Where Will All Come Home?

Chapter 11

Sunday morning dawned clear and cold in Port Charles. The busy snowplows bustled importantly down the streets pushing the snow aside. Disgusted churchgoers bundled up and made their way down their drives, shovels in hand, to clear away the snow blocking their driveways. The irreligious congratulated themselves on their lack of piety, and settled back under the covers as the noisy snowplows lumbered away. Their driveways could wait until afternoon.

Luke Spencer devoutly wished that he were one of those people settling back under the covers. Tammy was too ill to open Kelly’s and Bobbie had been called to the hospital to assist in a surgical emergency. The waiter and waitress scheduled for the morning shift lived out of town, and couldn’t get through on the unplowed roads. That left him to open Kelly’s on his own.

Lesley Lu skipped along beside him, her cheeks rosy in the frosty air. Luke shook his head in wonder at her energy. He still felt half-dead after yesterday’s ordeal, probably because he’d spent most of the night fitfully sleeping in a chair in Lulu’s room. She skipped once more, a little too energetically. He caught her as she started to slide across the sidewalk, and righted her.

“Sometimes,” he warned her, “you have to tamp down your enthusiasm. Or you end up on your butt on the ground looking up at the sky wondering how you got there.”

“Is that the same saying as ‘discretion is the better part of valor’?” Lesley Lu asked curiously.

“Kind of. Of course, sometimes you end up on your butt, and you weren’t even enthusiastic to begin with,” Luke mused. “Still, some things are always risky, and skipping on a slippery sidewalk is one of them.”

“But you caught me, Daddy.” Lesley Lu grinned.

“Yeah, I did,” Luke grumbled.

“So skipping on a slippery sidewalk is mostly dangerous when your daddy isn’t with you.” She began to hum a tune. Halfway down the block she forgot and skipped again, and Luke took her hand to prevent another skid.

They reached Kelly’s and Luke opened the door with his key. He turned on the lights as he shut the door, and directed Lulu to turn the sign around to read ‘open.’

“What are we selling today, Daddy? Are you going to cook?”

“I guess so. I’ll get started in the kitchen. Look at the sign by the cash register, Princess, and see what today’s special should be.”

Lulu carefully read the notice and had started on her way to the kitchen when the door opened. “Daddy!” she called. You have reinforcements! Lucky and Liz are here!”

Luke came out of the kitchen and smiled at the sight of Liz embracing Lulu.

Lucky scratched his head. “Well, you’ve got a waiter, a waitress and an all-purpose munchkin. Now you need a cook.”

“Maybe people will stay home,” Luke muttered. “Like they oughta.”

“You eat breakfast here yourself every Sunday. Lots of people do.” Lucky asserted. “By the way, where’s Alexis? Shouldn’t she be a part of your slave labor pool?”

“Gone when we got up. She left a note. Had to catch up on something at her office, I guess. The woman’s too career-driven.”

Luke snapped a towel at his son and laughed as Lucky easily dodged. “I’ll have to make do with what I’ve got. Why don’t you start the coffee, son? And Liz, will you show the munchkin how to set tables? I’ll start cooking.”

“What?” asked Lucky and Liz in unison. Startled at themselves, they laughed.

Luke looked hurt. “None of you have ever starved while in my care.” He stalked into the kitchen with mock dignity and began to bang pans.

“It’s okay, Lucky,” said Lulu. “I already arranged for more reinforcements. You will like it too.” She pranced off to help Liz, leaving Lucky to shake his head while he measured coffee.

“One word, Dad,” shouted Lucky into the kitchen. “Pop-tarts.”

“That’s two!” yelled Luke. Lucky effortlessly dodged again as Luke hurled a plastic plate frisbee his way. It flew over the counter and clattered harmlessly to the floor at the feet of a shocked Laura, who had just walked in the door.

“I got an SOS,” she laughed. “I didn’t expect to be greeted by missiles!”

“Yes, a cook!” shouted Lucky. “This diner’s in business!”

He hugged his mom, and then grabbed Lulu. “You rock!” he exclaimed.

“Thank you,” Lulu said modestly. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I have tasted Daddy’s cooking.” Lucky nodded conspiratorially.

Laura relieved Luke in the kitchen. What’s the special posted for today?” she asked. “I’ll get started.”


__ __ __

On Spoon Island, Stefan Cassadine was quietly moving through the stables, checking the horses. He had great faith in his stablemen, but enjoyed this quiet movement through the stables, checking each animal’s welfare for himself. He and Sergei had been out early enjoying the new snow. The infant rode snugly in a backpack on his father’s back. He crowed with pleasure and leaned forward to eagerly grab for the nearest horse.

“Not yet, my son.” He caught a chubby fist and kissed it, and Sergei gurgled with pleasure. Stefan continued, “This spring I will take you on horseback with me for the first time. But I cannot allow you to eat the horse’s mane. It looks far better than it tastes.” Sergei wrapped his small arms around his father’s neck in order to give him an enthusiastic baby hug.

The stable door opened behind them. Stefan turned, and greeted their visitor.

“Alexis? What brings you here on such a cold morning? Are you ill?” he asked sharply. Her eyes were shadowed, her hair wind-tossed, and her cheeks too red. He wondered if she had slept the night before.

“Alexis, are you still concerned about yesterday? Lesley Lu – was there another problem? Did something else happen?”

“No, she slept well. Better, I think, than either Luke or I.”

Stefan crossed the stable in a few steps, and stroked her hair once before he asked gently, “What brings you here so early?”

“I’ve been out walking.” She hesitated. “I’m not sure how long I’ve been walking…. Alexis crossed her arms over her abdomen, shivered, and rocked back and forth slightly.

“There was blood. So much blood.” She started to cry.

He held out his arms, and she walked into them.

__ __ __

As Lucky had predicted, the regulars at Kelly’s were not disposed to break their Sunday morning routines merely for an early snow. They did a brisk business for most of the morning. Lucky, Liz and Luke were kept busy tending to their customers, and Laura called Lulu into the kitchen to help butter bread for toast and crack eggs.

About 11:00, business slacked off. Laura sat down for a cup of coffee at Ruby’s worktable, and Lulu emerged from the kitchen. She exclaimed with delight, “Look, Lucky! There’s my customer from the bar, Mr. Stu.”

She started toward his table, but Lucky caught her by the collar. “Since when did you wait on customers at the bar, little sister?”

“Last Friday night when people in the kitchen were cursing and throwing things, Daddy let me take care of Mr. Stu. He is a very interesting customer. I want to talk to him.”

Lucky didn’t relax his grip on her collar. “Okay, I’m sure he’s a great guy, but, look, he’s just here to have breakfast, not to visit the Spencer family. If he comes over here, you can talk to him from behind the counter, but you can’t go over to him. He’s a stranger.”

Lulu set her jaw and glared at Lucky. “Why does everyone in this family except Sergei think they are the boss of me?” she complained. “Besides, Mr. Stu is a stranger to you, not me. He and I are acquaintances.”

“So, what’s his last name, and where does he live?” Lucky inquired.

“At the bar, we don’t ask customers their last names. Daddy says it’s bad manners.” Lulu added self-righteously.

Looking up from his menu at just that moment, Stu caught sight of Lesley Lu. He smiled, got up and walked across the room. “Good morning, Lulu. You seem to be the hardest working girl of my acquaintance. Does your family have a monopoly on the bar and restaurant business in Port Charles?”

Lulu shot a triumphant glance at Lucky before answering. “Well, so far as I know, Spencers only own Luke’s and Kelly’s, but if we count cousins, it could get confusing, because some of them are Quartermaines, and they own the Port Charles Hotel and a bunch of other places.”

“I’m Lucky.” Lucky put his hand out. “Older brother of the chatty munchkin.”

“And, as I was telling you, Lucky, this is my customer, Mr. Stu.” Lesley Lu completed the introductions to her satisfaction as the men shook hands.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, young man. You have a look of Luke about you, and a big smile, I might add, which Lulu tells me is characteristic of your mother.”

Lulu looked toward the kitchen. When she didn’t see Luke, she leaned over the counter, and said “If you would like coffee this morning, it’s okay. Lucky made it.”

Stu smiled. “I would like coffee very much. Perhaps I could eat here at the counter, so we could chat – that is, if you can spare the time.”

Lesley Lu’s eyes danced with mischief. “I would be glad to talk to you, Mr. Stu, and so would Lucky, if Elizabeth weren’t over there by the juke box making cow eyes at him.”

“Stay behind the counter. If you move one inch, I will see you,” Lucky warned.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, sir, but my girlfriend wants to dance. What can I say? I’m her slave.” Lucky grinned and shrugged helplessly.

“Go right ahead. If you will provide a cup of coffee, I’ll chat contentedly with your sister. And she won’t move. I promise.”

Lucky found himself warming to this new acquaintance. “I’m a little uneasy today. She took an unauthorized hike yesterday, and we’re all a little bit on edge. You understand?”

Stu nodded, and thanked Lucky for the cup of coffee he placed in front of him. He watched Lucky walk over to Liz. The two of them bent over the juke box in whispered consultation.

Stu turned back to Lulu. “I wanted to tell you that I enjoyed our conversation the other night. I came to Port Charles on rather sad personal business, and chatting with you, your father, and stepfather the other night was a welcome relief.”

“We enjoyed it too, Mr. Stu. Does this mean that you’re leaving town? I thought perhaps you lived here.”

“No, I only came to take care of some business, as I said. I lived here for a time some years ago, but my home is in Massachusetts. That is where my family has lived for many, many years.”

“Were they Pilgrims?” asked Lulu, who was studying Plymouth Colony at school.

“More or less, yes. But that was long ago. I’m sure I look quite old to you, but any Pilgrims in my family were many, many great, great-grandfathers ago.” Stu smiled at her.

“It sounds like you have an interesting family,” Lulu offered.

“We are a large family. I have two brothers, a sister, and many nephews and nieces. And, what about you? You have one brother, I know. You also mentioned cousins, I think.”

“I have three brothers in all,” asserted Lulu. “Nikolas and Lucky are older than me, and Sergei is our baby. Lucky and Nikolas are adults, of course, but they still think they are young. I don’t know why.”

“From your perspective, I suppose they do look quite old, but from my own, I must say that Lucky looks quite young. Is he the eldest?”

“No. Nikolas is the eldest. Mommy calls Nik and Sergei her bookends. Lucky and me are in the middle.”

“So, Luke has three children.”

“Hmm,” said Lulu. “This gets complicated. Daddy is the father of Lucky and me. Papa is the father of Nik and Sergei. That’s why they’re the bookends. Her first and last, she says.”

“In that case, I think we both have interesting families,” Stu smiled easily again.

“Would you like the breakfast special today?” Lulu asked. “I can put the order in for you. If you wait for Lucky and Liz to come up for air, you might not get breakfast for several hours.” She pointed to the couple, who were slow-dancing, oblivious to the needs of their customers or the passage of time.

“The special will be fine. Thank you, Lulu. Is Luke cooking?”

“No. Tammy is sick and Aunt Bobbie is busy, so I called Mommy first thing this morning, and she came. Mommy is a good cook, but Mrs. Lansbary, our housekeeper, only lets her cook once a week. I thought she would enjoy a chance to cook, and when I called her, she came right over on the launch.”

Stu looked perplexed. “That was fortunate, then. But, I’m confused. Why did she come on a launch?”

“Because, we live on Spoon Island, of course, and the only other way to get here is by helicopter. We don’t usually do that.”

“Oh,” Stu responded. “Of course, I just didn’t think. I remember seeing a house on Spoon Island, now that you mention it. Many years ago, I went to that island on picnics, now and again.”

Mr. Stu was quiet, seemingly lost in thought, so Lulu decided to take his order to the kitchen. Besides she needed her Daddy out front. Lucky and Liz really had forgotten everyone else.

__ __ __

When Lesley Lu had left the kitchen to go out front, Laura had heaved a sigh of relief. Phone call or not, she would have found a way to see Luke this morning. She couldn’t think of an easy way to broach the topic of her concern, so she poured coffee for both of them, asked Luke to sit down with her, and simply began.

“Did Alexis talk to you about what happened at the brownstone last night? After you found Lulu with me?” she asked.

“No, not really. She was very upset, Laura. With me and herself.” Luke took a sip of coffee, and waited. He had a feeling that Laura was about to say something he didn’t want to hear.

“I’m really glad that you took Lulu straight back to your place without stopping in at Bobbie’s. The two of you needed time alone. But, Vicky Jamison took me aside, as a favor, and told me that she had referred this case to the Child Welfare authorities. It’s a standard procedure in cases involving runaways.”

Luke exploded. “Child welfare! Because of a misunderstanding? I didn’t ask the police to stick their greasy snouts in my business!”

Laura raised her eyebrows, but spoke quietly. “Calm down. If you get angry and defensive, it won’t help. From what she said, it’s even more complex than the usual case. She says that there are significant allegations of neglect and possibly, emotional abuse. I don’t have a clue what she’s talking about. Do you?”

“A lot of garbage, that’s what! I left Lulu at the bar for five minutes the other night, while I straightened out a fight in the kitchen. She was inside the counter talkin’ to some customer, a friend of Dom’s. She was perfectly safe.

“This,” he added grimly, “is your husband at work. He told the police that Helena was watchin’ Lulu at the bar when he came in, and that’s why he called ‘em.”

“I hadn’t heard this,” Laura’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t see her there? If she’s following Lulu again, Stefan has every right to be concerned!”

“I’m not so obtuse that I can’t follow your line of thought,” Luke spat out. “She won’t be left alone again. I’ll find out what Helena was up to.”

He stood up and turned his back on Laura.

“Is there anything else I need to know?” Laura asked quietly.

Luke began wiping the counters near the sink. “I’m sure ol’ Stefan will tell you anything else that could help erase me from Lulu’s life.”

“That’s not what I want, Luke.” Tears welled in Laura’s eyes. “But, these people are thorough. Before they are finished, they will talk to everyone: you, Alexis, Lulu, your neighbors and ours, the staff at Lulu’s school, possibly to other family members too. I don’t think they have grounds for any sort of action, but you need to cooperate with them.

“You and I,” she shrugged, “well, we’ve been embarrassed before. That’s all this should be. A little embarrassment.”

Laura pushed back the hair from her face, and stood up as Lulu walked into the kitchen with an order slip in her hand.

“Hello, sweetie. Are you taking orders now?” she asked quickly.

“Yes, mommy. This special is for my favorite customer, Mr. Stu.”

Luke pivoted. “He’s here?”

“Yes, Daddy. Outside at the counter. I’m so glad he stopped by. He’s leaving….”

Lulu stopped in confusion. Luke was already gone.


__ __ __

Luke noted Lucky and Liz’s total immersion in each other as he strode toward Stu, who sat at the counter equally lost in his own thoughts.

“Stu,” Luke began. “Let me warm up your coffee. I’m glad to see you again.”

Stu glanced up absent-mindedly, smiled, and pushed his cup toward Luke without speaking.

Luke poured the coffee slowly, while he decided how to begin. “ I have to ask you a favor,” he began apologetically. “Do you remember if anyone else came into the bar Friday night? While I was in the kitchen?”

Stu added sugar and cream to his coffee, stirred it, and answered thoughtfully. “I can’t be completely sure that no one else entered, but to my recollection only two people came in. The first one I didn’t see until after you left. I heard the door and could tell by Lulu’s face that someone else was there behind me, not close, but perhaps back in a corner. Then, of course, her stepfather came in and chatted until you called Lulu away. They are the only people I recall coming into the bar before you left.”

“You didn’t see the first one until after Lulu left. Is that what you said?”

“Indeed,” smiled Stu. “That was an introduction I’ll never forget. Fortunately, I’m sound of heart for a man my age, and I lived through it.” He chuckled and smiled down into his coffee cup.

“A blonde woman?” Luke asked anxiously.

“Yes. She walked across the room, pulled back the curtain covering the painting, and introduced herself. ‘I am Helena Cassadine,’ she said. We spoke for several minutes before my friends arrived. Our conversation was memorable, to say the least.”

“Helena Cassadine showed you a portrait of her in the buff by way of introduction?” Luke reached up to rub the back of his neck. “Have you ever met her before? Done any business with the Cassadines?”

“No, I have heard of them though, now that you mention it. One of my businesses was tangentially involved several years ago with one of their satellite firms, if they are the Cassadines of Cassadine Industries, but it was a brief arrangement. Both firms made money, and we shook hands and parted company. I never met Mr. Cassadine or his mother though. All our business was conducted through the officials of the company with which I was dealing. It was quite routine.”

“Did she tell you why she was interested in meetin’ you?” Nothing he had heard so far made any sense to Luke.

“She was quite specific. She said that I was clearly of interest to her son, and therefore of interest to her.”

Luke nodded. “So, what was the upshot of your little chat?”

“I fear she found me disappointing. I had been unsuccessfully attempting to remember why the name Cassadine struck a bell with me, when I recalled a fund-raising letter from General Hospital. I drew it out of my appointment book and showed her the signatures. I suggested that if her son were the CEO, perhaps he wanted me to make a donation.

“In reality, I don’t believe her son could have known my name and certainly wouldn’t have known my face. I think that she was merely mistaken about his degree of interest.”

“She’s no fool.” Luke poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned back against the counter to think. “Maybe Stefan stayed, because he saw her there, and there’s ample reason not to trust her. But why was she in the bar to begin with?”

“A remarkably beautiful woman,” Stu mused, “Unmistakably a predator. If I were a younger man….” He shook his head, then laughed.

“I’d just as soon bed down with a boa, but you’re right. She’s a looker. Even now.” Luke added.

Stu sighed. “It’s of no importance at any rate,” He shrugged. I am leaving Port Charles today. I must make one more stop before I make my way home to Cambridge. I have postponed a final errand of some importance for far too long.”

Lulu came out of the kitchen carefully bearing a small plate with butter, syrup and jelly, while Laura followed with the Sunday special: a short stack of pancakes, eggs and sausage. Luke took the plate from her hands and placed it in front of Stu, while Lulu reached up and put the smaller plate beside it.

Laura looked around and said, “We have only one customer. No wonder I’m not getting any orders back there.”

“Yes!” said Lucky, looking up at the sound of his mother’s voice. “At last! I’ve got one more quarter. Mom and Dad, dance with Elizabeth and me. Just this once. Okay?”

Luke looked uncertainly at Laura. She smiled and held out her hands.

“Okay, but put somethin’ good on. We aren’t geriatric cases yet.” Luke took Laura’s hands and led her out by the jukebox.

“Come sit on a stool, munchkin, and learn from your elders,” Lucky called as he put a quarter in the jukebox.

Lulu obediently came out to watch her parents dance. Lucky and Liz joined them, while Stu began his breakfast, swiveling a little to watch the fun from his vantage point at the counter. All four were good dancers. Partway through the song, Luke and Laura suddenly swept across the floor and pulled little Lulu into the dance. She laughed, and tried her hardest to imitate her parents.

Just as the music ended, a tall, almost exotically handsome young man walked in the door.

Lesley Lu literally jumped for joy before throwing herself at the young man calling “Nikolas, you’re home! You’re home!” Laura ran to his side as well, followed by Lucky and Liz.

Luke returned to the counter and poured more coffee in Stu’s cup.

“You seemed to have a wonderful time dancing,” Stu remarked thoughtfully, glancing at Luke’s shadowed face.

“Yeah, until Nikolas showed up.” Luke picked up a rag and scrubbed at the counter with sudden fury. “If you hung around here long enough, you’d know that Nik’s arrival usually coincides with the end of good times.”

“I’ve seen that boy before!” Stu said suddenly. “Recently. That’s why I recalled the name Cassadine. Not from that deal with their subsidiary or the business of the fund-raising letter.... This week at my niece’s engagement party…. They were going to introduce me. A Prince or some type of royalty. Greek or Russian. I couldn’t follow. The girls were so pleased that he had come.”

Luke stopped scrubbing, and took a deep breath. “You were at a party with our Princeling last week?”

“Yes,” said Stu. “Now that I see him again, I am sure of it.”

Luke leaned across the counter and lowered his voice. “One question. Did all the guests survive the party?” he asked with a careful, sideways glance toward his children.

Stu followed Luke’s glance toward the happy group at the door. “No,” he said, astonishment evident on his face and in his voice. “Not all of us. But how did you know?”

Where Will All Come Home?

Chapter 12

Luke whistled softly and looked speculatively at Nikolas, before he returned his attention to the stunned man seated before him.

“Was the death unexpected?” he asked.

“Not entirely,” answered Stu cautiously. “But, I am most confused by this turn of events. How did you come by this information?”

“I accidentally overheard Stefan on the phone with Nik last Tuesday night. He was tryin’ to calm the kid down. He told him that he meant the people he’d sent Nik to meet no harm. But his tone didn’t convince me, and from the way their little chat went, I don’t think Nik bought his line either."

“Why would Mr. Cassadine want to meet someone at that party? It was largely a family affair. I don’t see a connection. We are wealthy by most people’s standards, but certainly not on the grand scale that the Cassadines must be.”

Luke started to respond, but stopped as Lucky joined him behind the counter.

Anxiously scanning the restaurant for Lulu, Luke asked, “Where’s your sister?”

“With the Once and Future, our own Prince,” said Lucky.

“Why?” demanded Luke. “And where did he take her?”

“Out for a walk. I called him last night, and asked him to drop in for a chat with Lulu.”

The muscles in Luke’s jaws tensed visibly. He turned away to wring out his cloth with unnecessary force. “Why, him?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Because she adores him. If he tells her not to pull another stunt like yesterday’s again, she won’t. He may also understand the part about strategy or retreats or whatever.”

Lucky shrugged. “I don’t quite get it, but then again, I wasn’t brought up as a Cassadine.”

He looked stricken when he saw his father’s face. “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean….” Lucky’s voice trailed off.

Luke exhaled forcefully, and threw the cloth through the hatch into the kitchen. Then he laid a gentle hand on Lucky’s shoulder. “I know, son. I appreciate your help. Why don’t you and Liz go spend some time with Audrey before you leave? I’ve got things under control here.”

Lucky met Liz coming out of the kitchen, and they returned together to say goodbye to Laura. On their way out they ran into a cook, and two waitresses coming in to work the afternoon shift.

Liz came behind the counter, gave Luke a quick hug and promised, “We’ll call from Gran’s before we leave.” The pair exited the diner, completely absorbed in each other again before the door closed behind them.

Laura came out of the kitchen. She smiled and called, “Wenders will pick Lulu up about 2:00. I’m off!”

“A lovely woman,” Stu remarked quietly.

Luke nodded, and watched her until she turned out of the courtyard in front of Kelly’s. Then his gaze shifted back to Stu and he asked abruptly, “Who died at the party?”

“A woman. Frankly, I don’t know how comfortable I am discussing this with you.” Stu’s gaze was level. “I don’t know any of you people.”

“I mean you no harm. But my kid’s livin’ in Cassadine’s house. If he’s involved in somethin’ dangerous or illegal, somethin’ that ends in unexpected death for innocent people, then his business becomes mine.”

“Your point is well-taken,” Stu sighed. “What do you want to know?”

“Was there an autopsy?”

“Yes, an autopsy is customary in an unexpected death. At least that’s what the family was told last week.”

“Can you get a copy of the report?”

“Yes.” Stu meticulously folded his napkin into thirds. “Anything else?”

“That’s what we need first. The Cassadines like poison. And they’re not too shabby at using it either.”

Luke stroked his chin, and looked at the shaken man across the counter. “Do you know the family well enough to ask the next of kin to request an exhumation, if necessary? For a second, more detailed autopsy?”

“That won’t be possible. The autopsy was rushed. Strings were pulled to expedite the autopsy, and the cremation. There was no reason to drag the affair out. It was difficult enough for the family. ”

“The cremation?”

Stu nodded. “Yes, it was what she wanted, and it was done on Wednesday night. The memorial service was held on Thursday morning in Cambridge.”

“Tough luck for us.” Luke scratched his head. “How will you manage to get the autopsy report? It could be dangerous to share our suspicions with anyone else at this point. I know you don’t know me, but believe me, there’s no way that meeting Helena, Stefan, and Nikolas in one week’s time could be good for anyone’s health.”

Stu added a last precise fold to his napkin, then pushed it and his plate away. “You don’t know me either, but I seldom promise something that I cannot deliver. I will arrange for the report to be examined by a third party, and return here with a copy for you.”

“How can I reach you?” Luke asked.

“I know where to find you. Don’t be concerned.” Stu responded, as he pulled out his wallet and laid some money down on the counter.

“Be careful,” Luke warned.

“I make it a practice to be careful,” Stu answered quietly. “I’ll see you in a few days.” He nodded and briskly walked out of the diner.


__ __ __

Stefan Cassadine sat at the desk in his office and tried to work. He stopped for at least the fifth time in the last few minutes to look at Alexis, who was asleep on the couch. He pulled his glasses off, and leaned his head into his hands for a moment while he recalled their conversation.

When Alexis entered the stables, she had been incapable of explaining her state. Sergei had been of more help than he had, Stefan thought wryly. The baby had crowed with delight as Alexis leaned her head against his father’s shoulder. His aunt’s long hair substituted nicely for the much-desired horses’ manes and he grabbed two hands full before Stefan could stop him. Alexis was reduced to helpless laughter by one glimpse of Sergei’s gleeful face. She and Stefan had disentangled her hair from the baby’s clutches with considerable difficulty. Then, Alexis had lifted the baby out of his backpack, and walked back to the house with the infant in her arms.

Sergei, thankfully, had not noticed how overwrought she was. That had been a blessing, because the baby was remarkably sensitive to his mother’s emotional states. When Laura was upset, Sergei was invariably distressed also. Mrs. Lansbary, however, had taken one quick look at Alexis, and immediately sent the two of them to Stefan’s study to rest in front of the fire, while she bustled away to the kitchen carrying Sergei. Tea had arrived soon after.

Alexis lifted her cup to her lips with a shaky hand, and took a sip before she spoke. “I haven’t thought about your fall for years.”

Stefan shrugged dismissively. “It was a long time ago. You were what? Four or five at the most.”

“Last night I dreamed about it. You and Bella on the rocks.”

She tried unsuccessfully to still the tremor in her hand as she replaced her teacup on its saucer. “There was blood on your face and on the ground around you. Your arm was twisted so oddly. I remember that much…I think I remember that.”

“My arm was badly broken, and my head cut. Head wounds bleed profusely, so seeing me in that condition was probably very frightening for you. I remember how badly my head hurt.”

Alexis stared into her teacup, and lifted it to her lips, took another sip, and went on, “The sun was going down, but it was not yet dark. The rocks… were streaked with crimson. The sky glowed. Orange and red. It was so vivid in my dream. The scenes. The colors.”

“Perhaps because I reproached you last night. I apologize for that, Alexis.” He reached out and covered her hand with
his. “Believe me. I regret it. Lesley Lu’s brief disappearance was a nightmare in and of itself.”

“You were right to reproach me.” Alexis’s eyes brimmed again. “We were careless. Lulu could have paid with her life. As you almost did.”

“You need not worry any more,” he said, and cupped her cheek with his hand. “Both incidents are past. I recovered from my injuries long ago, and Lesley Lu is unharmed.”

“She left a note. She told Luke ‘no hard feelings, she had a good life.’ I never thought about it before. That she felt unwelcome in her father’s home.”

“Lesley Lu has the security of another home. You did not, Alexis.”

“I know. But still, when I saw that note…. I would never deliberately make a child feel unwanted.”

“I always wanted you.” He grimaced suddenly and crossed his arms over his chest. “Small comfort, I know.”

Alexis gripped his hands with sudden force. “You almost died for me. Going down the cliff for my doll.”

He smiled ruefully. “You trusted me. She and I were all you had. What else could I have done?”

“I have such gaps in my memory.” She pressed the heels of her hands against the sides of her head as if trying to impose order on her unruly thought processes. “Did the guards come for us? I remember men, I think.”

He looked thoughtful “No, some people sailing past the island saw me fall. We had no guards then.”

“I remember. Men came, and I hid. They took you, and I followed them, but far back. I couldn’t let them take you…. I think.” She leaned forward, and pressed her face into her hands. “ I don’t know. Did that happen?”

“Yes, I was conscious by the time they came after me. What else do you recall?”

“You were in a very big bed. I hid behind the drapes, and watched. It was very dark before the doctor left. I came out because I couldn’t leave you alone. I couldn’t…” Alexis’s voice frayed and became higher pitched.

She rocked herself back and forth. “ Why? Why couldn’t I leave you?”

Stefan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her head against his shoulder. He whispered softly, his own eyes filled with tears. “Perhaps you remembered something else. Perhaps one night your mother tucked you into your bed, before she went to her own.” He kissed the top of her head. “Perhaps you never saw her again.”

“I can’t remember,” Alexis whispered. “ Not her face. Nothing.” She shook her head in frustration, and her body began to shake uncontrollably. “ I can’t remember my mother at all.”

He held her silently until she regained a semblance of self-control, and sat upright again.

She began again. “I couldn’t leave you. I hid Bella under the bed. She had to be safe. I climbed up. The bed was so high. I tried to climb up the side, but I kept slipping back down to the floor. I tried over and over before I finally succeeded.”

Stefan’s solemn face was lit by a sudden smile. “Stavros found us the next morning. You were curled up next to me, both of us sound asleep. It was a memorable day for many reasons, the best of which was that you spoke your first unprompted words in Greek.”

“Did I? What did I say?

“You put your hand on me, glared at Stavros, and said, ‘Mine. My boy.’ Stavros said that you were so small and bedraggled that it was like being threatened by an enraged mouse.”

. “The concept of me claiming a right to anything must have seemed comical to Stavros,” responded Alexis bitterly.

“I should imagine the fact that you thought of me as valuable might have been comical to a number of our relatives,” Stefan added.

Alexis leaned back, her face drained of color except for the dull, red windburn on her cheeks.

“Do you think you could sleep now?” Stefan asked.

She glanced at him warily. “Will you stay?”

“I will.” He stroked her face gently. “ It is my turn to keep vigil.”

Alexis lay back on the couch, and soon drifted off into a quiet sleep.

He glanced at his watch, as he quietly put his accounts away in a drawer. She had been asleep for about an hour, and clearly needed to sleep much longer. He put his glasses back on, stood up, and walked over to the chair nearest the couch. He settled there with a favorite translation of Virgil and began to read.


__ __ __

Lulu and Nikolas walked hand in hand through the snowy park in companionable silence. When they reached Lulu’s favorite bench, Nikolas brushed the snow off and invited her to sit down.

“You scared Lucky, Luke and Alexis half to death yesterday,” he commented quietly. “What was up?”

Lulu thought for a minute. “Can I explain it to you? It’s kind of complicated.”

Nikolas nodded.

Lulu embarked on her story of adjustments, partnering, and her plan to end visitation. Nikolas, an invaluable brother, held his tongue and let her tell the story in her own way and time. When she finished, he asked a few questions to make sure he understood.

“I didn’t run away. I’m not a big chicken. You understand, don’t you?” she entreated.

“Yes, I do,” He pulled her close with his right arm. “I think that under the circumstances, I might have done the same thing. You weren’t behaving in a cowardly fashion. You needed reinforcements to help you in a situation where you felt you couldn’t win. If he didn’t want to see you, you needed Luke to explain to Mother. You had already tried. Plus you didn’t want to stay someplace where you felt unwanted any longer.”

“Right.” Lulu nodded emphatically.

“But, next time something like that happens, you should call me or Lucky, and not just strike out on your own. Promise. It wasn’t really safe. And I will worry constantly if you can’t give me your word.”

Lulu nodded. “Lucas was helping me. I wasn’t really alone. But, Nik, I couldn’t tell Lucky everything. You won’t tell him, will you? About how I left when Daddy left me to go to him, and the other private things I told you.”

Nikolas smiled sadly into her anxious, blue eyes. “I won’t tell him the part that might make him sad. I won’t ever tell him about your dreams. He couldn’t help what happened any more than you could.”

“No,” Lulu agreed. “He couldn’t. But…”

“But what?” Nikolas asked.

“I wish Lucky hadn’t been gone so long. When he finally came home, I didn’t know him any more. I know he loves me, but it seems like he’s always going away. He came back to Port Charles and stayed a while, then went off again – this time to school with Elizabeth.”

Nikolas touched her face. “He didn’t want to leave Lulu. First, he had some problems with your dad and Mother, then later, he was kidnapped.”

“I know, but somehow it doesn’t make it better. I’m not a good sister, am I, Nik?”

“No,” he answered, “you’re not a good little sister.”

Lulu’s face fell.

“You’re pretty much the best little sister in the whole world!” he cried. He jumped up from the bench, snatched her up, and swung her around until she shrieked with delight.

Putting her down, he bent over and began to roll a snowball. “ We have just enough time for one good fight before I have to get you back to Kelly’s,” he said. “You’d better get yourself some ammunition!” He grinned as she began to roll a snowball.

His first snowball landed on her shoulder. He ran away, and she followed. Soon the park echoed with their laughter.


__ __ __

About nine o’clock Sunday night, Helena Cassadine was enjoying an especially pleasant bubble bath. She thought placidly of the late evening snack and rather nice wine waiting on the small table pulled up in front of the fire in her bedroom. She sighed. After Ari’s defection the previous year, she hadn’t even bothered to acquire another young man to fill his unique position in her employment. After the fact, she realized that she had actually become quite fond of Ari. And it spoke well for her, she thought, that she had allowed him to both leave her service and remain alive. She was seldom so generous. But Ari had been a jewel. One of a kind.

Her contented contemplation of her kindly nature might have continued at length, but the door opened unexpectedly at that point, and a familiar voice interrupted her train of thought.

“Do you want me to wash your back first or do you just want me to hand you a towel?” Luke Spencer inquired. “We’ve got some business that can’t wait.”

Chapters 9-10

Chapters 13-14

Where Will All Come Home?
Index