reb51.html

CHAPTERS 51 AND 52

Chapter 51: The Times Have Changed

Alexis' penthouse, Nikolas has just shared his news and Alexis and Nikolas are hugging while she gushes. "Nikolas, this is the best news I've had all week! I didn't know you were this serious about Gina."

"I know it's quick, but I've known for a while that she's the one for me." Nikolas breaks the embrace. "I have a favor to ask."

"Name it." Alexis impulsively kisses his cheek. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Would you be willing to look out for Gina for the next couple weeks?" Nikolas asks. "Her parents have pretty much disowned her. Evidently, they've read about us in the scandal sheets and believe all Cassadines are the same. Anyway, I really want her to feel like she's part of our family."

"Oh, poor Gina! That girl has been through the ringer, hasn't she? Of course I'll look after her. In fact, Sonny wanted me to watch out for her anyway since he sort of adopted her." Alexis takes Nikolas' hand and leads him to the couch. "So have you set a date?"

"Two weeks from tomorrow at Wyndemere," Nikolas answers. "We want it to be a small wedding, just close friends and family. Will you help? I
know you're busy and all."

Alexis swats his arm. "You're not giving Gina very much time to prepare! A whole trousseau needs to be bought! Just like a Cassadine to rush his bride. And I'd love to help, I'm not THAT busy. Oh, I'm so excited for you! I really like Gina, she's such a sweet girl."

A sad look passes over Nikolas' face briefly at Alexis' words, but she misses it. "Thank you, Alexis. I knew I could count on you."

Alexis goes to the desk and pulls out a pad. "Let's see, there'll need to be an engagement party... tell me... has Lucky gotten over his tendency to attack Stefan yet?"

Nikolas scowls. "Well if he hasn't, he's not invited to the engagement party. I just had a talk with him about this today, hopefully some of it got through that thick Spencer skull of his."

Alexis continues to talk as she makes her list. "Well he's generally more reasonable about the Cassadines than his father was. Of course the last few months haven't been easy on him.... Okay, how about Gina, you, Stefan, Laura and me sit down before Sunday dinner and do some wedding planning?"

Nikolas' face turns to stone at the mention of his mother's name. In a voice that brooks no discussion he says, "The less I see of Laura, the better." He looks at his watch and gets up from the couch. "I need to be going. Uncle was quite adamant about having a long talk with me tonight. He would not be pleased if I was late."

Alexis looks surprised and concerned at Nikolas' attitude regarding Laura, but says nothing about it. "Give Stefan my love. Have him call me in the morning. I imagine he already has some plans in the works."

Nikolas smiles as he hugs Alexis one more time before leaving. "Yes, he does. He's renovating Wyndemere for us. Thanks again, I'll see you on Sunday."

Emily and Lucky meet in the park. "Thanks for meeting me, Em, " Lucky says. "I really needed to talk to someone."

"No problem. So what's up?" Emily and Lucky walk over to a grassy clearing and sit on the ground.

Lucky picks at the grass, putting a blade of it in his mouth. "Nikolas came by the club today. He found out about my argument with Mom over Lulu visiting Wyndemere."

"Oh boy. How mad was he?" Emily asks.

"He hasn't been this mad at me in a long time. Even more than when I pulled that stupid stunt at Wyndemere a couple months ago."

"So what happened?"

"He gave me an ultimatum. If I don't back off about Stefan, he's going to blow me off." Lucky shakes his head unhappily. "I don't want to lose Nik, but I promised Dad I'd look after Mom and Lulu. Dad would want me to keep them away from Stefan."

Emily looks confused. "Wait.. I'm lost. I thought your mom said Lulu could go over to Wyndemere? So what's Nikolas talking about?"

"My mom told Nik Lulu couldn't go to Wyndemere anymore." Lucky takes the blade of grass out of his mouth and points it at Emily. "You know, a few days ago I was so upset about that. Now I'm wishing Mom hadn't changed her mind. This sucks, man."

Emily thinks about what Lucky said. "Do you want my opinion?"

"Sure."

"I think you should trust Nikolas. Lulu and your mom aren't in any real danger are they?" She asks.

"No..." Lucky admits.

"So why lose your brother over it? You can keep an eye on Mr Cassadine anyway. Nik can't fault you for that, can he? " Emily points out. "I know what it's like to feel loyal to a dead parent. I felt that way about my mom for a long time. I didn't really start living again until I started making my own decisions."

Lucky looks down sadly. "I was afraid you'd say that. And I know you're right. Nik wouldn't let Stefan hurt Lulu or Mom. But I still feel like I'm betraying my dad by allowing the enemy in the front door."

Emily stretches out and gazes at the sky. "But maybe this stupid feud died with your dad. You know that night you pulled that stunt? Mr Cassadine could have continued the feud. If he really considered you an enemy, he would have jumped at the opportunity to turn you into the cops. No one would have blamed him if he called them and had you hauled to jail. But he made a decision to let it go. Maybe it's time you did the same."

"Man, I hate it when you're right." Lucky lays down a few feet away, propping himself up on his elbow to admire her figure, saying in the traditional Spencer fashion, "You keep laying there like that, and I'll have to have YOU arrested for creating a disturbance."

Emily laughs. "Lucky! You can't stay serious for long, can you?"

"Who says I wasn't serious?" Lucky asks in mock offense. "Didn't my kiss the other morning clue you in on your affect on me? Besides talking about the Cassadines makes my head hurt and I need a break, and looking at you laid out like that was just what I needed."

Emily blushes. "You're too much!"

Stefan is on the phone when Nikolas enters the room. "Thank you, Dr Rothchild. When the time comes, I will get in touch with you again." He hangs up the phone and looks pointedly at his watch before saying sternly to Nikolas. "You are late."

Nikolas shrugs as he pours himself some water. "Just a few minutes. I wanted to tell Alexis the news and it took a little longer than I planned. She wants you to call her in the morning about plans for the wedding. Gina and I set the date for two weeks from tomorrow."

Stefan pours himself a brandy. "Your mother called me this afternoon, frantic about a fight the two of you had. She was worried about you."

Nikolas' mood turns black. "I don't particularly care if she's worried about me or not, And I don't want to talk about it."

Stefan raises an eyebrow at Nikolas' tone. "I see....I have to say I'm disappointed. With all of the responsibilities you have taken on and the way you've handled yourself in difficult situations in the last few months, I thought you were ready... ready to take your place at my side running this family."

Nikolas says, "What do you mean I'm not ready?! I know I'm ready! Is this about my argument with Laura?" Stefan nods. "Why are you taking Laura's side in this?"

Stefan says gently. "You see, that is the problem. You see sides. Until you can step back and look at all the information objectively, you aren't ready." Stefan turns away to sit on the couch. "Let me make myself clear. I am not taking any side, I merely wished to discuss the matter with you. And how did you respond?"

"I told you I didn't want to talk about it. So?" Nikolas paces angrily. "I'm still angry about it. Discussing it again will only make me angrier."

"Or perhaps you want to stay angry and that is why you refuse to discuss it." Stefan takes a sip of his brandy.

Nikolas slumps on the couch like a sullen teenager. "Fine. You want to talk about it, we'll talk about it." There is a long silence. He gives Stefan a questioning look, who in turns motions for him to start. Nikolas sighs heavily before beginning. "It always comes down to the same thing. The Cassadines are evil, and I'm a Cassadine, therefore I'm not to be trusted."

"Is that what she said?" Stefan asks.

"No, she's more subtle than that. She was 'concerned' that I was rushing Gina, that Gina needed time to understand what it is to be a Cassadine. I called her on it and she came up with an explanation, that she meant that the Cassadines are royalty. But it's a load of garbage. Then the real kicker is she doesn't want Lulu to come to Wyndemere anymore. She gave some lame excuses that my sister is having nightmares and that she might break something valuable here." Nikolas scowls at the floor. "The bottom line is she doesn't trust me. Not really."

Stefan nods, saying quietly. "I can see how you would think that." He rises from the couch to pour himself a refill. "I think I owe you and Laura an apology. I'm afraid my negligence has caused this argument."

Nikolas does a doubletake. "What? How could you have caused this argument? If anything, Lucky is to blame."

Stefan methodically puts the top back on the decanter. "I know nothing of Lucky's involvement. I am referring to the fact that I neglected to tell you a few things about your sister's visit."

"What things?"

Stefan rejoins Nikolas on the couch. "I didn't have a chance before you left to tell you that your sister had a nightmare the night she visited. I had planned to tell you and Laura together, but then your mother was delayed and you were in a rush to meet Gina."

Nikolas seems surprised. "How bad was the nightmare?"

Stefan unbuttons his suit jacket to make himself more comfortable. "Bad enough that she went on a late night tour to check that we were still alive. Apparently you sleep pretty soundly. I however, do not. She gave me quite a fright when I awoke to her staring at me. She became quite distraught when I tried to get her to go back to her room. She was convinced that if she did not stay with me that I would die... just like her father, just like her great aunt."

"I had no idea..." Nikolas says, looking shocked.

"There was no way for you to know. When I told your mother of it, I was vague. But I'm sure she already knew of LesleyLu's propensity for night visits but perhaps not the reasons why." Stefan takes a sip before continuing. "There's more."

"What else happened?"

"Your sister almost broke the Ming vase in the hall when she was chasing after Timoria." Stefan sighs. "Mrs Lansbury caught it before it fell, but Laura was quite upset."

Nikolas shakes his head unhappily. "Did you tell her it was no big deal.. that we would relocate the more valuable heirlooms?"

"Of course, but the damage had been done. It just reinforced your mother's impression that Lulu didn't belong at Wyndemere." Stefan swirls his brandy. "I've already taken steps to correct the problem. Ironically, your argument with her will do more to change her mind than anything I could do. She was devastated."

Nikolas gets up and walks around as he processes the information. "Poor Lulu....has Laura looked into getting some help for her?"

Stefan nods. "She has been in contact with Simone Hardy, LeslelyLu's pediatrician, who doesn't seem too concerned at this point."

"That's not good enough!" Nikolas says while continuing to pace. "My sister shouldn't be worrying about whether her family is going to die or not!"

"I agree. Which is why I was on the phone with a child psychologist who specializes in grief and loss when you came in earlier."

Nikolas looks relieved and he stops pacing. "What did he say?"

Stefan puts his brandy down. "Dr Rothchild said that she didn't have enough information to determine whether LesleyLu requires counseling or not. She needs to interview LesleyLu and Laura to be able to make a recommendation."

"So let's do it!"

Stefan shakes his head. "I decided it should wait until after the wedding. This will likely upset your mother and certainly Lulu. When I spoke of this to Dr Rothchild, she suggested waiting a few weeks until life returned to normal." Stefan gets up and takes off his suit jacket to roll up his sleeves. "We digress, however. We were discussing your argument with Laura."

Nikolas runs his hand along the mantle as he mulls the information Stefan's given him. "I cannot forgive her just like that, Uncle. Even with what you've told me, the fact remains that if this were Lucky, she wouldn't restrict LesleyLu's visits. It's a double standard I can't accept. Every time I look at Laura, I'm reminded of all the times she's left me.. And now, rather than being happy for me that I am marrying the woman I love, she expresses her 'concern' that Gina might not be able to handle being a Cassadine."

Stefan puts his hand on Nikolas' shoulder. "Her rejection is a bitter pill to swallow. There is no way to sweeten it, and I am not sure I would want to. But your mother's concern for Gina is understandable. Don't forget your mother was in that position once, and she wasn't given any choices. Or any time to acclimate to family, much less to the Cassadine tradtions."

Nikolas looks up at Stefan and asks, "What was it like for her to be married to a Cassadine? You've told me the story of how she came to marry him but not the rest of it."

Stefan nods and pats Nikolas' cheek affectionately. "Yes, it's time you knew more of the story. Now that you are ready to marry, you should know about the past, so you don't repeat the same mistakes." Stefan walks around the room as he tells the story. "As you know, Laura agreed to marry Stavros to gain freedom. Once he had her agreement, he rushed the marriage... only giving her 24 hours to prepare. She was alone, without family or friends, save me-- and I wasn't much of a friend at that
point."

Nikolas listens quietly as Stefan continues."During the marriage, Stavros was rough with Laura." The muscles in Stefan's jaw tighten. "When he drank he was cruel, Nikolas. The marriage was a nightmare for her. I could hardly blame her when she left. Except for what it did to you." Stefan stops to pick up his brandy off the coffee table.

"You know the rest; Stavros came after Luke and Laura when she escaped. Luke killed him after a violent altercation. It is purported that Stavros tried to rape Laura at knife point." Stefan shakes his head grimly. "I wish I could say there was no basis for that rumor, but I have seen the police reports and the photos of the crime scene."

"How could he do that to her?" Nikolas asks in a pained whisper.

"He was obsessed, Nikolas. He wanted your mother at any cost. That's how he was. When he saw what he wanted, he took it, no matter who it hurt. It was that greed, that insanity, that killed him." Stefan drains his brandy glass. "Obsessions with women seem to run in the family. That is why I've tried to teach you self discipline from an early age. It is that self control that makes us a different breed of Cassadine."

Port Chuck 1999.52 True Confessions

In unison, Stefan and Nikolas push back their chairs at living room table after dinner. Their dinner plates are practically untouched, neither interested in the food given the seriousness of the conversation. Stefan motions Nikolas back to the couch, pouring a stiff drink before joining him there. Stefan joins Nikolas. "I believe you are ready to hear the rest of the Cassadine secrets. I will warn you, most of them are extremely unpleasant. Knowing them is like splitting an atom, it comes with incredible power but at tremendous cost.. the loss of your innocence. Now is the time to tell me if you don't want to know. Once I start, there is no going back."

Nikolas takes a steadying breath ."If I am to be the head of this family some day, it's important for me know everything, even if it's horrible. Go ahead."

Stefan strokes his moustache thoughtfully. "How to begin? I guess the best place would be at the beginning. Helena had a younger half-sister you never met, her name was Melanie." Stefan gets up and walks around the room, coming to a rest behind one of the ornately carved chairs. "If it's possible, she was a bigger monster than Helena. When she visited Helena, I always made sure you were away with me on a business trip."

"I remember Grandmother mentioning her, I've always wondered why you never let me meet her. Why? What was so awful about her?"

"She was dangerously insane." Stefan grips the back of the chair so tightly, his knuckles turn white. His voice becomes hard and quiet.. "She had a tendency to act out in sexually inappropriate ways. I did not want you subjected to it."

Nikolas pales. "I didn't know..."

"Helena refused to see it because she adored Melanie. It was easier to remove you from the situation than to have a violent argument with your grandmother."

"You speak of Melanie in the past tense, does this mean she's dead?"

"Yes. It is believed that one of her sons murdered her."

"This is unbelievable...." Nikolas looks shellshocked. "What happened to her sons? Are they dead too?"

"Melanie had identical twins. The twin that killed her died several years ago. You might have heard of him in passing since he was notorious figure here in Port Charles. His name was Ryan Chamberlain. He was criminally insane." Stefan takes a deep breath. "The other one is Kevin Collins. He has no idea that he is related to us."

Nikolas looks aghast at Stefan. "Kevin? You've known all this time and you didn't tell me?!"

"Yes, telling Kevin he is related to us is a delicate matter. I had to be sure you were mature enough to handle the information discreetly. This was as much for Kevin's mental well being as it was for the Cassadine family. It was also important that time passed so that the reputations of the Cassadine family and Kevin could be reestablished in good standing in the community. Certainly it would have done Kevin nor us any good if we had declared our familial association to him when we first came to Port Charles."

Nikolas leans back on the couch and rubs his forehead. "So you do plan on telling him eventually?"

"Of course. But only after I have gained his complete trust." Stefan rejoins Nikolas on the couch. "The first major step in telling him has been taken. So far, it has been successful."

"The first major step?" Nikolas asks.

"Yes. Melanie also had a daughter. She has been in hiding for her own safety until very recently." Stefan takes a sip of his drink. "Her name is Cassandra.... Cassandra Corbin. Kevin recently found out that she is his sister."

Nikolas shakes his head at the enormity of the information. "That's Mike's connection to us? That's why he does your bidding?"

"For many years, our association was.... mutually beneficial," Stefan replies. Timoria rolls on her back in between the two men, stretching her front paws out to offer her tummy for petting. Stefan strokes her stomach soothingly as he continues with his story. "When Cassandra was two years, Melanie's intense dislike of her daughter turned murderous. Mike caught her in the act of suffocating Cassandra with a pillow and came to your grandfather, Mikkos, for assistance.. timoria. Mikkos helped him get off the island and made sure the men sent after them never found them. When your grandfather died, he left me a letter asking me to take over the job of protecting Mike and Cassandra. Your grandfather knew that Stavros would hand Mike and Cassandra over to Helena."

"It's incredible how you've done this for years without my having any inkling." This time it's Nikolas' turn to leave the couch and roam the room. His shoulders hunch slightly, showing his unhappiness. "You've never really trusted me, have you?"

Stefan locks eyes with Nikolas, willing him to believe. "It wasn't a matter of trust, Nikolas. Lives were at stake and you were too young to assume the responsibility of protecting them. If Helena had somehow gotten her talons into you, knowing this information would have put you in jeopardy. I couldn't put you in that position until you were powerful enough to fend her off."

Nikolas nods in understanding. "So Mike has been working for you ever since."

"Not exactly, " Stefan continues. "For years, I merely watched over them, ensuring no harm came to them. On your seventh birthday, I staged the coup. That is when Mike came to my aid. He helped me defeat your grandmother's minions. He has been working for me in one capacity or another ever since."

For several minutes there is silence between them while Nikolas digests the information. Then Nikolas asks, "So you sent Mike to Port Charles to watch my mother?"

Stefan nods. "Yes. I have always kept a watchful eye over your mother... to protect her." He gets up from the couch to refresh his drink. "On more than one occasion, I had to intercede when Frank Smith's men got too close." Stefan smirks. "Luke always thought it was his keen perception and quick thinking that saved their lives."

Nikolas eyes Stefan carefully. "Did you watch over my mother for me or for yourself?"

"Both." Stefan ambles around the room, absently noting the artwork on the walls, giving the appearance of being calm.

"Are you in love with my mother?"

Stefan stops dead, weighing his choices and running his fingers through his hair before answering. "Yes."

"For how long?" Nikolas bites out.

Stefan looks at the floor, unable to meet Nikolas' scrutiny. "Since the moment I laid eyes on her overlooking the cove back on the Cassadine island. For years I tried to deny it, to fight it. Now I just accept it as a fact of my life."

Nikolas closes his eyes, lowering his head slightly and leaning his fist on the mantle. "I should have known, Lucky was right."

It is late at night when Lucky arrives home to find his mother sleeping on the couch with the TV on. She wakes with a start when she hears his footsteps. "Oh! Hi, Lucky. I must have fallen asleep..." She uses the remote to turn the TV off.

Lucky quickly hugs her as he flops down on the couch beside her. "Hey, I'm glad you didn't go to bed. We need to talk."

Laura peppers him with questions. "Is it about Nikolas? Did the two of you fight? I tried to head him off but he wasn't buying it."

"Yeah, he came by the club this afternoon and read me the riot act," Lucky replies. "Said he would blow me off if I didn't back off about Stefan."

Laura looks at her hands sadly. "I was afraid of that. He was so angry this afternoon.. and nothing I said made any difference."

"I've done a lot of thinking and I'm really sorry I gave you such a hard time about Lulu visiting Wyndemere. I wasn't being fair to you, Lulu, or Nikolas. I guess I just got hung up on what Dad would want."

"Thank you for saying that." Laura takes Lucky's hand and squeezes it. "I love that you're loyal to your father. Every day you remind me more and more of him. He'd be so proud of how you've handled yourself."

Lucky smiles. "Thanks, Mom."

"You don't know what it means to me to have your support, Lucky. It is so hard on me when we fight." Laura hugs him tightly before returning to the topic of Nikolas. "Somehow I have to make it right with Nikolas. He's got it in his head that I'm against his marriage to Gina...."

Lucky looks confused. "Wait a sec.. did you just say Nikolas is marrying Gina?"

"He didn't tell you?" Laura asks.

Lucky shakes his head. "No... he was pretty ticked at me. The only thing we talked about was Lulu visiting Wyndemere. No wonder he wanted me to get lost when he was with Gina...."

Stefan and Nikolas are sitting on the couch side by side while
Stefan finishes Cassidy's story. "When Cassandra heard that Corinthos had been killed, she decided to come to Port Charles to know what was left of her family and to comfort her father."

Nikolas shakes his head incredulously. "I have two cousins I didn't know about. And another one that's dead. Tell me, does Cassandra have any... mental problems?"

Stefan shakes his head. "Fortunately, no. She is one of the most tightly wrapped women I know. I assume being raised away from the family is what saved her. An argument for nurture over nature I guess. Cassandra attended a boarding school in Switzerland near Alexis, who befriended her." Stefan pauses to take another sip of his drink. "And now that Helena is incapacitated, there is no reason for her to remain in hiding. Which is why she is now working openly for Cassadine Inc."

Nikolas's eyes flicker as a thought occurs to him. "Did you have anything to do with Grandmother being incapacitated?"

"Indirectly, yes. I arranged for her to find one of her henchmen in her bed after Spencer and Corinthos were shot. That is when she had her stroke."

Nikolas shakes his head as all the pieces fall into place. "Harry...did you arrange for him to be killed?"

"I didn't have to, he was already dead." Stefan gets up and pours himself another drink. "And I suggest we table this discussion. Any more knowledge about Harry's death could put you in a compromising position with the authorities."

Nikolas leans forward, his elbows on his knees and his head hanging down, clearly exhausted from the emotional discussion. "I'm so used to you hiding the truth from me that this openness has been a shock. You have given me much to think about. I can see why you've kept all these secrets. A few years ago, I would have been overwhelmed by it all. I am now. This is why Laura was so hesitant. I wish I had known this before I asked Gina to marry me..."

Stefan takes a sip from his brandy glass. "Would it have prevented you from asking her?"

Nikolas gives him a look of bewilderment. "I don't know.... I think I would have thought twice before proposing. How can I expect her to understand this?"

"She won't." Stefan leans forward to put a hand on Nikolas' shoulder for comfort. "But remember, she isn't marrying the past, she is marrying you. You have turned into the man I dreamed you would be when you were a child. I am confident that the two of you can have a happy life together."