Where Will All Come Home?

Chapter 13

The startled look on Helena’s face was rapidly replaced by a calculating smile aimed at her unexpected guest.

Luke pulled a towel from the heated towel rack on the wall.

“Darling, what a pleasant surprise! It’s been so long since our last private chat. But the water is still quite pleasant, and I’m not ready to get out. Put the towel back. That’s a dear.”

Luke shrugged and returned the towel to its place.

“Now,” Helena gestured. “Pull that comfortable chair closer to the tub. Or….” She arched an eyebrow. “Perhaps you’d care to join me? I wouldn’t tell poor, dear Alexis.”

Her teeth flashed as she smiled again. “Well, not for a while anyway.” She leaned back in the tub and continued speaking. “As you know I’m quite capable of keeping secrets until I find a truly suitable use for them.”

Luke pulled a chair over and sat down. He picked up a flask from the table near him, removed the stopper, sniffed, read the label, and grunted.

“It’s a lovely scent, isn’t it?” Helena purred.

He replaced the bottle on the table. “It’s not Evenin’ in Paris, but it’s okay.”

“Wavering, are you?” She eyed him speculatively.

Luke smiled secretively, then responded. “Believe it or not, Alexis prefers my own manly scent. Returnin’ home smellin’ like a high-class French bordello might not be healthy for me. She has quite a temper.”

Helena made a face. “How dismal to think of your free spirit fettered by that wretched creature. Your taste in women is the single most disappointing aspect of your character. I had such hopes for you when you were younger.”

“Gee, Ma, sorry I let you down.”

Helena frowned. “Ah, even when you’re vulgar, I find it difficult to stay mad at you for too long. Life is so depressing these days. You’re one of the few spots of color left in the bleak landscape of my life.”

“Speaking of my colorful nature, I heard you came by my place on Friday night. What for?”

“Simple companionship,” Helena shrugged, and handed him the wash cloth. “Wash my back now, darling. The water is becoming too cool.”

Luke perched on the edge of the tub and did as she asked. “Why didn’t you come look for me? I understand you sat around a while.”

Helena sighed with pleasure at the slow, steady motion of his hand on her back. “Yes. Yes, I did. There was a rather attractive man seated at the bar talking to your little girl. You know, the child with the unfortunate alliterative name.”

Luke grimaced. “If you’re talkin’ about Lulu, she’s my only daughter, not just the one who happens to have an alliterative name.”

“An interesting observation on your part. I was relatively certain that you were unaware that you had a daughter.”

The wash cloth landed in front of her with a splash as Luke stood up and moved away from the tub. He carefully dried his hands on a towel before turning back to face her.

Helena glanced at him shrewdly. “As I said, she was talking with a rather attractive man. He was quite charming, and I found the two of them unexpectedly amusing. I am almost certain that the little minx saw me, then pretended that she didn’t.”

Luke shoved his hands deep in his pockets. “Let me make the purpose of my visit crystal clear. Lulu is of no interest to you.”

“So, now we get to the real reason for your visit.” Helena pouted. “You think I mean to harm the child.”

Luke tried to settle back in the overstuffed floral chair. He felt ridiculously uncomfortable, and had a momentary vision of himself as a crab with too-long legs trapped in an outgrown, floral shell. He stretched his long legs out in front of him and leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees.

His intent glance and the straight line of his lips were at odds with his casual posture. “Do you intend to harm Lulu?” he asked. “If so, it wouldn’t be one of your better ideas.”

“Actually no. I’ve seldom given her any thought at all until Friday night. Now, however, I find myself beginning to take an interest in her.”

“Don’t,” he suggested firmly. “It’s not an option for you. Now or ever.”

“I expected her to be fully as dull as her mother.” Helena laughed suddenly. “But she’s not. And what’s more interesting is that she may owe that to my son, himself one of the dullest men in the world.”

She nodded her head thoughtfully before she continued. “Raising Nikolas, a Cassadine mind you,” she glared suddenly and sat up indignantly, “ to think like one of those disgustingly emotional, bleeding heart Webbers was such a waste of good material. But this time,” she nodded again, slowly, “Stefan may be doing something right. What an interesting experiment he’s embarked on: bringing up a Spencer to think like a Cassadine. Much more promising than his last attempt at child-rearing.” She smiled delightedly at Luke’s look of discomfiture.

“Yeah, we’ll see about that.” Luke responded. “So, why did you hang around after Lulu and I took off?”

“I was curious. Stefan seemed interested in the stranger. He spoke to him in quite a friendly fashion. Unusual, I thought. Possibly intriguing.”

She propped an elbow on the side of the tub and rested her chin on the palm of her hand, bringing her face closer to Luke’s. “But ultimately dull. A waste of effort on my part.”

What do you mean?

Well, after I introduced myself, the gentleman pulled out a fund-raising letter. Apparently Stefan is pursuing a contribution for the hospital from him. Stefan has turned out to be a total lackey. So unimaginative. Scrabbling about begging for donations. Depressing.”

“Part of the overall bleak landscape. Is that it?”

“No, I haven’t even reached the most depressing part.” Helena grimaced. “I wouldn’t admit it to anyone but you, Luke, but I’m afraid I’m losing my touch.”

“Why?”

“The attractive man. I was chatting with him. I actually considered allowing him to entertain me for the evening.”

“And?”

“Then his date came to pick him up. A large hairy man.” She glanced at Luke to see how he was responding to her story. Since he wasn’t laughing she went on.

“There was a great deal of egregious hugging, touching, and tenderness between them and then they and another pair of men went out together. I thought that the whole group of them might burst into tears at any moment.” Helena shook her head thoughtfully. “Perhaps they were making up after a fight.”

She smiled ruefully. “I’ve never made that particular mistake before.”

“Yeah, well, I wouldn’t worry. We all have off nights now and then. And if it helps, I knew the guys he was waiting for lived an alternative lifestyle, so to speak, but I didn’t get that sort of vibe from him. Just goes to show you. Things are seldom what they seem.”

Luke stood up and plucked a towel off the rack. “Gotta go. See you soon, Helena. Don’t take any wooden nickels. Oh, and you can troll at my joint for companions now and then, if you like, as long as nobody gets hurt.”

He tossed the towel to her and paused. “But don’t forget what I told you about Lulu. It’s in everybody’s best interests.” He paused at the doorway, turned and winked, then went out as quietly as he had come in.

__ __ __

At Wyndemere, Stefan and Nikolas Cassadine were sitting companionably in front of the fireplace downstairs enjoying an after dinner brandy, when the phone rang.

“Hello,” Stefan said. “Yes, I’m delighted that you called.” He listened intently for a moment.

“Yes. Of course, I am relieved as well. You examined all the documents I procured for you? You are sure?”

His eyes lit up and he smiled at Nikolas while he continued the conversation. “It’s wonderful news. That would have been a most unfortunate occurrence.”

He put his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone and spoke. “ The woman at the party…. It was definitely a natural death. Caused by an enlarged heart. Congestive heart failure. You needn’t worry any longer.”

Nikolas looked suspiciously at his father. “You’ll excuse me if I reserve my opinion. Would you mind if I actually spoke to your so-called expert?”

Stefan handed him the phone silently.

“This is Nikolas Cassadine. May I ask to whom I’m speaking?” he asked sharply.

He flushed to the roots of his hair. “Yes, I was brought up with better manners. Excuse me, Grandmother. I agree. My tone of voice was inappropriate. I had no idea that you were the medical expert whom my father had consulted.”

Stefan smirked slightly, observing Nikolas’s chastened air.

“I am studying very hard, and I regret missing you on this visit. Will I see you at Thanksgiving?”

“Yes. Yes. Of course I’ll be here. I’ll see you then.”

“I love you too. Good night.” He hung up the phone and looked at his father.

“Try to control yourself,” Nikolas rejoined. “You might have told me that your medical expert was Lesley.”

“Is your mind at ease now?” Stefan paced by the fire. “ Do you think that your grandmother might have become one of my minions, subverted to some sinister conspiracy of my design?”

Seeing Nikolas’s face, he walked over and touched his face apologetically. “Excuse me if I was rude just now, but I am very relieved. Your concern and dismay over this situation were no greater than my own.”

Footsteps sounded on the stairs as Laura descended from the second floor.

Stefan walked over to meet her at the foot of the stairs. He kissed her lightly on the lips and taking her by the hand, returned to the sofa.

“I think a little wine is in order. My expert just called.”

“Good news?” Laura smiled.

He handed her a half-filled glass. “Absolutely. The unfortunate woman died of natural causes. Her death had nothing to do with the Cassadine family.”

“What a relief!” Laura lifted her glass in a toast. “To good news.”

Nikolas echoed her toast, then said, “I was unaware that you knew about the situation, Mother.”

“Your father told me last week. Are you surprised that my husband would share his concerns with me?” Laura smiled, and put an arm around Stefan’s waist.

A baby’s cry sounded from the monitor on the coffee table.

“Sergei is awake. No, I’ll go.” Laura gestured for Stefan to sit down. “Enjoy Nikolas’s company. I love you both.” She put her glass down and moved quickly across the room and back up the stairs.

“How much does she know?” Nikolas inquired. “Does she know everything that Grandmother shared with you?”

“No. I have honored your grandmother’s request for secrecy. You are the only one who knows that your grandmother confided in me regarding a personal matter.”

“What does Lulu know about it?” Nikolas placed his empty glass back on a tray.

“Lesley Lu? Stefan looked puzzled. “What would she know of your grandmother’s private conversations with me? I told you that I was troubled by a confidence shared with me by your grandmother. That is all the information I have divulged to anyone. What would your younger sister know about it?”

“That’s what I’m wondering,” Nikolas responded grimly. “If you are doing what I think you are ….” He broke off the sentence and stared moodily at the fire.

“Would you care to explain your odd comments to me?” Stefan crossed his arms over his chest. “What is it that you think that I am doing?”

Nikolas gazed levelly at his father. “If I guessed correctly, would you confirm my suspicions or take your more usual course, and lie to me?”

Stefan hesitated a moment too long.

“That’s what I thought,” said Nikolas. “I’m going up to look in on the baby and Mother, then I’ll go to bed. I have to fly back to school first thing in the morning.” He strode away from his father and up the stairs.


__ __ __

Luke slipped quietly into the penthouse. The living room was dark except for a small pool of light cast by a lamp on one of the end tables near the couch. He was surprised to see Alexis sitting quietly on the couch in the semi-darkness.

“Hey, baby.” He walked across the room and sat down beside her on the couch. “I left messages for you everywhere. Where’ve you been?”

“I got up this morning and went for a long walk. After that, I spent most of the day at Wyndemere with Stefan.”

He turned her face toward him and kissed her forehead and lips in turn.

“Why?” He moved a little closer to her and encircled her shoulders with his right arm.

Alexis turned a weary face toward him. “It’s a long story. I’m too tired to talk about it now.”

Luke traced the circles under her eyes with a gentle index finger. “He didn’t hurt you, did he? I won’t stand for that!” He spoke with sudden anger, but his left hand cupped the side of her face tenderly while he spoke.

Alexis reached up to touch his face. He kissed her fingers when they touched his lips. “No, no. On the contrary, he helped me quite a bit.”

“Okay. So, what can I do for you now?”

Alexis leaned toward him. “Hold me.”

Luke folded her into his arms and rested the side of his face against the top of her head.

“Now this,” he whispered, “I could do probably do for quite a while.” He began to lightly massage the knotted muscles in her neck and shoulders as her body slowly relaxed against his. “I’ll stick with this gig as long as you want me.”

“That’s a handsome offer,” she answered. “But your lawyer wouldn’t want you to make rash commitments.”

“Oh. Sure. Where is she, and I’ll get some tips on the correct legal way to have this conversation. Do you know where she is?”

“No.” said Alexis, burying her head in his neck. “She’s not available to give legal advice tonight. She’s off work.”

He smiled and began dropping small kisses on her temples. “So, I have to take my chances without legal advice?”

“Yes, I think you’re on your own.” She wrapped one arm around his waist, and stroked the back of his neck with the other.

“I said I’ll stick with this gig as long as you want me.”

She smiled up at him. “I accept that handsome offer. And it could be a long gig.”

“How long, baby?” he whispered.

“Forever might be almost long enough,” she whispered and kissed him.

Where Will All Come Home?

Chapter 14

Lesley Lu put the throw pillows in place as Alexis smoothed the last tiny wrinkle out of the new bedspread.

“Now,” said Alexis, looking around the room with satisfaction. “ That looks better.”

Lesley Lu wandered across the room to the neat workbench fitted against the wall. Alexis watched her with twinkling eyes. The little girl slid her hand over the smooth wood as if she couldn’t quite trust her senses. Most little girls would be fixated on the new ruffled bedspread thought Alexis, but Luke had known how to please his daughter.

“Daddy did a really good job making this for me, didn’t he, Aunt Alexis?”

“Yes, sweetie, he did.” Alexis smiled thinking of the effort Luke had poured into creating this odd piece of furniture for Lulu’s bedroom at the penthouse. “As long as you remember ‘No hammering after nine o’clock P.M.,’ it’s all yours to enjoy.”

“I usually do quiet things late at night at home too. Mommy makes me go to my room at nine, but she knows I can’t sleep, so she doesn’t fuss as long as I am reading or playing quietly.” Lesley Lu examined some of the small tools Luke had arranged neatly on low shelves over the bench. She looked curiously at an old erector set which awaited her attention on the top shelf. She couldn’t imagine where her father had found it.

“I can’t remember what time I went to sleep as a girl, but isn’t nine o’clock fairly late for an eight year old?” Alexis inquired.

“At school they said it was normal for gifted children, and that parents should not be alarmed. They had a whole program about how gifted children act. Mommy said she just figured it ran in the family. She never slept much as a kid either.” Lulu grinned suddenly. “She said she couldn’t have kept Lucky in bed with handcuffs, so by the time I came along she didn’t even worry when I was wide awake at the time most kids were asleep.”

Alexis pushed a wisp of hair back from her face. “How do you feel about being labeled gifted?”

Lulu shrugged. “I’m just the same as I was before. At first I thought ‘gifted’ was a nice way of saying ‘a handful,’ because that’s what I heard my teacher say I was last year. But apparently it’s good to be gifted and not just a polite way of saying that you get on your teachers’ nerves.

Alexis suppressed her smile and responded seriously. “Being gifted is a good thing. And giving up eavesdropping on adult conversations is another good thing,” she added.

“I know,” sighed Lulu. “I don’t do it anymore. I promised Papa.”

“We have a little time before we need to meet your dad at Kelly’s for supper. What would you like to do?” Alexis asked, checking her watch.

Lulu grinned. “We should try out my new bed. Let’s lie down on it and see if it feels different.”

Alexis kicked off her shoes and joined Lulu on the bed. “This does feel good,” said Alexis who had capped off a busy day at her office with a frenetic shopping trip to complete Lulu’s new bedroom décor. “Now what? A nap?” she asked hopefully.

“No,” said Lulu firmly.

Alexis sighed. She was beginning to learn that almost any time spent with Lesley Lu involved constant motion and often, an amazing amount of manual labor.

“So what do we do?” asked Alexis warily, afraid that Lesley Lu would request her assistance in hauling a decrepit car engine or sickly washing machine up the fire escape stairs.

“Have girl talk, of course,” answered Lulu. “That’s the best thing I know to do on a bed. It’s much better than sleeping.”

Alexis rolled on her side. “The best thing, eh?” She kept her face straight with difficulty.

“Yes,” said Lulu decisively. “It’s the most fun in the world!” she added emphatically as she rolled onto her side to face Alexis. “When Mommy, Aunt Amy and Grandma Lesley and me pile on a bed and talk and talk and talk! Sometimes we laugh so hard we cry!”

Alexis thought that the child painted an attractive picture. For a moment she wondered wistfully what it was like to have a large extended family of women to laugh and cry with. She gave herself a mental shake, but the thought of spending time with Amy Vining even seemed remotely appealing when presented in this light.

“We let Sergei come,” Lulu went on, “but as soon as he can talk, out he goes.” She gestured ruthlessly with her thumb toward the door. “He’ll have to go learn boy talk, or whatever it is boys do.” She looked uncertain. “Mostly they just seem to walk around and talk about horses, or be quiet.”

“Men are rather different,” said Alexis. “I grew up with boys, and they did seem to have a language of their own. I never quite understood how they related to each other.”

“But what about you?” asked Alexis, changing the subject. “What do you see yourself doing? When you’re older I mean?”

“Well,” said Lesley Lu, “we aren’t really sure. Lucas wants to be a doctor like his father, but I want to travel around and see the world first. We can’t decide if we should go to medical school first, or travel around first.”

Lulu stoked the cheerful striped bedspread. “And of course, Uncle Sonny thinks I should consider something besides medical school. Not get locked into one thing without exploring.”

Alexis nodded. “I know I started this conversation, but he’s right. It’s pretty early to think you have to have your life as an adult figured out.”

“Oh, I know,” said Lesley Lu. “Lucas says we’ll just wait and see, and we’ll figure it out when we’re more grown up.”

“Well,” Alexis said, not sure how to continue. “Do you think that you should let your cousin’s ideas influence you so much?”

Lesley Lu looked surprised. “Of course. We have to plan together. It’s our lives.”

“But sometimes.” Alexis started and stopped, then started again. “Sometimes you might make the mistake of thinking that someone is going to be there. I mean right there with you your whole life, and then he… or she, lets you down. You have to plan for yourself. You can’t always count on things staying the same.”

Lulu looked at her uncomfortable aunt solemnly. “I can’t imagine my life without Lucas,” she said.

“Maybe you won’t have too,” Alexis answered softly. “But things happen. People change.”

Lulu stared at the ceiling for a few moments, and Alexis began to regret her hasty comments.

After a time, Lulu suddenly responded. “The problem with being me is that Nikolas is always telling me things he thinks I ought to know. Things that he’s afraid I might worry about when he’s not around to help me work them out.”

Alexis looked confused. “I’m not following you.”

“Did anyone ever tell you about what happened when Papa met my mother?” Lulu asked.

“No. No, I don’t recall anyone talking about it.” Alexis remarked noncommittally. “Why do you bring it up?”

Lulu looked at Alexis intently. “Because Nikolas said it was important that I knew about it. He said that someday I’ll have questions, and that this is the answer to most of them.”

Alexis’s brow furrowed a bit. “I still don’t follow. But go on.”

Nikolas said that Papa told him that the first time he ever saw Mommy that the tides changed their course. Nothing was ever the same again.”

Alexis looked down at the bedspread, and felt the unwelcome prick of tears beneath her eyelids. “And what questions does this…?”

“I don’t know,” Lesley Lu answered. “I still haven’t thought of the questions. Nik thinks that I will. But when you started talking, I thought that his answer might be the answer to your question. He told me that it was the answer to a lot of questions.”

“To my question?” Alexis looked at the child’s face, her own face controlled, expressionless.

“Yes,” Lulu continued. “That’s probably what happened with your cousin. He didn’t mean to let you down. He was just walking along, and one day the tide changed its course. He couldn’t stop it. It wasn’t on purpose,” she finished earnestly. “Nobody who knew you would make you sad on purpose.”

“What made you think we were talking about my cousin?” Alexis asked.

“Oh,” said Lulu, looking confused. “Somehow I thought we were,” she responded guilelessly.

“You,” said Alexis, “are too clever by half.” She pushed Lulu’s hair back out of her face with a gentle hand. “It’s time for us to hit the road. Your dad’ll be wondering where we are.”

She stood up and straightened the covers, while Lulu turned off the bedside light.

“So this was girl talk,” said Alexis, as they went out the door. She smiled down at Lesley Lu and put an arm around her shoulder. “I think I like girl talk with you.”


__ __ __

“I’m gettin’ old, Tammy,” said Luke Spencer, leaning back in a chair at Kelly’s. “Make it decaf and bring three menus too. Unless they’ve gotten carried away shopping, Alexis and Lulu should be here real soon.”

He smiled as she walked across the room and idly wondered how long he would have to wait. His brow wrinkled for a moment as he wondered whether Lulu had been surprised by his addition to her bedroom. His thoughts were interrupted by the scraping sound of a chair being pulled out from his table.

“Good evening, Mr. Spencer. I told you that I would return.”

Luke glanced up and saw Stu, his recent customer, and hopefully, the means by which he would finally bring down Stefan Cassadine.

“Nice to see you.” Luke responded casually. “Bring anything of interest?”

“A copy of the medical report which you requested, minus of course, the real names. I had it examined privately by someone I trust, and it appears to be in order. Death was the predictable result of a lengthy illness.”

“Hmmm,” said Luke. He scratched the side of his nose. “I’d still like to have someone else take a look, if you don’t mind.”

Stu smiled slightly. “That’s quite acceptable. I don’t think that you’ll find anything of interest there, however.”

“Then, why did you come back with it?” Luke asked curiously. “You could have called, sent a post card, whatever.” He waved a hand airily.

Stu answered seriously. “I promised to bring you a copy, and I try to behave honorably,” “But, I also found myself in the position of having another piece of unexpected business here, so it was no problem to bring it to you.”

Tammy brought three menus, took an order for coffee from Stu and left again.

Stu leaned forward and propped an elbow on the table. “Do you seriously think that…?” he began. Luke suddenly gestured for him to be silent. Stu looked behind him, and saw the elegant figure of Stefan Cassadine crossing the room toward them.

“Good evening,” Stefan began.

“Lulu isn’t due back to you for another hour and a half,” Luke said, looking at his watch.

“Yes, I’m aware of the time,” Stefan answered smoothly. “I wanted to check on my sister and reassure Lesley Lu that I will be back to pick her up myself tonight. I have a brief board meeting at the hospital.” He looked around the room questioningly.

“They aren’t here yet,” Luke answered briefly. “They went shopping.”

“Alexis is well, I trust?” Stefan asked.

“She’s fine. Why should you care?”

Stefan leaned toward Luke and hissed, “I often regret that Laura’s father did not live to discover her. If he had, perhaps the rest of us would have been spared your charm for the past twenty years.” He turned and walked away toward the door.

Stu raised an eyebrow.

Luke shrugged. “That’s the second time someone’s brought up Laura’s father recently. Poor spud’s been dead more than twenty years. And even if he weren’t,” he added in a melancholy tone, “It’s a bit late to pass out cigars.”

Stu remained silent, baffled as to how to respond to Luke’s odd comments.

“Not that Alexis would let me smoke one anyway,” Luke added indignantly. “She’s on another weird health kick.”

“I should have liked to have children,” Stu responded, taking what he believed to be a safe course. “Of course, it wasn’t possible for us. And adoption was out of the question as well.”

“That’s too bad,” responded Luke, coming out of his funk. “I think it’s getting easier nowadays.” He added gently. “People like… you know. Dom and Theo, they would have been great parents. And, I’m sure that you would have been too.”


Stu flashed the smile that had captivated Helena at Luke. “That’s very kind of you. Dom and Theo would have been wonderful parents! It’s a shame that our society has a history of being so closed-minded on that topic.”

Luke nodded and changed the subject. “What are your plans now? I’m not comfortable with your mystery man’s analysis of the autopsy report. You may not be safe here, and you probably aren’t safe anywhere if one or more of the Cassadines is up to something. Nikolas is probably okay, and Helena seems to be on the up and up, but it’s hard to tell with her. But Stefan. He’s definitely up to something. I can almost smell it.”

Luke looked across the room. Alexis and Lulu had entered and were greeted by Stefan. He pulled Alexis into a corner where the two immediately plunged into an animated conversation. Lulu waved to him, pointed, and hopped off down the hall toward the bathroom.

“I thought that I would follow up on the fund-raising letter I received. Touring the hospital facilities with a consideration toward a significant donation should be a decent cover for a few days,” Stu responded.

Luke nodded.

“The only problem is that the person who sent me the letter is not available presently. I’m not sure how long she will be away. They were vague at the hospital when I called.” Stu handed the letter to Luke.

“From Lesley? It’s addressed to former faculty members at Port Charles U?” Luke picked up his coffee cup and made a face. The coffee had gotten cold. He gestured desperately for Tammy, who heated the cup up with a smile, and walked away smiling, checking other customer’s tables as she went, stopping with a friendly word to her regular customers as she made her way across the diner.

Lulu pranced across the restaurant toward them. Luke greeted her with a hug and a big grin. “Did you like your room?” he asked a little anxiously.

“I loved it. Thank you, Daddy.” Lulu hugged him impetuously before she greeted Stu.

“How are you, Mr. Stu? I’m so glad that you came back!”

“Lulu,” asked Luke, “where’s your grandma right now? Is she out of town?”

Lulu nodded.

“When will she come back?” Luke asked.

Lulu perched in a chair next to her father. “In two days, I think. Why, daddy?”

“Well, Stu, here has a fund-raising letter from the hospital, and he wanted to talk to her about it.”

Lesley Lu thought a moment. “That’s funny. Grandma Lesley doesn’t usually do fund-raising.”

“So Lesley Williams Webber is your grandmother, young lady?” Stu asked, glancing down at the signature on the letter.

“Yes. That’s how I got my name. Lesley Lu. I am named for her. “Right now,” Lesley Lu went on, I am a little jealous and a lot lonely for her! Grandma is far away, staying at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. There is a medical conference there.”

“Why would you want to go there?” Luke asked. “You can hear better blues music in my club any night of the week than on Beall Street,” he grumbled.

“But she gets to see the duck parade every morning. She made pictures for me.”

“What ducks?” asked Luke.

“The ones in the hotel. They parade in on their own red carpet every morning. At night they parade out again and get on their elevator.”

Stu smiled. “I have heard of those ducks. They are quite famous. I stayed there once myself and enjoyed them very much.”

Luke looked confused. “They parade into the hotel?”

“Every morning.” Stu laughed.

“Excuse me,” said Luke, noting that Stefan had left and Alexis was free. “I need to speak to Alexis for a moment.” He backed away from the table. “You’re sure about the ducks?” he asked one more time.

Lulu and Stu nodded.

She picked up the conversation as if no time had elapsed since their last meeting. “I have been thinking about you, Mr. Stu. Did you finish your ‘errand too long deferred?’”

“It turned out oddly, Lulu,” he responded thoughtfully. “I could not complete it without returning to Port Charles, so it seems.”

“Are you still very sad?” Lulu asked carefully.

Stu smiled at her concerned face. “I am feeling better, thank you, but may I ask you a question, Lulu? You seem to be a sensible girl.”

She nodded.

Stu looked at her earnestly. “If you had a problem and needed assistance, who would be a reliable source of help in your opinion?”

“That would depend,” Lulu said, “on who had the problem and what the problem was.”

“Sensible answer, I suppose,” he responded.

“Choose your tool according to your purpose, Papa says.”

“A bit cold perhaps,” Stu said. “Well, put another way, how do you decide whom to ask for help?”

“If it is a school problem, I ask Lucas. If it’s a science problem or a cheer up and get it done problem, I ask my grandma.”

“What about your father?” Stu asked quietly.

“People say there’s no one better with problems, but I don’t know myself. He and I just started partnering.”

“And your stepfather?”

“If it’s a problem that I can’t tell Mommy about, I take it to him.”

“I haven’t figured your family out quite yet. Is Lesley, your grandma, your mother’s mom? Perhaps her adoptive mom?”

“My grandma is my mommy’s real mom. Mommy is her only child.”

Stu thought for a moment about the gentle blonde woman he had seen for the first time a few days before and remained silent.

“If you have a problem, Mr. Stu, you should probably ask my mother to help. Papa is mostly interested in our family or business, and Daddy likes adventures. But Mommy just likes to help people feel happy. I think because she has had an adventurous life herself. Too much adventure, she says.”

“What do you mean by too much adventure?” he asked.

“Well, first she was switched as a baby, like in stories about gypsies.”

Stu leaned forward, propping an elbow on the table. Do you mean she was actually kidnapped as an infant?” he asked with dismay.

“No,” Lesley Lu asserted. “Switched by a mean grandpa and a nurse. She was kidnapped later.”

Stu decided that Lulu’s imagination had run away with her. “By pirates? Locked in a tower like a Princess?” he asked teasingly.

Lulu’s eyes grew larger. “No. Not by pirates. By Cassadines. And there wasn’t a tower, but an island. And not like a Princess. She was a Princess. She still is.” She nodded emphatically.

“You can’t be serious,” he responded.

“Of course I am!” Lulu responded heatedly. “That’s why she’s the best one to help you out. If you have a hard-to-believe problem, she’ll believe you. And if she wants to help you, Papa will help her, so you’ll end up getting help from both of them.”

“I appreciate your advice, young lady,” said the older gentleman, “ and I will take it in consideration. But now I see that your father and your aunt, is it…? They’re coming this way, and it must be time for your dinner, so I will excuse myself.”

“Think about what I said, Mr. Stu.”

Stu stood up, reached over and shook her hand. “I shall. Thank you very much, and good evening.” He nodded at Luke and Alexis as they walked over to the table, and left.


__ __ __

Laura Cassadine made a face at the portable phone when it rang. She was peacefully rocking Sergei in the nursery, and he had just dozed off in her arms.

The baby started at the noise, but settled back quietly when she responded promptly, ending the noise.

“Hello,” she answered in a low voice.

“Laura, why are you so quiet? Are you with the baby?” Amy Vining asked.

“Yes, what’s up?” she asked.

“Weirdness, basically. Do you want in on it?” Amy chuckled with satisfaction.

“Is this gossip or something that could wait, Amy? I’ll see you in the morning.”

“No. It’s really family business,” Amy responded, “but it’s strange. Some guy called tonight about the family cemetery plots. He seemed to think there was some problem with them.”

“How could there be a problem, Amy? That doesn’t make sense.” Laura frowned and began rocking Sergei again when his face wrinkled a bit and he lifted a small hand.

Amy laughed. “I don’t know, but we’ll find out tomorrow. I looked at your calendar, and he’s meeting us at 2:00. I’ll bring him to your office.”

Laura shook her head and grinned. “You always know what my calendar says. You haven’t changed a bit over the years!”

“I know,” Amy said cheerfully, “ but at least, I let you in on any little thing of interest that comes my way. Kiss Sergei for me. See you tomorrow morning. Bye.”

Laura put the phone down on the table at her side, and muttered, “Amy could make an event out of anything. Someone probably wants to sell us cemetery plots.”

She settled contentedly back into her chair. Tomorrow could take care of itself. Stefan would be home soon with Lulu. Her older boys were safe at college, her mother would be home in a few days, and at this point in time, all she needed to do was sing her baby another lullaby.

Chapters 11-12

Chapters 15-16

Where Will All Come Home?
Index