by Shirley
Stefan Cassadine made his way to the stone bench,where he and his beloved Laura would meet from prying eyes,so many years ago. As he strode the familiar path,he let his mind wonder back to that first fateful meeting in the Wild Garden.As the moment became as clear as if it were just happening, his heart began beating faster,just as it had done then,the first instant he had laid eyes on her! She took his breath away! He knew that no where on earth,was there another woman as beautiful as this. He thought he surely must be dreaming,she must be a Greek Goddess! He knew they were myths,but if there were such things as Gods and Goddess's ,this young woman had to be one of them.He thought the moonlight dancing off the reflection of the Agean Sea, and the shadows of the darkness , had played a trick on him,this couldn't be real! She came in to his arms,as though this was her objective all along. He couldn't believe how natural it felt to enfold his arms around her, feel her body next to his, feel the beating of her heart,whose rhythm matched that of his own beating heart! This was no trick! He thought he might faint,and embarrass himself,he had never experienced anything like this,his entire life,and he knew immediately,this was the woman he would love until the end of time.
As Stefan Cassadine sat down on the bench he had shared with his Laura so often,he was stunned to think the years had flown by so quickly,how little time it seemed they had shared,although it had been many many happy years,it seemed like such a short time to him. He couldn't fathom his life with out her,nor could he remember much of his life ,before he met her,nothing was of any significance in his life,until the Gods smiled down on them that night,and made her his.
They had had so many obstacles along the way, they overcame them,but still he wondered, the separation,the children split apart,the eldest son,raised by himself,their youngest son raised by Laura and Luke,their daughter raised by Helena.He thought back to that time,and wondered how any of them had survived! How in the name of anything sacred,could his Mother have manipulated so many people,and ruin so many lives? He had been so thorough back then,how could she have out manauvered him at every turn? How can a woman,or man,for that matter, be so evil? Are there such things as devils? If so,surely Helena Cassadine was one,for she was the daughter of Satan! He knew she had to be,no one is that cruel, and vicious to another human being.
Stefan remembered all the terrible things he and Laura had done,and said to each other,thinking they were protecting the other from the danger of this mad woman. A frown creased his brow,as he thought of Helena Cassadine,his Mother,the woman he had tried to please as a child,and part of his younger years,until he no longer cared to have his Mother love him,she was in no way someone he wished to love him. Stavros,my brother,how I wanted to love you,and have you love me,as brothers should. I couldn't save you from your fate,he felt the tears form in his eyes,as he thought of the lost childhood they were never allowed to share with love,nor any modicum of compassion, he couldn't break the hold his Mother had on his brother,and after awhile he stopped trying. Stefan openly weeped at the loss of a brother,he never had.
As Stefan gazed out over the moonlit Agean,again thoughts of his children came to mind,what a wonderful brood they are,to have been raised separate from both parents,and siblings. They were all so well adjusted,loving,as a family,it must be in the genes,he thought,and snickered to himself. They had come together as brothers and sister,as though the time apart had never happened. Nikolas,his first born,what a gentle loving soul,trusting,wanting only happiness for those he loves. Stephanie Laura Cassadine,so named for the parents,because of the deep abiding love they shared,and for Laura,this was the ultimate bond to them both. Their daughter,Nikolas's twin,taken at birth by Helena,swearing Laura to secrecy,if she ever told anyone,Helena would have both children and Stefan eliminated. A young girl still,Laura was very frightened of this evil woman,and to keep her children and Stefan safe, if it meant she had to live without them,she would do what ever it took to keep them alive and well! Helena died of a massive heart attack aboard her yacht,she was alone.Stefan and Laura are the only two people who saw her alive,before the attack. She was very old! Stephanie was a beauty,she looked like her Father, she had his eyes,his hair color,she had his penchant for reading anything that had the written word,a thirst for knowledge that only rivaled that of her Father. She had inheirted her Mother's spirited sense of humor,her deep love of nature,and life. Stefan was well pleased with this beautiful daughter of his.
Stefan's thoughts turned to his youngest son, and how proud he was of this fine young man.He had been known as Lucky,for most of his younger years,but wanted the name of his Father, for his own,when it was made known to him that Stefan was his biological Father. He became Stefan Darius Stefanovich Cassadine the 2nd. He was known as Stevie J. Stefan couldn't help but be amused that this would please Luke no end,at the nickname,something left over from the old days.It was an inside joke between the two of them. Luke had died some years ago frome lung cancer.His wife Felicia, died several months later. She had gone horseback riding in the middle of the night,alone.They had moved to Texas when they were married,and lived on a ranch that Felica had inheirted from her Grandmother. She should have had better sense,Stefan surmised,she was too old and frail to ride alone. There were rumors of suicide,but Stefan didn't believe this was true for one minute. Who would commit suicide over Luke? He decided it was best not to go there,and dismissed the Spencers with a shrug of his shoulders.
There was Leslie Lou,of course. Stefan thought how much he loved that young woman,as though she were his own. She had chosen to keep the name of Spencer as long as her Father was alive,but at his death,asked to have it legally changed to Cassadine. It was one of the most cherished moments of his life.
Stefan loved how all the holidays were such joyous ocassions,not unlike a 4th of July fireworks display in the United States. There had been so much laughter and love in their house,the children teasing one another,not to mention he and Laura. His Laura,he sighed,how could anyone have loved her more than he? And she loved him! He was in awe of the way she loved him too! Was there ever a love more perfect? He couldn't call any others to mind.
Stefan remembered all the good and wonderful things that had happened to his family. He loved them all so very much. His children! His grandchildren! His Laura! They had 20 years of hell,and another 45 of happiness. All things being equal,Stefan determined they had had one great life together! There was nothing to be unhappy about,theirs had been the love of the millennium.
Nikolas rejected the title of Prince,he never wanted the responsibility,his younger brother,Stevie J. was then awarded the title,and was,and is,next to his Father,the best Cassadine Prince that ever ruled the Cassadine Empire. He is of course known now,as Prince Stefan,and his Father couldn't be prouder of him.
Stefan was pleased that all his children had done so well with their lives. Stephanie,a very well respected scientist. With the Cassadine fortune at her disposal,she had dedicated her life to finding cures for the most dreaded diseases of this century,among them Cancer,Aids,and MS. Stefan was pleased that she wanted to use her influence to help others.
Nikolas owned television,and recording companys all over the world,Stefan would never understand this,but accepted it,as it seemed to please his eldest son,and made him happy,and rich,in his own right.
Leslie Lou,my precious girl,thought Stefan,Daddy's little girl,was one of the top models in the world. She was still a beautiful woman for her age.Her own daughter followed in her footsteps. Who could ask for more?
Stefan wished his Laura could have been there to see their granddaughter stroll down the runway for the first time,as Miss Star Eyes.she would have been so pleased!
He didn't hear her footsteps on the path,but he felt her,and knew she was there.He looked up to see his Laura approaching the bench. Stefan rose to greet his wife. She looked just like that young beautiful girl he fell in love with in the Wild Garden. Laura walked into her husbands waiting arms,she loved the feel of his body next to hers,the beating of his heart,in rhythm with her own. She had never loved anyone the way she loved Stefan Cassadine! He was so handsome,so gentle,and she never tired of being with him,even as they grew older,he was still the most handsome man she had ever seen,her Prince. Laura looked up into the face of her husband,and saw the young man she had fallen in love with so long ago in the Wild Garden.They kissed as they had kissed so many times over the years,with so much passion,love,and desire. As they walked away they turned for one last look at the Wild Garden,they looked at each other and smiled,and arm in arm they continued their journey into forever!
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