Chapter 1
Sixteen year old Caroline Benson was laughing hysterically, while watching her
boyfriend, Shane Roberts tries to dance with Minnie Mouse. She was about to say
something when a huge white-gloved hand grabbed her arm. Caroline spun around
and came face to face with Mickey. Without a second thought, Caroline began to
dance with the overgrown mouse. Shane looked over at his girlfriend with an
eyebrow raised.
"Jealous?" Caroline asked with a smile.
"Me? Jealous of a mouse? Never!" Shane replied.
Caroline stopped dancing, and kissed Mickey on the lips, which caused Minnie and
Shane to also stop.
"Hey! This is my man!" Minnie cried as she grabbed Mickey's hand.
Both Shane and Caroline watched as the Disney couple skipped off to talk to some
children.
"Well, now that I have your little fling on film, let's go on some more rides."
Carly Roberts said as she put the camera back in its case.
Caroline Benson's dream was interrupted as a guard knocked on her door.
"Breakfast time" was all he said as he put a tray of food in front of her and
left.
Caroline groaned as she looked at the plate. Today was Tuesday, so it was toast,
tea and grapefruit day. "I hate grapefruit", she thought. "Why can't I have
oranges? Good old Florida Oranges." The reminder of oranges brought her back to
her dream. She sighed as she thought about the wonderful day she had spent in
Disney World with her best friend and boyfriend, Carly and Shane Roberts. Life
had been so simple. Now she was in a mental institution with guards and gates,
being left alone to think of her nightmare of a life. It was so unfair that she
had to be the one locked up when it was her crazy ex-fiancé/ex-stepfather who
deserved to be in her place. She felt as if she were in prison, being left alone
to daydream about her past with the Roberts twins, and her future with Jason and
Michael. Today was her "remembering the past" day, since her "future with her
son and the best looking mobster" day was yesterday.
Caroline took a bite of her toast and smiled as she thought about the fun she
had with Carly and Shane. The three of them had grown up together. And the years
past, Caroline and Carly became as close as sisters, while Caroline and Carly's
twin brother became a couple.
"It should have been like that forever", Caroline thought. She started to cry as
she remembered Carly's funeral. Everyone was wearing black, and weeping.
Caroline stared at the white coffin being lowered as her mother held her
tightly. Caroline turned away from her best friend and went over to Shane. The
two of them didn't say anything, they just held each other.
Caroline squeezed her eyes shut to get the tragic memory out of her mind. She
then began to think about Shane, who used to be her source of strength and
support. After Carly's death their bond had grown, and they had depended on each
other exclusively, only leaning on each other for comfort and love. In the end,
it was their dependency that had killed their relationship.
Caroline's thought were again interrupted by a guard telling her that she had a
visitor. When Caroline arrived in the visitation room, she immediately spotted
Jason sitting at a table.
"Hello tall, dark and deadly", Caroline said while hugging him.
"I thought the saying was tall, dark and HANDSOME", Jason said looking confused.
"Well, yeah. But you are extremely successful, have tons of money, with hundreds
of guards and employees under you. I just didn't want your ego to get too big."
Caroline sat down and looked at Jason with a grin. "Besides, you know you're
hot."
"You're not so bad yourself", Jason responded with a smile.
"Okay, okay, okay. Let's stop flirting…"
"I thought you liked flirting."
"So how's Michael? Is my little man okay?" Caroline asked pretending she didn't
hear Jason, while trying to keep a straight face.
"He's great. He's starting to eat baby food and he's even sleeping in longer.
And guess what? He's teething."
"No! Really? Oh God, I can't believe that I'm missing my son's life. Jase, I
need him, and I know he needs me just as much."
"I know. That's why you're going home today."
There was a moment of silence, then Caroline rushed over to Jason, and sat on
his lap.
"Are you serious? Oh my lord Jason! I'm gonna see my baby? I don't have to sit
in one room eating the same food over and over again? I can go outside and not
be watched over by a guard…"
Jason opened his mouth to say something, but he wasn't fast enough.
"…wearing a white uniform who acts as if I'm going to kill him!" Caroline
finished.
Jason laughed. "Carly, I'm glad you're coming home. Not just because Michael
needs you. You made the Penthouse into a real home, and it's just not the same
without you."
Caroline bit her lip, and looked at him. "Umm Jase? Do you think that you could
start calling me Caroline?"
"I'll call you Mother Teresa if you want me to," Jason answered with a smirk.
Caroline sighed, and got up from Jason's lap. "Jase, stop teasing. Carly Roberts
was my best friend, and I don't want to taint her name anymore."
Jason stood up, and looked at her directly in the eyes. "It doesn't matter if
you call yourself Carly, Carol, Carrie or Caroline. YOU are still the same
person you always were; the same person I know inside and out, and the same
person who I care for. If you want to be called Caroline, you got it."
Caroline smiled. Jason always made her feel better. He was like Shane in that
respect. At the thought of Shane, Caroline turned away from Jason. "Well, I
better start packing. I want to be in Port Charles in time to put my baby boy to
bed."
As Jason watched Caroline being led to her room, he wondered what had made her
get that faraway look in her eyes.
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