Walking off the elevator the next morning, they are met by a very worried Brenda. Her eyes are pools of sympathy as she studies her friend. If Carly wasn't a ball of anxiety, she'd be warmed at her friend's obvious concern. But, she is a tight wire, looking very much like she's a breath away from bolting. Jason has his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders. It's partly to give her comfort, and partly to make sure she doesn't run.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Brenda asks before shaking her head. Reaching out to Carly, she grasps her hand tightly, "Stupid question. I'm here for you, for whatever you need."

Carly gives her a grateful smile, "Thanks. Are they…" she asks looking towards her apartment.

Brenda bites her lip, looking cautiously at the door, "They are… okay, look, they've been in there all night. The last time I checked, your mom was telling… uh, your mom about your childhood. We need nicknames, this is too confusing. Maybe Mama V and Mama B, or we could go with A and B, you know, adoptive versus biological." Jason looks at her like she's crazy or stupid, possibly both, but she sees Carly's lips give the briefest tilt. Satisfied, Brenda looks at her seriously, "They both really love you. Mama V was defending you, telling Bobbie that you are a good person and Mama B was eating up every word she said like it was the gospel. Oh my God, the story about you going after that guy who was hurting his dog, girl, I was cheering you on just like Bobbie was."

Carly gives her a look of such heartbreaking hope, Brenda moves forward to hug her with tears in her eyes. "It'll be okay. I promise. And Jason and I will be right by your side. Always."

Jason lets go as Carly moves to give her friend a desperate hug. The group is broken up by the door to the couple's penthouse opening, revealing Bobbie. The redhead looks cautious and vulnerable, but not furious like Carly expected. Softly, she says, "Carly… I'm…" Then, she breaks off, not able to figure out how to begin.

Taking pity on her, Jason directs, "Why don't we go in? That way the two of you can be comfortable."

Bobbie nods, walking back into the apartment, but Carly stands frozen, unable to get her feet to move. Her breath starts getting short, so Jason moves to stand directly in front of her. Bending his knees a little so he's all she can see, he calms her, "Take deep breaths for me. Let's count them out: one, two, three… ten." Jason brushes her hair back, then putting his hand on the side of her neck, his thumb caresses her cheek, as he reminds her, "You've got this. And no matter what, you have us." Jason gives a head nod in Brenda's direction. "Me and Sonny and Brenda…"

"Hell, even Johnny and the other guards." Brenda throws in, standing to the side of the couple. The guard gives a grunt in agreement standing back against the elevator doors.

"We are here for you no matter how this turns out. You will never be alone." He reminds her gently.

Feeling herself settle enough to take a deep breath, she nods at him. Resting her hands protectively over her belly, she walks into the apartment to find Bobbie standing anxiously on one side of the room, not far from the door, and her mother sitting quietly on the couch. Both women look at her with a wealth of emotion in their eyes, but it's too jumbled for Carly to understand. Everyone stands in the room silently, the women too scared to speak first. Jason puts his hand on his wife's back, and Brenda moves to stand beside her, both making their support clear.

Virginia is the first to speak, her voice gentle, though there's a tinge of hurt that leaks through, "Caroline, Bobbie… your mother and I have spent the night talking. She told me…"

Carly gets defensive, rolling her eyes, "That I'm a horrible person who destroyed her life. I can just imagine, and now you're going to…"

With a calm but firm voice she has perfected over the years dealing with her daughter's anxiety and defensiveness, she cuts in, "Honey, let me finish. She told me about how she was in a bad place when she had to give you up, and I explained how difficult it was for you growing up. I also told her that you are smart and brave and loyal to a fault. Both Bobbie and I have regrets where you are concerned, when your baby gets here, you will understand all the ways we can beat ourselves up as parents, but I hope you realize that every decision we made was out of our love for you."

Bobbie speaks up, her voice cautious and vulnerable, "Your mother helped me understand why you are so angry at me, why you felt so hurt. Carly, I am so sorry you felt abandoned, sorry you thought it was because I didn't love you, when nothing could be further from the truth. I wanted to save you from the world I grew up in. I never wanted you to feel the helplessness and desperation of my circumstances, and I thought the family I was giving you to was giving you a better life." There's a plea in her tone as she tries to explain, "I was just a child who felt backed into a corner, only 16 years old. I was living a life no child should have to grow up in. I was a… I thought I was giving you the life I wished I had, with a home and a mom and a dad. Something… safe. I'm so sorry that isn't what you had." She looks down for just a moment, and when she looks up, her eyes lock with Carly's. With a shaky voice, she confesses, "I have loved you from the moment I knew you existed, and I wanted you to have the world. You…" she gives her a soft smile, "You seem to have found a good place here. It's obvious both Jason and Brenda, heck even Sonny based on your having guards… it's clear they care about you. I'm glad you have found that."

Carly looks at her with an almost painful longing. She shifts a little closer, but still stands mute, her hands still protectively holding her bump, though her grip is gentler. The room is silent for a long moment. Jason and Brenda are the first to shift, the silence turning uncomfortable.

Jason begins, "Carly, do you need…"

His voice seems to break her out of her stupor. Her voice is heartbreaking as she asks, "Why didn't you ever try to find me? I get that you were young and in a tough spot, but you had twenty years to find me, or at least look."

"I did…" Bobbie pleads.

"A year ago!" Carly yells, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You have this respectable life, and kids that you chose to love." Jason moves to stand against her back, giving her physical support when her knees begin to shake. "Why not when we were desperate, living off nothing? Or when my whole world came crashing down when I lost my best friend? Why didn't you want me then?"

Bobbie takes a cautious step forward, moving slowly toward her daughter, "I wanted you every moment of your life. I wish I had been there for every single one of your important moments, for every triumph and every heartbreak. I convinced myself that you were living a good life, a happy life, with normal, everyday struggles. If I'd known…"

"You should have known…" Carly argues through her tears, her voice breaking with emotion.

Virginia has a stern tone as she scolds, "Caroline, I know you have learned by this point that life is more complicated than the boxes you're trying to put it in. You are going to fail that baby no matter how much you try to do it perfectly, no matter how well intentioned you are. Being a parent, making choices that are going to impact your child's life and happiness, is the hardest thing you will ever do, and it will cause you to make decisions you never imagined you'd make." With gentle eyes and a gentle tone she advises her daughter, "You need to have grace for your mother and me if for no other reason than you hope that baby gives you the same grace one day."

"I'm sorry. Oh God, I'm so…" Carly crumples, a flood of tears drowning her face and her body curling in on itself; the only thing stopping her from fully collapsing is Jason's strength holding her up. Picking her up, he carries her to the couch, sitting with her cuddled in his lap. As Jason soothes his pregnant wife, Bobbie goes to the kitchen and brings her back a bottle of water, and Brenda grabs the tissues and puts it next to Jason.

When she can finally speak again, she confesses, "I was so angry, so hurt because you had this perfect life. And I had spent my whole life missing you. I was convinced that when you saw me, you'd know, you'd feel the same connection I feel when I look at you, but you didn't. You…" she shakes her head, looking down at her hands. "When it was clear that wasn't the case, all I could think was, 'of course the doctor's wife wouldn't want her trailer trash daughter in her life.' I would have been an embarrassment." With regret in her voice, she admits, "Then, I got mad. Because how dare you throw me away and then look down your nose at me. I wanted you to hurt as much as I did. But… God, it was such a mistake. I was miserable the whole time, hating myself for what I did to you. It's just… I didn't know how to turn it around. I'm so sorry, for hurting you and Lucas, for not telling you the truth because I was scared."

Bobbie moves cautiously closer, tears pouring down her face as well, "Carly… I'm sorry you felt like I didn't… if I had known…" she finally gets close enough to gently stroke her daughter's hair. "I have thought about you every day, loved you every day. The only time I got to hold you, you were this tiny little thing that was so beautiful and perfect. The way you are feeling now, like you have wrecked everything around you, you get it honest. Ask your Aunt Laura about what I was like when I was your age. I did a number on her marriage." She shakes her head in bewilderment, then her face softens, "When I held you in my arms, I knew I had to give you something better because I could tell even then how extraordinary you were. I'm aware that every mother feels this way, but you were the most beautiful baby I had ever seen, so tiny and pink, with a perfect little bow mouth. All the other babies had little misshapen heads, but yours was perfect from the moment you were put in my arms. And you were so bright, you listened to me like you could understand everything I was telling you." Carly leans into her mother's touch, desperate for her love. "And look at you. You overcame a difficult childhood and have created a wonderful life for yourself, with a husband who clearly adores you, friends that have your back, and a future that is exciting." She takes a chance, moving even closer and cupping her daughter's cheek. "I would just like a chance to get to know you and be part of your life."

Carly looks up at her amazed, "After everything I did, you want to have a relationship with me?"

Bobbie gives her a gentle smile as she answers with a question of her own, "What wouldn't you do, what wouldn't you give to be part of your child's life? I think you will find that there is absolutely nothing you wouldn't do to have a relationship with your child. And I feel the same way about you."

Carly turns to her mother, holding on to her desperately. She is suddenly sandwiched between the comforting presence of her husband and her mother. It sends joy through her, as she accepts love from the people in this town who mean the most to her, the two people who she had convinced herself she would never be worthy enough to earn their love. And yet, as they hold her like she is something precious, she feels an overpowering wave of love coming from them. It creates an answering love to fill her almost to bursting. She doesn't know how long she sits cocooned between them, but she never wants it to end.

When Bobbie finally moves back, Carly sees tears in the eyes of everyone present. Her adoptive mother gives her a weak smile. "I'm glad you have your mom, Caroline. I know how much you've longed to have her in your life."

"Mama…" Carly says with a guilty tone, seeing the pain Virginia is unsuccessfully trying to hide.

Bobbie speaks up, "Virginia, I hope you know that it doesn't have to be one or the other. She can have two mothers who love her. I will never be able to pay you back for raising her, especially knowing the struggles you both faced. I would never try to or be able to take your place in her life."

Virginia looks down, not wanting anyone to see her insecurity. This is the day she's dreaded for years. Her child, the only thing that's ever felt like it was actually hers, has been so focused on finding her real mother for so long. She's tried not to take it personally, her daughter yearning for a parent other than her, but she feels very much like she's about to be left alone with nothing.

Carly moves to sit beside her, taking hold of her hands and linking them together the same way she has since she was a girl. With regret clear in her voice, she apologizes, "You deserve so much better than having a daughter like me. You worked so hard just to take care of us, and instead of thanking you, all I did was push you away and get into trouble. I'm sorry, Mama."

Pulling her in for a tight hug, she whispers emotionally against her hair, "That's a mother's job, to put in the work to raise a good child, and then figure out how to let them go. You were doing what a daughter is supposed to do."

"I should have been kinder, more grateful. I guess I always felt like I was more of a burden than a blessing. I know I wasn't easy. I was so hurt and so angry, but it wasn't your fault. You've never been anything but good to me. You got as much of a raw deal as I did." Carly lays her head on her mother's shoulder, "I know I haven't been the best at showing it, but I love you, Mama."

Virginia lets out a breath, then lays her head on her daughter's, "Oh, my darling, I love you too."

Brenda wipes at her eyes with a tissue, then proclaims, "You guys are just too sweet. That's it, this calls for a celebration. And it needs to be somewhere other than this apartment."

Bobbie gives her a bright smile, "How about at Kelly's? My treat, especially since I owe you all a meal after spilling it everywhere. And, Carly and Virginia, I'd love you to officially meet my Aunt Ruby." Looking directly at her daughter, she explains, "I know you've met her plenty, but not as her great niece, and not as my daughter."

Carly gives her a concerned look, "She isn't my biggest fan after I hurt you."

Bobbie, seeing the fear on her face, reassures her, "Don't worry about that. If she can forgive Luke for all the crap he pulls, she can move past this. And, you're family. Family stands together no matter what." She looks down for a second, letting out a sigh, then tells the group, "Speaking of which, you guys go ahead. There's somewhere I need to go first."

Bobbie walks into Luke's and heads directly back to his office without saying a word. He looks up with as much vulnerability as he shows anyone and follows her with his eyes. When she enters the office, leaving the door open as she walks in, he turns and grabs one of the top shelf bourbons and follows her in. Setting the bottle and two glasses on the desk, he pours one, offering it to his sister.

She considers him for a second, then she takes the glass, telling him, "It's too early for drinking." She then downs the liquor in one quick shot. Sitting down in the chair in front of him, she gives him a stubborn look, "I'm so angry at you, I could beat you bloody. How could you lie to me about that? You know how much I have ached to have her in my life."

He downs a shot of his own, then sits back with a raised brow, "Still? Even knowing she wrecked your whole life because she got her panties in a twist?"

"Yes! Even knowing all that, I want a relationship with my daughter. And don't you act all high and mighty, like you haven't screwed up your fair share of lives. Hell, we both have." Pointing her finger aggressively at Luke, she commands, "So, you need to lay off her. I mean it, Lucas Lorenzo Spencer, I won't have you running my daughter out of town."

Luke holds his hands up in surrender, "I've been warned already by her husband and my business partner." When she gives him an obstinate glare, he concedes, "Fine, I'll lay off the little princess. But you don't need to worry about that one, she's not a delicate flower. Spencers are tough. She's no exception."

Bobbie tilts her head, her face showing the guilt she feels knowing her daughter's past, "I think she's more breakable than you realize. She seems to have racked up a lifetime of hurt in her young life."

"That's not your fault, Barbara Jean. We didn't know." He reassures her.

"I just wish I had… I don't know… done anything other than staying away from her all those years. Why didn't I check on her?" She has tears streaming down her face and self-torture in her voice.

"You talked to her?" Luke asks, trying to hide how much he cares.

Bobbie nods, a smile breaking across her face despite the tears on her cheeks, "She and her mother and I talked. I spent the night just talking to Virginia. She told me about my daughter's childhood. She said her husband was a bad man. He was emotionally abusive with Carly. My daughter was a fighter though, she got all our best and worst traits: scheming, lying…" with a softer voice, "loyalty, bravery. Jason and Carly came home this morning, and we hashed it out. I don't think everything's fixed, but I'm hopeful." She gives him a frank look, "I'm about to go celebrate with her at Bobbie's. I have invited your wife and kids. If you can keep yourself from being an insufferable ass, you can join us. If you can't, please stay away until you can."

"Barbara Jean, I'm an absolute delight at any gathering." He tells her with a cocky grin.

"Based on the way Jason and Brenda stood up for her, I'm not the only one who will kick your ass if you aren't." She gives him a narrowed look.

"Seems to me she's come out on top. Those four are a tight knit little group. Her and Sonny's little entourage. How do you feel about that? Your daughter is all tangled up with our local mobsters. Not really a mother's dream." He leans back in his chair, giving her a level look.

She shakes her head, "I'm just so happy to have her in my life. And Jason has always been a good young man. I don't love the danger they attract, but he obviously takes care of her, loves her. As a mother, you can't ask for more." Her eyes narrow, and her tone hardens, "That being said, if they get my daughter hurt, I will burn them down until there's nothing left."

"Atta girl. That's the Barbara Jean I know and love." He tells her with a grin. Then, "I really am sorry baby sister. I just didn't want you hurting anymore than you already were."

She gives him a nod, "Don't ever lie to me about my daughter again, or I won't be so quick to forgive."

"Done." He agrees.

"So, are you coming to celebrate your niece or not?" She asks with a light tone, before turning and walking out the door without waiting for a response. Luke just gives a big smile to the empty door, happy in his sister's forgiveness.