Chapter 25 The Real Estate agent stands back as Carly and Stefan inspect the cottage. Walking from room to room, Carly forces herself to push the memories of Robin out of her mind so she can look at the place in a fresh light.
The place was cozy and beautiful, full of light and yet surrounded by trees. She remembers watching Michael crawl around on the living room floor, giggling and squealing with delight. Then a memory flashes through her mind of the first night she spent outside of Ferncliff, watching him sleep peacefully in his crib.
Yes, Michael could be happy here, and she could be too. In no time, any remaining memory of Robin would fade into the background and it would be HER home. Hers and Michael's.
Carly follows Stefan past the kitchen and out the back door to the garden, which is covered in rich mulch. "So what do you think, Stefan?"
"This would be an excellent place for a child," Stefan declares, a hand sweeping out to point to the back border. "Plenty of land to explore. The trees provide shade while there is still ample open areas for children to run and play. There is even room to build a stable and keep a horse."
Carly nods, agreeing with his assessment. "Then I better tell the agent that she has a sale on her hands."
Middle of the night. Stefan is dozing lightly with Carly nestled in his arms when his bedside phone rings. "Cassadine," He answers softly, with no trace of sleep in his voice. Carly's only response is to snuggle deeper under the covers.
"Mr Cassadine, I found the information you requested," A disembodied voice says. "I am correct that you wanted this as soon as possible, regardless of the time of night?"
Stefan sits up, an anticipatory gleam in his eye. "Yes, that is correct. You have the number?"
"I'm faxing it now." The phone disconnects. Stefan reluctantly disentangles himself from Carly, allowing his hand to trace down her spine. Pulling on his pajama bottoms and his robe, Stefan retires to his study, where a fax is waiting for him.
Stefan lifts the top sheet to read. "AJ Quartermaine, " He muses. "Perhaps you are not as spineless as I once thought. Too bad for you this plays right into my hands. Time for a trip."
.
The following morning
"Do you have to go?" Carly wheedles, slipping a hand under his suit coat. "Tell me again why I can't come with you?"
Stefan pins her roving hand, smiling at her in good humor. "Believe me, I would take you if I could. But the business I am attending to is quite sensitive.... The associate I am meeting with is quite temperamental. I can't risk it, or the deal might fall through."
With a frown, Carly relents. "Okay. But how long are you going to be gone? A couple days?"
"You sound like you are going to miss me..." Cupping her face, Stefan plants a lingering kiss on her lips, not stopping until she's leaning against him for support. "If I conclude my business quickly, I might only be gone overnight. Not even enough time for you to get into trouble."
"Then you don't know my talent for trouble." At Stefan's look of concern, Carly bats at him playfully. "I'm kidding! I'll be good, I promise."
"You better be, Caroline." He kisses her forehead one last time. "Good luck with your doctor's appointment."
Carly enters the psychiatrist's office with no small amount trepidation. The fact is, she's absolutely terrified. Her future as a mother rides on the success she has in convincing this doctor that she's a positive influence for Michael.
Smoothing out an imaginary wrinkle, Carly approaches the secretary. "Hi, I'm Carly Benson, I'm here to see Dr Reardon?"
The secretary looks up from her computer and says while picking up her phone, "I'll let her know you're here. Have a seat."
Carly flips through an ancient People magazine as she waits, too antsy to bother focusing on a particular article. Each passing minute seems like an eternity.
"Ms Benson?"
Carly looks up at Dr Reardon, an impeccably dressed woman in her late forties with gray tinges to her hair. "Come in and we can get started," The woman encourages, a slight smile of welcome on her face.
Carly, her mouth dry and not trusting her voice, follows the middle aged woman quietly into her office. She takes in the simple but homey surroundings, relieved that it has none of the sterility of Ferncliff's counseling offices. The furnishings are soft and comfortable, without looking like they will swallow you up. On the walls, there are pictures of families of all shapes, sizes, and types, from all walks of life. One picture in particular catches her eye, of a woman modestly nursing her newborn child with a look of devotion and love on her face. A sudden pang of sadness hits Carly at the lost opportunity.
After taking a moment to recover, Carly brings her gaze to the doctor and gives her a wide smile, one that is designed to be ingratiating. "You have a beautiful office. Did you decorate it yourself, Dr Reardon?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did," Dr Reardon answers, her tone friendly, yet making it obvious that they won't be discussing it further. "And, please, call me Diane. All my clients do. Have a seat. May I call you by your first name? We'll be working fairly closely together, it seems... unwieldy to be formal."
"Yeah, sure. Call me Carly." Carly takes a seat across from psychologist. Forcing her hands to stay still in her lap, Carly bites out the question that's forefront in her mind.. "Did you read my chart?"
"Yes, I did."
"So, you know everything." Carly breathes in slowly. Deep in the back of her mind, a part of her had hoped that this doctor wouldn't read her history, that maybe, just maybe, what she told the doctor about her life now would be taken at face value. A stupid hope, she realizes now. It's not like she didn't know what would happen when she signed the release forms. They always read her chart first. Except for one social worker, around the time of the first custody hearing. She had seemed pleasant and open minded the first session, eager to get to know Carly, encouraging of Carly's chances of retaining custody of Michael. But when the second session rolled around, the same social worker had read the chart and was coldly aloof, accusing Carly of lying and manipulating. Maybe it was better Diane knew everything up front.
"Hmmm, I wouldn't say that," Diane replied carefully. "I would say I know what some doctors think of you, at a particular point in your past. And while that information is useful, what I am more interested in is who you are now, in the present."
Some of the tightness in Carly's chest eases. "What do you want to know?"
"How about we start with something easy... tell me what happened to your arm?" Diane points to Carly's arm in a sling.
Carly fingers the sling as she casts her eyes to the floor. "Oh that, well... that happened a few days ago when I was at the Quartermaines visiting Michael. I slipped on their staircase and I wrenched my arm. Nothing serious."
Diane's eyebrows go up. "Was Michael with you at the time?"
"No! No, he was in his room with Leticia, we had just finished our visit." Carly bites her lip nervously. "I have a question actually... maybe you can answer it?"
"Sure, go right ahead."
"What can be done to get a child to walk when they've stopped walking? Should.. should you push them? Or will they start walking on their own when they're ready to?"
"Michael has stopped walking altogether?" Diane jots a few notes down.
Carly starts fiddling with her hands. "Yeah, I know it has something to do with all the changes he's had? Moving into the Quartermaines, losing Jason..."
"Losing you?" Diane ventures.
"Maybe," Carly answers with doubt in her voice. "But if you've read the chart then you know I wasn't there much during his first year. Between my postpartum depression and spending time in psych hospitals, Michael was pretty much raised by Jason." Looking down at her hands, Carly's voice softens. "Michael hardly knows me."
Diane gently steers the conversation back to Carly's concern. "So you think Michael is upset by all the changes, and has stopped walking because of it."
"Yeah." Carly looks up at Diane and their eyes meet. "I just want to know if there's anything I can do to help him. He's so withdrawn... like he doesn't care if anyone's there. At one point, he looked me right in the eye threw a toy right at my face."
"What did you do?"
"I just smiled at him and rolled the toy back to him." Carly shrugs sadly. "Then he went back to staring at the wallpaper. Leticia says he's like that with everyone."
Chapter 26
Florida
Peter Peyser, a short nondescript balding man, is escorted into a room of an exclusive hotel by two burly guards. Terrified by being unceremoniously dragged from his bed for this meeting, he looks furtively around the room in hopes of finding an escape.
Across the room, Stefan stands near the sliding glass doors, looking out at the beautiful view of the water. One of the guards releases Peyser with a slight shove that makes him stumble. "You want us to stick around in case this guy gives you trouble?"
Stefan shakes his head dismissively at the guards while steadily approaching Peyser and pinning him with an intense gaze. Peyser cringes and takes a step back. "You can wait outside," Stefan answers, his voice chilling. "If Mr Peyser is foolish enough to refuse to give me the answers I want, I may need your assistance."
Peyser shifts nervously from one foot to the other, unconsciously mopping his sweaty brow. "I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding... You must have the wrong guy... I'll be going now."
Stefan cocks an eyebrow. "Really? Are you sure? I haven't even told you why you've been summoned."
"Ortiz works for you, doesn't he?" Peyser swipes a hand over his bald head. "Listen, I don't know what Ortiz told you, but I paid off my marker..."
"You would do well to close your mouth and listen, Mr Peyser, because I am only going to make this offer once." Stefan paces methodically in front of the pale trembling man, letting the silence drag on until Peyser is practically crawling out of his skin. "I have been having you watched for some time and you are sloppy. VERY sloppy. Perjury, fraud, and extortion, just to name a few of your crimes. I am certain I could interest law enforcement with what I have uncovered. You might only serve a few years in prison. Then again, you might serve more. And all kinds of terrible things can happen while in prison." He hands Peyser a folder. "One copy of many."
After glancing at the folder full of incriminating evidence, a bewildered Peyser sags into nearby chair. "Who are you?"
"A powerful friend or a deadly enemy," Stefan answers with a feral smile. "Someone you would be wise to keep happy."
Peyser gulps, he knows he's beaten. "What do you want me to do?"
"First, I want information. Then, when the time comes, you will do exactly as I instruct...."
The cottage
"Oh, this house is just divine!" Vincent exclaims as he turns around and around in the middle of the living room. "The light is just PERFECT in here!"
Carly smiles. "I'm glad you like it, but I'm not planning on anything too drastic right away. The whole point is to keep things as close to the way they were when Michael lived here. Of course, the furniture will be a little different. But the colors, and the placement of the couches and tables.. I want them to be the same. At least until he's comfortable."
"Right, right," Vincent murmur absently, already writing madly on his pad. "You've already drawn up a floor plan I hope?"
"Yep," Carly says as she hands him a copy of it. "The dimensions are clearly marked along the side. It's rough, because I drew it from memory, from my last visit when I made an offer on the house."
Vincent studies it closely. "Impressive...."
"I'm so relieved that the last tenant didn't repaint the nursery or this room," Carly continues as she strolls around the room. "It'll make the transition easier for Michael. The doctor said that change is one of the hardest things for babies to cope with. They find comfort in routines."
"Of course!" Vincent agrees. "Now all we have to do is call upon your incredible memory to recreate the cottage the way Michael would best remember it."
Carly suppresses a shudder. "Who would have thought I'd be trying to emulate Robin's decorating style?"
The Wyndemere conservatory.
Stefan is sitting on the sofa reading when Carly breezes in from her meeting with Vincent. Her eyes light up at the sight of him. "You're home already."
"Yes, I told you I would only be gone a day," Stefan says drily. Before he can rise or even remove his glasses, Carly perches herself in his lap, straddling his waist. She plucks the book out of his hands and removes his glasses. "What...?"
Stefan's words are cut off when Carly places her mouth over his, drawing him into a deep kiss as she wraps her arms around his neck. Stefan's hands instinctively grasp her waist, pressing her chest against his. Their tongues duel, slipping in and out of each other's mouths until they are both breathless. "Hmmmm, I believe I could find a way to adjust to your unconventional ways of greeting me," He says in a gruff whisper.
"I take it you approve of my approach?" Carly asks, running her fingers through his hair. She's sorely tempted to kiss him again, but she has too much to tell him. There would be plenty of time later for lovemaking.
"Very much so." Stefan rubs a finger over her swollen lips. "How was your appointment with Dr Reardon?"
Distracted by Stefan's finger, Carly captures it, placing a kiss in the palm of his hand before releasing her hold. "Much better than I expected, actually. You know how nervous I've been about meeting with her, worried about what she would think of me?" Stefan nods. "Well, I think she's going to be pretty cool. It seems she's only interested in the present, so that's good. And I found a way to use these appointments to my advantage."
Stefan smiles appreciatively. "You have? Why am I not surprised?"
"Because you've been teaching me everything you know," Carly replies with a smirk. "Seriously though, I think this doctor can really help. I was sitting there, and she was telling me she was more interested in who I am now than I who I was when I was in Ferncliff, and it suddenly occurred to me... I should ask her about Michael. How he's been acting strange, not walking and stuff. And when I did, she just ATE it up like candy, writing notes, leaning forward like she was interested. I think I impressed her. Not only that, but she gave me some good advice."
"You care deeply for your son, how could she not be impressed?" Stefan points out. "This is excellent news for your case, Caroline. And speaking of that, there has been a development. A critical one."
"A development?"
Pressing a kiss into her forehead, he slides her off his lap and goes to the nearby table. He opens the drawer and removes a folder, then hands it to her.
Something in Stefan's eyes makes Carly hesitate in opening the folder. "What is it?"
"Read it," Stefan answers simply. "It will explain itself."
With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Carly gingerly opens the file and begins to read. As she reads the top page, she turns ghostly white and drops it on the table like it's on fire. "Oh my God. It's true... She... She's...."
Stefan comes up behind her, grasping her shoulders to steady her. "Yes, Caroline, she is your mother."
A hysterical laugh bubbles up from deep inside her. "Isn't that rich?! I've always known it's true, but now there's proof. Honest to God proof." She turns around and fixes Stefan with her most piercing look. "It is absolute proof, isn't it?"
"Yes," Stefan answers with absolute certainty. "Irrefutable. The doctor who ran the DNA testing says the margin for error is less than 1%. Initially, he checked the blood tests done for Lesley Lu Spencer's bone marrow match, and he informed me there was only an 80% chance you two were mother and daughter. Those tests were limited in that they were used for bone marrow matches, not for establishing maternity."
"Why did you do this? Why did you have these tests done and keep them a secret until now?" Overwhelmed with so many unidentifiable emotions, Carly begins to shake. She has a mother and a family. A family that doesn't want anything to do with her.
Seeking to reassure her, Stefan cups her face in his hands. "I didn't want to give you false hope. When I found you in a heap on the east lawn, I realized how important it was to you to have a mother, a family you could call your own. I suspected you were Barbara's daughter and that Peyser was lying, but I didn't have proof then." Seeing her eyes fill with tears, Stefan wipes them away with the pads of his thumbs. "And if I told you about the tests and it turned out you weren't Barbara's daughter, how would you have felt? Heartbroken again. I wouldn't put you through that, not if I could shield you."
Chapter 27
He's running wildly, desperate to get away, his legs carrying swiftly through the brush as his heart pounds in his chest. He's running through the wild vegetation that gets denser and denser the farther he runs until the path he's running on disappears altogether. But it doesn't stop him from trying to elude his pursuers. The more he struggles through the brush and vines, the more they hold him back, grabbing at his clothes, grasping and ensnaring him. Overpowered, Stefan feels himself being pulled down, gasping for breath, unable to fight the large vines that envelope him. The sound of his cries are caught in his throat, and the next moment Stefan bolts upright in bed.
Carly wakes from a sound sleep when she feels the bed move violently beneath her. "Stefan?" She asks groggily, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"
Still breathing heavily, Stefan suppresses a shudder, relieved that he is free from his dream. A close call. Too close. He shuts his eyes and forces his breathing to return to normal. "Nothing for you to be concerned about, Caroline. Forgive me for waking you."
Carly notices that his skin is bathed in sweat but wisely doesn't press the issue, knowing he wouldn't welcome the intrusion. "Come here," she whispers, pulling him back to her. "Lay down with me, it'll be okay."
After a moment's hesitation, he relents, letting her place his head on her chest and stroke his hair. Her touch is a soothing balm, and soon his tense body begins to relax of it's own accord.
"I'm going to tell Bobbie." Carly announces at breakfast.
Stefan pauses with his tea cup midflight to his mouth, and after a moment's pause, puts it back down again. "Do you think that is wise?"
Carly sighs. She knew he'd object before she even brought it up. "Maybe not, but I have to do it. I can't let her find out from the papers."
"It is your choice of course," Stefan says carefully, his dislike of the idea obvious.
"I hate when you do that," Carly complains. "Just come out and tell me why you think it's stupid."
Stefan's eyes narrow slightly. "Alright, for one, she won't believe you. If by some miracle you get as far as telling her, she will accuse you of lying. The idea of having to put you back together after Barbara rips you apart is not appealing, particularly in light of the upcoming custody battle."
Carly fiddles with the handle of her tea cup. "I'm not going into this with great expectations that she'll open her arms to me. Still, it's the right thing."
"Have you thought of what this might do to your court case?" Stefan asks. "Barbara will surely run to Monica with this information. The Quartermaines will have time to prepare a counter attack. You will lose the advantage of surprising them."
"I realize all of that, but she's my family!" Carly takes a deep breath to keep from completely losing her cool. When Stefan gives her a wounded look, she goes to him, wrapping her arm around his neck from behind. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. I know you're just worried for me. But this whole thing has me wound up, and it will until I've had a chance to tell Bobbie. I can't keep this a secret from her. She's as much a victim of the Quartermaines and Peyser as I am, and she deserves to know before it hits the newspapers."
General Hospital
Carly paces in the lobby a short distance away from nurses station, where she's far enough from Amy to avoid sniping, but close enough to see when Stefan is done with his board meeting. Why she agreed to meet him here after her appointment with Vincent, she has no idea. Waiting is murder.
Her thoughts inevitably lead back to Bobbie. She needs to find a way to talk to Bobbie so that she would hear her out. She hates the idea of talking to Bobbie on the phone, because she feels it will be too impersonal and the chances of success are nil. Going to her house seems so invasive, and again, she probably wouldn't get anywhere. Bobbie would slam a door in her face before she even had a chance to get one word out. And getting Bobbie alone at the hospital for a private conversation is damn near impossible.
Just at that moment, Carly spies Bobbie coming up to the nurses station, wearing her coat. "I'm done with my shift and I'm officially 'dead on my feet'. I'm going home. Goodbye, Amy... Sarah."
Amy and the other nurse behind the desk say good night to Bobbie as she strolls towards the elevator. None of them notice Carly waiting around. A moment later, the elevator doors open and Bobbie enters alone. Just as the doors shut, Carly dashes for the elevator and leaps inside before they close.
Carly has a look of triumph and determination on her face, but Bobbie looks more than annoyed. "Oh, this is just what I need after pulling a double shift." Bobbie reaches for the button to be let out. "I'm out of here."
Carly slams the emergency stop button and places her body in front of the elevator panel, effectively trapping Bobbie inside the elevator. "No, we need to talk, Bobbie."
Bobbie crosses her arms and glowers at Carly. "We have nothing to say to each other. Now let me out of here."
"I do," Carly counters firmly. "I have something I need to tell you before you hear ....."
"I don't want to hear anything you have to say," Bobbie hisses. "Didn't I make that clear the last time? There's nothing I want to hear from a tramp like you."
"Please, Bobbie, this is really REALLY important..." Carly persists, forcing herself to stay calm in the face of Bobbie's contempt.
"No," Bobbie shakes her head firmly, not the least bit moved by Carly's pleading sincerity. "No I won't listen to anything you have to say, because it'll be a lie. You are sick, the way you stalk me, taking my ex-husbands like hand-me-downs." Bobbie starts to pace in the small space as she gets wound up. "Is that why you trapped me here? To gloat about your latest conquest? To plead innocence, maybe? I can hear you now.. 'Bobbie, I promise I'm not sleeping with Stefan to get back at you.' You know what? I don't care what you do anymore," Bobbie voice rises as her anger is given full rein. "You're not my daughter and I'm finished listening to you. Don't call me anymore. If you see me on the street, pretend you don't know me. If we pass in the halls at GH, I'm a stranger. Don't even look at me. You are out of my life for good, and it's going to stay that way."
Carly bites her lip to keep from crying. Even with all the mental preparation she's done to prepare for this confrontation, Bobbie's hatred still gets to her. "Bobbie, please, you don't understand..." She tries to grab Bobbie's hand, only to have Bobbie wrench it away and slap her across the face. HARD.
"DON'T TOUCH ME," Bobbie threatens as she reaches around Carly to restart the elevator's descent. "You call or approach me again, and I'll have Mac arrest you for harassment. If necessary, I'll get a restraining order filed against you. " With those last words, Bobbie barrels out of the elevator, leaving Carly behind.
Once the doors close, Carly leans against the wall of the elevator, letting hot tears stream down her face. Her hand touches the tender spot on her cheek as the humiliation of this moment sinks in. Not only had she not gotten a word in edgewise, but Bobbie had thrashed her completely. Why did she even bother?
The elevator, responding to call from the main nursing floor, makes it's ascent. Once the doors open again, Carly pushes off from the elevator wall and strides blindly out. She stands for a moment, distraught and disoriented... stranded.
Amy snickers, saying loud enough for Carly to hear, "Looks like Bobbie won that round. Good for her. Carly deserves everything she gets." The other nurses chuckle.
"Why don't you GO TO HELL!" Carly snaps. She makes a move towards Amy as if to continue the fight, only to find herself pulled back by a strong hand.
"She is not worth it, Caroline," Stefan reminds her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and guiding her away from the scornful eyes at the counter. He steers her towards a quiet hall that leads to the hospital library.
Once inside the library, Carly turns in his arms, burying her face in his chest. "I knew better than to let myself hope. Why?! Why did I let her get to me?"
Stefan kisses the top of her head gently. "It is human nature, to want a mother who will love you and accept you. It is her loss that she cannot open her heart enough to listen to what you have to say. A loss she will surely feel when she finds out you are indeed her daughter."
"That's little comfort now," Carly says sadly.
"I have some hopeful news," Stefan announces, hoping to raise her spirits.
Carly swipes at her tears. "I could use some. Does this have to do with Katherine's company or something else?"
"Nothing so far on Katherine's end, but we should have something by the end of the week...." Stefan explains. "But I believe the news I have is much better."
"Better than ruining Katherine? I want to hear about this."
"I have located Peyser."
Carly's eyes light up. "You have!?! Do you know for certain he was paid off?"
"Yes, and even better, I know who paid him off and I have him convinced that by testifying on your behalf at your custody hearing, he stands the best chance of avoiding a jail sentence."
Carly throws her arms around Stefan. "Yes! Oh Stefan, this is perfect. How long have you known?!" The next second she's punching him. "And why didn't you tell me before?!"
Stefan crosses his arms in disapproval. "Are you interested in hearing the details or are you going to continue to assault me? I would think you would be pleased."
"I am." Carly rubs the spot on his chest that she just punched. "I'm thrilled, ecstatic, and forever grateful. I just don't understand why you didn't tell me right away."
"What would you have done if I told you?"
Carly's smile fades. "You don't trust me."
"This is an critical piece of information, Caroline," Stefan reasons. "I didn't want it getting into the wrong hands prematurely and risk your custody battle in the process. If you had told Barbara about Peyser, she might have gone after him herself. She is not known for keeping her cool."
"Yeah, you're right." Carly bites her lip and looks at her hands. "I just don't like the idea that you're holding things back from me. It makes me wonder how long you knew about Bobbie being my mom, and what else you're not telling me. I want to be someone you can trust with information, you know? Like I'm your partner in all this, rather than just a measly assistant."
"You ARE my partner, Caroline," Stefan stresses, drawing her into a lingering kiss. "And I am trusting you with this information now. But from time to time, as the situation calls for it, I will be required to hold pertinent information to myself to insure the success of one of our plans. You do want our plans to succeed, don't you?"
"Of course I do. But that's not the point...."
"It is the most important point," Stefan reiterates. "Now do you want to know who is behind Peyser's testimony?"
"It was Edward, wasn't it?"
"That would have been my first guess as well. But it wasn't. I had all of the Quartermaine bank accounts traced and I found proof that AJ Quartermaine was the culprit. Peyser confirmed it when I paid him a little visit a few days ago."
Carly can't decide whether to pout or squeal for joy. The reason for that sudden trip he took earlier in the week becomes clear. "AJ? This is good, isn't it?"
"Yes, if it had been Edward, AJ could have claimed ignorance and the court might have believed him. But with the proof we have, we can bury him. You have an excellent chance at full custody, Caroline."
Carly walks in wobbly legs to the nearest chair. "Full custody? I didn't even dare hope for that. Oh my God! My baby could be out of those den of wolves by the end of the month?!"
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