Sliding off the bed with Stefan's medallionclasped in her hand, Bobbie, dressed in a revealing black negligee,walks over to the map on the wall and pulls it open to reveal a smallcubby which holds an ornate box.
Stefan slips up behind Bobbie as she stands infront of secret panel. His voice is feral as he grabs the arm of thefist that holds his medallion. ''What do you think you're doing?''
Bobbie gasps in pain and alarm as she tries topull away. ''You're hurting my arm.''
Stefan holds her fast, indicating her claspedhand. ''Then open it.''
Bobbie struggles futilely, blustering in anattempt throw him off. ''Stefan, this is my bedroom too, why are youdoing this?''
''I said open it!'' Stefan demands more furiously.Damn her, she was ruining everything. He knew she doubted him, withLuke whispering in her ear whenever his back was turned. He suspectedshe had buckled under Spencer's pressure, but this... drugging him soshe could sneak behind his back to break into his private lock box.It was more than he imagined. Clearly he underestimated his wife'sability to lie and connive. Completely.
Giving up the fight, Bobbie opens her hand,displaying his necklace with the medallion. Stefan removes it fromher grasp, but still holds her arm fast. ''What were you doing withthis? Hmm?'' His voice is silky, threatening. How far would she pushthis farce? What lies would spew from her lips? Already she was moreCassadine than he ever imagined she could be. His fury is growing bythe second. To think all he'd done for her! He had laid the world ather feet, protected her from the harsher realities of her life! Gaveher whatever she wanted before she could even ask for it.
Bobbie improvises, but her voice betrays the lie."It fell off when you fell asleep. I was putting it over here in asafe place.''
"That's funny.." Stefan pretends to go along withher for a moment. "I don't remember falling asleep.. It must havebeen the Port. Do you think it was the Port, Barbara? You barelytouched yours.''
"It was giving me a headache.'' Bobbie feels thenoose tightening around her neck as her words sound false even to herown ears. Stefan knew, he knew! How much did he know? Oh God, whatwould he do to her now? Would he hurt her? Would he hurt Luke? Shehad survived quite a lot in all her long often difficult life butStefan.. she'd never known a man as secretive as him. She couldn'tknow what he was capable of.
Stefan brings the wine glass to her lips, tryingto force her to drink the tainted substance. "I switched glasses,didn't you notice? This was supposed to be my glass. Come now, drink.This Port is the best. Tell me that the best isn't wasted onyou."
Bobbie pushes his hand away, knocking the glass tothe floor. Stefan's voice rises to a bellow."WHAT KIND OF POISON DIDYOU USE?''
''Poison? Why would you think I would give youpoison?'' Bobbie struggles feebly against his tight hold. Oh God, shewas done for now.
Stefan pulls her against him, grabbing hershoulders and shaking her. ''I KNOW about your raid in the controlledsubstance closet. Alexis thought it was a strange way to commence achild's education. I want the truth, NOW."
Bobbie changes tactics, using her feelings ofbetrayal to fuel her defense. "Stefan, you have no right to play theinjured party here. You have been lying to me for months, sneakingaround behind my back. DO YOU THINK I'M BLIND!?"
Stefan stares at her incredulously. Had hecompletely misjudged her? Had he married a viper as ruthless as hismother? "FOR THAT.. You were going to murder me in my ownbed!?"
Bobbie laughs brittlely, her anger and fearchurning in her stomach with the result of giving her eyes a mistylook."Kill you?! You would have woke up tomorrow, just as cold and asruthless as you are right now. BUT, by then, I'd have a little proofin my hand.." With a toss of her head she indicates the safe box."THAT IS where you keep her disgusting love letters.. ISN'T IT?!''
"How did you know the box needed my medallion tobe opened?" There was only one person who could have given her theidea. "Say his name," Stefan breathes against her cheek. "Sayit."
"I figured it out myself," Bobbieretorts.
Stefan pushes her away from him. If he held herfor one more second, he might just commit murder."You have neitherthe wiles nor the experience for that kind of deduction,Barbara."
Bobbie lashes out. "Do you have any idea how itfelt, how it turned my stomach, lying in bed next to you and knowingwhat you are? First you shoot her, and then figure, hey, she's on herback...if you had killed her, would you have climbed up on hercorpse?"
Stefan, closing his slate gray silk robe with avicious tug, sneers at her. "I know exactly who fed you that crudeand fantastical story." Raising a condemning finger at her, heaccuses. "You betrayed me with my mortal enemy, yourbrother!"
Bobbie's eyes flash angrily, the hurt and betrayalthat's been simmering on the surface erupts. "That's right. Lukewants to see you burn in hell, and I want to light thematch!"
"Aren't you ever going to grow tired of beingpimped by your brother?" roars Stefan, cutting her to the bone.
The cruelty of his attack is like a physical blow.Bobbie's eyes fill with tears. It's the same thing all over again.All her marriages come down to this. But she wouldn't crumble, not infront of him. She would hurt him as much as he's hurting her. "Thatpimp saved your nephew's life!"
Stefan circles her, wondering at the extent of herbetrayal. How long has she been playing him for a fool, how long hasshe been at Luke's beck and call? "So, did Luke coach you from thefirst, Barbara? From the moment of my proposal? Or perhaps evenbefore then?"
"No," Bobbie admits. Even now, after weeks ofworking against Stefan, of knowing his true nature, it still cut tothe quick how much of herself she'd invested in this marriage. God,she had loved this man once, this monster. Where is the kind man sheonce knew? Was he ever there? "NO, I was stupid enough to love you,Stefan. I turned against the brother who raised and supported me tobe with you, his sworn enemy. I turned away from the one man who Icould always count on to tell me the truth. But you, you only usedme! You have no right to feel disappointed now. I am what you mademe!"
Stefan takes hold of her trembling shoulders andshoves her into the nearby chair. When Bobbie tries to rise, heglowers at her, intimidating her back into the seat. "Unless you wantto spend the night in jail for poisoning me, you will sit there untilwe are finished." Moving to the secret panel, he removes the ornatewooden box and places it on his dresser. Taking his medallion, heslides it into the lock and turns. The locks gives way with a softsnick. "Love letters? You think I would secure such drivel in thissafe?" The disgust drips from his tone. "Come Barbara, you need morepractice at lies because yours are such poor ones."
Opening the box, Stefan notes with satisfactionthat the false bottom, under which the computer disks are kept, isuntouched. As if I would be so obvious? Neither you nor Luke wouldever have found them, Barbara. His fingers graze a video tapebefore grasping the manila folder and pulling it out. "For yourinformation, the only possessions which require such safeguarding arethose that threaten our family. Yours and Mine." Closing the box upagain and locking it, he turns to face her.
Bobbie eyes the file in Stefan's handssuspiciously. "I'm not interested in anything you have to show meunless it's proof of what a lying manipulator you are! Just let mego. Our marriage is finished. You don't love me, and I certainlydon't love you!"
"Did our marriage agreement ever contain astipulation that we love or even trust each other? I think not," Heretorts sarcastically."Trust has been a foreign concept in Cassadinemarriages from the beginning, and you've confirmed the age-oldtradition with your faithless behavior." Pacing in front of her hecontinues. "No, our marriage is far from finished. We will never befinished. Remember what I promised when I proposed to you? Cassadinesdo not divorce."
"You have to be kidding me?! What possible reasoncould we have to remain married? Some antiquated tradition?" Bobbierolls her eyes. "Well it's not enough to keep this Cassadine bridemarried. We will be divorced, with or without yourconsent."
"We will remain married," Stefan reiterates, as ifshe never spoke. "If for no other reason than for our children. Theywill not be made to suffer for their parents' mistakes. We will raiseour children together. All of our children: Nikolas, Lucas, and yourdaughter."
Bobbie's flinches with pain at what she considersa brutal comment. "How could you be so cruel as to bring her up whenyou know she's dead?! That's low, even for you."
"Your daughter, dead?" Stefan drops the file intoher lap. "No, that is a story your 'honest' brother concocted to keepyou in the dark, to keep you in line. Shortly after we were married,I did a little research of my own and found out thetruth."
Bobbie pales, her hands shake as she lifts thefile off her lap. "What do you mean? Are you saying she's notdead?"
"She is alive and well," Stefan answers, his lipscurling into a cruel smile. "And she is living in Port Charles. Yourloving brother has known the whole time. He has been lying to you formonths." Putting his hands on the armrests of the chair, he leansover until they are face to face. "So tell me, Barbara. Who has beensneaking around behind your back?"
Bobbie swallows convulsively, her stomach roilinglike waves in a storm. His eyes show enough malicious satisfactionfor her to believe his ridiculous assertion. But no, Luke wouldn'tlie to her! He wouldn't make her think her daughter was dead?! Why?Why would he be so cruel? "You're lying! You're making this up. Idon't know what game you're after, but I don't like it!"
Just as he feared. Luke had made deep inroads withhis wife, causing her to believe the worst of him. The distraction ofKatherine caused him to ignore the warning signs. But no more. Stefanpushes off from the arms of her chair. "Look foryourself."
"No, I won't!" Bobbie thrusts the file at him,shaking her head vehemently while tears are already gathering in hereyes. "I won't look at this, it's all lies. This is all some cruelfabrication on your part to keep me under your thumb. It's the onlything that makes sense."
"I never thought of you as a coward, Barbara. Infact, one of the many qualities which drew me to you was yoursteadfastness. That you didn't shrink from the truth, no matter howdifficult." He shakes his head angrily as he goads her. "So you willturn a blind eye to your brother's lies to spite me? Even if it costsyou knowing your daughter? Your loyalty is touching, if misplaced."He thrusts the file back at her. "Look, Barbara. Look and decide foryourself. You are intelligent enough to discern what's truth andwhat's fiction. Unless he's destroyed that quality in youtoo?"
Bobbie snatches the file back and with shakinghands opens it. The first thing that greets her is a picture of CarlyRoberts. Beside it is a copy of a photo she has spent countless hoursgazing at. It's a black and white picture of the little girl she gaveup for adoption. The air in her lungs leaves in a woosh and hervision dims. It's a good thing Stefan forced her to sit or she's sureshe would have passed out from the shock.
Stefan watches her in the ominous silence andcatches the brief flash of hope before the devastation and grief takehold. He would have spared her this, if only she had trusted him, ifonly her blasted brother hadn't interfered. He would have waited,found a way to build a bridge to Caroline and then let the mother anddaughter relationship develop naturally. He crushes the sentimentalfeeling quickly. He has no time for it now, he is at war. Sentimentwould have to come later, when his family is secure.
"No, oh God no." Bobbie's voice is no more than ahoarse whisper.
Stefan crosses his arms in front of him, thepicture of arrogance."Yes, Barbara. It is all true. I would not lieabout something this fundamental to our family. It affects not onlyyou and me, but our children. I would not subject the children to atrauma of this magnitude on a whim. Whatever else you can say aboutme, you know this."
Caroline Benson aka Carly Roberts, raised byher adoptive mother, Virginia Benson... The words begin to blur.Bobbie closes her eyes, unable to read the specifics. She can barelyabsorb what she's seen already. She feels like she's drowning, losingall sense of perspective. Tonight was supposed to be about what?Revealing Stefan to be a lying conniving snake. Helping Luke do what?Right. Save the world from some deadly computer virus. All that seemsinsignificant, like some farfetched fairy tale compared to thenightmarish reality of her here and now. Luke lied to me. He liedto me again! Bobbie forces herself to look at Stefan. "How.. howlong have you known?"
"I had her investigated after we wed, inpreparation for a custody battle over Lucas, which I believed wasimminent given his father's hostility. I had all of Tony's weaknessesinvestigated, which included his walking midlife crisis." Coming to astop in front of her, he strokes his mustache and goateethoughtfully. "Countless hours I agonized over telling you, but all Icould see was the pain it would cause you. I wanted to spareyou."
Bobbie's laugh is short and shrill. "So youthought, 'I'll keep this around and when she steps out of line I willbash her over the head with it.' Have I got it right?"
"Punish you like this? Even as furious as I am?No." Kneeling in front of her, his face is fiercely possessive. "Whatdrives me to tell you now is my conviction that you deserve to knowthe truth about your sainted brother. The man you believe over yourown husband. When we talked of marriage, I warned you he would stopat nothing to break us apart. And look at us tonight? You attemptedto drug me. Even now, when I furnish you with the truth, you questionmy motives."
Bobbie's tears flow more freely at each condemningword. But even in her agony at being betrayed, she keeps herbrother's secrets. "You've been lying, keeping secrets for months.I'm not blind and stupid, I've seen how you look at that woman! Whatwas I supposed to do? Wait until I found you two in ourbed?"
Stefan sees her lie for what it is, slight ofhand. While Bobbie probably has knowledge of his dealings withKatherine and is hurt by it, he is certain this isn't the realpurpose for the drugging tonight. No, Luke is on the trail of thecomputer chip in the base of the Faberge Egg. And with Barbara'snervous behavior of late, it isn't hard draw the conclusion she'sinvolved and holds him responsible for the power outage at GH whichalmost cost Audrey her life.
The antidote to Bobbie's suspicions of him wouldbe the revelation of Luke's betrayal of her and the rest of thefamily. Once he was through exposing Luke's treachery, there would beno reason for Bobbie to believe any of Spencer's ravings, Cassadineplots or otherwise.
"So this is what Luke has been whispering in yourear? That I have some secret amour for Katherine Bell? That somehowmy wish to help a crippled woman has transformed into a great love?"Stefan snorts. "Please, what romantic drivel. Tell me, Barbara, whois assisting Katherine with her physical therapy, hmmm?"
"Carly---" Bobbie closes her eyes. Of course.Luke's supposed source on Katherine was none other than her owndaughter, the one who has hidden her true identity all along, thevery one in cahoots with Luke. And such a reliable source ofinformation, too. GOD! How could she be so gullible?What else has Luke lied about? If he could lie to her about his ownwife being dead, why is she surprised that he would lie aboutCaroline or anything else for that matter? What a fool sheis!
"Yes, I can see you understand how suspicious thisall is. How infuriated I would be to stand accused by my wife on thebasis of claims made by the two most consummate liars in PortCharles!" He leans over again, grasping the arms of her chair andpenning her in, hammering her with his words. "And for this you wantto forsake our marriage? Demolish the stable loving home we providefor our children? All because of lies and insecurities your brotherhas planted in your mind to rob you of the happiness you have foundwith me. And I know you have been happy in our marriage. I won't haveit, Barbara. I won't have it."
"I... I don't know what to think anymore." Bobbieclutches the file to her breast. Her daughter was alive...alive! It was still incomprehensible. She can't even begin tomake sense of her feelings about that. But now, she needs answersabout Luke's involvement. Luke had to have a reason to lie like this,he wouldn't be this cruel for sport. He would do it to protect her.But would he lie about Stefan if he believed he was protecting her?Of course he would. And if she didn't believe him, Luke was capableof manufacturing evidence so she would be forced to believe him. Onthose points Luke and Stefan are exactly alike.
"I have tolerated his presence in our lives, Ihave acquiesced to your longing for a relationship with him becauseof how important he is to you." Kneeling, Stefan takes hertear-streaked face in his hands and holds it firmly. "But no more. Iwill not tolerate him taking you away from me, I will not stand byidly and allow him to destroy the family we have struggled to build,the loving home we have created for our children. You are my wife. Iwill not release you from your obligation to me, to our family. Tellme, does our family mean nothing to you? You would throw it all awayfor the paranoid ramblings of your brother?"
Bobbie's face crumbles, her emotions in such anupheaval she doesn't know what's up or down. "You know I love ourfamily! I love our life! I...." Bobbie's voice dies. God, she has noidea how she feels about Stefan anymore. For weeks she's convincedherself she hated him, or at best he meant nothing to her, but nowshe isn't sure of anything.
His hands are soft yet resilient on her cheeks,comforting. A part of her wants nothing more than to surrender, tolet him wrap her in a cocoon until she's healed. But she can't trusthim. Not yet.
Stefan senses the war in her, her yielding to theemotional pull he's exerting, then feels her withdrawal. Letting hishands drop from her face, Stefan rises. Bobbie feels bereft from theloss of contact.
"Now I wonder why Luke would cajole you intobreaking into my safe box in the first place," He ponders aloud."Certainly he had no idea it contained the file on Caroline. So hewas after something else. Did he tell you what it was?" He asks, notexpecting an honest answer. He walks over to the box, unlocks it, andlifts out a videotape. "Perhaps this?"