| Chapter 10 Andreas pressed her against the side of the limousine with his hard toned body. Helena stroked his chin, gazing lustfully into his dark brown eyes. "Oh, Madame," he breathed, "if only you hadn't any business today...I'm certain we could find something to occupy our time." "As enticing an offer as that is, there are certain matters that I must attend to that cannot wait." She kissed his lips, drawing it out sensuously before pulling back. She looked up at him from underneath heavy lashes, her face flashing with mixed emotions as her mind wandered over the things she had to do with her afternoon. "I do so want things to turn out in our favor, Andreas. I have much too much at stake to fail." "I see no reason why they shouldn't, Madame," Andreas smiled. "You have thought of every conceivable problem and developed a plan to combat it should the need arise. How could you be anything but victorious?" "Oh, Andreas, I do so love your optimism, but, we must be cautious. There are still too many unknowns to be absolutely certain..." "Of course, you are right, Madame, but still, we have both Mr. Spencer and Ms. Davis right where we want them. Our contacts say that they are distraught with worry..." Helena smiled as he stepped back, reaching for the chrome door handle of the shiny black limousine. "Distraught with worry is not enough. I want them on their knees..." "Then they will be," he replied confidently. He pulled the door open. Helena placed a small kiss on his lips before turning to get into the car. Andreas offered her his hand, and she took it, backing into the doorway and sitting on the gray leather seat. Then, as all fine ladies do, she smoothed down her skirt, locked her knees together, and swung her legs around into the car. She started to slide down the seat so that Andreas could sit beside her. As she dropped his hand, her knees brushed against those of someone else. Startled, she looked up to find Stefan sitting casually in the seat across from her, glaring at her with hard and empty eyes. She stopped, pressing her lips closed as she returned his glare. She felt movement beside her and saw Andreas start to get into the car. Stefan smirked at her, leaning forward and placing a restraining hand against Andreas' chest. Crisply, he said, "Your services won't be needed at the moment, Mr. Andropolous. Leave us." Andreas immediately looked to Helena. "Madame? Should I throw him out?" Stefan snickered. "Tell him to go, Mother." Helena already knew that the only reason her son had come was to see how much information he could glean from her about Lucky and Emily. Despite her initial instinct to find a way to escape, she knew that this was inevitable. Destiny demanded that she and her second son do their dance of verbal warfare. As hard as she had tried, she could never quite escape it. "Andreas, please give my son and I a few moments alone. Return to the yacht and I will call you when I am ready to leave." Andreas looked hesitant, but nodded. "Of course, Madame." Stefan removed his hand from the man's chest, and then pulled the limousine door shut in his face. "What do you want, Stefan?" Helena asked impatiently. "I do not have time for another of your long-winded ramblings." "You'll make time," he replied. Stefan shifted back in his seat, crossing his legs as he continued to study her face. She remained quite lovely in her old age. He could still see glimmers of the ravishing young woman she had been and, in those glimmers, he could also see her true madness. She hid her coldness, her lack of genuine feeling, her evil, behind her alluring beauty. That had always been her way...to entice someone into letting down their guard with her beguiling ways, and then, she would strike her deadly blow. He had to wonder why he had allowed himself to be her victim for so long. Why he had allowed himself to be drawn in, only to be cast aside. Finally, he knew that there was no hope where she was concerned. She didn't love him and she never would. He had often, even as a young boy, attempted to harden himself against her with those very words, but he realized, he had never actually believed them. Now, he had no choice but to believe them. The woman who had drugged him and had him tossed over the side of her yacht like so much unwanted garbage, could never have any feelings for anyone, let alone her own son. Helena shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. She always hated the way he looked at her. It was if he were looking through her, trying to find something that they both knew wasn't there, and then, thoroughly disappointed when he didn't find it, passing some sort of condemning judgment with the flecks of coldness that would float across his eyes. Each time he did it, each time he looked at her, she wanted to run and hide. Being dissected for his warped amusement was not something she enjoyed. Folding her hands in her lap, she said, "Must you be so intrusive, Stefan?" "I could ask you that same question, Mother..." "Am I supposed to know what that means?" she demanded. "What have you done with Emily Quartermaine and Lucky Spencer?" Stefan asked. "Oh, I was so hoping that they had been found by now. Nikolas was very upset last night and-" "Don't!" Stefan snapped, slowly shaking his head back and forth. "I don't want to hear your denials or your phony concern. I just want to know what you've done with those two children." "What makes you think I had anything to do with this?" "Because I know you. And this something you would do. You took Lucky once, why wouldn't you do it again?" "What do I have to gain by taking Lucky Spencer?" she said lightly, "Absolutely nothing. I'm afraid that you and your illegitimate sister will have to find another person to blame for this. It has nothing to do with me." "You mentioned Alexis...that is so very telling, Mother," Stefan sneered, scooting forward and placing his knees directly against Helena's. "Why would you assume that Alexis has anything to do with this? Luke...of course, and myself because of Nikolas' interest in Lucky's welfare, but Alexis?" Helena's smile dimmed a tiny bit. Her neck stiffened as she calmly replied, "The little mouse has taken up with Luke...naturally she would be involved when his son becomes missing." Stefan pressed further, saying, "Naturally...but you seem so certain that Alexis has a stake in this. She's never been exceptionally close to Lucky...or Emily..." Helena's eyes brushed closed in a long, exaggerated blink. When she opened them, her mouth gathered in distaste as she responded, "Even as a small child, you always had an annoying way of dragging things out when they could be solved simply. Now that you're a man, it's even more tedious and boring. Why don't you just say what you have to say." Dryly, he remarked, "Oh, do please forgive me, Mother, for boring you...but I seem to have hit a nerve. Emily Bowen-Quartermaine..." "She's a delightful young lady..." Helena brought her hand up to play with her diamond necklace. "She's Alexis' daughter." Stefan laid his hand on Helena's knee. "But then you already knew that. I suspect that you've known it all along and have just been biding your time until you could use it against Alexis." Helena gazed at him blankly, revealing nothing. "What do you want from Alexis?" "She has nothing I want. She never has." "You lie. Emily is your leverage. She's your insurance that Alexis cooperates." Helena scoffed. "You're paranoid." "I'm right." "You're wasting my time." "I'm doing you a favor." "How so?" Stefan pushed himself back against his seat, ending all physical contact with his mother. "How many times do you think you can toy with Luke Spencer and live to tell about it? You've pushed him over the edge by taking Lucky...add to that the fact that Emily is Alexis' daughter...My sister and Spencer have grown very close of late...He's dangerous and all of his rage will be focused directly on you." "Luke is no threat. He may not know it yet, but he has already been defeated," she replied smugly, her face lighting up. "As have you." Stefan's back stiffened. He set his jaw, stroking his chin with a slow easy motion. "Me? Defeated? I think not," he declared dismissively. "I love it when you're arrogant and overconfident. It makes destroying you so much easier." "You'll never destroy me, Mother," he spat out, "because you always underestimate me and the lengths to which I'm willing to go." "No, it is you who underestimates me. You actually thought that I was through with you when I made Nikolas hate you. You should have known that I wouldn't be satisfied with that." "Like all of your plans, that one failed as well. Nikolas has forgiven me and continues to despise you," Stefan retorted, his tone full of triumph. Helena looked away, staring out the darkened window at the cement structure of the garage. She hadn't thought Nikolas would be so quick to forgive Stefan for faking his death and kidnapping Chloe Morgan. It had come as a shock to her, causing her to overhaul her entire plan. Turning back to her son, she said, "Gloat while you can, Stefan, for soon, there will be nothing but misery for everyone you hold dear. Including your bastard sister and her bastard daughter. I will obliterate you all!" "What do you want?! What is this all about?" Stefan roared, tired of his mother's tirade. He didn't expect her to answer the question directly, but he was hoping that she would allow some less important information to leak out. "It's about what's mine!" "And that would be?" "The little mouse hasn't been very honest with you. She knows exactly what this about. And she knows what has to happen before Emily will be returned," Helena informed him, tossing her head back, her blond hair fluffing out at her neck. "And Lucky?" Helena feigned regret. "Lucky...poor little Lucky...I fear that none of us will ever see Lucky Spencer again." Stefan moved from his seat to hers, bending his knee on the soft leather of the seat and leaning back on it. He was so close to her that she could smell the fresh scent of the cologne he wore. Her breathing quickened as his lips neared her ear. His voice was viciously cruel as he whispered, "I know you think I won't kill you, Mother, but you're sadly mistaken. If Emily and Lucky aren't returned..." His hand snaked up her arm, across her shoulder, and to her neck. As his index finger caressed the well of her neck, she shuddered, closing her eyes against the sensation. "Then I'll have no choice, but..." His finger drifted to the outside line of her neck. The rest of his fingers unfolded as he fiercely grabbed the flesh of her neck, jerking her cheek against his lips. "...To snap your neck." "Let go of me," she groaned harshly. He released her, backing away quickly. He opened the door of the car and got out. He peaked back in to give his mother one last look. "Have a pleasant evening, Mother." She forced herself to smile. "You have a pleasant evening as well, Second Son. And you will send Celine Kanafanas my best, won't you?" "What do you know about Celine?" he asked uneasily. Her smiled became genuine as she remarked, "I know that you've married the trollop." "Stay away from my wife." "You should tell her to stay away from me. She came by the yacht last night." "You're lying!" Stefan growled. Helena had to be lying. What reason would Celine have to visit Helena? None that he could think of.... "If you don't believe me, ask Nikolas and Gia. They were there. They saw her." Helena knew that he would find out the truth. He would have no choice but to confront Celine on her failure to inform him of her comings and goings. He would busy. Celine would be busy. And Helena would be free to complete the next step of her plan without their interference. She gave herself a mental pat on the back. Stefan slammed the door and walked out of the garage. Halfway down the docks, he fished his cell phone out his pocket. Just as he was about to dial his wife's number, the phone rang in his hand. He pushed the button to receive the call and tersely shouted, "Cassadine." When the call was finished, his anger had been replaced with great fear. He clutched his cell phone tightly, his knuckles turning white as he streaked down the pier and hurried into the bustling afternoon crowds. * * * * * When Emily awoke, she was completely alone. She moved slowly, feeling the cool sheets against her legs as she shifted over onto her side. Her mind was fuzzy and, try as she might, she could not recall much of anything except being slapped around by Anders and fondled by Cesar Faison. After that...there was nothing but empty spaces where memories should have been. How she ended up in bed was beyond her. Lucky? She sat up with a bolt, her eyes searching the bright room for any signs of Lucky. She was overcome with worry when she found that there weren't any. Lucky was still gone. He had already been gone hours before her last memory, and now that she been asleep, she really had no idea what time it was or how long he had been at their captor's mercy. What she did know, however, was that she was frightened for him. He never talked about his previous experience with Faison, but she had no doubt that it had been Hell. She crawled to the foot of the bed, her entire body aching with sadness for her best friend's predicament. If only she knew what they were doing to him! Not that she could help...but she just wanted to know that he was okay. That he was still alive... "Emily!" she commanded herself harshly. She jumped at the boom of her voice crashing through the room. She laughed lightly, swinging her legs to the floor. She found her laughter to be comforting, so she laughed some more as she said, "Be...optimistic. They won't kill Lucky...If they wanted him dead, or YOU, for that matter, they would have done it already!" It made so much sense to her, that she grasped onto that thought and stood up proudly. She felt better. Lucky would be okay... She padded across the room in the scant silk nightgown she had found in the room and picked the robe up off the floor, slipping it on. On her way to the bathroom, she passed an ornately carved mahogany dresser. She stopped dead in her tracks just beyond it, unsure whether or not she had actually seen what she thought she saw. She went back to the dresser, blinking hard and fast. Her fingers were careful to avoid the thorns as she lifted the beautiful pink rose to her nose. She breathed deeply, the hypnotic scent filling her nostrils. It looked exactly like the flowers she had seen in the garden outside of her window. She caressed the side of her face with the soft vibrant petals, wondering how it magically appeared in the room. She was certain that it hadn't been there before. Not that it had to be magic... Anything could have happened while she was asleep. She turned her attention back to the dresser, vaguely remembering the cream colored envelope that she had spied beneath the rose. Her name was scrawled across the front of the envelope in a fascinating series of swirls and loops. The handwriting was very unique and sophisticated. Emily thought about leaving the envelope and the rose on the dresser and pretending that she hadn't seen them. Nothing good could possibly come from playing into Faison's tricks. As lovely as it was, she was certain that the rose was some kind of an evil joke being played on her. A rose to liven up her prison? Cruel. She laid the rose aside gently, picking up the envelope and carefully removing a folded piece of stationary. She opened it up, but found herself puzzled by the contrasting handwriting. Where the writing on the envelope had been delicate, these words were formed with a hard and precise hand. It was legible and very conservative. She read the heading, pausing as she sucked in breath. It was all so confusing. The envelope had been addressed to her, but the letter read... Dear Alexis, Would you believe me if I wrote that I missed you terribly? That not an hour goes by that I don't think about the sensuous line of your long graceful neck? That, when we're apart, I feel as if I'm missing half of myself? Whether you believe me or not, I assure you that it is entirely true. I have come to find that you are my world. You are everything that is true about me. While this brings me incredible joy, it also brings me an extraordinary amount of pain. For, Helena has made it quite clear that there is no future for us. The family we crave seems to be slipping through our grasp. I am in absolute agony without you...and our child. I lay awake at night, thinking of the life growing inside of you and hoping that one day, I will have the chance to be the husband and father that I so long to be. Of course, there are so many obstacles in our way. My wife. Helena. My father. Stefan. They seem insurmountable. At times I think that they are. But, those times are fleeting for I know that I love you. I have loved you since the night of the Bacchanalia and I will love you for the rest of my life. There is no other choice for me. So, until I am able to disentangle myself and you are able to free yourself and our child, I will respectfully stay away. I know we agreed that it was best and I want to keep my pledge to you. I will keep my pledge to you. I will settle for letters and my memories. For now... Always, Alexis, will I love you. Always, Alexis, will I care. -D- Emily lowered the letter back down to the dresser top. She was moved by the passionate words of the man in the letter. He seemed to love Alexis very much. She had to assume that the Alexis in the letter was the same attorney that she knew from back home. There was no way it couldn't be. A different Alexis? Those were the kind of coincidences that just didn't happen when you were being held captive by a madman. Alexis... Her forehead scrunched as she tried to figure out the connection. Alexis...Luke? Luke was both Lucky's father and Alexis' boyfriend. That had to be it... Except... The envelope hadn't been addressed to Lucky. It had been addressed to her. Why would someone, probably Faison, want her to read a love letter written by some man to a pregnant Alexis? She mentally listed the things she knew about the woman. Alexis was a good attorney. She was a Cassadine. She had helped Zander when he needed it. She was Nikolas' aunt. She was Ned's ex-fiancee. She was pregnant at one time, evidently. She was confident. She was strong. She was...Alexis. But what did any of that have to do with Emily-Bowen Quartermaine? Nothing that she could think of. She sighed, wondering what sort of head game Faison was starting. She wanted to forget the letter. She couldn't, though. She picked it up and cradled it in her hands, reading it over again. "Alexis had a secret lover..." she muttered, smiling "I bet he was handsome and strong. Married, but still decent..." Her smile grew as she tried to imagine herself in the same situation. "Of course, you'd have to have a man FIRST before you could carry on a torrid affair..." Lucky... Her smile widened. "Maybe...someday..." She refolded the letter and placed it in the pocket of her robe. "I didn't know you had it in you, Alexis..." As she puttered around the room, she once again found herself thinking of the words in the letter. About Alexis. About her secret lover. And most of all, about the baby they made together. "I wonder," Emily said aloud, plopping down on the bed, "what happened to the baby...." * * * * * "How does that feel, baby?" Gia asked, tossing his shirt onto the beige carpet of Alexis' spare bedroom. "Gia...that feels better..." Nikolas groaned. He shifted slightly, looking up into her eyes. "What would I do if you weren't here to work your magic?" "There's a simple answer to that one," she grinned, applying more pressure against the ice pack. "You'd bleed to death." Nikolas lay on the large king-size bed, his chest bare so that his wound could be accessed. Gia, who, in keeping with her nursely duties, had straddled his middle and used her close proximity to both, keep him warm and keep the ice pack firmly against his injury. She kept her balance by planting one hand in the pillow beside his head. She leaned over him, various parts of her swaying above his head. If it weren't for the bullet in his arm, he would have used such an opportunity to show her how much he enjoyed being in her company. But, things being as they were, he knew that she would probably be less than susceptible to his advances. Shaking his head, he decided to give it a try anyway. Nothing ventured... He moved his free hand to slide from her bended knee up her leg and to the outside of her thigh. "We're all alone in here, Gia." "I noticed..." She followed his hand out the corner of her eye. "Luke and Alexis are busy," his hand crept over her hip and to the small of her back. "I would imagine so..." Gia reminded herself that Nikolas was injured. Shot. Wounded. Weak. So damn sexy... Wrong train of thought, she scolded herself. It's not too late to listen to Nancy Reagan. Just say no! "Gia..." "NO, Nikolas!" she snapped. "No! We can't. You need to focus all your energy on NOT dying! So, there is no time for...that." Nikolas pulled her down on top of him with his good arm, her face landing just centimeters from his own. He stared into her concerned eyes. "There's always time for that." Gia kissed the tip of his nose. She wanted to, but there was no way she was going to do anything that would jeopardize his health. "Sorry, Prince Charming. No can do. No hanky panky for stubborn fools who won't go to the hospital." Nikolas shifted her upwards, seeking out her lips. They began to kiss, despite the sensitivity of the situation. "Nikolas..." she gasped. At that exact moment, the door to the bedroom was thrown open and Luke appeared in the doorway. "Ah, c'mon, you guys!" Luke groaned in disgust. "Do you want me to go blind?" Gia and Nikolas stopped kissing, pulling apart long enough to look at Luke like he was the lowest form of life. Gia rolled over, landing on her behind beside Nikolas. "Look," she said, "if the doctor's not here, then close the door behind you and knock next time!" "Don't go around givin' me orders, Sassy!" "It's common courtesy, Luke," Nikolas explained. "When you enter a room occupied by someone else, it is custom to knock. Those of us who are civilized, know this." "How do you put up with him?" Luke growled, looking to Gia. "I mean, he's so...Cassadiney." "Excuse me?" A trim looking man with a doctor's bag said, coming around the corner and standing beside Luke in the doorway. "Mr. Corinthos let me in..." "This is the place," Luke said. "Right in here. The girl needs a lobotomy and the shirtless one already had one, but I don't think it took. All he does is drool..." Gia launched a pillow at Luke. It hit him in the back of the head and he stumbled forward a half a step. "That's a big head you got there, Papa Smurf." Luke turned, smiling at Gia. "You throw like a girl." Gia stuck her tongue out at him. The doctor's face showed no trace of shock or emotion at the scene he was witnessing. Luke noticed this and was pleased. The man could probably be trusted. Being full aware of the types of jobs that Sonny usually offered the man, he was willing to bet that nothing that went on here, would shock him. "The kid's been shot in the arm, Doc. Fix it," Luke said, stepping aside so that the man could go in. He was about to walk away, when the doctor called out, "Mr. Spencer!" "What?" "When Mr. Corinthos let me in, I got the faint impression that there's a woman crying in your closet...is there anything I can do? I have sedatives..." the doctor remarked bluntly, making direct eye contact. "Not at the moment, but I'll certainly keep your offer in mind," Luke said darkly, quickly leaving the room and jogging through the penthouse to be with Alexis. * * * * * The door was unlocked. Stefan eased it open, sticking his head inside to look around. He saw no sign of Luke, but he could hear Alexis' soft sniffling. "Alexis!" he called, coming in. "Where are you?" Luke rounded the corner, snarling at the sight of Stefan Cassadine. It didn't mean anything that he had been the one who had called Stefan and asked him over. It was just something he didn't want to deal with. If only every Cassadine except Alexis would catch a speeding train to Hell... Luke Spencer could be truly happy. "Spencer?" Stefan stated as a question. His posture became rigid, his stance unyielding as he looked to the man who had made such an urgent plea for his presence over the phone. "What's happened to my sister?" "This happened," Luke said, picking up the mysterious clock from the table and handing it to the other man. Stefan's face went completely white. He took a step back, not certain whether or not he actually wanted to touch it. His hands decided for him when they fell to his sides and refused to move. After taking a deep breath, Stefan calmly inquired, "Where did you get that?" Luke looked down at the glass dome and swirling pink ballerina. "What is it about this damn thing? It's like kryptonite where you freaking Cassadines are concerned. You act like it's a bomb or something..." "Did you show that to Alexis?!" Stefan demanded to know, ignoring Luke's commentary. "It was delivered to her. She opened it and well, as I said on the phone, she freaked out. She told me that it was Helena's and what it meant." Long before Alexis' torture, Stefan too, had done his time in the vermin infested attic with the soft melody of the clock playing continuously on the table outside of the locked door. When the music would end, Helena would send Stavros to wind it once more. Stefan tried to quell the flashes of memory that swept across his open eyes. He tried to shake them out. He had to be strong for Alexis. Summoning all the courage he had available, he reached out to take the clock from Luke. The glass was cold against his palm. It was a weighty piece, crafted especially for Helena by some distant relative. He stared down at the ballerina for several long minutes. "I can hear Alexis crying..." For a moment, he wasn't sure if it was then or now. There was swirl of hot emotion inside of him. It was clouding his mind and pushing out everything but the clock and the sound of his sister's sobbing. "I have to see her...is she upstairs?" Luke gave up on trying to figure this out. He knew this was all about some traumatic event from Alexis' childhood, and Lord knew that he understood traumatic childhoods, so he resigned himself to the fact that it wasn't going to make any sense to him at all. If Stefan could help Alexis, that was good enough. "She's over there...in the closet. She won't come out. That's why I called you. See if you can use some of those Draculian skills to get her out of there and upstairs to bed. I think this whole kidnapping/Helena thing is just too much for her." "She's in the closet?" he asked in a strained voice. This was worse than he thought. "Alexis?" he said, going to the door. "Can you hear me?" Softly, she muttered, "Stefan?" "Yes." He pressed his ear against the door. "It's all over, Alexis. It's over. Please come out of the closet now." She didn't reply. She began to cry harder, her sobs growing louder and more painful to hear. "Is this the best you can do?!" Luke barked. Stefan moved away from the door, thrusting the musical clock into Luke's hand. "Wind it!" he ordered gruffly. He took off his jacket, tossing it onto the table. "Keep it wound until I tell you otherwise." "Hell no!" Luke stormed. "This clock is what got us into this mess. She was okay until she heard the music. There's no way I'm sending her back to that place!" "Are you an idiot, Luke? She's already back in that place. You don't understand and I'm certainly not going to explain it to you. Just do as I say." Stefan walked back to the closet door. "Don't you dare tell me what to do!" "This is about Alexis, Luke!" "If you're wrong-" Luke started. "I'm not." Luke sighed, reaching underneath the heavy brass base and winding the clock. The haunting music immediately flooded the room. Stefan forced himself to ignore it. He renounced it's power over him. Focusing, he got down on his knees and slowly opened the closet door. "Alexis..." He saw her, sitting in a tight corner, her legs pulled up against her chest. Her face was swollen from her continuous stream of tears. Her eyes were wild with fright as the light hit her. She looked panicked, fear filling her eyes. "No...I was good...please don't..." "Alexis, it's Stefan," he said softly. "You know I won't hurt you." "Stefan?" she asked, looking through the haze of thirty years to see her brother's face. She reached her hand up to touch his face, as if to prove that he was not a figment of her imagination. "Stefan!" she shrieked gratefully. She put her hands around his neck and held on for dear life. "I was so scared...so scared...Helena's mad at me...you have to help me...to help me before she makes me stay here longer..." Stefan pulled her to him, hugging her tightly and smoothing her hair. "I'll take care of you, Alexis. I will help you..." He took her hands from around his neck and held onto them. "You needn't worry about Helena. She won't hurt you anymore. I need you to come with me..." "I can't!" she snapped. "I have to stay here. My time isn't up yet!! I can't leave...I can't come with you..." "Please, Natasha," Luke said, "come on outta the closet for me and Stefan." Alexis scowled at Luke. "I can't! I'm not getting in any more trouble." She turned back to Stefan. "I know you told me to be good...But I couldn't help myself..." "Shh..." Stefan said. "You're very good, Alexis. This has nothing to do with good or bad. It's about Helena being inhumanly cruel." "Helena scares me sometimes...." Stefan nodded, scooting his way into the closet. He pushed a box of books outside of the small space. "Everything is going to be all right." He settled into the back corner. Alexis wiped her face with the back of her hand. "You're going to stay with me?" she asked eagerly. "Yes, my dear, I will stay with you." He opened his arms and, after closing the door in Luke's face, she fell right into them. The space was far too small for two grown adults, but neither complained. Stefan bent his knees and Alexis wiggled between his legs, laying her head on his chest. He smoothed her hair, rocking from side to side. "I will stay with you, Alexis. As long as you need me..." The music drifted in underneath the door, filling Stefan with a sense of dread, but also with the unmistakable feeling that finally, Helena Cassadine had gone too far. And for her latest transgressions, he was certain that she would pay the ultimate price. He would see to it... |