A Life Worth Living
By Rebel

11:45 pm

Nikolas sat on the bunk in his cell, wondering for the thousandth time how his life had been reduced to this small space. Life in prison, Helena on the loose, his wife drawing up divorce papers with his brother's support.

It was enough to make him give up. What was there to live for anymore now that his wife left him?

For his family?

He had precious few and those he loved would do better without him. Those who he despised, well they wouldn't get the opportunity to torment him further.

And yet he still resisted the temptation to end it all. Oh, it would be easy enough to hang himself here. Or even easier to pick a fight. There were any number of inmates willing shank someone over an insult.

That thought had Nikolas's lips twisting into a hard smile. What would his uncle think of his vocabulary now?

A prison guard arrived in front of his cell. "You have a visitor, Cassadine."

A small bit of hope budded in his chest. "My wife?"

"Nah. A guy."

"If it's Lucky's Spencer, just tell him to leave." Lucky had ceased to be Nikolas's brother the moment he'd learned of Lucky's role in the end of his marriage. If he saw Lucky now, he would try to kill him.

"Nah, it's an older guy."

Obediently Nikolas rose to his feet and followed the guard down the aisle to the door exiting the cell block. The guard stopped and pulled out cuffs. Nikolas put his wrists together and raised them for binding. Another thing he'd gotten used to.

After the cuffs were in place, the guard led Nikolas out of the cell block to the visiting area. He directed Nikolas to take a seat in front of one of the windows where a phone sat. This is how he communicated with people in the outside world now. "Can you remove my cuffs so I can use the phone?"

The guard grunted his reply and complied with the request before leaving him alone in the locked room.

A moment later, one of the prison guards on the other side of the window led his visitor forward. Nikolas's heart stopped when he saw who it was. He fumbled for the phone, waiting with his heart beating in his throat for his guest to pick up the other end. He didn't give or wait for a formal greeting. "How is this possible?! I saw you...."

"I could ask you the same question, Nikolas," Stefan rebuked. "It seems both our eyes are deceiving us. Though in truth I have had some time to digest the fact that you were in prison for murder."

"YOU... " Aware that his voice was rising, Nikolas modulated. "You... were dead. I saw your body with my own eyes. This is... how is this possible?"

"A question I have for you is well," Stefan deflected. "How is it possible that the boy I raised could have believed that monster was me? Surely you knew me better than to think me capable of cold blooded murder?"

"It... If..." Nikolas struggled to form a coherent question. "If that wasn't you, then who was it?"

"A monster created by Helena. I would think that was obvious from the moment he arrived in Port Charles. Mother had me imprisoned and fashioned a twin to take my place. She kept me apprised of my replacement's progress by having tapes delivered to me for my entertainment. I met him before he arrived in Port Charles." Stefan eye's glittered with anger. "I told mother he would fail. I said to her. 'Alexis and Nikolas know me too well to be taken in by this fraud.' Stefan shook his head gravely. "I was the fool. Or should I say, you and Alexis were. I was left to watch as he destroyed my reputation and dismantled my life. Particularly painful was watching you tell the world you hated me."

NIkolas put his palm on the pane of glass, desperate to make contact with the man he loved all his life. The hate he felt during Stefan's trial had waned over the years. "I had.. I had no idea." It all seemed too fantastical to be real. But as low as his life had become, Nikolas was desperate to accept this truth as a sign of hope. "Uncle... if I had known..." He choked on his words.

Stefan placed his palm up on the window so that all that separated them was glass. "Years of my life have been lost, Nikolas. Years I have watched as my life ceased to have meaning - Kristina dead. You and Alexis lost to me. I gave up hope." The months after his twin's death were the darkest in Stefan's life. If he had had the opportunity to take his life then, he might have.

"I'm.. I'm sorry." Tears streaked down Nikolas's face. "I let you down. I should have guessed it wasn't you. I'm so sorry."

Stefan closed his eyes, Nikolas's remorse was a balm on his broken heart. "Regardless of what has happened, you do not belong here. Helena's mistake was to gloat over your imprisonment." In truth, it had been this miscalculation that had given Stefan the determination to free himself. It had taken a few months, but he'd succeeded. "Now what remains is to free you. It shouldn't be too difficult."

Nikolas removed his hand from the glass to wipe the tears from his eyes. "No, you need to leave. I'll find a way to free myself. Grandmother would expect you to try to help me and she'll use it as a way to trap you."

"Your suggestion that I leave you here is ridiculous. I will not rest until you are free."

"And if the authorities realize you're alive they will arrest you for murder!" Nikolas lowered his voice to a whisper. "I couldn't stand to lose you again now that I have you back. I've... lost everyone else. Please, Uncle."

"It is too late for that. I am here and I will not leave until you are cleared of all charges and Helena is behind bars or dead." Stefan's tone relayed how serious he was. "I understand your concerns, but I can no more walk away from you than I could murder an innocent woman. It is a risk we will have to accept."

Nikolas swiped at the tears that refused to be stemmed. He knew it was fruitless to argue further. "What... what can I do to help?"

"Nothing for now. Continue as you have. In a few days an operative of mine will placed in your section of the prison. We will use him as a conduit until I secure your release."

Nikolas drew in a shaky breath as the tears slowed. "You have a plan, then."

Stefan's eyes softened at his beloved nephew. "Of course. I know this is a new experience for you, but you must learn to trust me again. I know what I am doing."

Nikolas turned his head away to compose himself. Looking at his uncle was too emotional. "Just... just be careful. You're all I have left."

"No, Nikolas," Stefan scolded gently. "You have Alexis as well. She will help us."

The guard behind Stefan stepped forward. "Time's up."

"One more minute, please." Stefan turned back to Nikolas. "We will be together again soon, Nikolas. Believe that."

"That's what I'll be living for."

12:49am (4 minutes over)