Marcus stepped off the plane at the Downsview Airport. He began to fiddle with his necklace.

"God, please let her like me." Marcus muttered.

"Hey Prince Charming." called a voice. Marcus turned and smiled. There was Aunt Hazel. She walked over to him.

"How've you been?" she asked, giving him a hug.

"Great. Camp was fun. How've you been?" he asked.

"Great, but I missed you. We all did. We need more designs." Hazel said. Marcus chuckled. Hazel held out her hand. Marcus knew what this meant. He went along with the handshake as Carson told him to.

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Marcus walked into the house; his nerves were as bad as ever. Now he'd be meeting his mom. He looked around the place, having memorized it by the map Carson showed him. He went into the office. There was a person in there, a newspaper in front of their face.

"Hello?" Marcus said. The newspaper was put down and that's when Marcus saw his uncle, Marco.

"Why hello, stranger. Haven't seen you in, how long now?" Marco said.

"Eight weeks." Marcus said.

"And your voice matured over that time." Marco said. Marco stood up and hugged his nephew.

"Marco!" called a voice. A female voice. Marcus's heart began to race.

Marcus and Marco separated and faced the doorway.

"Marco, I need your-" Paige stopped at the sight of her son. "Carson. Get over here." Marcus walked over to his mom and gave her a hug. She was about an inch shorter than him.

He took in her smell secretly. Strawberries.

"I can't believe your home." Paige said. "And your ear is pierced?"

"Oh, yeah. My friend Zeke did it. You like?" Marcus said.

"I love. It works for you. So, anything else I should know about. Tattoos for instance or that tongue piercing."

"You noticed?"

"Of course I noticed. You're my son." Paige kissed his forehead.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone." Marco said, leaving the room.

"So, how was camp?" Paige asked.

"It was fun. I met some new friends." Marcus said.

"Oh, really? So, does that mean you'll be replacing Patrick and Tim?"

"Maybe. I haven't decided." Paige giggled.

"Miss Paige, Mr. Carson. I'm sorry to interrupt." said Viki, the maid. "Mr. Carson, I found this in your backpack." Viki held up a stuffed tiger. Carson gasped.

"Oh my god, Raja." Marcus muttered.

"Raja?" Paige asked. That was the name she'd given Marcus's stuffed animal.

"Faja. He's my friend's. I don't know how he got into my suitcase though."

"Well, since he's not ours, shall I dispose of it?"

"No!" Marcus said a little too quickly and loudly. Paige gave him a questioning look. "I mean, my friend wouldn't be able to live without it. He can't even be in another country without it. You see, his mom gave it to him when he was a baby and she died. So, it has very sentimental value. I'll just mail it to him."

"Yes, sir."

"Wow. Your friend must really love that thing." Paige said.

"More than you know." Marcus said. Paige's cell phone rang. She sighed.

"I have to get this."

"OK." Paige stood up and walked out of the room. Marcus got up and looked around. Then something caught his eye. He walked over to a shelf and his eyes widened. The Stanley Cup." He whispered. It must have been Dylan's. How could Marcus forget? Dylan scored the last goal.

"I see you've taken interest in my Cup." Marcus turned.

"Hi, Uncle Dylan."

"Get over here, Tiger." Marcus hugged his uncle. "Wow, you've gotten taller. And your ear and tongue are pierced." Marcus nodded.

"Carson?" Marcus and Dylan looked at Paige. "Would you hate it if you went to work with me and Aunt Hazel?"

"Of course not." Marcus said. Paige smiled.

"Alright. Well, let's go."

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Marcus, Paige, and Hazel walked into the shop. Marcus was ecstatic. He was finally getting to see his mom in action. Then a jacket caught his attention. He immediately walked over to it.

"Whoa." he murmured. There was no way Carson designed this.

"You like?" Paige asked.

"I love. Who designed it?"

"Your uncle, Jimmy. Remember? He started the hip-hop line?"

"Oh, yeah. Right."

"You want it?" Marcus looked at Paige.

"Can I?"

"Of course. We'll grab it on the way out." Marcus smiled. The jacket was something Carson would never wear, but something Marcus would. It was a jean jacket with a hoodie interior.

The three walked to the back and there was Darcy. The place was set up like a photoshoot. Marcus looked around the room. It was extremely bright. There was a woman in a wedding gown and three photographers. Darcy stood by, watching them figure out how to make the shot perfect. She turned.

"Oh, thank God. You're here. Paige, you have to help."

"OK. What's the problem?" Paige asked, walking over to the woman and three photographers. Meanwhile, Marcus walked over to a few gowns on display. They were all gorgeous.

"I see you've taken interest in the wedding dresses." Darcy said, walking up to Marcus.

"Yes. They're amazing. Who designed them?"

"Your mom. She designed all of them."

"All of them?"

"Yup. I always thought the ones she designed were beautiful."

"Carson?!" Paige called. Marcus turned at the sound of his brother's name. "Can you grab me those hats." Marcus turned and grabbed them. He ran over to his mom and held them out. "Pick one." Marcus handed her the white one. "Good choice." Marcus went back to where he had been and watched his mom and aunts.

"My mom is so cool." Marcus said to himself as he watched the photoshoot.

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Paige and Marcus walked down the street. Hazel had stayed behind, because she had more work to do.

"Mom, doesn't designing those wedding gowns make you think about getting married? Or mom?"

"Mom?"

"My other mom."

"No. Not really. Why?"

"I was just wondering. I mean, I've never met her. I don't even know what she's like. How'd you meet?"

"Ugh, I knew you'd wanna some day. Well, me and your other mom met in high school." Paige said.

"Was it love at first sight?" Marcus asked. Paige chuckled.

"Absolutely not. Your mom was a badass rebel. I was the queen of the school. We absolutely hated each other. We didn't start getting along until junior year in high school when we were forced to work together. After that, I started going to her for advice."

"When'd you start going out?"

"Well, you remember Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh?"

"Yeah."

"I was originally supposed to be in that movie, but got cut out. Your mom convinced me to go and that night was our first kiss. But we didn't start going out until the next day. I had to figure some things out."

"So, things just went on from there?"

"No. Your mom and I broke up a few days before graduation. We hooked back up the next year. Then things went from there. So, are you excited?"

"About what?"

"Starting 9th grade at Degrassi?" Paige pointed to the building next to them. It was, in fact, Degrassi.

"I guess."

"Well, you should. It's an important year. Trust me. There's never a boring year at Degrassi." Paige said. Marcus noticed a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"What's wrong?" Marcus asked.

"Nothing. Why would you think something's wrong?"

"You just sounded a bit… sad."

"It's nothing, baby." Paige put her arm around Marcus and pulled him closer.

"It doesn't seem like nothing." Marcus said. Paige sighed. "You can tell me."

"No."

"Come on, mom. I'm not gonna look at you any differently."

"When I was in 9th grade, I was raped."

"Did the guy get caught?" Marcus asked.

"No. He wasn't. He was let off." Paige said.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's OK." She allowed a silence to overcome them as they walked before saying, "Hey, are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I'm starved."

"Alright, let's head to The Dot."

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Carson stepped off the plane in Napa. A flight attendant handed him his bag.

"Thanks." Carson said. He looked around for his mom, nervous at the thought of meeting her.

"Hey Marcus!" called a voice, but it wasn't female. Carson looked to his right. There he saw Alex and Micah.

"Welcome home, kid." Alex said. Carson ran over to them. Alex gave him a hug.

"Come on. Let's go home." Micah said.

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"I'm glad I bought you that stationary so we could keep in contact," Alex said sarcastically.

"Oh, we meant to write, but-"

"We?" Alex questioned.

"Oh, me and my friend, Zeke. We became best friends. Practically like brothers. He was a really decent guy." Carson said.

"Decent guy? I could have sworn I sent you to summer camp, not finishing school, right Micah?" Alex said. Micah chuckled. Carson shook his head. "You also cut your bangs."

"You noticed?!"

"What do you mean noticed? They usually cover your eye." The car became silent.

"Oh, my god." Carson said.

"See, that's the you I know." Alex parked the car and the three got out. Carson grabbed his bags and walked up the steps to the large porch.

"Whoa. It's even better than the pictures," he whispered.

"Hey kiddo. You're back." Carson turned to Jay. "Don't let your mom convince you not to go to camp next year. We missed you, but not that much." Carson laughed.

"Shut up. So, Jay, is there any food in the kitchen?" Alex asked.

"I believe that's what they're made for, Alex," Jay said.

"Haha. Extremely funny," Alex said sarcastically. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. There's some chili on the stove."

"Thank you. Oh, and Marcus, when you're finished unpacking there's someone I want you to meet."

"Alright, ma," Carson said.

"Alright, Champ," Alex said. She ran inside.

"Happy to be home?" Jay asked.

"Yeah. Definitely." There was the sound of barking. "Hey Phantom." Phantom barked at him. He growled. Jay bent down.

"What's up with you, man? That's Marcus."

"I, uh, must smell like camp." Carson walked in the house. Jay and Micah followed.

"So, what do you want to do?" Micah asked. "We can eat, and then unpack. We can unpack, and then eat. Or we can eat while we unpack."

"You mean I can eat in my room?" Carson asked.

"It's a definite possibility," Jay said. They heard giggling from the backyard. Carson caught a glimpse of his mom and another woman.

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"Her name is Carla Ross. She's a publicist from San Francisco," Jay said.

"Hired to promote the grapes and massage therapy company," Micah said.

"Well, if you ask me she's doin' a lot more than promotin' them." Carson grabbed his digital camera and took photos of his mom and Carla as Jay and Micah unpacked the bags.

"Hey, Lexi is a grown woman; it's none of our business."

"Hey, Carla's life is none of our business; Lexi's is," Jay said. Micah sighed. "This whole thing makes me wonder why a girl like her, coming from a rich, all heterosexual family would be doin' with a lazy, procrastinating chick like Alex. Then I realized there could be a million reasons. All of them sitting in the Napa Valley Bank." Carson turned to Jay.

"You mean you don't really think she likes her?" Carson asked.

"I don't know. You make your own opinion. Meet her and find out. Don't let me influence you." Carson took one last photo of his mother and the curly haired woman that clung to her.

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"There's my champion!" Alex said. Carson ran over to his mom. He was the same height as her. "Marcus, this is Carla. Carla, this is my son, Marcus." She ruffled his raven-colored hair.

"Well, Marcus, when Alex mentioned you, I imagined a little boy, but you are a man," Carla said.

"Yeah, that would be me," Carson said. Alex chuckled and nudged him.

"How old are you?" Carla asked.

"Thirteen. How old are you?" Carson asked.

"Twenty-six," Carla answered.

"Really? That's only twice my age. How old are you again, mom?"

"Oh, now you're interested in math," Alex hit him in the back of the head. "I'll be right back. I'm going to get the wine."

"What's the occasion?"

"Your homecoming, of course," Carla answered. Alex was already heading to the house. Carson eyed Carla for a moment before shedding off his shirt and tossing it aside, preparing to get in the pool. "So, your mom has told me all about you."

"Really? 'Cause ma said nothing about you," Carson replied, unbuttoning his jeans. "Or maybe she did. I mean, after girlfriend number eleven, it's hard to keep track." He dived into the pool, splashing Carla. She yelped as he came up. "Did I get you? I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Carla said, drying herself off. She looked at Carson who was swimming to the edge of the pool. "Girlfriend number eleven?" Carson nodded.

"You want the 411?"

"The 411?"

"The lowdown. The info on my mom and her lovers?" Carla quirked her perfectly arched eyebrow. Carson took this as a yes. "Ma does this a lot. Brings the girl over to meet me, cracks open the best bottle of wine in the cellar, horseback riding, romantic dinners, midnight swims. You're not the first, number twenty-six."

"Twenty-six?" Carla said, trying not to act threatened. Carson nodded.

"Hey, I'm back!" Alex called, walking over with a few glasses and a bottle of wine. Jay and Micah were goofing around a few yards behind her. "You guys find something interesting to talk about?" Alex looked at her son who dived under. "Is that a yes?" She looked at Carla who nodded.

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Marcus was walking through the house the next morning, picking at an apple. The morning hustle and bustle had already begun, and he and Dylan were the only ones with nothing to do.

The house phone was ringing and no one had answered it yet, which irritated Paige. The constant ringing of the house phone was driving her mad. Usually people called on their cell phone. Since when did they call the house phone?

"Can somebody get that, please?" she called from her office. Hazel was the one to get it since she was right there.

"Michalchuk-Aden residence," she answered politely. A confused look came over her face. "Carson?" she said, just as Marcus came by.

"Hmm?" he answered, thinking she was talking to him. Hazel looked at him and then turned her attention to the call.

"I'm sorry. To whom do you wish to speak?" She paused for the answer. "Carson?" she repeated. Marcus just looked at her. Hazel put the phone to her shoulder. "The call's for you. A 'Zeke Monticresto.' Sounds just like your twin." She handed over the phone and Marcus felt his heart palpitate.

"Twin? Very funny. Good one, Aunt Hazel," Marcus said, taking the phone. He put it to his ear. "Hello, Zeke. How are you?"

"How's it going over there?" Carson whispered into the phone as Hazel walked away from Marcus. It was 5 AM in Napa.

Marcus could not risk detection. He had to hide.

"Everything's fine. We've had a bit of rain recently, but could you hold on a second?" Marcus edged over to the closet as Carson entered his personal bathroom.

"Hurry up," Carson said, closing the door behind him. He could speak normally now without having to wake anyone in the house.

Marcus entered the closet with haste, afraid of being caught. He was surrounded by coats and it was absolutely dark in there.

"Okay, now I can talk. Man, mom is so cool! She took me to work with her today and we went to eat. She told me the story of her and ma. It's quite interesting," Carson waited impatiently on the other end. Quite frankly, his news was more important than Marcus'. "They met in high school and couldn't stand each other until their junior year. They hooked up in their senior year after a movie premiere. How cool is that? Did you know she was raped in the ninth grade and the guy got away?" Marcus said quickly with excitement.

"Marcus, stop! We've got a major situation. You're gonna have to fly down here immediately," Carson interrupted, no longer able to hold it in.

"Immediately? Are you nuts? I've only had one day with her. I cannot and I will not."

"But this is an emergency. Ma's in love."

"Get outta here. Ma doesn't fall in love," Marcus said. "At least not seriously."

"She's serious about this one. She's always holding her hand, and kissing her neck, and waiting on her hand and foot." The description alone made the twins want to vomit.

"She is?" Marcus asked. It almost hurt him to hear. His mom hadn't mentioned this girl to him. She could've written a letter. That's what hurt most.

"It's disgusting!"

"Well, you're gonna have to find a way to break them up. Sabotage, do whatever is necessary."

"I'm trying, man, but I'm already running out of ideas." Marcus wanted this conversion to end. Sound effects by mouth were too obvious. He would need something more believable. He began searching through jacket pockets and found a plastic candy wrapper in Dylan's coat. He smirked. Maybe his mom was right. Maybe he had been spending too much time with Jay. "Marcus, you've got to come down and help me." Marcus paused.

"Car, I can't. I want more time with mom." He took the phone from his ear and began rubbing the wrapper between his fingers to make a crunching sound. Static.

Carson quirked an eyebrow.

"Marcus?"

"Car? Car? You there? I can barely hear you."

"Dude, I'm right here."

"Operator, operator? I think I lost you, Car," Marcus finished. He looked at the phone.

"Hello?" Marcus hit the 'Off' button. Carson looked at Marcus' cell phone. "Thanks for the help, Marc." He hung up.

In Toronto, Carson was crawling out of the closet, only to find five pairs of legs. His eyes widened as he slowly looked up at his mom, aunt, uncles, and maid.

"Yes, I was on the phone in the closet. Camp tradition," he lied. It was a lame excuse and none of the adults seemed to believe it. He had to think fast. "I know it's crazy. Silly Americans. Who's ever heard of talking on the phone in a closet?" They still looked unbelieving. Time for a subject change.

Marcus stood up and cleared his throat.

"So…" He smiled. "Breakfast, anyone?"

OOC: Wow. Been gone for a major long time, I know. I figured I'd try to continue since I'm in my senior year, not freshman year. I got better at writing since then, though. The writing style kind of changes toward the end, so now it's easier for me to focus on the story. I couldn't stand how I used to write. I might redo chapter 1, but here you go. Chapter 2.