Stefan and Bobbie's bedroom:
Stefan rises from in front of Bobbie's seat. "Now I wonder why Lukewould cajole you into breaking into my safe box in the first place...Certainly he had no idea it contained the file on Caroline. So he wasafter something else. Did he tell you what it was?" Stefan asks, notexpecting an honest answer. He walks over to the box, unlocks it, andlifts out a videotape. "Perhaps this?"
"What is it?" With the way this night has gone, she's wouldn't besurprised to find Stefan holding a nuclear bomb in his hands.
"You want me to give away the ending? No, I can't possibly do that."Stefan reaches out his hand to his pale wife. "Shall we retire tostudy and watch the entertainment?"
Bobbie refuses to budge."I can't, I can't take anymore tonight. Ijust...." A sob lodges in her throat. Right. No place to run, no safeplace to hide out and lick wounds. Good job, Bobbie, you've done itagain. Poor gullible Bobbie has no place to go.
Before she thought her haven was Luke, her rock solid,never-steer-you-wrong brother. She could count on him even when shecouldn't count on a husband, even when she couldn't count on her ownjudgment. He would never lead her astray, except.. except he has.Repeatedly and fundamentally. So not only can't she rely on her ownjudgment, she can't count on her rock of Gibraltar either.
And where does that leave her? In a room wondering how her lifebecame a twisted Jerry Springer Special. Her dull as dirt ex-husbandis sleeping with her long lost daughter, her current husband justcaught her trying to poison him, and her brother Luke is convincedthere is a Cassadine plot to take over the world. Frankly it's toobizarre even for Jerry Springer.
And in this life, she can't even trust her own basic instincts.Clearly she's going to have to trust something or someone. Butwho?
Luke.
Luke had lied about Laura being killed in a fire, he'd lied about herdaughter being dead and God knows what else. But she'd trusted himall her life, and for the most part he has always had her bestinterests at heart. It's hard to discard that bond, that fundamentaltrust even when it's so sorely abused.
Stefan.
Well it isn't clear what Stefan had done exactly. He'd lied to herrepeatedly for sure, but then he hadn't promised to be honest either.He was her brother's bitter enemy. Circumstantial evidence pointed tohim being responsible for the power outage at GH which almost killedAudrey on the operating table. Maybe he was responsible for a deadlycomputer virus. Maybe he cheated on her with Katherine. Maybe, Maybe,maybe.
So where does that leave her? With more questions than answers.
Bobbie looks at Stefan dead in the eyes. The easy question first."Have you slept with Katherine Bell? Have you cheated on me?"
Stefan's eyebrows raise at the radical change in subject, but thelook on Bobbie's face clearly indicates how seriously she expects ananswer, that the fate of their marriage might rest on his answer. Nota time to evade. "I have been faithful to you since the day wemarried, and that includes any dealings Katherine Bell. Katherinewill never be a threat to our marriage. Ever."
Bobbie sighs. The problem with Stefan is that he can look you rightin the eye and lie. Except... except he was much more likely to evadethan lie directly. Bobbie is tempted to ask him.. are you attractedto her, are you in love with her. But she doesn't want the answers.Actions are what matter. Besides, he never promised to love her, soit's unfair to ask him if he's in love with Katherine. It isn'tfundamental to their marriage. Studying his face, she believes hemeans what he says. Well that's one question answered.
"I want to see the inside of your safe box."
Stefan stands aside and waves her magnanimously forward to lookinside. "By all means. Don't trust your husband. Look for yourself,you will see no love letters."
Bobbie stands on shaky legs and crosses the room to look into thebox. It was empty now, without the videotape and file. No letters,computer disks.... no microchips.... no other files. Just an emptyinnocent looking wood box. No evidence of a Cassadine plot in there.God, had she sacrificed her marriage for nothing?
"Satisfied, My Darling?"
Bobbie puts up her hand to wave off his sarcasm. "You wanted me tosee this tape?"
"A moment ago you refused."
"I don't know if I can survive another one of your surprises, butwhat choice do I have?"
"Before we move to the study, perhaps you would like to call yourbrother," Stefan suggests. "I am sure he is anxiously awaiting astatus report." He hands her the phone. "Call him and tell him togive up the watch, Barbara. You won't be meeting him tonight."
Right, Luke is on the docks waiting for a signal. Nothing like havingyour life blown to smithereens to make you forget a few details.
Bobbie numbly takes the phone from Stefan. Hell, if Luke could lie toher, serves him right if she lies right back. Clumsy under thestrain, she fumbles the phone while trying to dial and causes it toclatter to the floor.
Stefan picks it up, asking softly, "What is his number?" Bobbierattles it off while he dials. "Give him no indication of what hastranspired tonight. None."
Bobbie nods obediently, taking in a calming breath while waiting forLuke to answer. "Luke, it's me. No, everything's fine, it's just notgoing to work out tonight." She looks up at Stefan who is listeningattentively to every word. "No, he doesn't suspect anything, I'vebeen careful.... No, it's just the strain of it all.... right, we'lltalk tomorrow. I've got to go, he's coming. Good night." Bobbiedisconnects.
Stefan plucks the phone from her hands. "You are quite adept at that,aren't you? A pity, since I will forever wonder whether you aretelling me the truth."
"Pot, Kettle," Bobbie mutters under her breath, shivering in her thinblack negligee. "And just to set the record straight, I didn't liefor you."
"Of course not," Stefan answers bitterly. Getting her robe from theclose, he slips it over her shoulders and escorts her through thebedroom door. "Come, we must finish what we've begun. After tonight,there will be no more secrets between us."
A few minutes later, Bobbie is seated in front of a television in thestudy, feeling much like a lamb waiting for slaughter. Stefan popsthe videotape in and presses the power button. A few moments later animage of the back of a house comes into focus, a house that isfamiliar to her. She looks at Stefan in confusion. "The Ward House?This was before it burned!"
"Indeed. Be certain to look in the windows. Can you detectanything?"
Bobbie leans forward and takes a closer look. Her eyes widen withshock. "Flames? A videotape of the fire?!" Before she can ask whyhe's showing her this, a tall lanky male figure flees out the backdoor of the Ward house. A few minutes later, the house is completelyengulfed in flames. Bobbie gasps. "Wait, rewind!"
"Of course." Stefan points the remote at the VCR and the tape rewindsto play again.
Bobbie's hand covers her mouth in growing horror as she watches thescene replay. "It can't be! It can't."
"You recognize him?" Stefan prompts, for a moment pretending hedoesn't know who the man is. "You know from attending Laura's murdertrial that this must be the man who killed Damian Smith."
Bobbie shakes her head over and over, her mind racing as she tries tofind reasons not to believe it was Luke. But there isn't one. It washim, clear as day. "No.. No, it doesn't make sense. There must besome mistake. He said.. he said he was meeting Justus, and that thefirst time he saw the house it was already engulfed in flames!"
"There is no mistake," Stefan counters smoothly. "Luke killed DamianSmith and left the scene of the fire where his wife was upstairs withhelpless children. They could have easily been killed."
Oh Lord, this was too much to contemplate. The lies! This wasn't onesimple lie, it was months of lies. He lied through the wholetraumatic ordeal and most likely intended to keep the secret forever.He didn't trust her to tell her the truth, not even when his lifedepended on it. Somehow, even with all the other lies, it seemedunreal. This had to be happening to someone else.
Bobbie's lips quiver with the devastating reality. "He... he didn'tknow she was upstairs until he met Justus in front of the house!Justus was the one to tell him that Laura was upstairs with Lulu andone of the Ward babies." As the truth of the video sinks in, Bobbie'sstomach tightens painfully. What Stefan said was true. Laura and Lulucould have been killed. She remembers with wrenching clarity thoselong painful minutes when Luke ran into the house and everyonethought they had perished. Then she recalls the almost knee-bucklingrelief she felt when they emerged from the carnage unscathed.
"I am sure that is true, Barbara." Standing beside her chair, Stefanturns off the TV with the remote. "I won't dispute his love for hisfamily. I am certain he would protect them with his life."
"Oh God, he let Laura stand trial for murder," Bobbie whispers toherself. The shock has begun to wear off, to be replaced by anumbness that was almost comforting. Without thinking she reaches acold hand out for Stefan. "He stood by and let her be arrested. DidLaura know all this time? No, she couldn't have. She was tooterrified by the whole thing."
Has he gone too far, showing Bobbie this? Stefan has a pang of guiltas he studies his deathly pale wife who is normally so vibrant. Shelooks like a fragile child all of a sudden, and utterly destroyed. Hecrouches in front of her, takes her trembling hand and tries to warmit between his. There is no going back, no taking this back now. Onlyfollowing through. He will see her through this, and she will be hiswife in mind and body once this is over. "I have no idea,Barbara."
"He.. he wouldn't have let her go to prison for murder, certainly nota murder he committed. He wouldn't..." Bobbie shakes her head unableto finish the thought, the tears falling unheeded.
"Maybe, maybe not," Stefan answers gently, still stroking her hand."You know more what your brother is capable of. Of course, we willnever know for certain what Luke would have done since Laura wasacquitted." He pulls a handkerchief out of his robe pocket andtenderly dries her face before handing to her.
Bobbie accepts the damp handkerchief and drags in a shaky breath.It's too much. Her chest hurts from the mountain grief she's holdingat bay. She has to get a grip, now before she becomes as useless as awet noodle on the floor. "You... you've had this tape all along.You've never used it."
"Yes, it has been in my possession since before Laura's verdict,before I came to Port Charles. At one time I had plans to use it todestroy their marriage." Stefan explains, rising to his feet again."But when I married you and Luke faked Laura's death, that planceased any importance. Safeguarding our family is my only interestnow."
"I just bet," Bobbie answers bitterly. "What was your goal exactly,in sharing this little gem now? If it was to level me, you did agreat job, let me tell you!"
"That was never my goal," Stefan protests. "I assure you. I thoughtyou deserved to know the truth. The whole truth about your brother. Iknew it would be difficult to digest. I knew you might be furiouswith me."
"You knew I would hate him," Bobbie retorts angrily, almost relievedto have an outlet. "Well congratulations, Stefan, for a job welldone."
This wasn't going at all the way he planned, but then he'd beenforced to do this on a spur of the moment, he hadn't had time tominimize the ramifications, or devise a plan so she wouldn'tassociate him with the information. If he lost her over this... No,he wouldn't lose her. He wouldn't. "What shouldn't I have told you,Barbara? What part did you want me to lie about?"
"Don't turn this around on me!" Bobbie shoots back rising to her feetto meet him face to face. "You drop these bombs in my lap and expectme to thank you?!"
"No I never expected you to thank me," Stefan answers sarcastically."Why would you thank me for the truth when you want to deludeyourself into believing your brother is a hero?"
"You bet I do!" Bobbie voice breaks, fresh tears coursing down herface in a torrent. "Tell me, who doesn't want their older brother tobe their hero? Who? And you took that away from me!" She lurches awayfrom him on unsteady feet but Stefan grabs her elbows to steady her,bringing her close for an embrace. "Let me go!" She sobs, fightingagainst his hold.
"No, not when you are this distraught," Stefan answers in painedwhisper, shaken by Bobbie's outburst. After a moment, Bobbiesurrenders and leans against him. He runs his fingers through her redhair soothingly while she weeps brokenly against his chest. "Just letit out, Barbara. It's all right."
"It's not all right! It'll never be all right again." Bobbie stiffensin his arms, pushing against his chest until he drops his hands andsteps back. She turns away from him and collapses into the seat shejust vacated "I need to be alone. I need to think."
Stefan regards her bowed head for a moment, torn between wanting tocomfort her and knowing he must honor her request. Yielding to theinevitable, he says to her, "As you wish." Quietly he retreatsthrough the study door. In the hall, he meets a male servant. "Watchher. Go where she goes and report her movements to me. Do nothingelse. If she takes the launch, call Milton on the mainland and havehim track her from there. Are my instructions clear?"
"Yes Sir."