Just so we have some where to have a platform for the date, it's a little over 6 years later, so I'm saying it's May 12, 2005 . . . .

Which apparently is a Thursday! Wow, procrastinating really pays off! This was finished over two years ago, yet since I'm only NOW posting it, I can figure out what day of the week May 12, 2005 is!

Fresh Slate
By Clover

Chapter 2
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Neve froze where she was standing, her sunglasses halfway to her pocket, "What did you say?" She demanded of the tall, handsome blond man standing before her, his face having turned to stone since she'd entered the room, "Did you just call me Carly? Who's Carly?" she asked frantically, her pulse quickening.

Jason gaped at the blond woman before him. A little older, her hair a bit longer, bleached by the sun, but her. He'd recognize her anywhere. "Where, have you been?" Jason managed to get out with a strangled voice, thoughts racing through his brain. Joy that she was alive, anger that she'd been ok, but that it meant she'd abandoned them, abandoned him and Michael.

"What are you talking about?" Neve looked at him, her eyes full of bewilderment.

Her utter confusion about the situation was growing, as was her anxiety. Neve had absolutely no idea what was going on, or who these people were, she'd only just moved to Port Charles the day before, after having lost her husband a mere two months ago. She had a four-week-old daughter in the carrier in her arms, and things were just getting way to stressful. This was just supposed to be a simple greeting, a meeting of neighbors and future business partners. It wasn't supposed to get complicated, Neve couldn't handle complicated yet.

Ned finally regained the use of his voice, and took control of the situation. He could see the mounting panic in the poor woman's eyes, and knew the only way they were going to get any answers, were if they asked questions that didn't scare her, that she definitely could answer, that were safe. "Ahem, so, you're Brody's wife?" He questioned charmingly, "How on earth did you meet?"

Neve's eyes fill with tears and she nodded her head. The mention of her husband, who she'd loved so much, always made her start crying. She swallowed the lump in her throat, then spoke,

Neve quickly turned her head to face the speaking voice. The man's face was familiar . . . Ned she believed his name was, Brody had shown her pictures of the two together many times. He'd told her that he'd been one of his closest friends. The question however, was still painful, and brought up memories of her beloved Brody. She nodded her head and swallowed the lump in her throat, "Yes . . . Ned, right? Brody spoke of you often" Neve blinked, and began absentmindedly playing with her wedding-set, "Brody found me on the beach of his island . . . we got married a little over a year after that." A few tears ran down her face, but she didn't notice.

"Found you on his beach? Do you remember anything before that? What about your family?" Sonny asked, "What about Michael, your son?"

Neve's head shot up, her face drained of its blood, "What? What are you talking about? Family? What family I mean, you supposedly know me? Before I woke up on the beach, there's nothing, just one big blank."

Jason stared into her eyes, into her soul, touching something inside Neve that only Brody had ever connected with, "We thought, you were dead." He told her softly, " They said that you and the pilot hadn't survived. They searched, and they search . . . but there was nothing."

The entire room watched the two.

Neve's mind was racing, she was unconsciously panting, unable to believe what she was hearing, unable to comprehend everything that had happened in the past few months, few years. Brody, her children, Brody dying, coming to Port Charles, these people supposedly knowing who she was. This wasn't possible, no, no! NO!

Graham watched the whole room, and didn't understand what was going on. His mommy looked like she was about to have another screaming fit, the kind where she broke things . . . expensive things from what Mrs. Lopez said. She had done that a lot after his Daddy had died, but after he and Momma had their talk, she'd stopped . . . almost completely (except for a couple instances after Elise was born). But his momma had been getting better! Lot's better! She'd been coming out of her room lots and lots more. She hadn't locked her self in there for weeks. Graham thought that the man who'd her 'Carly' one at fault for making his momma start to get sad again, and immediately didn't like him.

"Momma, Momma." Graham called pulling on her sleeve, trying to get her attention.

Neve tore her eyes away from the man who supposedly knew her, and took a deep breath, calming down, and kneeled down to her son's level, "Yes sweetie?" she questioned, putting on a fake smile, and setting down the carrier.

Graham gave her a hug, "I just wanted ta give you dis."

Neve laughed, "You did?" Neve asked, raising her eyebrows.

Graham nodded earnestly.

Neve couldn't stay there anymore. It was all just too much. She stood up, smoothing her pants, picked up the carrier and looked down to Graham smiling, "Come on Graham, it's time we were going."

Graham put his small hand back into hers, and they walked out the door, Neve politely bowing her goodbye to the matriarch of the family.

Neve went straight home and got out the double stroller. She needed to take a walk to clear her head. Plus it was the perfect time to get to know the layout of the town.

xXx

The entire room at the ELQ board meeting was silent. Everyone left dazed and confused by what had just transpired. All right, people coming back from the dead were a normal occurrence around Port Charles, but this experience was different, it was closely related to them. Ned had even talked to Neve on the phone a few times, but it was long distance and he hadn't recognized the voice . . . .

Sonny was watching the room and it's occupants. Carly's death . . . whatever. . . had affected most of the town in one-way or another. Bobbie had closed herself off in the Brownstone for two months. It had caused strain between her and Jerry and they eventually separated. Then Roy Delucca had shown up in town. Bobbie was still in love with him, the two had bonded once again over their mutual loss, helping each other heal and finally got married.

Jason had become a single father of Michael once again, extremely devoted, and over protective. He'd rejoined Sonny in the business.

Carly's death had made Jason realize the importance of family, and AJ had dropped the custody suit, and everything was out in the open, Jason had decided that it was important to let Michael know his whole family . . . .

AJ had returned to work at the hospital as a physical therapist, and gone back to school, learn how to open and run his own physical therapy center. And three years ago, he'd discovered that in a tragic turn of events, an ex of his had died, and left poor AJ to raise a son, Connor, he never even knew existed, yet was already five-years-old. After a rocky start between the two strangers, the two had bonded, and now were very close. Connor was also very close to his 'cousin' Michael. AJ was looking absolutely stupefied, like he didn't know what he should do, there was a pained expression on his face. Sonny knew they'd have to watch the man closely.

xXx

Neve pushed the stroller along the path as she walked, her pace brisk, trying to clear her mind.

She just didn't understand, why, why had whatever it was that controlled the universe taken Brody away just when she needed him most. God, Buddha, Jupiter, Zeus, whatever, had taken the one person she'd love more then anyone ever again, away. Forever. And she just couldn't understand why.

Neve knew that she would never stop loving her husband, her soul mate and her heart still refused to accept that he was dead . . . .

She'd never even gotten to say goodbye. They hadn't let her see the body. The doctors had said she was in 'too delicate a condition'. The last time they'd seen each other he was getting on the launch . . .

Flashback

The two stood on the dock, Brody holding Neve's hands looking down at her, "I'll be back in a day, there are some things I need to take care of. But I will be home in time for movie night tomorrow." Brody promised, kissing her knuckles.

"What's so important?" Neve questioned, she just didn't want Brody to go. She'd had the worst feeling in the pit of her stomach ever since Brody had announced he'd needed to go to mainland for a bit.

"It's a surprise . . . . No, I won't tell you what it is, but trust me, you'll like it." He informed her, a mischievous and knowing grin on his lips.

Neve smiled, her thoughts of worry almost forgotten as she was distracted by thoughts of a surprise, "Oh really?"

"Really."

"I love you Brody." Neve told him her eyes filling with tears, due to hormones.

"I love you too Neve." He wiped away one of her tears, "What brought this on?"

Neve sighed, "I don't know." She shook her head, completely frustrated that she was unable to articulate exactly the feeling she was experiencing, "I just have this . . . feeling that something's going to happen . . . besides, there isn't anything wrong with a wife telling her husband that she loves him, is there?"

"No! Of course not." He answered quickly, knowing how quickly her moods changed when she was pregnant. "Don't worry honey, it's just for one day. I'll be back before you know it." He assured her, then gave her a long kiss.

Neve eagerly responded, then suddenly broke away her hands going to her stomach, "Oh!"

"What?" Brody asked worried, he was always so concerned that something was wrong with her and/or the baby.

Neve took his hand and placed it on her abdomen. Brody felt the baby kick firmly against his hand and smiled, "I can't wait to be a daddy again. Watching it grow, hearing its first word, recording its first step. Watching our baby discover the world . . ."

Neve gazed him, utterly fulfilled with every single aspect her life, "God I love you." She whispered.

Brody gave her a quick kiss, "Mmmm, I gotta go luv." He jumped onto the boat. "Tell Graham I love him!", He yelled as the boat left the dock, "And I'll bring him something back!"

Neve waved until she could no longer see Brody.

End of Flashback

Tears ran down Neve's face as she remembered those last few minutes. She'd never suspected that was the last time she'd ever see him. She in spite of everything, refused to believe that he was gone. That he could be in her life one moment, gone the next . . . .

She knew denial wasn't good, for anyone . . . but she just couldn't let go of him, not yet. She was glad however that both her children were asleep in the stroller, it upset Graham so much to see her upset.

Neve wasn't watching where she was pushing the stroller, far too caught up in her thoughts, so when she bumped into someone she was shocked, and embarrassed. The jolt of the stroller not only snapped her out of it, but also woke up the children.

"Oh I am so sorry!" Neve apologized as she ran around the stroller and picked up Elise who'd started wailing.

The other person who had bent over picking up papers frozen in mid-reach looked up.

Lucky Spencer couldn't believe his eyes. His 'dead' cousin was standing in front of him. "Oh my God! Carly!"

Neve tensed, and laid the quieted Elise back down. Slowly, she turned and finally looked at the young man whom she'd crashed into. He was fairly good-looking, dark-blond hair, tall, handsome, as seemed to be the norm of this town . . . He had a look of absolute astonishment on his face as well. But however, by now, she was pissed, she'd had a bad day, and this was just one thing too many that had piled up. Who the hell was this Carly person?! "Why does everyone keep calling me that?"

This, Lucky, looked surprised, "Because it's your name?" he suggested.

"My name is Neve Thomas Everett. I don't even know a Carly."

Lucky wasn't convinced, he thought for a moment, then asked, "Alright, fine, but let me at least find this out . . . have you always been Neve?"

Neve was surprised by this question, " What? What kind of question is that?"

"A reasonable one. So please, if you will just answer the question. Have you always been known as Neve?"

"I, well . . . No." She admitted, "But how did you know?"

"You look like someone . . . someone this town knew, a long time ago." Lucky studied the woman in front of him, "How long, how long have you been called Neve?"

"A little over six years." She divulged.

"And who were you before that? Do you even know?" he pressed, knowing he was almost there, he almost had the answer he wanted.

"What kind of a question is that? Where on earth am I that someone would ask that?" She demanded.

"You're in Port Charles. More people have come back from the dead, changed their identities, than can be counted. We've got rich people, princes, mobsters, "saints", ex-mercenaries, Aztec princesses, rock stars, world famous doctors, big time models, Cassadines, and most importantly, Spencers, which is what I think you are." Lucky informed her.

Neve looked at him like he was crazy, "You think I'm a what?"

"A Spencer."

"You can't be serious."

"Oh, but I am, completely serious. We don't mess around with things like this in my family. More importantly, I think you are my cousin, Carly, and you are supposed to be dead."

Neve knees gave out from under her and she collapsed on the park bench behind her, her hands gripping the stroller's handles so hard her knuckles were white, "Y-your telling me, you think I'm your cousin?! Your dead cousin?!"

"Well, that's what they reported on the news after her plane crashed. They said that there were no survivors."

"Well, obviously they were miss informed!" Neve snapped, realizing that he was most likely right. Then she took a deep breath. "Are you sure about this?"

"There is no doubt in my mind, you are my cousin, Caroline Benson Spencer a.k.a. Carly Roberts. I mean, I never really met her, but there were picture of you all around for months. And Aunt Bobbie has photos of you all over the place."

"That's why everyone's called me Carly?"

"I'm thinking so." Lucky studied his cousin's face, seeing that this was a lot for her to take in. "Why don't I take you to . . ." he was about to suggest Luke's when he saw the two small children, and decided against it, "my place."

"Alright." Neve agreed shakily, standing up after staying silent for several moments, "One thing though, what's your name?"

10 minutes later

Lucky easily carried the stroller up the steps of his house while Neve carried Elise, and Graham followed close behind, taking the steps one by one.

Once inside the living room Neve had Lucky open the stroller again put the brake on and then laid Elise in it, who immediately fell back to sleep.

"What are their names?" Lucky questioned curiously looking at Elise, then Graham who was trying to hide behind his mother's legs.

Neve smiled with amusement at her son's antics, "The one trying to hide is Graham, he's three, and the little girl sleeping is Elise, she's just a four-weeks."

Lucky crouched down to Graham's level, "My son is upstairs, and he's your age."

Graham's eyes lit up, he'd never really played with a kid his age before that much.

"His name is Lance, and I bet if I brought him down here, he'd love to play with you. Would you like that?"

Graham nodded his head, sucking on his thumb stepping out from behind his mother.

"Ok, I'll be right back then."

Lucky walked out of the room, then he ran upstairs and told Maxie who was working with her laptop that he was home, with some guests. He then went to Lance's room, gave him a giant hug hello, and carried him downstairs.

"Lance, this is your cousin Graham, Graham, this is my son Lance." Lucky introduced the two.

The two boys sized each other up, decided one another were acceptable, then Lance dragged Graham to go play in the den.

Lucky sighed with relief, Lance could be picky about his friends, "Ok, first of all, please sit down." He insisted.

Neve did as she was asked.

"Now please, explain. What on earth happened?" He questioned, absolutely fascinated as to what could have possibly happened to cause his cousin to loose her memory and disappear, only to reappear six years later with a new name and new family.

"I honestly don't know." She informed him, shaking her head, "My earliest memory is waking up in a bedroom, with Brody by my side. I was told I'd been in a coma for three weeks. I have no memories of anything before then."

"How did you end up there? In the bedroom?"

"Well, I was found on a private island, the owner, Brody, took me in and had a doctor look at me. Who I might add, has said that I'll probably never remember. The brain damage was too extensive, and I'd been in a coma for at least three weeks. Anyway, Brody, he owned everything, and helped me out. He helped me pick out a name, Neve is an Italian family name. He somehow got me legal documents, so I would have papers and a passport if I ever wanted to leave, he let me stay with him, and so much more . . . . Brody and I fell in love the first time we talked to each other when I woke up. Seven months later, he proposed to me." Neve got misty eyed. "A bit less then a year after we met, we were married in a small private ceremony. A little over a year after that, I found out I was pregnant. Brody was so excited. It was a boy, we named him Graham Tyler." Neve swallowed the lump in her throat, "About two years later, we found out I was pregnant again, the end result was Elise, obviously."

"Where is Brody?" Lucky asked curious, his busy life left him little time for news. He only caught the news now and then.

Neve's voice cracked as she recounted the most heartbreaking point of her life, "Oh, uh, well. I, . . .when I was eight months pregnant, with Elise, Brody had something to do on the main land for a day and a night . . ." Her voice was distant, as if she wasn't even there with Lucky anymore, "He said that it was a surprise, that I would love it . . ." Neve blinked and shook her head, bringing herself back from that day, "The day he left. When I waved good-bye, and watched him disappear into sun, that was the last time I ever saw him." Tears had begun to roll down her face but didn't even notice, "Th-they called me, about nine hours later. Telling me that . . . that . . . he'd gotten in a car accident. It was fatal. 'I'm sorry Mrs. Everett, but your husband's been killed in a fatal car accident.' He never even got to meet his daughter, and Elise will never know her father." She started sobbing into her hands.

Lucky couldn't believe it, he too had heard of Brody Everett and how he'd left his wife pregnant, who hadn't. But even when his cousin had told him her name, he'd never guessed that she was the widow. He quickly jumped up, went to her side and put his arms around her, letting her cry on his shoulder, something she'd needed to do for a LONG time. Her pain and sadness and been building up inside of her for a long time, and while she'd been letting her anger out . . . often, she'd never quite gotten around to crying.

Neve sobbed on her newfound cousin's shoulder until exhaustion came over her and she fell asleep. Lucky covered up his sleeping cousin with a Cashmere throw. He then gently picked Elise up out of the stroller. He went into the den, to check on how the boys were playing together, and saw the cousins engrossed in an old Disney Movie, 'The Ransom of Red Chief' (It was on one of those specials on TV when they had ABC family movie's on Sundays)

Lucky carried Elise up the stairs. He looked into Maxie and his room, but didn't find Maxie. He heard some noise down the hall in Lance's room.

He looked in the blue walled, hardwood-floored room, which was based with blues, greens, and whites with a full-size oak bed dressed in red bedclothes. It was there he found Maxie, who was picking up Lance's toys and clothes.

"Hey sweetie." Lucky softly called out, making his presence known.

Maxie was startled by the noise, and dropped the shirt she was picking up. "Lucky!" She looked over at him and noticed the baby, her voice softening, "And who do you have with you?"

Lucky walked into the room, "This is my cousin Elise." Lucky took a deep breath, "Maxie, this is Carly's daughter."

Maxie's eyes grew wide, "What?"

"She's downstairs sleeping. And Lance is currently watching a movie with her three year old son, Graham."

"My God. Where has she been?" Maxie questioned, sitting down on Lances' bed in shock.

Lucky quietly repeated through what Neve had told him.

Five minutes later

Maxie still sat on the bed, one of Lance's teddy bears clutched tightly in her arms, "Wow."

"Yeah. Oh, did I mention she's the widow of Brody Everett, the multibillionaire?"

xXx

Everett mansion

An graceful woman, looking to be in her early 30's slid out of an BMW. Closing the door, she took a deep breath of the small town air and took a good look at the town around her. It didn't appear to change much . . . at least not from where she was looking. But everything changed, the woman knew that all to well, she'd lost far too much to be able to say any differently.

Sighing, she went to the trunk and pulled out her heavy suitcases. Slamming closed the trunk, she locked the car, set the alarm, and began making the journey up the grand stairs to the front doors.

She walked to the front door, with her suitcases, and knocked with the ancient heavy knocker.

Mrs. Lopez soon opened the door. She was delighted to see who it was, "Miss Jessi! Senora Neve will be so happy to see you."

"It's great to see you Mrs. Lopez. Where are my niece and nephew?" Jessi teasingly demanded.

"Well, right now dey are out with deir mother." Mrs. Lopez informed her leading Jessi up the stairs. Mrs. Lopez would do, and tell Jessi anything, as Jessi was her favorite person in the entire universe, she had been raising the girl since Jessi and Brody's mother had died when the Everett children were adolescents.

"Oh, I'll see them later. How is Neve doing? Yes, he was my brother, but Brody was her husband, her lover, her soul mate . . ." Jessi trailed off, her eyes misted over.

"She hasn't cried since before Miss Elise was born. I am so worried about her." She led Jessi into her old suite of rooms.

Jessi nodded her head setting her suitcases on her old bed, "Has my father arrived yet?"

"He should be here today or tomorrow."

"That soon huh?"

xXx

Jason left the ELQ board meeting and picked Michael up from school, as was their routine, he then went immediately back to the penthouse. The only talking on the ride home was the chatter coming from Michael's side of the SUV, who was completely oblivious as to the life-changing event that had occurred that afternoon. Jason just had no idea how on earth he was going to explain this to his son.

For the past six years Michael had grown up thinking his mother was dead.

To suddenly find out that she not only was not dead, but had an entire other family . . . . That could be trouble.

But Michael was only seven, and they said kids were resilient. That they could bounce back from things no problem. Just look at all the upheaval in his son's early years, and so far Michael was pretty normal.

The real problem was explaining to Michael why, if his mother was alive, she had no memory of anything that had happened before she disappeared, including him.

xXx

Bobbie was cheerfully making dinner when a grim faced Roy came in through the back door.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Bobbie asked, concerned.

"Bobbie, honey, it's about Caroline . . ." Roy started.

Bobbie dropped the knife she was using to chop up carrots and gripped the countertop, "What about Caroline?"

"Sweetie, we had a visit today at the ELQ board meeting from Brody Everett's widow, and her two children." He told her, stalling for time, there was really just no good way to tell anyone this.

"And?" Bobbie demanded, her entire body tense as a drawn bowstring.

"It was her." Roy rushed out in a breath, "It was Caroline. She doesn't remember us, Port Charles, ANYTHING. Jason, Sonny, and Ned attempted to question her, but she got upset . . . and might have frightened her son a little."

"She's alive? And she has children?" She interrogated, tears filling her eyes. A huge burden that had been pressing on her for over six years miraculously vanished.

"Yes, two of them. A son, Graham, he looks about, three or four. And a little girl, I think I read in the paper her name is Elise, she's one month old if I remember right."

"You said widow right?"

"Yes. Her husband, Brody Everett, died in a horrible car accident down in the Caribbean about two months ago, do you remember reading about it in the paper?"

"Yes." Bobbie murmured, in shock about everything.

Roy was worried about Bobbie, he wasn't sure how she'd react, but she was too calm, "Bobbie, do you need to sit down?"

"No, no, I can't sit down. I have to make dinner. Liana will be home with Lucas soon, she's going to want a snack and . . ." Bobbie couldn't hold in the tears anymore, she collapsed in a chair at the table, sobbing, "Our little girl is alive . . . she's not dead . . ."

Roy had a feeling something like this would happen, he wrapped his arms around her, and held her as she cried.

xXx

A Cell (much like the one Lucky was being held in on the show)

A muscular man in his early 30's with dark hair paced the room, "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?" He yelled at his unseen captor, "I'll give you anything you want! Money, stocks, jewels, ANYTHING! Just let me go back to my family." He begged.

His pleas fell on deaf ears . . .

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Please reply! Questions, comments, requests, or just tell me what ya think!

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