Chapter 65 A Perfect Ending

The house is quiet, asleep for the night except for one night prowler. Stefan, dressed simply in black slacks and a gray sweater, turns off the lights throughout the house. He is jittery, an emotion he has rarely shown to the outside world.

Everything is as planned. Mrs Lansbury has gone for the night. Laura is asleep upstairs where he left her just a short while ago, her blonde hair like a halo around her when he kissed her lightly on the top of her head and said "Goodbye, My Love."

LesleyLu is tucked safely into her bed with Timmy the cat snoozing against her. She didn't even stir when Stefan kissed her cheek one last time.

And finally, no sounds were evident in Nikolas' suite, with Anastacia just having been nursed a short while ago. Alexis was at her penthouse after taking the last launch of the night.

He visits the security room where the cameras viewing the island are housed and surveillance tapes are kept around the clock. Stefan targets one camera/video tape machine. He pulls the tape, but otherwise leaves it undisturbed.

Stefan pulls the vial out of his pocket to check it one last time, then heads out the door, careful to close the door quietly.



Upstairs, Laura wakes from a restless slumber to reach for her husband. He isn't there, his place in the bed cold. She sits up, the last words in her dream reverberating in her head. "Goodbye, My Love." Laura frowns. Something is wrong, very wrong.



Nikolas sits up in bed after turning over for the hundredth time. He can't get to sleep. His heart is racing a mile a minute but he doesn't know why. Stefan's words from this morning keep repeating themselves. "You have outgrown my counsel, Nikolas....If I were not here, you would manage quite effectively....Thank you for blessing my life, Nikolas..."

Nikolas' stomach churns as he replays their morning conversation in light of everything else. Stefan's behavior has been just short of bizarre these past few months. His gradual deterioration, the terrifying visit to the cliff a few weeks ago, his disappearance the day of Anastacia's birth.... then returning home as if nothing was wrong. The rapid shift into health doesn't make sense.

"What's the matter, Nikolas? Can't you sleep?" Gina asks groggily.

"Something's very wrong with Uncle. I can feel it." He shakes his head unhappily. "I just can't put my finger on it."

Gina sits up, rubbing Nikolas' back. "Why don't run it by me?"

"It's this conversation I had with him this morning. He was just so... I don't know.. emotional. He talked about how proud he was of me, how I'd outgrown him, that I didn't need him anymore. He kept talking about retiring..."

"What?" Gina's wide awake now. "Woah. Stefan mentioned retirement? That's not like him at all."

"I know. First he was a basket case before Anastacia was born, then he disappeared for a few days." Nikolas gets up and starts pacing. "And now he's back home and he's pretending everything's fine... Actually I wouldn't even say he's pretending. He's.. he's at peace."

Gina's heart drops into her stomach. "You don't think he'd kill himself do you?"

Nikolas goes pale. "What.. what do you mean?"

"Well, I just remember when I was in my psych course last quarter, they talked about the warning signs of suicide. Often, if a person is suicidal and they decide to kill themselves, they actually calm down, they look like they're getting better, they tie up loose ends..."

"No no no no....." In a panic, Nikolas throws on a pair of jeans and sweater and races for the door to his suite. He turns back to Gina who already has the phone in her hand "Call Kevin, right away. I'm going for Uncle. Keep my mom here. She doesn't need to worry about this."

Nikolas opens the door and comes face to face with Laura. "What don't have to worry about?" She demands.

"Mother, I don't have time right now, I'll explain it later." A hysterical Nikolas tries to brush past Laura, but she's not having any of it. She grabs him by the arm.

"This has something to do with Stefan, doesn't it? He's in trouble." When he tries to pull away, Laura grabs Nikolas by the shoulders with surprising strength and shakes him. Her voice is commanding and fierce. "TELL ME NOW!"

Nikolas crumbles. "I think Uncle might try to ... kill himself. I.. I have to find him!"

Laura lets go of Nikolas immediately as the sick realization sinks in. Her mind racing a mile a minute, Laura pieces it together. "Oh God, he.. he said goodbye to me tonight. Things have been going too well. It all makes sense.. this feeling of dread. Where would he go? Never mind, I know where he would go."

Laura catches up with Nikolas in the hall, dashing through the door he's holding open. "When we find him, Nikolas, and we WILL find him, I will be the one talk to him. Why didn't I see this coming, I should have seen this coming!"



The night is cool and breezy by the cliff's edge where Stefan stands gazing into the unusually clear sky. The full moon is low, shining off the water and giving it a magical quality. Such beauty. Every moment the last two days has been magical for Stefan. Holding his grandchild for the first time, Reading to LesleyLu, his playful banter with Alexis, his achingly sweet lovemaking with Laura, and finally the exhilarating ride with Nikolas.

It really is a perfect ending, Stefan decides. Preferable to the agonizing slowness he's felt these last few months, the slow death that awaits most people. Everything is tidy, everyone is taken care of so he can feel at peace when he leaves. No doubts, no regrets. A unique experience for Stefan, because he can't think of a moment in his life where he felt no regrets. Even as a small boy he had them.

Stefan rolls the vial in his hand inside his pocket while Helena's voice whispers in his ear seductively. "Make me proud, Stefan. For once in your life, make me proud."

"Yes, Mother."

A twig breaks behind him. Stefan, hyper-alert, turns at the sound, half expecting to see a rodent or dog, not really knowing what to expect. But the last thing he imagined was the vision of Laura, her golden hair shining in the moonlight. He shakes his head and turns away. It's his imagination, she can't be real.

Then the vision speaks. "Stefan." Her voice is small, uncertain, and relieved.

Stefan doesn't look at her. This way he can pretend she isn't really here, isn't ruining his plans. "Return to the house, Lasha. I will be return shortly."

Laura takes a few tentative steps towards him. He's so close to the edge, a strong breeze could send him over. "I'm not leaving without you." She reaches her hand out to him. "Take my hand, Stefan. Please. Come home with me."

"I am home." Stefan looks at the water, the rippling of the light on the current. "Go away. You don't belong here."

"I belong with you," Laura pleads. "Please, this can't be what you want. Take my hand."

Stefan finally turns to face her, his face pinched with anger. "What do you know about what I want? When have you ever cared about what I want? Leave me now, Laura. Let me have some peace."

"Then tell me what you want, Stefan. I'm listening now. I'm here, you have my full attention." Laura takes another step towards him. Stefan steps away in response, one foot sliding on the sandy gravel at the cliff's edge. Laura's heart lurches while Stefan regains his balance.

Stefan speaks as he would to a dim child. "As I've said repeatedly, I want you to go home, go to bed. Everything will be right in the morning."

"You don't think I know what you're trying to do?" Laura's eyes fill with tears. "You don't think I haven't dreamed of taking the walk you want to take? You saved me from it, not once, not twice, but three times. First on the island, then at Luke's grave, and again when Richard disappeared. If it hadn't been for you and Lulu, I would be dead. I know it in my heart. So don't you dare expect me to let you go!"

Stefan's shoulders sag. This isn't how it is supposed to be. His last moments are supposed to be peaceful and serene. He can't even do this right. "You can't possibly understand, Laura."

Laura takes a baby step towards Stefan. "Then make me understand."

"I am doing this for you, Laura. And for LesleyLu, even for Nikolas." Stefan is surprised and a little confused. The words sound hollow and false out loud. And yet for weeks he's been convinced of the truth in them. "I am broken, Laura. I can't be fixed."

"I don't believe that," Laura refutes. "How could this be good for us when we will be devastated if you die?"

"You don't see it. You are too close, you are too loyal, too loving to admit the truth to yourself," Stefan explains. "But it is true. I am poisoned. My mother, she has used me as her weapon for years. I finally accepted the truth when I sat at her bedside."

Laura pales at the mention of Helena. She is at the root of this? "Why didn't you kill her then? she's the one that's poisoned, that deserves to die, not you."

"I tried to kill her actually." Stefan's voice is flat, unemotional. "I was a second away from sending her to hell where she belongs. But I didn't."

"That's because you aren't a murderer," Laura states. "This proves it, Stefan. You aren't like Helena. You are nothing like her."

"No, I am more than capable of murder, Laura. The reason I didn't kill her is because I realized it was too late. She already lives inside me." Stefan eyes are fixed on the water, the peace he would find there. From the torment, the guilt, the burning rage. It would gone. And his family would be safe. "She will use me to destroy us all, Laura. I won't allow it."

Laura's stomach rolls and pitches with fear. He could jump at any moment. As long as she keeps him talking, he's with her and she has a chance to make a dent. "You're wrong, Stefan. You are nothing like Helena. You are loving, generous, protective. There's a tenderness in you that melts my soul. It's the reason I fell in love with you, twice. I need you, Stefan. Lulu needs you. And so does Nikolas. We have a future, a wonderful future ahead of us. You can't give up on us."

Stefan glances over at Laura, moved by her impassioned words. "I used to believe that, Laura. When we married, the months we lived together as husband and wife, watching you grow big with our child. My heart was so full." Grief long buried rise to the surface. "I told you then, how terrified I was to be happy. But because of your faith in me, I let myself be happy...." His shoulders shake with silent sobs.

Laura cries with him. "Oh God, Stefan. Why did this happen to us? Why? Every night I ask that question. I don't get an answer." Inching closer, her arms ache to hold him, to comfort him but he's too far away from her and too close to the edge.

Stefan pulls himself together, gathering his resolve. "It happened because of me. I destroy everything I touch, Laura. I've known it since I was a child. It's my mother's curse. And it won't end until I end it."

Laura shakes her head adamantly. "No, I don't believe that. People aren't cursed. Not in the way you mean."

"Which is why I must act. I can't watch it anymore. I can't watch you suffer. I can't watch you grieve loss after loss, knowing I am the cause." Stefan looks at Laura pleadingly. "I want you to be happy, Laura. You deserve it. Find a man who loves you and LesleyLu with his whole heart. There is someone out there for you. I am sure of it."

"NO!" Laura's glares at him fiercely through his tears. "NO! You are that man, Stefan. You are the man who cherishes me and my children. Who would protect me with his life if he had to." She shakes her head over and over. "No, I don't want anyone else, there will be no one else. You are the man I love, the only man I love or will ever love again. Don't you DARE expect me to find someone else! Like my love has no meaning, no depth! I'm not some sort of possession you can give away in a will."

In the face of Laura's anger, Stefan sags. "You don't want me, Laura. Not as I am now. I'm dead inside. What you see is a mere shell. I have no love left, no joy, no hope. I'm empty. The man you want doesn't exist anymore."

His words are cruel, and Laura feels the sting. Instead of retreating, she takes another step towards Stefan, anger and hurt fueling her. "Are you saying that our last night together, the last time we made love didn't mean anything to you? When you told me I was the only woman you would ever love, when you made me crazy with need?" Laura stares Stefan down. "Don't tell me my husband doesn't exist. Don't tell me you have no love left, no joy. You were happy last night. It was real between us! Say it, Stefan, Look at me and SAY IT"

Stefan meets her eyes. "It was real, Laura. All of what you say is true. But it doesn't change the facts. Please leave me in peace, let me go."

Finally within his reach, Laura grabs his hand. She looks him straight in the face as she comes to stand right at the edge with him. "You really want to die? Then take me with you."

Stefan's heart drops seeing Laura so near, in such peril. The situation was quickly getting out of control. "What?! No. Absolutely not. Laura--"

Laura takes his other hand and squeezes it. "This is the way it will be, Stefan. I won't bury another husband, I won't live through another loss, not without you by my side. If you are convinced this is the only way to get rid of Helena's curse, then I'm part of the package. Because she cursed me from the moment she laid eyes on me."

"Laura, this is insane. Step way from the ledge. Please--" Stefan tries to calm his rapidly beating heart, but he can't. He can't think when she could fall so easily.

Laura glances down at the water, then back to Stefan. "Which is it going to be, Stefan? Will we live together, or die together?"

Stefan starts to tremble violently. "I.. I can't.. I can't think. This can't be what she meant... She promised..."

Laura looks at Stefan in confusion, he's not making sense. She's losing him. "Stefan, STEFAN. Who is She? What did she promise?"

"She promised it would be over, everyone would be safe. My mother..." Stefan looks up at Laura as the horror sinks in, and then the rage. "My mother would want this.... She's USING me again! What a FOOL I've been!"

Laura holds Stefan's face as he crumbles. "Talk to me, Stefan, please. I want to understand."

"You can't be here, you can't be this close...you can't fall. I never wanted you to be a part of this. Never." Stefan's trembling hands grasp Laura's shoulders in an iron grip.

"I'll move from the edge with you, Stefan. That's the way it has to be."

Stefan steps away from the ledge, taking Laura with him. As soon as they are a safe distance, he pulls her into a bear hug, knocking the wind out of her. "Dear God, I could have killed you, I risked your life..."

"I'm fine, Stefan. I'm fine." Laura laughs hysterically, the panic still very much present. "Scared out of my mind, but you didn't hurt me. You could never hurt me."

About twenty feet away, Nikolas emerges from behind a large rock where he watched the scene unfold. Not wanting to disturb them, he stays a discreet distance away.

Stefan pulls away first, rubbing her arms while truly looking at her for the first time that night. "I wasn't supposed to still be here. You were supposed to be asleep in our bed..."

Laura reaches up and brushes a tousled lock off his forehead. "You said 'Goodbye, My Love', before you left, didn't you?"

Stefan nods. "My downfall."

"Not entirely." Laura motions to where Nikolas is standing. "Nikolas already had it figured out by the time I got to him. He was on his way out the door to find you."

"My talk with him this morning," Stefan surmises. Breathing deeply, he tries to clear his head. "Even as a small child he was sensitive and intuitive."

"For which I will always be grateful." Leaning into Stefan, Laura strokes his face, soothing him while at the same time soothing herself. "To think I could have lost you tonight, could still lose you."

Stefan closes his eyes. The overwhelming pain is still there, the exhaustion, the hopelessness and helplessness. The sense of doom. And stronger than ever because he can't escape. "I don't know how to live anymore, Laura. It's too much to get up in the morning, to go through the motions, to pretend everything is normal. I can't do it anymore."

Laura presses herself against him, trying to give him some of her strength, her warmth. "Then we won't pretend everything is normal, because it isn't. I'll help you, Stefan. Please let me help. I need this as much as you do. And I meant what I said before, I can't live through another loss, not without you by my side."

Stefan wraps his arms around Laura. "Then I have no choice."

Laura looks up into his eyes, eyes which are filled with despair. "Promise me, Stefan."

Stefan's gaze doesn't waver. "I promise."

Laura takes his hands and steps away to face him. "Then we choose to live?"

Stefan lets go of one of her hands, digs into his pocket and puts the vial into her free hand. "We choose to live."

Laura looks at the vial, and then at Stefan. Then, with all her might, she hurls it over the cliff into the water below. "Let's go home, Stefan."

Stefan and Laura walk arm in arm toward Nikolas.