Helena turned to her companion, Andreas, who was holding a package, which was wrapped in yards of silver ribbon. They began to walk towards the head table where Sly and Emily were standing.
"What the hell is she doing here?" Sly whispered to Emily.
"I don't know," Emily whispered back. Her eyes immediately turned to Lucky, who was standing frozen next to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth could see Lucky's blue eyes following every move Helena made, but he did not move another muscle. It was almost like he was anticipating an attack.
Finally, Edward decided to confront Helena. He strode over to her as she neared the head table. "What are you doing here Helena? You were not invited," he said commandingly.
Helena barely looked at him as she continued on her way. "I received an invitation. I just want to give my regards to the happy couple," she smiled.
Andreas placed the package on the table. Helena smiled devilishly at the young couple. "Here's to teenage pregnancy," she nodded, and swiftly sauntered away.
Sly wanted to jump over the table to go after her, but Emily held him back. "She's not worth it," Emily seethed.
Sly saw Helena headed towards his cousin. "Oh God, Lucky," he whispered. "Somebody's got to make her leave."
Kevin Collins had been making his way across the room the minute he saw Helena enter. He was slowly making progress in the giant room, but not soon enough.
Helena walked over to Lucky, who stood motionless. Helena thought he looked like a Grecian statue, a testament to eternal youth and beauty. At least it could have been that way. She stopped in front of him and the Webber girl. "I've missed you, Lucky," she cooed. She brought her hand up and touched his cheek.
Lucky flinched and moved away from her. "Don't," he said haltingly.
"Why don't you stay away from him, from all of us?" Elizabeth asked, holding tightly to Lucky's hand.
"And where would be the fun in that?" Helena scoffed. She turned back to Lucky. "It is really a shame that after everything I've done for you we cannot be civil towards one another. Now you're associating with all of the wrong people again. Did you forget everything I've taught you?"
Lucky stared hard into her eyes. This time, he could feel it. She did not hold any power over him anymore. "No, I remembered everything, Helena. But now I know what you were trying to do. You wanted to break me, to isolate me from everyone that loves me." He then turned to look at Elizabeth. He brought her hand to his mouth, and gently kissed it. "It didn't work, Helena," he said forcefully. "You lost."
Helena could not believe his arrogance. Why had she even wasted her time with the Spencer boy?
Kevin had finally reached them, and stepped next to Helena. "It's time for you to go," he said commandingly.
"Yes, I agree."
Helena turned to the sympathetic eyes of her grandson. "Nikolas! Just the person I was looking for."
"Good, now you've found him. Please leave," Kevin said while trying to gage Lucky's reactions out of the corner of his eye.
"Grandmother, come with me. I'm sure I can find a suitable place for us to converse," Nikolas said as he looked past her to his brother. God, I hope I am doing the right thing, he thought.
"Let no one say I do not know when I am not welcome." She took Nikolas' arm. They walked out of the ballroom, and Andreas trailed behind.
Lucky let out a breath he did not know he was holding after they left. He turned to Elizabeth. "Are you all right?"
She looked at him. "I was about to ask you the same question."
"I would say you handled yourself beautifully, Lucky," Kevin interjected. "Would you like to go somewhere to talk?"
Lucky shook his head. "I'm ok, Kevin, really. I just think I need some air," he said and turned to Elizabeth. "Would you come with me?"
She nodded. "Of course."
Kevin patted Lucky on the arm. "If you need me, I'll be around. Actually, I should find my daughter and see her reaction to this." He walked away.
"Let's go out to the patio," Lucky said, and Elizabeth held his hand as they walked through the stunned crowd.
Emily sighed in relief after she saw that the confrontation was diffused. She squeezed Sly's hand. "See, everything turned out ok."
"You're talking about Helena Cassadine. It's never going to be ok," Sly said as he eyed the box suspiciously.
The band had resumed playing after their break, and people began to mill about again. Sly fingered the silver ribbons on the box. "Emily, do me a favor and stand back when I open this."
Emily looked at Sly skeptically. "What, do you think there's a bomb in there?"
"I was thinking poisonous snake myself," he muttered. Emily stepped back as Sly undid the ribbons.
Sly's eyes narrowed as he looked into the now open box. He then shoved it forcefully off the table, and the sound of glass shattering was heard.
Emily moved closer to Sly. "Hey, what was in there that got you so upset?" she asked gently.
Sly started taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. He turned to face his bride. "A bottle of cheap bourbon and the business card of a divorce lawyer with 'for future reference' written on it."
Emily shook her head. She touched Sly's face. "Hey, don't let some psychopath or her twisted sense of humor get to you."
Sly sighed and took Emily into his arms. "You're right. I just want to know what it will take to get Helena Cassadine out of all of our lives forever."
*-*-*-*-*-*
Nikolas led Helena into a small conference room near the ballroom. Helena looked back to her companion and smiled. "That will be all, Andreas. I would like to speak to my grandson privately."
Andreas nodded. "As you wish, madam. I'll be waiting for you." He then slipped from the small room, closing the door behind him.
Helena turned to face Nikolas. Sometimes when she looked at him, she saw the face of her beloved Stavros staring back at her. It made her feel better. She stroked Nikolas' arm. "I knew that when the time came, your true loyalties would be revealed."
Nikolas backed away from Helena a little bit. Even in her touch, Helena's sinister motives could be felt. "You said you wanted to see me?"
Helena's eyes made a quick sweep of the room before she spoke. "Yes. It is very important that you are honest with me. What I have to say may be quite shocking." She looked him straight in the eyes. "Do you think that it is possible that Stefan is alive?"
Nikolas tried his best to look as shocked as possible. Then, he turned on the anger. "Why would you even say something like that, Grandmother? We both know he's been dead for quite a while."
"Or do we, Nikolas?" Helena began to fidget nervously as she looked around the room again. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I am positive that I have heard his voice."
It's been working, Nikolas thought. "I know you and Stefan were not on the best terms, but maybe you're grieving anyway."
"No, no, Nikolas, this is quite different!" Her voice took on a more desperate tone and her eyes had a wild look to them. "It's almost as if he is in the room, spying on me."
"Grandmother, are you sure that you're feeling well? Maybe you just need some rest," Nikolas said condescendingly.
"Wouldn't you love to believe that, Mother?" Stefan's voice rang through the room, but Nikolas stayed absolutely still and neutral.
Helena turned her head sharply at the sound. "There it is again. Surely you heard that, Nikolas!"
Nikolas looked quizzically at her. "Heard what?"
"Stefan! He's here!" Helena was infuriated that Nikolas refused to acknowledge the obvious sound of his voice.
"He cannot hear you, Mother. I have come to torment only you." Stefan's commanding tone sent shivers down Helena's spine, though she was never afraid of Stefan before. He couldn't be a figment of her imagination. It was impossible.
"You are a coward, Stefan! Show your face to us!" Helena screamed.
Nikolas could not believe how well this was going. He did not look at it, but he knew that Luke Spencer was hiding in the heating duct above the room, capturing the whole scene on videotape. Nikolas grabbed Helena's arm and turned her to face him. "Grandmother, please, get a hold of yourself!" he said, as he saw Stefan emerge from a hidden opening in one of the panels of the walls of the room. It was normally used as an extra entrance for the hotel's wait staff when there was a luncheon meeting. He had to distract Helena so she would not see Stefan enter. It worked.
"Yes, Mother, really. Desperation never looked good on you." Stefan stood a good distance from Helena and Nikolas.
Helena turned to look at Stefan. He was dressed just like the day he died, except he had a devilish grin on his face. She had been hearing his voice for weeks, but this was the first time she had seen him. "There, Nikolas, don't you see him?" Helena rasped.
Stefan was careful not to make eye contact with Nikolas, and Nikolas looked right through Stefan to a point on the far wall. "See what? What is going on, Grandmother?" Nikolas said, his voice rising in irritation.
Keep it up, Nikolas, Stefan thought.
"Stefan is standing right there!" she screamed. She pointed straight at him, and her hand shook.
Stefan could not remember a time when he saw his mother this out of control. Now was the time to strike, but it was imperative not to push her too far. "But, Mother, didn't you murder me? Or maybe you didn't finish the job?"
Helena shook her head forcefully. "I did murder you, Stefan. The poison was the most potent of them all. It was guaranteed, 100% lethality. I watched as you fell to the floor. I watched as your muscles were paralyzed. I saw the very life slowly drain out of you." She laughed crazily. "It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever witnessed. Then after you died, I threw you overboard in the middle of the ocean. There is no way that you could have survived!"
Nikolas felt sick when he heard the details of Helena's attempt on his uncle's life. How could anyone do that, let alone a mother to her own son? He knew in that instant why his uncle had to do what he did. If Helena were willing to murder her own son, what else would she be capable of? Stefan's "death" had satiated her. Nikolas feared what would happen when she found out the truth about what had happened. He just hoped it was not right now.
Excellent, Stefan thought. She just confessed to attempted murder. Then, remembering his deal with Luke, he went further. "I was just the least of your crimes, Helena. Now, the Spencer boy, that was genius."
Luke felt his whole body stiffen when Stefan mentioned Lucky. He leaned against a side of the airshaft and listened with increased interest.
Helena was confused. Why would Stefan be complimenting her about that? "You had no idea what I was doing to Lucky Spencer," she intoned.
"Oh, Mother, you kidnapped him. And it was fairly obvious that after his return you were alienating him from everyone," Stefan said, hoping to draw her out.
Helena smiled. "Yes. What better way of tormenting Luke and Laura than taking their son from them and then bringing him back to life, only to have him reject them all over again? He would alive, but just always out of reach. They would know the pain I felt when I lost Stavros." Her eyes narrowed. "Then I would have Lucky all to myself. I just wanted someone who would be completely loyal. You could never be that, Stefan."
Luke bit his hand in an attempt to keep from screaming. That bitch had almost ruined Lucky's whole life over some kind of twisted retribution. A son for a son.
"Then with you out of the way, it all seemed within reach. I was so close to completing my plan," she spat bitterly.
"What are you talking about, Grandmother? What plan?" Nikolas said out of genuine confusion.
Helena turned to look at Nikolas. In many ways, he was her final hope. The last of the true Cassadines. "I wanted a companion for you, Nikolas. I wanted you to have someone you could trust after I am gone. A young man of your stature should have a true brother."
"Lucky was already my brother," Nikolas protested.
"But he was never a Cassadine. Lucky had great potential, but he needed to be molded, shaped into someone who could truly be your worthy equal. And I was almost there. He would be everything I wanted from my son but never got. He would be a true Stefan to your Stavros."
Luke was ready to drop through the grating in the airshaft and throttle Helena with his bare hands. She wanted to make his son into the image of the Cassadine spawn?
Stefan could not believe what he was he was hearing. Helena wanted Lucky Spencer to become a Cassadine? "You were trying to create a new family weren't you, Mother? A new Stavros and a new Stefan."
"And it almost worked. But Lucky was not as pliable as you once were, Stefan." The two shared an unspoken glance. "And so, it became apparent that the plan would never fully come to fruition," Helena sighed.
"You won't get away with this, Mother. I will haunt you forever," Stefan threatened, as he covered his own anxiety. This was becoming all too perverse.
"I am so tired of you!" Helena screamed. She fell to the ground in a heap.
Nikolas looked to Stefan. It was almost over now. He just had to get Helena out of there. Then he would bring the tape to the authorities, and she would be arrested. He stooped next to her. "Grandmother, I'm going to insist-" Nikolas was silenced when he saw that his grandmother had pulled a small pistol from underneath her dress.
Helena rose to her feet. She pointed the pistol directly at Stefan. "I want you gone!"
Stefan held his breath at the sight of the gun pointed at him. No one had predicted this. "How can you kill someone that's already dead?" he said, mustering all of his resolve.
"I will make you disappear one way or another," Helena said as she cocked the gun.
Nikolas was panicking. She was really going to shoot. He could not let her hurt Stefan, not after he just got him back. Desperately, he lunged for the gun. He struggled with Helena, and the seconds felt like years. Then horribly, Helena managed to free herself from his grasp. She pointed the gun directly at his skull.
"Why would you run to protect someone that you supposedly cannot even see? Who's not even alive?" she spat menacingly. She turned to Stefan. "Welcome back from the dead, my darling," she cackled. "But it seems the tables have turned, haven't they?"
Stefan approached Helena slowly. "You are right, Mother. I'm alive. Now I want you to put down the gun. Your problem is with me, not Nikolas."
Luke was quickly moving through the air ducts of the Port Charles Hotel. No matter his problems with Stefan, he had proved himself a capable partner, and he couldn't let anything happen to him or Nikolas, not now. He only hoped he wouldn't be too late.
Helena laughed wickedly at Stefan, all the while keeping the gun trained at Nikolas' head. "You're absolutely right. This is between you and I. So why shouldn't I use the ultimate bargaining tool - the person you love most in this world?"
Stefan saw the terror in Nikolas' eyes, and he knew he had to do something drastic. If she was going to use her ultimate bargaining tool, then so would he. "Put the gun down, Mother, and I will do anything for you." He stepped closer to whisper in her ear. "Anything."
*-*-*-*-*-*
Lucky had been silently leaning against the railing of the patio for several minutes. He seemed to be looking at a particular point off in the horizon. Elizabeth joined him, every now and then sneaking a glance at him. Of course Lucky had been disturbed by his latest encounter with Helena, but something was different this time. Somehow, he didn't seem so defeated.
Finally, Lucky turned his head to look at Elizabeth. "Thanks for giving me some time to collect myself."
"Well, I needed it too. You don't run into Helena Cassadine every day," Elizabeth sighed.
"You didn't live with her for two months." Lucky ran a hand through his soft brown hair and something that sounded like a laugh and a sob escaped his lips. "It was definitely strange when her face is the one that greets you in the morning."
"It must have been awful," Elizabeth murmured.
Lucky tugged at his jacket a bit. "In some ways, it actually wasn't that bad. I was on a ship on the ocean, not locked up in some metal room somewhere." Then his eyes clouded over. "But in some ways, it was a lot worse."
"Lucky, if you don't want to tell me," Elizabeth started, but Lucky held up his hands.
"No, I don't want any secrets between us, Elizabeth." Lucky ran his hand along the smooth railing. "I think the reason Helena kept me locked up for so long was so she could break me. Just wear me down until the things she said sounded like they made sense. And the scary thing is that sometimes, they did." Lucky blinked back a few tears that were pooling in his brilliant blue eyes. "She had me convinced that she was the only one who really cared about me, the only one who could take care of me." He swallowed. "Only it got really strange."
"How so?" Elizabeth asked.
"I really think that she's losing her mind." Lucky's voice was quiet. "Before she was evil, but you could tell she knew what she was doing. But when we were out on the ocean, I don't know, maybe something got to her. She was acting so weird." Lucky shook his head, as if he could not believe what he was saying. "She asked me to call her 'Mother.' And sometimes she would call me Stefan."
"Stefan?" Elizabeth was puzzled.
"I got the impression that she was trying to replace him with me. Or rather, she wanted to make me into a new Stefan."
Elizabeth shook her head. "What was wrong with her?"
"Things got really creepy, all right. But everything ended when I wouldn't give her what she wanted," Lucky said softly.
"And what was that, Lucky?"
Lucky's voice was barely a whisper. "She wanted me to sleep with her."
Elizabeth gasped in shock. "You didn't just say what I thought you said, right?"
Lucky inhaled deeply. "It's true, Elizabeth. But it gets worse. It wasn't like she was asking me, Lucky Spencer, it's like she was asking Stefan." Lucky shuddered with the memories.
Elizabeth was reeling from the information. "But nothing happened, right?"
"She kissed me, but I pushed her away. I guess she got tired of waiting for me, so that's when she let me go." Lucky's shoulders slumped with the weight of his confession.
Elizabeth saw how much pain Lucky was in, and she wanted to make it better, if only for a little bit. She slowly approached him. "Is it ok if I touch you?" she asked.
Lucky looked at Elizabeth, and all he wanted to do was hold her. "Of course it's ok."
Elizabeth touched Lucky on the arm, and he surprised her by pulling her into a hug. Elizabeth gently held onto Lucky, and he held on to her just the same. It felt so good to have her in his arms again after being apart for so long. Finally, they pulled back a little, but kept their arms wrapped around each other's waists.
"Elizabeth, all of those days that I was apart from you, the thought of this, of being with you like this right now, kept me sane." He reached up and brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. "You know I did it all for you."
"Did what, Lucky?" Elizabeth asked gently.
"I stayed locked up to keep you safe." His eyes drifted briefly to the ground.
"I don't understand. What do you mean? You were held prisoner!" Elizabeth protested.
"I was. But there were times that I tried to escape, tried to contact the outside world. Do you remember getting a phone call after my funeral?"
Elizabeth frowned. "All I remember was one call that didn't have anyone on the other end of the line."
Lucky flinched. "No, Elizabeth. That was me."
Elizabeth gasped. "You called? Why didn't you say anything?"
Lucky shook his head. "I couldn't. The phone was rigged. I could hear your voice, but you couldn't hear me. Another of Faison's head games," Lucky said with a bitter edge to his voice.
"But what happened if you tried to escape?"
Lucky sighed. "I got punished. And they threatened the lives of everyone I loved, especially you."
"They threatened to kill me?" Elizabeth asked in a dazed voice.
Lucky nodded. "And I would do anything to keep you safe, Elizabeth. So that's what I did. I let go of all my escape plans, all my fantasies about going free, because I knew that they would make good on their promise."
Elizabeth felt her eyes well up with tears at all Lucky had told her. She reached up and touched his face. "Lucky, I am so sorry that you had to go through all of that."
Lucky looked deeply into Elizabeth's
eyes. "I have so much more to tell you, Elizabeth, in due time. But right
now, this moment, makes it all worth it." He embraced her again. Lucky
wanted to drink all of her in, her touch, her smell, her whole presence.
Elizabeth cried a little onto his shoulder. "It's just not fair."
"You're right, it's not." Lucky looked up into the night sky. "But the one I'm the most sorry for in all of this is Stefan."
*-*-*-*-*-*
Luke looked for the most inconspicuous place to come out of the heating ducts, and he found a small hallway. He opened the grate and jumped down, landing painfully. He winced, thinking that even Sean Connery gave up playing James Bond when he got too old.
Luke broke out in a run, and he decided to try to find a cop. The place must be swarming with them; it seemed like the whole town was invited to the wedding. He approached an area with more people when he bumped into someone.
"Why don't you watch where you're going?" the person called, and Luke stopped dead in his tracks.
He turned around to look at Mac Scorpio. "Bubba, just the man I was looking for," Luke said quickly.
Mac's eyes narrowed. Spencer had finally returned. "Luke Spencer, you're under arrest for the murder of Stefan Cassadine…"
"He's alive, Scorpio! But not for long if you don't do something about it!" Luke yelled in frustration.
Mac shook his head in confusion. "You're telling me Stefan Cassadine is alive?"
"Not unless his mother has anything to say about it," Luke spat. "Now get some men together now. We've got to stop Helena once and for all."
Mac was going to protest, but Luke seemed so insistent, he decided to go along. He found one of his clothed officers and grabbed his radio. "This is Commissioner Scorpio. I need back up at the Port Charles Hotel…"
*-*-*-*-*-*
Nikolas could barely breathe. He kept looking back from Helena to Stefan. He just prayed that Stefan knew what he was doing.
"What are you saying Stefan?" Helena asked, reluctant to let down her guard.
"I'm saying that I could be pliable for you again," Stefan said, using Helena's emphasis.
Helena's eyes were a mix of conflicting emotions-extreme distrust and excitement.
"It could be like it once was, Mother. Do you remember how close we once were?" He lightly touched one of her shoulders, being careful not to incite her to fire the gun. "When I hung on every word you said. How I trembled when you touched me."
He moved around to face her. "It could be like that again. But only if you give me the gun."
Helena smiled. "Could we really be like we once were?"
Stefan touched her face. "All that and more," he whispered.
"Fine," Helena said, and she dropped her arm. She put the pistol in Stefan's hand, and then leaned in to kiss him.
Stefan swiftly stepped away, avoiding the contact, and pointed the gun at her. "Not so fast, Mommy," he sneered. Nikolas ran to Helena and held her by the arms, even though he was horrified by what he had just heard, or thought he heard.
"It would be so easy to make you pay right now, Helena. It would all be over." Stefan was deadly calm as he pointed the gun at her temple. Helena struggled against Nikolas' hold. "How does it feel, Mother? How does it feel to be powerless? To be out of control? Now maybe you know how I felt!" He laughed. "But that would be too easy. No, you are going to pay for some of your crimes. You kindly convicted yourself today."
Suddenly, the door was kicked in, and a mass of police rushed into the room. "Nobody moves!" Mac shouted. He surveyed the situation. "Put down the gun, Stefan," Mac said.
Stefan put the pistol on the floor. "Perfect timing commissioner, for once in your life," he said wryly.
"My own son was trying to kill me!" Helena shouted.
"No, Helena, I believe it was the other way around," Luke said as he walked into the room. "And we've got it all on tape to prove it."
"What are you talking about?" she yelled.
Luke pointed up to the heating grate. "Smile, honey, you're on Candid Camera."
Helena couldn't see anything, but she didn't care. She just had to get free. "Release me!" she screamed. Nikolas let go, and another officer took a hold of her. He put her in handcuffs. "Helena Cassadine, you are under arrest for the attempted murders of Stefan and Nikolas Cassadine. You have the right to remain silent…" the officer continued. Nikolas and Stefan moved away from the officers. They shared a silent glance, and then fell into a fierce embrace.
"I'm so sorry," Nikolas said as he attempted to hold back tears.
"You're safe, Nikolas, that's all that matters," Stefan whispered.
Nikolas felt a tear slip down his cheek. "Yes, Uncle, but are you?"