm sorry madam,' an apologetic voice replied. 'Still nothing.'

The woman's voice rose in anger. 'STILL NOTHING?! You couldn't get the information from anyone in the estate?'

'I offered Gideon what you told me to but he laughed in my face; apparently he was paid quite an amount by the Princess' lawyer and said he couldn't help me anyway because he truly didn't know where she or her mother are and that it was none of his business; he was heading off to Hawaii. They aren't in any of the hospitals here, I checked thoroughly.'

'What about the servants? Everyone has a price; didn't you try to bribe any of them?'

'The maid I tried that with raised the alarm and I was thrown out by the new guards hired. I was lucky not to be shot.'

The woman bit her lip in frustration. 'They couldn't have disappeared from the face of the earth! Where could they have got to?' She paused for a while then said briskly. 'Go to Switzerland- the private clinic where Olivia was born; perhaps Carly was flown there for treatment. However means necessary find out if they are there.'

'And if they aren't, Madam?

'We'll continue the search. No matter what that idiot judge or that interfering lawyer says, I won't rest until I get my own back on that murdering, insolent brat. Call me as soon as you find out something.'

'I will do my best, Madam.'

She hung up the phone and lit a fresh cigarillo. I've have you yet, Olivia, she said with soft and slow vehemence. The law won't protect you from me. By the time I'm through with you and your precious mother- you'll wish you never bit the finger that fed you. I, Vivian Alamain, will see that you pay... HARD.