| §*ß*§ Chapter Seven §*ß*§ Christmas Future They were transported from Livvie Locke's office to the middle of a snowy wooded area. Helena's high heeled boots sank down into the deep snow. She was immediately chilled. Her breath came out in steamy fog of as she questioned her son. "Where's Nikolas?" "Be patient, Mother," he replied, looking quite unaffected by the frigid elements. "All will be revealed in due time." He smiled smugly, starting to trudge through the deep snow toward a small clearing. Helena grudgingly followed, wishing she hadn't left her sable on the yacht. Fifty yards later, she tripped, falling face down in the snow. "Stefan!" she yelled angrily, "come help me up!" "Stefan helps those who help themselves!" he said loudly, not bothering to look back. "You...Ughhhh.....Why did I even bother having children," she grumbled, picking herself up, “They’re not worth the effort. They either die or they annoy you until you wish they would disappear. Humph...not worth the effort at all." She carefully walked through the snow and trees to where her guide stood, staring intently at something in the clearing. As she came up, he said, his voice carrying pride, "It's me, Mother..." She looked harder, making out the form of a man in the silver streams of moonlight that reflected off the fresh snow. "Great!" she replied sarcastically, "Now there are two of you." Older Stefan stood, his back to them, staring up at the beautiful Christmas night. Out the corner of Helena's eye she could sense some movement. She turned to see Luke Spencer walking out of the woods next to them. He had two heavy shovels thrown over his shoulder. She noticed that Stefan hadn't moved, probably hadn't even realized that Luke was there. She moved to follow him. "This going to be heaven," she said to her son, who was right behind her. "Luke is finally going do something to help humanity." "What do you think Luke is about to do?" "Get rid of my miserable son once and for all." As they neared Older Stefan, Luke's sinister shadow loomed. Luke stopped behind him, toying with the handle of the shovel. "Those are the wrong thoughts to have, Spencer. We have more pressing matters." Luke laughed heartily. "I wasn't going to do it, Count. Really I wasn't..." "But you don't deny that you considered it?" "Hey, I'm human!" Older Stefan turned around. He was smiling as well. He grabbed one of Luke's shovels and drove it into the ground. "I want this to be a lasting truce, Spencer. I have lost far too much in this feud and I want it to stop." Sincerely, Luke replied, "I gave you my word. After tonight, it's over." He pulled his knit cap down snugly over his ears. "I am freezing my hiney off out here. Let's get this over with." "Of course. We must be finished by the time the hospital Christmas party is over, or else Barbara will become suspicious. I'm supposed to be at home organizing the search for my nephew." "Well, I have the same time crunch. Laura is meeting with Dr. Livvie at Meadow Acres. She'll expect me to be around when she gets back." "Does it bother you at all to lie to your entire family on a daily basis?" Stefan asked, starting to clear away snow. "About Nikolas?" Stefan nodded and Luke replied, "You can't be concerned about lying to our loved ones now. This was your idea. You came to me with this plan and this truce." "It's my plan, but your loved ones who are being deceived." "Are you, or are you not lying to Barbara Jean about Nikolas? And Alexis...Pretending to be so distraught over his disappearance...You could have earned an Oscar at the GH party," Luke pointed out, throwing the last bit of snow behind him. "Touché, Luke..." Helena rolled her eyes in annoyance. Stefan and Luke working together? She thought she might actually be sick this time. "Look at what you've done to the family legacy," she said, addressing her guide. "Working with a Spencer." "You're missing the significance of the event. Pay attention," Young Stefan instructed, placing his hand on Helena's shoulder. She shrugged off his touch. The two visitors from the past stood for a very long time, watching as Luke and Stefan diligently dug a deep pit in the ground. There were smudges of dirt in Stefan's silver mane. "My back!" Luke screeched, throwing his shovel out of the hole. "I used to be able to dig for hours on end without one grumble..." "We're old, Spencer. You have realized that, haven't you? I know that you have always claimed to be invincible, but age has a way of taking the edge off of even your super hero strength. " "Thank you for the lecture, Mr. Arthritis." They both laughed a little and Luke crawled out of the hole to fetch his shovel. "Why are they digging?" Helena asked. "Guess," Stefan replied. "I don't want to guess. I want you to tell me. Plus, what does Stefan and Luke's truce have to do with Nikolas. And why does Stefan seem so unconcerned?" Stefan sighed, "You should already know that I wouldn't lift one finger to help you. You'll have to fit all the pieces together. But, I'll give you another clue." He snapped his fingers and a gust of wind rose up, blowing Helena through the wooded area. Her limbs flailed and flapped as bare tree branches snagged her clothing and face. She was dropped into another part of the woods, deposited into a mound of snow beside the road and the back of a car. The tailpipe blew putrid exhaust fumes directly into her face. She coughed, rolling over and onto her side. The door of the car opened, and someone got out. Helena could see big heavy boots walking towards her. The person came to the trunk of the car. There was a noisy jangling of keys, and then the sound of metal scraping against the lock. Helena grabbed onto the car and pulled herself to a standing position. She looked at the man beside her. Her hands fluttered to cover her mouth. Stavros And yet she knew it wasn't. This man's hair hadn't grayed as Stefan and Luke's had. He was still young and vital looking, his short black hair partially covered by a green hat. Helena touched the side of his face, wishing he could feel her, that he could know that she was there. Nikolas was a grown man now, coasting handsomely into his mid-thirties. She couldn't get over how much he resembled his father. Her heart was beating so rapidly that she was afraid that the muscle would give out. He was alive...unharmed...safe... As usual, Laura and the rest of those peasants had been overreacting. How like them to assume that a Cassadine would be so easily conquered. Nikolas was fine. He certainly didn't look insane and he certainly wasn't harming anyone. She watched as he raised the trunk lid. "You're going to be fine, Nikolas," Helena declared. "You just need to hide yourself until your insipid mother calls off the search for you. Laura should know you better, should know that your mind is impenetrable...that you are far too strong to be confined. I'll help you. Find me, grandson. Where ever I happen to be, find me and I'll help you get away from those ingrates." Nikolas stared down into the trunk, which was lighted by a single dim light. Helena could just make out a large lump inside. Nikolas reached in to touch it. Devilishly, he said, "I hope the ride was comfortable. I know you're used to first class accommodations, but this couldn't be helped. It wouldn't do for you to be seen, now would it?" Helena took a step back. Perhaps Laura and Lucky hadn't been overreacting. The glazed look in her grandson's eye was eerie. "Nikolas, what are you doing?" "Damnit, Grandmother, SHUT UP!" Nikolas screamed, covering his ears with his hands as if he was in intense pain. "Just stop talking...I don't want to hear you talking!" Helena stared at him with concern, fully aware that there was no way that he could have possibly heard her speak...she wasn't really there... Nikolas paced back and forth alongside the road, his hands forming into fists and pounding against his leg. His face contorted, rocking from side to side emphatically, giving the impression that he was having a conversation inside his head. "Okay!" he yelled, "I heard you, I understand...everything is fine, now. Everything is fine, now. I just have to do what Uncle told me and everything will be fine...FINE-FINE-FINE..." Helena pressed her index finger against her closed lips, her eyes closing, refusing to watch the scene before her. She had to accept that Nikolas was sick. She could hardly understand why they were blaming her for his mental illness, though. It wasn't her fault. If anyone were to blame, it was Stefan. And Laura. Luke probably had something to do with it. Lucky was a bad influence. Alexis. Then there were all of the other peasants he congregated with... That Webber girl. Those loathsome Quartermaines. AND GIA...that mongrel could have made anyone insane! But certainly none of this was her fault. Helena had been a doting, overindulgent, caring grandmother. She opened her eyes with renewed faith in her innocence. Nikolas hefted the blanketed bundle out of the trunk and tossed it onto the snowy ground. She didn't pay much attention, until she noticed a shiny sparkle out the corner of her eye. She bent down, moving away a rough brown blanket to reveal a pale wrinkled hand with a very large diamond ring on it. Helena looked down at her own hand, recognizing the same ring on the same finger. A cold shudder, one far more cold than the frigid December air, ran down her spine. Her hands shook as she pulled the blanket further back. "NO!" she gasped, seeing her own face, frozen in a mask of terror. Her light eyes were open, but it was clear that she was no longer alive. Helena saw how gray her hair had become, how many lines that had gathered around her eyes--so many that even plastic surgery couldn't have eradicated all of them. She was old. And more importantly...She was dead! There was hardened blood at the corner of her parted lips. The entire front of her shirt was dark. Her eyes found the source of the blood. There was a long slash across her neck. "NO!" she shrieked again, stepping over her body and running to Nikolas. He had turned off the car and got out, slamming both the car door and the trunk before going to tower above the dead body of his grandmother. Helena looked back and forth from her own dead body to the smug pride on Nikolas' face. "Tell me you didn't do this! Oh God, you couldn't have! It was Stefan...Luke...one of those sociopaths, but not you...You wouldn't harm me! I love you..." She grabbed his arm, trying to force him to look at her. "You know I love you!" Nikolas yanked the blanket off the body and tossed it beside the car. He took one of Dead Helena's cold stiff feet and started to drag her off into the woods. Helena was still screaming, racing behind them. She watched in horror as her head knocked against exposed rocks, bushes, and pieces of trash discarded in the area. At one point, her other leg caught in a raised tree root. Nikolas tugged mercilessly until the body came free. Helena was sickened when she heard the crack of the bone in her other self’s leg. "Nikolas! What are you doing to me?! Oh Please, just stop!" "Too much to handle, Mother?" the Ghost of Christmas Present asked, appearing beside her. "Watching your precious grandson treat you like a piece of worn furniture?" She turned on him, violently trying to attack him. "He loves me!" Stefan fended her off, grabbing her arms and pining them to her sides. "No one loves you." "That's not true! You're a liar, Stefan. He loves me!" He turned her around, forcing her in front of him. They walked through the deep snow to where Luke and Stefan were just finishing with the shovels. "She's still talking, Uncle... We have to hurry so that she'll stop. I know that as soon as we're done, she won't be in my head anymore....She'll be gone for good and it will be safe for Gia to come out of hiding," Nikolas rambled, dragging Dead Helena to the edge of the hole. "Yes, Nikolas...We'll hurry," Stefan replied, trying to climb out, but failing. Luke went to help, trying to give his foot a boost, but only managing in making them both fall to the ground. "Damn! My back..." Luke moaned. "Forget your back, Spencer! I'm going to need another new hip if I keep relying on you for assistance," Stefan roared, managing to get up. "If we're lucky, you'll need a new pacemaker, too," Luke quipped, rolling off of the wall into an upright position. "Lucky?" Nikolas asked. "I don't see Lucky..." "I'm sorry to have to say this, Prince, but your taco platter is coming up mighty short." "Shut up, Spencer. Nikolas, help me out of this hole," Stefan commanded. Nikolas offered a hand, pulling his uncle up. He did the same for Luke. They stood in a semi-circle around Dead Helena's body. Helena watched in genuine shock. She was shaking as she turned to grip the sleeve of Young Stefan's white shirt. "Tell me exactly what happened...how I ended up this way..." With more than just a little enthusiasm, Stefan recounted the events. "Nikolas left the facility with the aid of an extremely attractive nurse who he managed to convince that of his sanity. After she helped him escape, he had her drive him to your yacht. He came to see you in hopes of forcing you to reveal where you had hidden Gia, you insulted the girl and Nikolas’ intelligence...he slit your throat with a jagged shard of a broken crystal vase. The elder Stefan found Nikolas with you, disposed of the nurse and hatched this plan with Luke to get rid of you once and for all. No more Helena Cassadine equals no more feud." "No! They can't just get rid of me like that! NO..." "It appears that they can..." "Nikolas wouldn't do that! He's not capable of cold-blooded murder!" "It appears that he is..." "He loves me!" "Not really..." Helena rushed forward as Luke viciously kicked Dead Helena into the pit. She stood on the edge, looking at her dead body, discarded like trash in the bottom of a hole. Please no... "I'm HELENA CASSADINE! They can't just kill me and expect to get away with it. People will miss me...they'll be suspicious!" Her breath was coming in hard rasps. It was killing her to see her once beautiful face twisted up in utter misery. They were going to bury her in the middle of nowhere. So far away from where Mikkos and Stavros lay. She didn't want to be there. She wanted to be in the family plot, in the warm Grecian soil, at home, at rest with her beloved husband and son. Not here! Alone. She'd get lonely here... "No one will miss you, Mother. No one cares. You've alienated everyone who ever tried to love you. Myself included. Look at my face...Look at the other Stefan's face...do either of us look sad...disappointed...anything but happy that you're gone? Look at Luke. He's reclaimed his wife and his family. He's made a joyful life. He's beaten you once and for all." "Luke Spencer will never beat me!" Helena declared with venom. "Really? I believe it’s your dead body in that hole, not his!" "I don't want to hear this-" "But you must. Nikolas...you've stolen his sanity, his love, his reason, his future...You've forced him to take action. You've forced him to rid himself of you. He thinks that now that you're dead, Gia can return. " "Be silent, Stefan! I've heard enough...seen enough..." "But you haven't seen the best part..." Luke laughed maniacally as Stefan pulled out a yellow plastic container. He started to squirt the lighter fluid all over the body in the pit. He squeezed until the last drops splattered out. "Please do the honors, Nikolas." Luke handed Nikolas a matchbook. With intense concentration, Nikolas swiped the red head of the match against the narrow black strip. It burst into flames. Nikolas stared at the small blaze intently. Through a fog, he remembered another blaze, on another Christmas eve. In the red glow of the match light, Helena could see the tear slide down Nikolas’ cheek. As he flicked the match into the pit, he shook in pain, screaming, "GIA!!!!" It seemed to Helena as if the whole woods shook with the agony of that cry, the sheer rage that burst forth. The body in the pit caught on fire, burning wildly, the flames lapping up every bit of clothing and skin. It remained in the cold hole in the earth. Nikolas collapsed to the ground, bemoaning the death of Gia. He cursed Helena, "You evil HAG...Burn...BURN!! BURN FOREVER!!!" Stefan took out a flask, taking a quick swig and passing it to Luke. Luke took more than a swig, saying, "Is there anything you'd like to say over your mother's carcass, Vlad?" He looked at Nikolas, thinking it best to let him have this moment alone. He turned back to the fire, taking the flask back. "I would like to make a toast to my mother. May she always burn as she burns, now." "Here, here," Luke applauded, a pleasant smirk on his face. "To Helena...May her name never be spoken again!" By now, Helena was sobbing, irrationally blubbering about how no one could do this to her and get away with it. "I'm HELENA CASSADINE!" she shouted for the seventh time. "You're dead," Young Stefan replied with glee, shoving her into the pit. She landed atop of her own charred corpse. "Oh God, NO!! Not like this. I can't die like this!!! With Luke and Stefan smugly watching...IT can't happen like this!" She jumped off the body and tried desperately to climb out of the hole. She dug her finely manicured nails into the dirt, trying to swing herself out. She failed, time and again falling back into the hot fire. "NO...I won't die like this...No funeral....no headstone...no glowing eulogies...HELP ME! NO! NO! NO!" Out of the smoke, a hand reached out and pulled her up. She stood, not on the edge of the pit, but in her bedroom. Mikkos held her close in the circle of his warm and comforting arms. "It doesn't have to be like that, Darling. You can change it." "HOW?!" she sobbed, clinging to him. She buried her face in his neck. "How do I stop it from happening.." "That's something you have to figure out for yourself, Lanie," he whispered, and then, like a wisp of wind, he was gone. |