| §*ß*§ Chapter Four §*ß*§ Christmas Present Helena scrambled to pull on a pair of black slacks. She stuffed her satin nightgown down into her pants, not bothering to remove it before she grabbed and slipped into a red silk blouse. Her fingers fumbled with the buttons as she stood in front of her open closet, trying to decide which shoes she wanted. She tucked the tails of her blouse in and reached out for her red boots. If it was the last thing she did, she was going to get off of the yacht and back to reality. As she rolled up her pant's leg and sat down in a chair, she assured herself that she was not crazy. The sherry that she had consumed before bed was merely disagreeing with her. There was no ghost. There was no voyage into the past. Everything had simply been a ridiculous, if vivid , dream. It would be silly to trust anything as fact where Luke Spencer had actually seemed concerned for anyone but himself. Yes! It had all been a hallucination...bad sherry...foul Christmas memories...but certainly not REAL. Helena zipped up the leather boot, rolling down the leg of her pants. She switched to the other leg. So, she had to wonder, if there was no ghost, then why was she so anxious to leave the comfort of her home in the middle of the night? Better safe than sorry.... Americans do have a way with words, she thought, mentally reminding herself to leave the country as soon as possible. She had been in New York for far too long. She needed to get away, maybe to an overpriced spa where she would be pampered in the style that Europeans were accustomed to. Helena finished up, standing and shaking out her hair in the mirror. She smiled, wondering if Andreas was ready yet. She had called him at least fifteen minutes ago to order him out of bed. She took her sable coat out of the closet and folded it over her arm. She flipped off the light, turning the crystal door knob and opening the thick wooden door. "Where exactly do you think you're going, Helena?" Helena threw her fur coat onto the floor in an angry huff. She slammed the door in the face of the Ghost of Christmas Present. It was an unsuccessful strategy considering that her visitor passed through the solid door as if it weren't there anyway. "You can't run from me, Dear." "Of all people," Helena grumbled, her hands clenched into fists at her side, "it had to be you." Princess Grace of Monaco, looking stunningly beautiful in a tasteful red evening gown, smiled regally. "It's good to see you, too." She batted her long eyelashes, giving Helena the pouty innocent look that she had made famous. "You're dead." "You were always a bit slow on the uptake, Helena. I've been dead for eighteen years." "Yes, so why are you here?" "Didn't Cassie explain this to you?" Helena's mouth twisted up into a sneer. "I really wish you wouldn't call my husband by that demeaning pet name. It makes you both look ridiculous." Grace chuckled softly, bending over to pick up Helena's fur. "You never did know how to have any fun. You were always the most boring person I knew..." "I was only boring because I didn't fall for your phony American charm. You were an opportunistic parasite from the very beginning...I told Rainier not to marry you..." "I loved my husband, regardless of his title, the palace, or the money. Can you say the same?" "Of course I can!" Helena replied indignantly. She stared at the spirit, secretly resentful that she still appeared so youthful. Grace had been a year older than she, yet, now, Helena was the older one. If they, whoever *they* are, had to send a ghost to haunt her, all she would ask is that it either be an attractive man or ....well, attractive men were always a good idea...but certainly not her biggest, oldest, most bitter rival. Grace Kelly. Perfect Grace Kelly. The Princess of Monaco... She and Grace traveled in the same social circles. They knew the same people. They attended the same functions. Their husbands were boyhood friends. And yet, they never got along. Everything was always sunny and bright for Grace. If there was a silver lining, she would certainly find it. Helena was...Helena. The sun only shined when she decided it would. If she was unhappy, so was everyone else. Helena didn't believe in silver linings, and if you did, she would go out of her way to make you regret it. Grace was the parade. Helena was the rain. How many ways can you rain on someone's parade? Only Helena knew. They were both blond. Both extremely beautiful. Both married powerful men. The only difference was that people liked Grace. And that made Helena mad. Grace snickered. "Come now, Dear. Everyone knows that the only person you love is yourself. Even after all this time, you are still a pathetic wretch." "I'm not too pathetic...I rid the world of you, didn't I?" Helena smiled smugly, as her visitor paled slightly. "You do know that it was me. I assume you learn things like that when you get to Hell." "You," Grace said forcefully, "are the one who is going to Hell. I am an angel, but I agreed to come and help you. I always thought that you could be a pleasant person if you tried harder. And as far as my death is concerned, I don't want to discuss it. " "But I do want to discuss it. I always wondered if you knew it was me." "You mean, if I knew you were the reason my car went careening off the road and bouncing down a cliff? " Helena nodded her head with barely restrained glee. "Yes, Helena, I figured it out when you sent the bouquet of black roses to my hospital room." "It's a pity you died before I could make it to Monaco to visit." Grace continued to smile benevolently, stroking the diamond choker at her throat. "Poor Helena, how like you to gloat when you should be paying attention. I died because it was my time to go. It wasn't even your mediocre little stunt that killed me. So, why don't you try and process what's going on. I am here to help you. Your life is a miserable void. No one likes you. Your own son wishes you were dead. The only man who would dare make love to you has to be paid....I always knew you would end up this way, but...well...." "Well, what?" Helena bit off impatiently. Grace looked a bit embarrassed, pressing the index finger of her white-gloved hand against her ch in while she tried to decide whether or not to finish. With a sigh, she said, "Well, I really never thought you would let yourself go the way you have..." "Excuse me! I have not 'let myself go' . I am still a vibrant, beautiful, alluring woman." "I suppose so...If by vibrant you mean wrinkled....If by beautiful you mean fat....If by alluring you mean hunch-backed, then you're absolutely right!" "So says the woman with the facial features of a stuffed donkey and the body shape of three year old girl." "There is nothing wrong with you that a surgeon's knife can't fix. I mean, all you need is some liposuction, a face lift, a tummy tuck, maybe you could stand to have those sand bags of yours lifted a bit. " Helena picked up her coat, pointedly ignoring her visitor. She avoided her reflection in the mirror, and grabbed the phone. She dialed for Andreas, only to get nothing but static. Slamming the phone down, she glared at Grace. "I won't play your game." "It's not my game, Helena. It's yours. You're the one who steam-rolled everyone in your life. You're the reason why you're spending Christmas Eve alone. There are so many people who would care about you if you only cared about them. But you chose not to." "I chose not to associate with those who have little intelligence and even less character." "Maybe it's the other way around, Dear. " "What is that supposed to mean?" Grace took the sable from Helena's arms and tossed it on the bed. "I'm going to show you. That's why I'm here." She took Helena's hand, almost dragging her to the door. "Come on, you've already wasted enough time." Helena pulled her hand out of the other woman's grasp. She straightened her blouse and with a flourish, pushed past Grace out the door into the darkness of the hallway. The narrow hallway of her yacht began to expand, pushing out on all sides until it was long and wide. "What the..." "We're here!" "Where?" "General Hospital. " "Why is it so dark?" "Oh," Grace muttered, smiling sheepishly. "I forgot." She snapped her fingers and the lights started to flicker on. People emerged out of thin air, talking and laughing. There was a man walking around with a saxophone trying escape Amy Vining. Chloe Morgan hopped out of an elevator dressed as one of Santa's elves. Her short red skirt rode up as she bent over to hand out candy canes to excited children. A group of doctor’s ogled her good naturedly. Helena noted that Chloe was looking a bit pudgy. She looked away in disgust. "Let me guess, the famed hospital Christmas party?" "Look at all of the happiness and cheer. Everyone is having a wonderful time. You could be here..." Helena turned away from the scene. "Is this supposed to make me want to repent and convert my dastardly ways? If so, you're going to have to try harder because so far all you've succeeded in doing is repulsing me." "Doesn't it warm your heart to see that the people in this town can still be happy despite the havoc you wreak on a daily basis?" "No." "Well, then we should move on..." Grace snapped her fingers. They were quickly transported from General Hospital to the conservatory at Wyndemere. They popped right into the middle of a conversation between Stefan and Alexis. Helena stood by the fireplace, watching her pathetic son and her husband's bastard daughter laughing hysterically . "And then," Alexis said, taking a breath, "she had the nerve to lock me in my room! Leave it to Helena to give me such a wonderful Christmas present. I couldn't believe my good fortune." "The perfect alibi..." "How could the little mouse be guilty of anything if she was locked in her room all day?" "Ah," Stefan remarked, taking a sip of port, "My mother is rather dim, sometimes...Anyone with a little ingenuity could pick a lock. It's a fine skill to have." "And I must thank you for teaching me...." Helena's eyes narrowed. She turned to Grace. "She's the one!" "The one?" "She's the one who ruined my Chinchilla coat! Oh," Helena yelled, sticking her finger in Alexis' face, “You will pay for that, Alexis! I loved that coat....I will make the rest of your life even more miserable than it already is!" "When did this happen, Helena?" Grace asked, smiling pleasantly. "December 24, 1973." The spirit put a comforting hand on Helena's shoulder. "Don't you think it's a bit ridiculous to still hold a grudge over a coat? It's been years..." "I loved that coat!" "Yes, I'm sure you did, but it was a coat....Fur is murder, after all..." Stefan rose, walking through the two visitors that he didn't even know were there. "Helena really did love that coat." "Which is exactly why pouring all that red paint on it was so much fun! It was a shame that she blamed Helga for it, but I enjoyed every moment...The only thing that surprised me was that Stavros didn't tell on me. I was sure I was busted when he walked into that back room and caught me with the paint." "You liar!" Helena shrieked. "Did you hear that, Grace? They are trying to say that Stavros knew and didn't tell me..." "Stavros had moments when he was human," Stefan replied absently. "Human...I guess. But he helped me, Stefan. It was his idea to leave it to drip on the white carpet in the parlor." Stefan laughed at the memory. "He was probably drunk." "Probably..." "So, are we going to go to the hospital party, Alexis? I think we're already late." "Who needs a party when I have my brother back? Come sit down and let's sit up all night like we used to." Stefan sat down and Alexis put her head on his shoulder. They sat that way for a long time, both staring at the beautifully decorated fir tree. "I'm glad I'm not dead." "That's an interesting way to phrase it, but I feel the same. You're the best gift I could have possibly gotten. Despite all the evil things your mother has done, she will never be able to separate us completely." "Why are we talking about Helena? What a dreary topic of conversation during such a festive season." "Helena who?" Alexis said laughing. "You know, we could talk about Chloe and that huge diamond ring on her finger." Stefan pretended to be confused. "Diamond ring?" "Don't be coy, Stefan! " "You're the one being coy. I'm sure that she's already told you everything. I've asked her to marry me." "Is that the way it goes? You knock up my best friend and THEN you marry her?" "Must you be so crude?" "New York's been good to me. So to show thanks, I'm crude at least once a day." "What am I going to do with you, Alexis..." "How nice," Grace said, "you're going to have another grandchild." "Not if I have anything to say about it," Helena huffed, silently working on plans to get rid of Chloe and the baby. She would have to see how well her plot to get rid of Gia Campbell worked before she made any solid plans for Chloe. If this was really happening, Helena was grateful for the inside information. It would save her a lot of time in the future. "Grace, Dear, can we go back now? I've seen all the happy holiday cheer I that I can stand. The twits at the hospital were annoying...Stefan and Alexis are uninteresting as usual..." Helena checked her watch for time. The hands had stopped moving. She tapped the glass. "The Swiss have no reason to brag," she remarked irritably. "We have one more stop, Helena. Don't you want to see how your grandson is going to be spending Christmas?" "Nikolas? Yes, I would love to see Nikolas on Christmas." "Then away we go!" Grace exclaimed. |