Wyndemere

Morning sun filters through the drapes. Bobbie stretches sleepily tofind herself curled up against the warm very male body of herhusband. His arm is draped possessively around her waist. Hmmmm, Shecould definitely get used to this.

Turning from her side to her back, Bobbie looks over at Stefan, whoseems to be almost sleepy as she is. He tightens his grip on her,pulling her body more closely to him and slipping one leg betweenhers. He kisses her thoroughly into full wakefulness and reneweddesire. Bobbie is the first one to pull away. "Gee, I hope we'restarting a new marriage tradition. Waking up in your arms definitelyhas it's perks."

"Do I detect a hint of criticism for my morning routine?" Stefanasks, pretending to be offended.

Bobbie traces a sensuous line from the base of his neck along hisshoulder blade to his shoulder. "For the one that has you awake andout of our bed before dawn, yes."

"I suppose I could be persuaded to modify it."

Stefan leans down to nibble at her throat, his teeth scoring herskin. Bobbie closes her eyes, arches against him and sighs. "Onsecond thought, waking up like this could spoil me for the whole day.I'd never want to get out of bed."

Stefan rolls on top of her until she's pinned, gazing down at herwith a lazy self-satisfied smile. His fingers twine in her curls."That plan has merit."

Bobbie closes her eyes, loving the feel of his hand stroking herhair. It is more than a little tempting to drown herself again intheir mutual lust. Sex is the one aspect of their marriage where theyalways understand each other. But the problems that were there lastnight are still looming. The proverbial elephant in the room theyaren't talking about.

"We need to talk."

His fingers halt momentarily before resuming their caress. His smilebecomes more guarded. "I suppose we must."

Bobbie waits for Stefan to move off her, and when he doesn't shegives him a pointed look. "Don't you think we should be dressed forthis conversation?"

"In all honesty? No. I believe we stand a much better chance ofavoiding bloodshed if we remain in bed," Stefan explains. "Once weare clothed, we put on our armor."

"You've got a point." Bobbie takes a deep breath. "You said youwanted us to stay married, for our family, for our children."

"Yes, I did." Stefan's eyes glitter with the strength of hisconviction. "Do you remember what I said when I proposed marriage toyou? I promised I would do anything to keep you. I meant every wordthen and I mean them now. After last night, do you have anydoubt?"

Bobbie blushes at the memory of how he set about convincing her. Hehadn't said the words of love, but what he said meant more than love.He needed her. In the face of that, she'd lost thefight to leave. Now... now she doesn't want to. She reaches up a handto cup his cheek, her eyes soft and warm. "But can you trust meagain, even after I betrayed you?"

"You aren't the first Cassadine wife who tried to drug her husband,"Stefan dismisses easily. "Most likely, you won't be last. And sinceyou had no intention of actually killing me, and you have nointention of trying it again?" He waits for confirmation.

Bobbie fights a sheepish smile. "No."

"Good. Then I see no reason why we shouldn't have an excellentmarriage." Stefan brushes his hand along the pulse point of herthroat. She had done the one thing he needed for her to do to maketheir marriage viable: Banish Luke. The rest would be easy. "Givenhow we made love last night, you cannot deny how you feel. You wantwhat we have together as much as me."

Bobbie's heart skips, remembering exactly how wild last night hadbeen. If the make-up sex was always going to be so hot, she mighthave to pick more fights. "I won't deny it. But we have to rebuildtrust between us."

Stefan smiles at the lovely picture of his wife blushing. "Do youhave a suggestion on how we accomplish that?"

Bobbie struggles with her conscience. She wants this marriage withStefan to work and to do that they need a clean slate. They can'tvery well have that, she reasons, if she continues to keeps thingsfrom him. And she'll have no one but herself to blame when things gosouth. But keeping Luke's secrets are second nature to her. Even now,after cutting him out of her life for good, the idea of breaking hisconfidence puts knots in her stomach.

Stefan watches her internal struggle with interest. "Was I wrong inbelieving you had some idea on how to rebuild the trust?"

"No... I mean I do. I think in order have trust we must be honestwith each other..." Bobbie hesitates, then swallows the lump in herthroat and plunges ahead. "And in the spirit of honesty, I think youneed to know I wasn't really looking for love letters lastnight."

It takes a moment for Bobbie's confession to sink in. "I see." Stefanstudies Bobbie, weighing the opportunity she's giving him. "I amaware of Luke's paranoid ramblings, that he was convinced I was aboutto unleash a devastating computer virus."

"You knew?!" The big secret is no secret at all?

"I am a man who knows things, Barbara," Stefan reminds her. "And inthe interest of building trust, I will acknowledge I am in possessionof a computer virus. But I never had any intention of unleashing it."He pauses to gauge her reaction, pleased to see she is surprised andcurious. Signs that she isn't dismissing his explanation immediately."I was examining it to develop the antidote. Since I was successful,it is no longer a threat."

"So then the power outage at GH... during Audrey's surgery..." Bobbieasks carefully. "That must have been Cooper not the virus."

"Cooper obtained a copy of the virus," Stefan explains, lying easily."I was able to use the antidote I developed to minimize the damage toGeneral Hospital."

Bobbie swallows. It all sounded so plausible. And ohh, how she wantsto believe him, even knowing what he is capable of. "So there won'tbe any more power outages, right? Or stories on the evening newsabout computer viruses taking over the country?"

"While I have no divine power to control such things, I don'tanticipate more power outages." Taking one of her hands, Stefantwines her fingers with his. Their eyes meet. "You can believe mewhen I say I would never intentionally hurt the people you love."

"Good." Bobbie lets out the breath she had been holding. He's givenher more assurances than she expected. Now it's time to trust him alittle more. "I have another admission to make..."

"What's that?"

Bobbie licks her lips nervously. No good way to put this.... "I triedto break into your computer. Actually I succeeded, but youinterrupted me before I found anything."

"I guessed as much," Stefan answers calmly, privately pleased she isso forthcoming. The fewer secrets there were, the smoother the comingweeks would be. They would need their combined strength for otherbattles.

"How?" Bobbie is floored. "You knew all along, and didn't confrontme?"

"Every time my back was turned, you and your brother had your headstogether," Stefan reveals. "Then Luke picked a fight that was farfrom convincing. When I returned to my laptop, it was warm when itshould have been cool to the touch." Tiring of the position on top ofBobbie, Stefan rolls off to her side, pulling her along with him sothey are still eye to eye. Close. Bodies entwined. "Luke obviouslyhad an accomplice, and you were the logical choice. As for why Ididn't confront you, I had no proof. I had no wish to damage ourmarriage."

Bobbie searches his face. "You're not angry?"

"Am I pleased your trust in me sunk so low that you believed mecapable of such villainy? No. But I understand where it came from."Stefan lays on his back, one arm crooked behind his head. His otherhand stretches towards Bobbie, to stroke her cheek tenderly. "I spenta great deal of time on the Katherine Bell problem. I was not asattentive to you as I should have been. I left you vulnerable to Lukewhen I knew he was desperate to get you away from me. And if I hadbeen more attentive, more loving, you wouldn't have turned to Lukefor answers. So I blame myself. I will not make the same mistakeagain. You and our family will be my only priority."

"Luke is not part of my family anymore. It might take me some time toget over what he did, but I meant it last night when I said I cut allties. I'm through with him." Bobbie places her hand over Stefan'sheart, next to where the Cassadine medallion lays. His admission thathe had neglected her opened a part of her heart she'd kept lockedaway. "And I promise not to let my imagination run away with me."

"I must insist on your trust and loyalty." To emphasize his point,Stefan gently takes her hand and places it over the Cassadinemedallion. He wraps her fingers around it so she is clasping it inher hand. His eyes lock with hers. "I don't expect you to be blind,but I expect you to bring your concerns to me. Do not seek answersoutside our marriage. I have said this before, I am used to actingalone, operating in secrecy because of the havoc Helena was capableof. Sharing my plans with anyone could have meant my death or theirs.I am still learning what it means to be married, but decades ofnecessary secrecy are hard to break. But I want to trust you,Barbara."

Bobbie squeezes the medallion. "I know it will take time to earn yourtrust again, but I will! Our children and you are my only family now,Stefan. You and the family will always come first."

"Our family comes first, as it should be." Stefan says in agreement."We will care for our children together, all of our children. Anybattles to be fought will be fought together. "

A brief flash of grief bolts through Bobbie at the thought of Carly."Yes."

Stefan catches the look of distress on his wife's face before she cancover it. "Are there any conditions you wish to propose, MrsCassadine?"

Bobbie thinks for a moment. "No cheating," she says adamantly. "If Icatch you cheating, I'm gone. I'll divorce you so fast your head willspin."

"NO." In one swift move Stefan rolls on top of her, trapping herunder him and pinning her with his fierce gaze. Gone is the relaxedgentle lover, and in it's place is the unrelenting predator of lastnight. "I will never agree to a condition which includes divorce as aresult. I will renegotiate the terms of our marriage, but I willnever negotiate our divorce." Feeling her tense, Stefan takes herface in his hands and kisses her until her resistance melts. Breakingthe kiss he forces her to look at him, to see the strength of hisresolve. "You may believe it, Mrs Cassadine. Cassadine marriages areforever. We are married for life."

Oh God, he means it. Bobbie's heart does a triple-halfgainer. His words have taken all the fight out of her. He'd neverleave her, he'd never let her leave him.... When, in all her life,has she had such an ironclad guarantee? Never. Herthroat closes, making her voice sound as small and scared as shefeels. "I don't know how to do forever, Stefan."

Her anxiety is so plain that Stefan's face softens. "With time, youwill learn to trust me, to trust in us." Relaxing his stance, he runsa finger over her swollen lips. "To that end, I wish to add anothercondition. You will banish the word 'divorce' from your vocabulary. Idon't want to hear the word come out of your mouth again."

"Yes, sir." Bobbie answers, bringing her hand up in mock salute,using humor to dispel her uncertainty. "But don't think I'veforgotten my condition. No cheating, I won't share you with anotherwoman. EVER."

"You have become possessive, have you?" Stefan muses, liking thesound of it. "I can agree to your condition so long as you understandI will not share you either." Stefan's mouth captures hers for asearing kiss full of passion and promise. "Ever."

Bobbie shivers.The stakes in their marriage have definitely gone up.This is no longer a marriage of convenience, it is a marriage of....well with any other man it would be a marriage of love. Perhaps it'sstill a good description, even if they never say the words to eachother. However it's defined, Stefan's actions speak volumes. Not oneman in her life has fought for her the way this man has. Many men hadclaimed to love her and left, but this man, this complex and bafflingand sometimes ruthless man, is willing to fight tooth and nail tokeep her. Yes, he hurt her badly, but she isn't blameless either. Hewants her in spite of her betrayal, in spite of her family. And shewants him just as much.

"You're the only one I want." Bobbie answers his kiss with her own,slipping a hand up his lean muscled chest to wrap around his neck.She shudders when she feels one of his hands lightly caress the sideof her rib cage near her breast. The teasing touch inflames herhunger for him. She opens herself to him completely, giving him hertenderness and passion freely, breathless in her desire.

Stefan stills for a moment, cupping her cheek with his hand, forcingher eyes to stare into his as they join as one. He challenges her notto look away. Then, taking her complacent hands, he places thembeside her head, twining their fingers together, palm to palm. Theymake love, eyes locked to each other as their bodies are, rebuildingtheir bond, their commitment to each other, stronger than ever. Moreintimate, more vulnerable, more intense. Unbreachable by outsideforces.

I will never leave you, His eyes tell hers.

I will be yours forever. Only yours, She answers.

It is you, only you, He vows.

And as the feelings intensify inside her, she is moved to pledgesilently, I love you, Stefan, forever and ever.

Stefan's head swims at the look of absolute devotion in his wife'seyes as she climaxes under him. It's as if, in this moment as theirbodies are joined, he is the only one who exists for her. Given hisexperience with women in his past, he knows the look she's giving himis different. It isn't just a momentary flicker of gratitude for thepleasure and diversion of lovemaking, it's as real and enduring as itgets. And it was far more than he dared to hope for.

Stefan lets go of one hand and traces the side of his wife's cheek,committing the look on her face to memory. In this defining moment,his future with her becomes clear. He will strive not only bring thislook back into her eyes again and again, but to be the husband whodeserves her devotion.

Bobbie turns her face towards his hand, planting a kiss in his palm."What are you thinking?"

Stefan smiles down at her with genuine contentment. "We are going tohave a long and happy marriage, Mrs Cassadine."

Thinking of the last twenty four hours, Bobbie grins back. "Well I'msure it will never be boring."

"No," Stefan chuckles. A devilish thought occurs. "Never boring. Butfrom now on, I believe I will be the one pouring the Port."

Bobbie's eyes twinkle with mirth. They'd made it. "That's probably agood idea."

The End

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