Chapter 22: Stefan Gets Lucky

Jason escorts Laura into the Athens airport. Laura turns to speak to
him

Laura: "Thanks for taking me to the airport. You don't have to stay, I
can take it from here. Alexis shouldn't have to wait in the limo."

Jason: "I'm staying with you until you get on the plane."
Laura: "Boy, there's no arguing with you, is there?"
Jason(smiling slightly): "Nope."
Laura(taking a cleansing breath): "I feel better already. I couldn't get
away from that compound fast enough."

Laura gets her ticket and they walk to her gate. When they start
boarding the plane, Laura gets up and gives Jason an embrace.

Laura: "I'm sure Stefan will demand to know where I am. Please don't
tell him. I need a few days of privacy with my mother before returning
to Port Charles."

Jason:"Not a problem. Frustrating him will be my pleasure."

Laura smiles. "I just bet. Goodbye Jason, take good care of Alexis.
Tell her I'll call her when I get back."

...................

Lucky holds the gun on Stefan as he hangs up the phone. Stefan sighs
and looks at Lucky speculatively. Lucky's young face is filled with
grim determination.

Stefan(calmly): "I cannot say I am surprised to see you. Do you mind if
I get up and get myself a drink? "

Lucky glares at Stefan with pure hatred. "You don't think I'm serious
do you? Well I am. I know you killed my Dad and you're going to pay."

Stefan gets up to fix himself a drink. "I am sure you are deadly
serious. As I said, I have been expecting you." He pauses to pour the
liquor. "There is no doubt, you are your father's son. Family loyalty
is a trait I admire."

Lucky: "I didn't say you could get up! This is my show, Cassadine!
You're not going to weasel yourself out of this one. You're going down,
but not before you admit you killed my Dad!"

Stefan(mildly as he takes a sip of his drink): "I have no intention of
confessing to a crime I didn't commit."

Lucky: "Stop lying! I know you wanted him dead. You hated him with
every fiber of your being."

Stefan nods. "As your father despised me. It is no secret. The whole
town knows it."

Lucky lets the hand holding the gun fall to his side, temporarily
distracted by the verbal argument. "And now I hate you with everything
I am. Stop hiding behind Mommy, Cassadine, and admit what you've done.
You hired Harry Silver to kill Sonny and my Dad."

Stefan: "I admit I wished your father dead. I have for many years. But
now that it has happened, I take no pleasure in it."

Lucky sneers. "Because of what it's done to my Mom, of course. What a
load of crap."

Stefan: "Yes, for you mother, but also for you and your sister."

Lucky becomes enraged at the mention of his sister. He angrily points
the gun at Stefan again, this time cocking it. "Don't you DARE mention
my sister! She is OFF LIMITS. Do you understand?? And don't give me
that line of bull about caring for me. You hate me as much as you hated
my father."

Stefan(trying to soothe): "No, Lucky, I do not hate you. You are a
victim of this never ending feud. Let's end this now. Put the gun down."

Lucky steadies the gun with his other hand and smiles. "Scared now,
aren't ya? Now maybe I'll get some answers. Tell the truth for once in
your life."

Stefan stands to face Lucky. "Is this how you plan on taking care of
your mother now that your father is dead? By killing me and putting
yourself in prison?" Stefan carefully studies Lucky's body position,
trying to gauge the best way to disarm him.

Lucky:"Shut up, man! Don't start preaching to me about MY family!
They'll be a lot safer with you out of the picture! It's what my father
would do. He should have done taken care of you years ago, Cassadine.
Then maybe he'd still be alive. Now taking you out is my
responsibility."

Nikolas and Emily enter Wyndemere and hear the raised voices in the
living room. Nikolas motions for Emily to be quiet as they silently walk
up to the entrance of the living room. Lucky has his back to them and
he's holding a gun straight at Stefan's chest. Stefan doesn't notice
them.

Stefan slowly walks forward, constantly aware of the position of the gun
as he looks Lucky straight in the eye. He stops when he is within reach
of the gun. "Have you ever killed a man, Lucky? Have you watched as his
life slipped away, knowing you killed him? What if I didn't have
anything to do with your father's death? Would you still want to be
responsible for killing me?"

Stefan notices the indecision in Lucky's eyes and makes his move. With
lightening speed he swings his arm across Lucky's, pushing them and the
revolver away from them both. The gun is knocked out of Lucky's grasp,
but not before the trigger is pulled in reaction to the momentum. The
gun goes flying and a shot rings out.

Emily screams from the hall. "Lucky, No!"

Nikolas leaps forward to restrain Lucky. Lucky struggles violently
against Nikolas' bear hug. "Let me go! Damn it, I said let me go!"

Nikolas continues to struggle with Lucky. "Uncle, are you okay?"

Stefan is shaking as he checks himself over. "Yes, I appear to be fine."
He retrieves the gun and removes the bullets. "I wasn't certain the gun
had bullets in it." He stares at the gun and then at Lucky.

Nikolas:"Lucky! Get ahold of yourself. I'm not letting you go. How could
you pull a stunt so stupid? You almost got someone killed!"

Lucky:"He should be dead, damn it. Not my Dad!" He stops struggling as
the tears start to flow. Emily enters the room.

Emily(still sounding scared):"Lucky, this isn't the way to solve
problems. You really scared me."

Lucky:"Let me go, man."

Nikolas:"Not until you promise that you're not going to do something
stupid."

Lucky(crying as his head hangs in defeat):"Fine, I'm promise won't do
anything."

Nikolas looks uncertainly at Stefan for guidance. "Let him go, but he's
going to stay here until I'm finished talking and I am assured that he
won't try something like this again."

Lucky looks at him with a mixture of hate and defeat. "Whatever. Just
let me go."

Nikolas releases him from a bear hug. Lucky wipes the tears from his
eyes as Emily hugs him. She leads him over to the couch.

Stefan:"I will be back in a moment." He leaves with the gun.

Lucky:"I'm not sorry I tried to kill him. He deserves to die."

Emily:"What were you thinking Lucky? Did you really think you'd get away
with this? Even if you'd managed to kill him. You would've gone to
prison."

Nikolas:"Is that what you want for your family? For Mother and Lulu?
Stupid move, Spencer." Nikolas shakes his head in disgust.

Lucky:"You would have done the same thing, Nik!"

Nikolas:"No, I would not. First I'd make damn sure that the guy actually
did it. I know for a fact my Uncle had nothing to do with Luke's death."

Lucky:"You'll have to excuse me for not believing you. You've always
been blind where your Uncle is concerned. He's evil, man. He'll do
anything and kill anyone to get what he wants."

Nikolas:"That may be, but do you have any proof at all that he ordered
your Dad's death?"

Lucky:"No. But I can feel it in my bones, man."

Emily:"Bones, Schmones. That's garbage and you know it. You almost
killed a man because of a 'feeling' you had. Come on, you and your Dad
thought Stefan kidnapped Lulu last year. You felt it in your bones that
time too. Were you right?"

Lucky:"No. But that's different..."
Emily:"No it's not. It's exactly the same."
Nikolas:"You have to knock this off, brother. Your impulsiveness is
going to get you killed some day."
Lucky(feeling trapped in a corner):"Are you guys enjoying this? Ganging
up on me is no fair."
Emily:"It is in this case."

Stefan(appearing silently):"I have to agree with Miss Quartermaine.
Emily isn't it?" Stefan walks forward with the gun and a lock box.

Emily:"Yes, it's Emily. What are you planning to do with the gun?"
Stefan:"Since ravines don't work well with our families, I thought we
would try another approach." He opens the lock box and puts the gun and
the bag containing the bullets in the lock box.

Lucky:"If you think I'm going to let you keep this gun, you can forget
it! You're not setting me up like you did my Dad!"

Stefan:"What? for attempted murder? I believe that has already been
established. The gun is going to be locked up here until it can be
disposed of properly."

Nikolas:"If you're worried, Lucky, I can hold onto the key."

Emily:"Or I can. That way the key and the lock box aren't in the same
house."

Lucky:"I want Emily to have it. Not that I don't trust you, Nik. But you
live in the same house with Him." Lucky shoots another look of hatred
at Stefan.

Nikolas:"Fine. Maybe Jason can dispose of the gun. Lucky, you trust
him, don't you?"

Lucky:"Yeah, I trust Jason. He's cool. So are you going to have me
arrested, Cassadine?"

Stefan: "If I intended for you to be arrested for this incident, the
police would already be here. No, your mother has dealt with enough in
the last few days. Having her son in jail would probably be the last
straw." Stefan locks up the gun and the bullets, handing the key to
Emily. He puts the lock box on the mantle. "So it is decided. Jason
will dispose of the gun."

Lucky:"Great. Another way you can ride to my mother's rescue."

Stefan loses his temper. He stands over sitting Lucky, making himself
an intimidating presence . "Silence! I have heard enough! You will
listen, and listen good. I DID NOT kill your father. I made an oath of
loyalty to your mother many years ago to protect her and her child. That
pledge extends to all her children. Your father's life was part of that
oath, even though I hated him. And to my dying day, I will continue to
protect Laura's children, all of them."

Lucky:"Yeah, right. What a load of crap. Just more Cassadine lies. I'm
sure your version of Cassadine 'protection' is more like a death
sentence. "

Stefan seethes silently as Nik responds with annoyance. "Lucky, don't
you know when to shut up? My Uncle speaks the truth. Even if it weren't
true, he would still be protecting you and the rest of your family. For
me."

Lucky:"Well you go right ahead and believe his lies. You always do, Nik.
Well I'm getting out of here. If I stay any longer, I'll suffocate."
Lucky gets up.

Stefan(in a voice that demands obedience):"Sit down. Now. We are not
finished."

Lucky sits downs but not without rebelling. "I do not take orders from
you, man."

Stefan(barely controlled rage):"You do tonight. Unless you wish to visit
the jail, you will sit and keep your mouth shut."

Lucky:"Fine. Have your power trip, man. But if you think I'll listen to
you, you've got another thing coming."

Stefan(ignoring Lucky's latest remark):"You repeatedly claim that you
alone will take care of your family. And yet what do you do? You put
yourself in a ridiculous situation because of your impulsiveness. You
could have killed yourself or me. Or you could have shot Nikolas or
Emily.. or an innocent servant. And then where would your mother and
LesleyLu be? Without the single-most important person in their lives,
You. Your selfishness knows no bounds. You allow your grief and anger
rule you to the point of harming your family. It is disgraceful! Is
that what your father taught you? To shirk your responsibilities to
pursue selfish revenge?"

Lucky:"Don't talk about my Dad, Cassadine! It's none of your damn
business."

Stefan:"It is when your mother and sister are compromised. Mark me, and
mark me well, Lucky. I will be in your and your mother's lives until you
can prove your ability to take care of them!"

Lucky looks at him with pure hatred. "Don't mess with my family, man."

Stefan ignores his threat. "Nikolas, take Lucky home. Either you or
Emily stay with him until his mother returns. I will not have a repeat
of tonight." Stefan turns his back to all of them to look at the fire.

Nikolas and Emily escort Lucky to the launch.

Emily:"Lucky, you sure lived up to your name tonight. I was sure he'd
call the cops."

Lucky:"Not lucky enough. He'd be dead if I was."

Nikolas shakes his head. "You really are a stubborn fool."

Lucky:"You guys don't have to worry. I won't go after him again. Not like this. He was right about one thing. Going to jail would destroy my Mom."

..............................