When Alexis arrives home, she finds Stefanstanding in the corner of the conservatory, staring out the darkenedwindow in deep contemplation. Alexis breaks the quiet of the room."So Wyndemere is still standing. I wasn't sure what to expect."
Stefan turns away from the window to scowl at Alexis' attempt athumor. "I am not my brother, Alexis. You know I am not prone toviolent rages, Even when provoked."
"It's not every day your wife tries to kill you." Alexis walks intothe room, deposits her briefcase beside the end table, and removesher trench coat. "I didn't see any police on my way over, so I'mguessing you didn't press charges?"
"Please, you know very well I wouldn't have her arrested unless itwas absolutely necessary." Walking up behind one of the high backchairs, he rests his hands on the top cross bar. Stefan gives theimpression of confidence while inside his mind is churning over theugliness of his argument with Bobbie. "There are other more subtleavenues that will produce the desired outcome. The police option canbe kept in reserve in the event it becomes necessary. Regardless,Barbara will do precisely what I wish her to do."
"She's still here? Is she packing?"
Stefan narrows his gaze at Alexis, his voice cool and resolute."Barbara isn't going anywhere. You know Cassadines don'tdivorce."
Alexis trains her eyes skyward in derision over the antiquatednotion. She wasn't a lawyer just for the business suits. "Stefan,this is the United States, it's 1997. We don't live in medieval timesanymore. She tried to poison you! It's more than sufficient cause fordivorce, even in the Cassadine world."
Stefan crosses his arms. "I will not be the first to break fromtradition, and I will not tear apart our family on the first sign oftrouble. Nikolas finally has a mother who loves him as he should beloved. You have seen the change in him, he is coming out of hisshell. I will not disappoint him."
"Stefan, she tried to kill you." Alexis comes to a stand in front ofhim, laying a hand on his bearded cheek. His reaction to this isbaffling. If she were a gambler, she would have laid odds that Stefanwould throw Bobbie out on her ear over this. Stefan demanded loyaltyfrom those around him. "Nikolas would understand, he would evenagree."
"My decision is final." Stefan takes her hand and kisses it ingratitude. Not just for her concern, but for alerting him to Bobbie'streachery. "As it turned out, she had no intention of 'killing' me.She merely wanted me incapacitated so she could gain access to thesafe box in our bedroom. Somehow she learned my medallion would openit." He shakes his head ruefully. "Spencer's fingerprints are allover this. After some pressing, she admitted as much. She maintainedshe was searching for love letters from Katherine."
"Her lie isn't all that farfetched given how you two have beenpractically mooning over each other."
"Mooning? Your Americanization is disgustingly complete, Alexis.Despite appearances, I have nothing but pity for Katherine Bell."
Alexis walks to the sofa and plops down. This had been a long day inan endless line of long days. "You could have fooled me."
"Excellent. If I convinced you that I cared for her, then I amcertain I have fooled Katherine. My 'infatuation' with her wasnecessary in order to both monitor her relationship with Nikolas andgain her silence over the shooting. After the Nurses Ball I broke offall contact under the pretense that I could not abandon Barbara. Weparted ways with her convinced I was fighting my true feelings." Aslow smile crosses Stefan's face. "It suits my purposes nicely. I amfree of her."
Alexis glowers at him, annoyed at being left out of the fun. The lastfew months she'd been nauseated over Stefan's obsession withKatherine, and to think it was all a scheme! "You could have let mein on it!"
"And ruin the ruse? No, your distaste and disapproval had to begenuine for Katherine to accept it as truth. While she isn'tparticularly intelligent, she is cunning. All the years she spentconniving and manipulating has honed her intuition for deceit."
"And all this time I thought you had blinders on where she wasconcerned!" Alexis pouts."So what is Bobbie doing now?"
Stefan sobers. "I imagine she is still in my study digesting thebitter news I gave her. Walters will keep tabs on her."
"You think it's wise to leave her alone in your study? If shediscovers..."
"All the evidence has been destroyed," Stefan assures. "Everything,that is, except the disks hidden in the bottom of the box she triedto break into. Even then, she would never have discovered them."
"But your computer...." Alexis worries her lip. "With Luke's help shemight be able to break the password..."
"My computer is clean of all traces, so there is nothing todiscover," Stefan asserts, coming around the chair and joining Alexison the couch. "You recall the time when I suspected someone had triedto tamper with my computer?" Alexis nods. "I've had my suspicionssince that Barbara might be involved. Her behavior has been erratic,warm and affectionate one moment, then suddenly cold and withdrawn.This past week she has been overly...." Stefan winces inwardly overthe knowledge that Bobbie's passionate overtures had been an ploy."Solicitous. I believe she was hoping to keep me too distracted tonotice. It might have worked had you not caught on to her plot."
"You suspended the virus so abruptly, but you wouldn't explain..."Alexis' face turns grim as she digests the incriminating information.All of Bobbie's nervousness in the last few weeks made sense now."Why didn't you tell me of your suspicions?"
Stefan turns his body towards Alexis and puts his arm on the back ofthe sofa. "You are quite fond of Barbara, and I had no proof. Therewas no reason to taint your friendship with her if it turned intonothing." And I hoped I was wrong, he addssilently.
"Of course this just makes her one of us." Alexis smiles wryly at theirony. "Keeping secrets, trying to poison family members.. who wouldhave thought? Although Cassadines don't usually conspire withSpencers to achieve their goals."
"There is a first for everything." Stefan answers.
"So what now? On one hand I'm glad she's staying, but I'm not goingto be able to take it lightly. It'll be a long time, if ever, beforeI can trust her again."
"Nor would I want you to take what she did lightly, Alexis. But not awhisper of this can reach Nikolas and Lucas. I won't have themharmed, confused or living in fear. I am, in part, responsible forthis debacle. I neglected Barbara terribly. She is, by nature, atrusting woman and I abused that trust," Stefan explains. "At thetime it was necessary to control the threat of Katherine, but whathas occurred tonight serves as a warning. One which I have everyintention of heeding. This is why I aborted the computer virus andwhy my next goal will be removing Luke Spencer permanently from PortCharles and his sister's life. I should have done this the moment theSpencers returned, but I hesitated. Now I am paying the price."
"So how do you plan to get rid of Luke? He's got her pretty firmly inhis pocket."
"I've already taken the first step tonight," Stefan answers. "Afterwhat she just learned she won't believe another word out of herbrother's mouth." Not for the first time, he wonders why he isn'thappier about this. He should feel more triumphant, shouldn't he? Hissuccess in destroying Luke's relationship with Bobbie is almostassured.
The knowledge of what Stefan has done dawns to Alexis . "You told herabout Carly? About Luke murdering Damian Smith?"
"Yes, with Spencer nipping at my heels and Barbara determined todissolve our marriage, I had no other recourse but to tell hereverything." Finally, his wife would be free of her brother. But thecost had been high, too high for his comfort, and the casualties weresevere. "I believe I succeeded in making her despise him."
"Wow. That must have been some conversation." Alexis searches hisface, surprised to see how desolate he looks "Wait, why aren't youpleased? Bobbie believed you, didn't she??"
"You know how loathe I was to use the information. I never had anyintention of revealing them in such a blatant and brutal way." Now hehad to contend with a hurt, angry, and distraught wife who rightlyblamed him for destroying her savior. The shattered look on her facewould not be one he'd forget anytime soon. The bile rising in histhroat, Stefan stands up and turns his back to Alexis. "She had nochoice but to believe me with the evidence in front of her. Needlessto say, she was devastated by the news."
"She doesn't deserve to be hurt like this," Alexis says, findingherself feeling sorry for Bobbie in spite of everything. "What wasLuke thinking?"
"The way she looked at me.... after I told her the truth." He shakeshis head ruefully. "She hated me. Our argument after I caught herwith my medallion was ugly, but there was fire in her eyes; even inour mutual rage, there was a connection between us. I wasn't afraid.But after she saw the video tape, she was colder than I'd ever seenher." Stefan's fear takes root and he holds onto the back of a chairfor support. "I won't lose her over this, I won't."
Alexis gapes at him. "My God, you're in love with her."
"Love?" Stefan's eyes glitter dangerously. "Love means nothing. Ineed her, I need our family. Moreover, Nikolas needs our family. Iwon't lose her. Ever."
"Sir?"
Stefan closes the book, giving up any pretense of reading. "Yes,Walters?"
"Mrs Cassadine boarded the launch some time ago," Walters states. "Iadvised Milton of your instructions. He called in a few moments agoto say he observed her having a brief conversation with MasterNikolas before heading in the direction of her brother's club. Miltonis tailing her at a discreet distance."
Stefan removes his spectacles and puts them in the pocket of his robebefore rising from the sofa. "Thank you, that will be all fortonight." He crosses the room, picks up the phone and dials. After afew rings, the phone is answered. "Nikolas."
"Hello Uncle, I was just about to board the launch," Nikolas answers."I just had the oddest conversation with Bobbie."
"What did she say?"
"Not much, but she hugged me, then said she wanted to be sure I knewhow much she loved me," Nikolas relates. "What happened?"
Stefan ignored the question. "I need you to do an errand for me."
"You two had an argument, didn't you?" Nikolas guesses. "What did yousay to upset her? If she leaves..."
"She will not leave," Stefan refutes adamantly. "Furthermore,I do not appreciate being grilled by my teenage nephew on the stateof my marriage."
"I care about her, Uncle! I warned you I didn't want her hurt."
"Again, my marriage is not your concern," Stefan answers tersely. "Ifyou care so much about your stepmother, then you will do what Iask."
Nikolas reins in his suspicions, he will be better able to figure outwhat's going on once he's back at Wyndemere. "I'm sorry, Uncle. Whatis it you want me to do?"
"I need you to bring Lucas back to Wyndemere. Barbara received somedistressing family news tonight," Stefan relays. "And while it is notmy place to reveal what is upsetting her, I believe she would findcomfort in having all of her family nearby. Can you do this for her?Lucas is at the Brownstone with Felicia Jones."
"I'll head over there now."
"Thank you, Nikolas."
"Sure, I'll see you in an hour."