CHAPTER TWENTY It was Halloween at the Outback, and the place looked like a cross between a pumpkin patch and your friendly neighborhood dungeon. Ghosts and ghouls flitted in and out, while at the bar, Felicia, in a shockingly bright orange pumpkin costume poured a zombie for a zombie as a particularly gruesome looking creature from the black lagoon looked on. The Outback was alive with the undead, crawling with creepy creatures and the liquor was flowing freely when the Grim Reaper strolled in, carrying an extremely realistic looking scythe. Felicia noted the figure and wondered why a strange feeling of foreboding swept over her body. The figure was silent, merely drifting over to the far side of the room where it stood in spectral silence. Frisco, immaculately clad in James Bond evening dress, was lounging around the bar, intent on charming his ex-wife while Jerry Jacks, dressed as a mad scientist was busily mixing drinks with what can only be described as raw enthusiasm. Strains of "Ghostbusters" could be heard above the revelry as several ghosts whisked around the room, some living, and some mere memories of Halloweens past. "I'll have an orange juice," Carly ordered as she waddled around in her pumpkin costume. Tony, as the scarecrow, looked proudly on, his face wreathed in straw and smiles. Dressed in a black silk witch costume, across the room, Bobbie watched them with a sick fascination while she drank yet another bloody-mary. In her alcohol-fogged mind, the past kept wandering into the present, and her memories seemed to overlap this evening. Carly, she noted absently, looked like she had, years ago, though she'd been dark-haired then. She'd gone by an alias, then, too. So much the same, so much different. Her heart ached with undisclosed pain and rage. "What's so interesting, Barbara Jean?" Stefan asked as he sat down across from her. Clad in a Darth Vader costume, and still suffering from jet lag, he nonetheless exuded a dark presence. Startled, Bobbie turned to face him, the muffled voice sending a horrified thrill of recognition over her. Recoiling from him, she gasped. "My God, Stefan....You?!?!?" Then, recovering somewhat, she managed, "You startled me." "You were lost in thought." He reached over and put his gloved hand over hers. "Barbara, I've been thinking." "Not tonight, Stefan," Bobbie said, moving her hand from his touch. He couldn't be 'him' but he was. She was certain. "For God's sake, not tonight." "I don't understand." It was too much for Bobbie, the sudden absolute knowledge, the feigned innocence-all of it. "I think that you do understand! And if this is Hell, Stefan Cassadine, you can join me. I remember everything. Everything!! Do you know what that means? It means that the gloves are off. Oh, don't play ignorant with me-you've known it all along, haven't you?" "What are you talking about?" Stefan asked, suddenly afraid that she'd learned the truth about her daughter. Bobbie took another gulp of her drink and, feeling the heat from the alcohol rush to her head, announced, "Luke was right-but it's too late. He can roast in hell, too. Lies!! All of his lies, your lies, my lies-I've had enough of lies!!" Her voice was raised above the din of the Outback, and she rose to her feet, bumping into Kat Bell who had come dressed as a pumpkin, too. Bobbie looked at the woman who had brought Damian Smith to town and wanted to lash out at him for the pain he'd brought into her life. "A pumpkin?" Bobbie spat. "Pity someone didn't carve you into a jack-o-lantern! Tell me, Kathryn. Do you miss Damian? Or, are you enjoying his millions too much? Tell me-do you enjoy seeing the results of all the damage you and he did in Port Charles?" Shocked by Bobbie's outburst, Kat smiled back. "And I thought that you and Stefan were so happy. Maybe he wasn't pretending with me after all?" She smirked and walked out of the Outback, pleased that she'd hurt Bobbie again. "You..." "Temper, Bobbie," Tony urged from beside her. He'd come over to chat with her, only to hear the heated words between Bobbie and the others. He'd wanted the evening to be so perfect, wanted her to be happy for him, wanted the son they shared to feel free to love both Bobbie and Carly. Whirling around, Bobbie lashed out, her emotions completely out of control. "Temper? Temper?? How dare you!!!" "Now Bobbie," Tony began, backing away as Stefan watched, stunned. "Shut up, Tony! Oh, you want me to accept her with grace, don't you? Do the gracious thing and just forget that everything that happened. I don't think so!! Ask your darling little bride-to-be just how she'll enjoy being our son's stepmother and step-sister at the same time. Yes, Tony, Carly is Caroline-my formerly dead daughter. You know, I'm curious-will that make you your baby's father as well as his step-grandfather? Or does that relationship not count since we aren't married anymore? Yes, Tony, it's true. Look at her lying face!" His own face ashen, Tony looked at Carly whose eyes were wide with shock. "I can explain..." she began. "Tony?" But, he backed away, hand over his mouth as if ill. Then, he dashed towards the men's room. Bobbie looked at Carly, at Caroline, her own face contorted with rage. "Well, for consolation, my darling husband stealing daughter, you can say hello to your father, Stefan Cassadine. Stefan-won't you welcome her to your family?" All eyes were on the group as Bobbie turned and walked out of the Outback. Carly, waited nervously for Tony to return from the men's room while Stefan sat speechless in his chair. "Tony?" Carly began again, as he stopped beside her chair. "How could you? What have you done to me? To my son? To your mother?" Then, he turned and left, followed by Carly. "Tony, wait!" Felicia, hearing the stunning revelations, said to Jerry, "Tell Frisco to keep singing-I'm going to check on Bobbie and Tony." It was all good, thought the Grim Reaper, from a few feet away. The Reaper looked at the young woman running from the Outback and chanted, "Three little pumpkins sitting in a row......" Tonight was better than good-it was an assassin's dream come true. Running one long finger across the blade of the scythe, the Reaper winced. Damned thing was sharp. But, that, too, was good. After all, it was time to go pumpkin carving............