Sam had been home for a month and so far things had gone fairly well. She and Alexis were still figuring each other out so there were no real hang-ups. Alexis was sure that allowing Sam to see Carly every couple of days was helping, and she liked having Bobbie to talk to as well. The more relaxed they became with each other the more of Sam Alexis really got to see. The little girl had such an adventurous spirit, such a 'love life don't just live it' attitude, that Alexis simply loved even though she knew that at some point it would become an issue between them. She'd already seen glimpses of it in the way Sam dived off Jax's boat and her continued curiosity regarding Sonny. Alexis was also foreseeing some issues coming from their general differences in the every day.

"Sam," Alexis said with a sigh as they made their way to the launch. "Are you going to pout all evening?"

"Why couldn't I wear jeans?" Sam asked as she tugged and pulled on the dress Alexis was making her wear.

"Because we always dress for dinner with Stefan." Alexis explained yet again.

Kristina was smirking and giggling behind her hand. Her sister and niece had been bricking since lunch about the dress. It was a very simple navy blue dress, no fluffy bits, no frills; Sam simply hated it for being a dress. "It's only a couple of hours, Sammie. When we get home we can ditch the dresses, put on our jammies and watch another black and white movie, you're choice."

Sam just sighed. She was not a girly girl and the dress was getting on her nerves. She was also feeling a little weird about having dinner with Stefan and meeting Nikolas. The only good thing she saw about this whole evening was finally getting to see Windermere and Spoon Island.

As they made their way across the lake Alexis could see Sam tensing up as they approached the island. She put her hand on the girl's shoulder and gave her a warm smile. "It'll be ok, Sam. Kristina and I will be there with you and I'm sure you're going to love Nikolas. He's Lucky's brother you know."

"Yeah, I know." Sam said. "But Lucky says he has a stick up his a…"

Kristina quickly put her hand over her niece's mouth before she could finish her sentence. "Lets not repeat that out loud, Squirt. Besides, it's not true. Nikolas is a lovely little man."

Alexis gave her daughter a look that agreed with Kristina's statement, and then a look at Kristina because she knew her sister meant more behind her choice of words. It was true, Nikolas did act more like a little man than a little boy, but they were working on that.

When they reached Windermere Mrs. Lansbury greeted them and walked them to the living room, where Stefan and Nikolas were waiting. When they walked in Stefan smiled brightly. "Welcome." He kissed his sisters' cheeks and then smiled at Sam. "Welcome Samantha." He kissed her on each cheek before adding; "I'm so pleased to have you here tonight."

"Hi." Sam said as she inched closer to Alexis.

Alexis put her hand on Sam's shoulder as she waved Nikolas closer. "Sam, this is your cousin Nikolas. Nikolas, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Samantha."

"Hello Cousin Samantha." Nikolas greeted as he took her hand and kissed the back of it.

Sam blinked when Nikolas kissed her hand. She looked up at her mother as if to ask, what the hell? And got a warm and reassuring smile in return. Then she looked at Nikolas and said, "Hi. Nice to meet you."

"This is worse then a business dinner." Kristina groaned after watching the two kids stand there uncomfortably. "They're cousins not clients. Come on Sammy; Niky and I will show you around the house, it's really kind of cool."

"Ok." Sam said as she moved over to her aunt. The two had grown rather close over the weeks. Kristina was easy to talk to and had the same easy way about her that Sam had.

"Hmmm, what should we show her first Niky?" Kristina asked as they left the room. These were just kids and she wanted them to be more comfortable with each other, and she knew that that wouldn't happen around Stefan. She adored her brother but he was a little stuffy.

Nikolas thought for a moment and then said, "The stables?"

"You have horses?" Sam asked, forgetting for a moment that she was really uncomfortable.

Nikolas nodded with a smile. "I enjoy riding. Do you?"

Sam shrugged. "I've never even seen a real horse before."

Kristina smiled. "Stables it is then." Then her smile turned to a grin. "Lets take the tunnels."

"Tunnels?" Sam asked.

This time Nikolas smiled. "The house is full of tunnels and secret passageways."

"Really?" Sam asked with wide eyes. "How come?"

Nikolas shrugged. "It's an old castle, I suppose old castles are just like that. Our home in Greece is the same. So is the one in Russia."

Sam was feeling uncomfortable again. What the hell was she doing with people who had castles in the middle of lakes and in foreign countries? "Why do you have so many castles?"

"Because," Nikolas said as he opened a panel in the wall to revile a doorway. "I'm a prince."

That stopped the little girl in her tracks. "What?"

"I'm a prince." Nikolas said with all seriousness.

Sam stared at the boy before putting her hands on her hips and saying, "No you're not."

"Yes I am." Nikolas said with a frown as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I am a prince."

"You are full of sh…" Sam started but once again found her aunt's hand over her mouth. She was getting a little tired of that.

Kristina smiled down at the girl. "He really is a prince, Sammie." She giggled when Sam's eyebrows crunched down as she silently asked if she were for real. Kristina nodded. "The Cassadines are Russian royalty. Technically your mom's a princess, which means so are you, but since Nikolas is the only son of the first born son, that means he ranks higher then us."

Nikolas smiled in a way that only a twelve-year-old boy could smile when picking on his younger cousin. "Which means you have to listen to me."

Sam pulled her aunt's hand away from her mouth. "The hell I do."

"Samantha, that is no way for a young lady to speak." Nikolas scolded.

"Well it's better then talking like an old man." Sam shot back.

"Alright you two knock it off." Kristina said as they made their way through the passageway. She was glad the two were relaxing around each other, but she didn't want to listen to them bicker all evening.

With her attention off her new cousin Sam was able to take in where they were. After a few minutes she couldn't help but say, "This is cool. It's like something out of an old movie."

"You like old movies?" Nikolas asked as they slipped outside into the warm summer air.

Sam nodded. "I've been watching James Bond movies with Jax and musicals with Kristina."

Nikolas smiled at that. "I enjoy them as well but Uncle doesn't allow me to watch often. I enjoy watching westerns as well. Do you?"

"I haven't seen any." Sam replied.

Kristina beamed. "It sounds like we need a movie night. I'll arrange it with Stefan and Alexis."

After they checked out the stables and Nikolas had Sam convinced that the horses wouldn't hurt her and she should give riding a try, the three of them made their way back inside. When Alexis came looking for them she found them in Nikolas' sitting room. She watched with a warm loving smile as her darling nephew taught her precious little girl how to play chess. Nikolas and Sam were as different as night and day and she was worried that they wouldn't hit it off. She was more then glad to have Kristina there to act as a link between the two. She wanted the two children she simply adored to be close.

"Very good Samantha!" Nikolas praised after Sam made a rather clever move for a first timer.

Sam smiled before she chuckled. "I guess this could be a fun game."

"It is a fun game sweetheart." Alexis said as a way to make her presence known. "Nikolas is a very good teacher, and I know that Jax and Stefan both play as well."

"Do you play Alexis?" Sam asked.

Alexis nodded. "I do, but not nearly as well."

Sam smiled and then looked at Nikolas as she said, "I'm going to practice and I'm going to beat you."

Nikolas laughed. "Is that a challenge Cousin Samantha?"

"Yeap." Sam answered.

"Then you're on." Nikolas replied and the two shook hands on it.

Alexis laughed. "Alright you two. It's time for dinner. Lets get washed up and down to the dinning room. Stefan is waiting on us."

As they made their way to the guest bathroom Sam asked, "Alexis, is it true what Kristina and Nikolas said about us being princesses?"

The question caught Alexis off guard and she gave her sister a little glare as she answered, "Well, in principle, yes it is."

"In principle? What does that mean?" Sam asked.

"It means that officially, on paper, we are." Alexis explained. "But in real life, the way we live our lives, we're just normal people."

Sam thought about it for a moment and then asked, "Is that why your last name is different? Cause you wanted to be a real person and not some stuffy princess with a stick…"

"Samantha!" Alexis warned, sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You have got to stop saying that."

Kristina giggled as she whispered to Sam, "She took the stick out a long time ago.

"Kristina!" Alexis scolded.

"Sorry." The girls apologized while smirking. Truth be told Sam really liked getting a reaction from Alexis by saying things she knew pushed the woman's buttons. It was kind of funny to watch.

Alexis sighed again and then said, "Lets drop it for now, ok? We're here so you can get to know your family better and so they can get to know you." She brushed at Sam's hair and smiled. "Ok?"

Sam nodded. "Ok. Hey! Did you know this place is full of old tunnels and stuff?"

Alexis laughed as Sam began an excited rant about how cool the house was. Most people saw Windermere as an old, stuffy mausoleum, but her baby saw it as a place full of wonder and adventure. Sam's view made Alexis smile and cringe at the same time. She enjoyed seeing Sam so bright, happy, and excited, but at the same time one never knew what was lurking in the dark in this place. Alexis did not like the idea of Sam exploring alone on the island or in the house.

Jake's was rather empty since it was a Sunday night, but not empty enough that Carly couldn't blend in. She had been feeling boxed in and smothered at the brownstone and had really needed to get away from it and the people inside. Bobbie was trying not to try so hard but Carly could tell that the woman wanted to do more; Carly simply wasn't ready to be mothered by the woman. BJ and Lucas were good kids and she liked them a lot, so they weren't an issue. Tony however, she didn't think he liked her much, she didn't realize that Bobbie and Tony were having issues long before she showed up.

With Bobbie working late at the hospital it had been easy for Carly to sneak out of the house, and with her Carly Roberts id it was easy for her to get into Jake's. As she made her way to the bar she caught sight of a somewhat familiar face. She walked over to him and smiled, "AJ, right?"

AJ smiled at her. "That's right, and you're Carly, Bobbie's daughter."

And there it was. In just a few weeks the whole town know identified her as Bobbie's daughter. It was really irritating. "Yeap, that's me."

The tension rolled off Carly in waves so AJ asked, "Can I buy you a drink?"

"Are you old enough to buy me a drink?" Carly asked with a smirk.

"No, but you'd be surprised what a hundred dollar tip for each glass of vodka will get you." The handsome dirty blonde seventeen year old replied.

Carly looked at AJ for a moment. She'd heard the Q's were loaded but damn. "Well, in that case, keep 'em coming."

AJ turned around and ordered a bottle of vodka and two glasses. Then he and Carly went to a table and he poured them each a drink. "So how are you liking Port Charles?"

"It's alright I guess." Carly answered before taking a drink of the vodka. She'd never had it before it and it burned, causing her eyes to water, and when she spoke again her voice was horse. She had to clear it twice before she sounded normal again. "I haven't really had a chance to see much of it."

"You alright?" AJ asked with a chuckle.

Carly wasn't one to look weak so she downed the rest of her drink and croaked, "Fine."

AJ smiled and laughed. "How's things with Bobbie?"

"She's nice." Carly answered. "It's really annoying."

The two teens talked and drank for about an hour. Carly was pretty drunk by the time they went out into the parking lot. They went over to AJ's car and started making out. "Let me drive you home." AJ said when they came up for air.

Carly wasn't comfortable with that. She knew she was drunk and she had a pretty good idea AJ was too. "No," She slurred. "I think I'll walk."

"Come on." AJ encouraged. "I'm not drunk if that's what your worried about."

"I'd rather walk." Carly replied. "I should clear my head before going back to Bobbie's."

AJ grinned as he reached to kiss her again. "You don't have to go back to Bobbie's tonight. There are rooms upstairs."

This time the kiss made Carly uncomfortable and she tried to push AJ away. He held a little tighter to her, she pushed a little harder, and then thankfully she heard the best sound ever.

"Caroline!"

The two teens jumped apart and spun around to see Bobbie standing there. The redhead walked up to them and pulled Carly away from AJ. She could smell the vodka and frowned. "You're both drunk!"

"No!" Carly protested. "Not much." She said and then went on. "Maybe a little."

Bobbie shook her head. "I hope to god you weren't planning on getting into a car?" Carly shook her head and something about the look on her face told Bobbie she hadn't been. AJ on the other hand was a different story. "I'm calling Ned."

"You don't have to do that." AJ protested. "I'm fine."

"No, AJ, you're not." Bobbie replied.

After Ned picked up his drunk cousin Bobbie took her drunk daughter home. She knew there was no sense in talking to her now; she'd wait till morning, so when they got back to the brownstone she helped Carly up to bed. "Don't think you're not in trouble, Caroline." Bobbie told her once they were in the girl's room. "Because you are, big trouble, but we'll deal with it tomorrow."

Carly let Bobbie help her get ready for bed without a word. She was feeling dizzy and warm, and suddenly very tired. "Ya know," Carly said as Bobbie helped her into bed. "My Momma would've liked you."

"I bet I would have liked her too." Bobbie said as she pulled the covers up over her daughter.

"I wish you two could have met." Carly rattled off in her near sleep drunken state.

Bobbie reached over and brushed at her daughter's hair. "I wish we could have too sweetie."

The next morning Bobbie waited for Carly to get up. It was the sound of Carly being sick in the bathroom that let her know she was. Going into the bathroom Bobbie wet a cloth and without a word to the girl she held her hair back and put the cloth on the back of her neck. When Carly was finished throwing up Bobbie handed her a glass of water.

"Thanks." Carly said in a horse voice.

"You're welcome." Bobbie replied.

Carly looked up at her mother with a look of uncertainty.

"Lets get you downstairs." Bobbie said as she helped Carly up. "A little dry toast and strong tea will help."

"Ok." Carly said carefully.

Bobbie noticed the looks and it was heartbreaking. A kid shouldn't feel so uncertain about things. Bobbie needed to change that. Once they were downstairs she sat Carly at the table and kissed the top of her head. She waited until Carly had finished her toast and tea before sitting beside her and making the teen look at her. "I'm not going to ask what you were thinking because it was pretty clear you were thinking you could do whatever you wanted. You're fifteen Caroline, you don't belong in a bar." When Carly started to protest Bobbie stopped her. "You're name is Caroline, Carly is a nickname and right now young lady is not a time for nicknames."

Carly huffed and pouted. She had a headache and didn't want to deal with this.

"You went to a bar and got drunk, Caroline, if you were after my attention you got it." Bobbie continued. "The honeymoon is over sweetheart. We're going to lay down some ground rules and you're going to follow them, and there will be consequences if you don't. And there's no time like the present to get started. You're grounded."

"You can't do that!" Carly protested.

"I'm your mother Caroline." Bobbie said firmly. "I can do this and I am doing this."

Carly was a little shocked.

"Face it kid," Bobbie said as she held her daughter's face in her hands. "We're doing this whole parent child thing wither you like it or not." Leaning in Bobbie kissed the girl on her nose. "Now go upstairs. You can stay in your room until lunch."

For a long moment Carly sat there trying to figure out what to do. Should she run? Should she fight back? Yell, scream, get even? A hundred different things passed through her mind as blue eyes remained locked with hazel. In the end, for some reason she didn't understand, Carly got up and went to her room. She flopped on her bed, which didn't help her headache, and stared up at the ceiling. She'd been on her own for so long, trying to just get by day to day, that she'd stopped thinking about her actions. Now though, she found herself thinking for the first time in years what her momma would think of her, and for the first time ever, what Bobbie thought of her as well.