| Chapter 78
Stefan, frustrated with himself for not being able to concentrate, shuts down his laptop and closes the lid. Rubbing away the mounting tension in the back of his neck, he glances over at the bookcase thoughtfully. A break was necessary, and perhaps beneficial in refocusing himself.
He goes to the bookshelf and, with his finger, scans the rows of titles until he finds the one he wants. He pulls out a large tome, an old worn leather bound album. He sits on the sofa and with reverent hands, leafs through the faded pages of his childhood. Pausing over pictures, he smiles sadly at one of the happier moments recorded.
Mrs Lansbury arrives in the doorway with Bobbie close behind. "Mr Cassadine, you have a visitor."
Lost in memories, it takes some time for Stefan to answer. Finally he looks up. "Yes, Mrs Lansbury?"
"Barbara Spencer, to see you, Sir."
"Thank you, Mrs Lansbury. You may leave us." Stefan closes the album reluctantly and rises to his feet. "Barbara, your visit is unexpected."
With her chin up, Bobbie enters the conservatory. "I want an explanation, Stefan."
Stefan crosses the room to return the tome to it's place in the bookshelf. "I would think we had little else to say to each other after you attacked me at the hospital a few days ago. If you came here hoping for round two, I won't be able to oblige you."
"You washed your hands of Carly, pretty brutally from all accounts. You didn't think I'd react to that?" Bobbie retorts hotly. "You think I'm stupid? You think I've forgotten what a liar you are? You made sure I knew exactly what you wanted me to know. So what kind of game are you playing now?"
Stefan crosses his arms and rolls his eyes in a show of boredom. "I don't know what you are speaking of, Barbara. I have made it very clear to Caroline and to you that I have no further interest in her or her situation. I would think you'd be pleased to have her free of me. You made no secret what you thought of our liaison."
"If you believe I buy your line of bull, you are a fool bigger fool than I thought. Everything you've done since you broke off your relationship with Carly has been with the purpose to help her. From making sure I knew about the breakup, to dropping the bomb about the court commitment proceedings that not even Carly knew about yet... to the email you sent me warning me about the judge."
"Classic Spencer paranoia, Barbara. I thought only your brother was prone it. You are assigning meaning where there is none." Stefan answers tiredly. "Furthermore, I don't know what you're babbling about.... an email about a judge?"
"Don't play me, Stefan. Your fingerprints are all over this. You didn't think I'd get the connection with Prometheus? The name of a Greek God who is probably your mascot?" Bobbie crosses the room so she is face to face with him. "You obviously still care about Carly, you did all this to help her. So tell me, why did you break her heart!?!"
"Barbara, your circular logic is beginning to give me a headache. First, you want me as far away from your daughter as possible, now you want me involved? You can't have it both ways. Your daughter understood me perfectly when we parted company. You will do her no favors if you fill her head with this fantasy of yours that I still harbor feelings for her."
"I'm not about to set her up to get hurt by you again," Bobbie snaps. "But there's more to this than you're saying. You're not fooling me. All your evasions only serve to make me more sure that I'm right."
"Like a typical Spencer, you will believe whatever you want to believe, Barbara," Stefan states coldly, his patience at an end. "But I must insist you leave. I don't wish to be harassed any longer on the subject of your daughter. I'm relieved to be free of her and I find it tiresome to be continually questioned by you. You have her back, be grateful for what you have."
The Cassadine Retreat.
Nikolas pulls Emily's bare back against his nude chest so they cuddled together spoon style in the spacious bed. "I can't believe how much I've missed this." He brushes her hair off her cheek and presses a soft kiss against the back of her ear. "I love being with you."
Emily hugs Nikolas's arm against her stomach more tightly. This is real. This is good and normal. What she's been living for the last two days has been insanity, not the reality she wishes to be in. "I can't tell you how much I needed to be here with you."
"Bad couple days at the mansion?"
"Oh, you have no idea." Emily's eyes fill with tears. "I hate them. With the exception of Grandmother and Reggie, I hate them all."
Nikolas rises on his elbow, turns her to face him. He cups a damp cheek. "What have they done? Is this about me?"
"No," Emily answers, shaking her head. "See, if this was about ME, I could deal, you know? I'm used to them hating my boyfriends. I expect it. No... this is about Michael." The tears flow more freely as her anger gets the best of her. "And their obsession with destroying his life. I will NEVER forgive them for what they are trying to do."
Nikolas gets a sinking feeling he knows exactly what she's talking about. He pulls her against his chest to hold her and comfort her. "I'm sorry, Sweetheart."
"They are going to try to lock Carly away in a Psych Hospital, Nikolas. They think they can get Michael again if they do." She briefly explains how she found out. "Do you have any idea how ashamed I am that they are my family?"
"You aren't like them, Emily," Nikolas says, addressing what she isn't saying. "Anyone who knows you knows you wouldn't be a part of that." He kisses the top of her head, suddenly realizing the cause for his father's sudden coldness towards Emily. Of course. "You are good and honest. "
"I'm just as bad as them. I almost trapped Carly into hitting me at the mansion and would have succeeded if it weren't for you. I felt so superior, like a had a right to break the rules because I was 'right'. That's just the excuse my Mom and Grandfather are using, it's the excuse that AJ used to bribe that slime Peyser. They are so convinced that Carly is bad for Michael, that Michael belongs at the mansion that they are going to lie in court and get Carly locked up." Emily buries her fact in his chest. "How am I different from them?"
Nikolas strokes her hair soothingly. "You realized your mistake, that's how you're different."
"I'm done with them, Nikolas," Emily says vehemently. "Tomorrow, I'm going to testify for Carly and then I'm moving out and I'm never going back. If I don't leave, I'll end up just like them."
Nikolas kisses the top of her head. "Move in with me. Here. You like the retreat, I could have Cassadine guards installed here to keep them away from you. Say you'll live here with me. Let me protect you."
Emily rises, drawing the sheet around herself to give the allusion of modesty. Sitting Indian style, she takes Nikolas' palm and presses a kiss into it. "I want to, you know I do. But I can't."
Nikolas lifts her chin so she's looking up at him. "Your father won't get another chance at me. You don't have to stay away to protect me."
"It's not that." Emily smiles sheepishly at his scowl. "Okay, partly. But I don't want them thinking I'm leaving because I want to be with you. I want them to understand that it's their fault I left. I've already asked Jason and he's agreed to give me one of his rooms in the Penthouse. They won't be able to get to me there, and I can still see you." She takes his palm and lays it on her heart, her love shining in her eyes. "It's just until we get married."
Nikolas's eyes close at her tender plea. How can he be angry with her when she's so sweet? "I want whatever will make you happy, Emily. But can I ask for one thing?"
Emily takes his hand and sandwiches it between in her smaller ones. "Anything."
"I want to set a date for our wedding." His eyes burn into hers. "You've already put off our marriage once. If we don't set a date soon, I'm going to start to think you've changed your mind about marrying me."
"Never." Emily crawls towards him on her knees until she's straddling his waist. "How does a fall wedding sound?" She suggests, placing a seductive kiss on his neck. "Say... early fall. I think with the leaves turning golden, an outdoor wedding would be really pretty."
Nikolas wraps his arms around her waist and slides down on the bed until he's laying on his back with her on top. Her hair falls down, creating a dark curtain that secludes them from the outside world. Nikolas kisses her deeply, not letting up until she is leaning into him. "Yes, but not as beautiful as you."
.............................
Thursday Evening
Luke's Club.
The club is in full swing. Blues music filters through the main room, relaxing the souls of the weary Port Charles citizens. Luke pours a bourbon for a regular at the bar, then calls out to Claude, "Hey Man, I'm gonna take a break. Holler if you need me."
Removing the small apron and sticking it under the bar, Luke heads back to his office. He was expecting news from one of his pals on the underground. Maybe he could pick up the scent on the Prometheus dude. Something didn't click with that lead, the information was eerily accurate. Like how Prometheus knew to send it to Bobbie and cover his trail. This stunk to high heaven.
Luke slides in behind his desk and fires up his trusty laptop and logs on for email.
His computer purrs in a sexy voice. "You have mail, Lover."
Luke grins. "Thanks darlin'." He opens the message. "Hot Damn!"
Subject: Locate Your Enemies!
To: Blues_Man@portchuckles.net
From: Prometheus@mail.com
Are you sure they're dead and iced?
Or will Port Charles have an early thaw this year?
Click here to find out where they are.
The key to being safe is being properly armed
361-80-2321
A friend
Swearing loudly and profusely, Luke leaps up from behind his desk. "What the hell kind of game is this?" Going to his safe, he spins the combination lock and opens it. Inside he finds his spare gun exactly where he left it, but underneath it is a small envelope that wasn't there before. Inside, he finds a card the size of a credit card. "Shit. This is a set up. I can feel it."
Stefan sits at his desk in his study, a glass of vodka in one hand and a framed picture in the other. His shoulders hunched and his hair tousled, he looks old and defeated. Emptying the glass in one gulp, he closes his bleary eyes, relishing the burn of the strong liquor as it trails down his throat. Oblivion is what he seeks.
Nikolas stand in the doorway of the study, much as he did a few nights before, when he was angry and wanting answers for his father's rude treatment of his fiancé. He has those answers, but is now stumped as to why his father looks so lost.
"Father?"
Stefan looks up from his contemplation of the empty glass. "Nikolas. I'm afraid I am not fit for c---" He closes his eyes. He should be mortified, but he's too soused to care. "Company tonight. Please leave me be."
Nikolas's concern overrides his father's wishes. "I don't care about that. I'm worried about you. What's going on? Is this about Carly? If it is, don't let what's keeping you apart get in the way. Go to her."
"You think it's that simple? That my descent into drunkenness has to do with her?" Stefan sags and slides the picture frame into the desk drawer. "No... Caroline is the least of it. What I have seen is so awful..." He shakes his head. No, he wouldn't speak of it. Never.
Nikolas takes a step into the room. "What is it, Father? Tell me what's going on."
"It is nothing that should concern you, Nikolas." Stefan lifts the crystal decanter from his desk blotter and splashes more vodka into his glass. "It is nothing to worry yourself over. I will be fine in the morning."
Nikolas decides to take the indirect approach. "I know why you were so cold to Emily the other night. You could have told me about the Quartermaines being involved in the set up against Carly.."
"I saw no reason to cause a lover's quarrel. It was unlikely she was involved but I couldn't be certain." Stefan takes a sip from his glass. "Emily is both beautiful and sweet in disposition, Nikolas. Marry her when you have a chance. I think she could make you happy."
"She already makes me happy." Nikolas sits down across the desk from Stefan. "Emily didn't know until Bobbie told her what her family was up to. She's going to testify for Carly."
"Good. And I will do my best to make amends for my surly attitude the other night." Stefan smiles ruefully. "If she will allow me."
The silence between father and son stretches for several minutes as Stefan is lost in his thoughts and Nikolas tries to figure out the pieces of the puzzle. Finally Nikolas speaks. "You didn't break things off with Carly because you got bored, did you?"
Stefan sighs unhappily. "What does it matter at this point, Nikolas."
"And you didn't break things off because she betrayed you either."
Damn, he should have seen this coming. "Nikolas, my relationship with Caroline, or lack thereof, is none of your business..."
Nikolas continues unimpeded. "And she didn't break things off with you, because I saw her right afterwards, she was more devastated than you were."
"Nikolas," Stefan's voice turns brittle.
"You still care about her, no matter what you say," Nikolas says in a rush, wanting to get it out before Stefan explodes. "So there's really only one reason I can think of for why you broke things off with her."
Stefan's empty glass hits the desk with a loud crack. "Stop this now, Nikolas. It is not your concern."
"You're protecting her, aren't you?" Nikolas presses. "From Helena? That's why you've been practically glued to the computer, to the research you're doing. You're taking Helena down."
Stefan's head swims trying to keep up with Nikolas. Big mistake drinking this much. He didn't have the faculties to fight his son's logic. "My reasons are my own, Nikolas. I resent your interference."
"Evade all you want, Father, but I'm right."
"You will cease your psychoanalysis of me immediately," Stefan demands. "You have overstepped your bounds."
"Is this how it's going to be for me, Father?" Nikolas asks, pushing the buttons he know will throw Stefan off balance completely. "Am I going to push Emily away because I want to protect her? Am I going to be alone too because it's the only way to keep the people we love safe?"
"NO!" Stefan with quiet fury, the intensity of his anger vibrating through his body. "You will not suffer my fate. Everything I am doing now is so you can be free. So you can have happiness with the girl you love. You.." He is practically shaking. "You will be free to be happy. That's all that matters now."
"What have you done, Father? Is that why you are drinking? You hardly ever drink, and never like this. But something has you frightened...." Nikolas studies at his father's haggard expression more closely, seeing more than Stefan wants him to. "Or guilty. What is it?"
"It is private," Stefan's answer is flat. "It is best left that way. What I have done may be unforgivable, but I won't let it touch you."
"What have you done," Nikolas pleads. "Father, I am an adult, not a child to be sheltered. When do you trust me with your secrets? Don't you know I'd do just about anything for you. I'd even kill to protect you, if necessary."
Stefan jumps to his feet. "NO. It will never come to that. NEVER."
"Is that it? Did you kill someone, Father? Are you planning to?"
Stefan collapses back into his chair, his head in his hands. "No... I should have, but I was unable. I am too weak. I am a coward, Nikolas. A coward."
"This is it."
"This is too creepy," Luke mutters, glancing around the dark wooded area that surrounds the door the map led to. He slides the card into the lock and keys in the code as instructed. "My guts are screaming."
"I got your back, Man," Roy whispers, his gun lowered as he scans for signs of an ambush. Nothing but quiet.
Luke turns the door lever and smiles as the door slides open, revealing a dimly lit gray hallway. He pulls out the card. "We're in. You coming?"
"Right behind you."
Nikolas crouches at his father's feet, putting a comforting hand on his knee. "Tell me, Father."
Stefan drops his hands. "Oh Nikolas.... you can not even comprehend what you are asking me. I still can't accept what I saw was real. But it was. He was."
Nikolas's mouth goes dry. "Who? Who was real?"
"I have been watching Helena for some time," Stefan begins. His voice tired and almost monotone as he explains. "That is no secret. I have always had her movements monitored. But more recently, I have watched her more closely. And yesterday, there was a break. One of my operatives saw her disappear in the middle of a wooded area. He was able to get close enough to follow her trail. He found a door in the middle of nowhere. By the overgrown bushes and trees, It is obvious the building has been there for quite some time, for years. And as luck would have it, my operative and I were able to subdue one of Helena's henchmen as he was coming out. We gained entry."
"Son of Bitch!" Luke swears in soft whisper. "This is too familiar." Staying close to the wall, he peers around the corner ahead and finds it clear. He looks back at Roy who is a few feet behind. Both men have their gun cocked but lowered to the ground, ready to use at a moment's notice. "I know my way. Follow close behind."
"How can you tell what turns to take?" Roy asks. "I can't tell whether I'm coming or going."
"Trust me. I know my way through this."
"This is Helena's lair and you went in alone?" Nikolas asks incredulously. "Into a maze where her guards could come upon you at any time? You could have been lost for hours. She could have killed you!"
Stefan smiles fondly at his son who is kneeling at his feet. He puts an affectionate hand on Nikolas's head and tousles his hair. His sweet boy. How he loved him, never more so than at this moment. "I was careful, and Helena was most obliging really. She patterned the maze after the labyrinth of tunnels on the Cassadine Island in Greece. I found the center quite quickly. And there were very few guards. She has been putting her financial resources to use elsewhere. I imagine she never expected anyone to find the lab, or gain entry. Much less that the person who would find it would be me."
....................................
Luke halts abruptly at the sound of voices in front of him. He motions Roy to stop as well. Both raise their guns as they listen carefully.
"Still no word on Morton?"
"Nah, but he probably ran off with that girl he's been talking about lately. If he doesn't show tomorrow, I'll let the Madame know. He was a regular guy, it's only fair to give him a sporting chance to give her the slip. He'd do the same for us."
"True. True. Okay, Gus, I'm gone for the night. See you at the same time tomorrow."
A distant door slams. Luke motions for Roy to hide around the corner. As the footfalls signal the guard's approach, Luke and Roy jump him, knocking him cold. Roy rifles through the man's pockets and snags the useful items (keycard, handgun, etc), Luke grins at Roy as they step over the guard's body. "This is more like it. It's not much fun if it's too easy. One down, one to go."
"What did you find, Father?" Nikolas asks gently, prodding his father on.
"Her lab was full of state of the art medical machinery, Nikolas. According to my calculations, she poured millions of dollars into this laboratory."
"But why?"
"Not why... but who." Stefan answers cryptically.
Luke stands outside the door at the center of the maze. "This should be it, Roy. You ready?"
Roy stands on the other side of the door, out of view. He nods. Luke opens the door quickly, his gun raised. In the far corner of the room full of high tech machines, is one lone guard manning the controls. Because of the fans and other machinery purring in the room, he doesn't hear the door open. Obviously he isn't used to visitors at this time of night. Luke steps across the room gingerly, raises his gun and clocks him in the back of the head. The man goes down without a whimper. Roy stands by him, his gun pointed at the man's head in case he rouses.
Luke looks around the lab lined with high tech machines. "Mama Cass must have thought she was pretty secure to leave this place so poorly guarded." He walks the length of the room, trying to make sense of the machines that stand along the walls. It's then he notices the large steel case lying on a raised platform in the middle of the room. It happens to have a window on the top. "Well, what's this?" He ambles over to look inside the window. "Fucking son of a----"
Roy takes a couple steps in Luke's direction "What is it, Luke?"
Luke steps back unsteadily, his face white. "Leave it to the old bat to get it wrong."
"I went over the laboratory carefully, Nikolas. So I could understand Helena's goal. She's very thorough, she planned this for years, two decades. She was just a few months from realizing her goal."
"Who was it, Father?"
"It was our worst nightmare and her greatest dream, Nikolas. I would imagine when she realized you weren't Stavros's son, she stepped up her plans."
"Her plans for what?" Nikolas, his stomach in knots, finds his patience at an end. "Just TELL Me."
"Lying in a glass and steel chamber...." Stefan, his voice unsteady, pours himself another glass of vodka. "Was Stavros. My brother. Your uncle. The man who for years you believed was your father. He was lying there. Seemingly asleep. Ready to be awakened from his cryogenic sleep."
Nikolas tries to wrap his mind around it. "Cryogenic... you mean he's FROZEN?"
Stefan nods his head as he nurses his vodka. "Apparently your grandfather wasn't the only one fascinated with freezing things. Helena used Mikkos's research to save Stavros's life. All these years, we thought he was dead."
"When he's just been dormant."
"Precisely. Helena was scheduled to start the process of reviving him in about two months. She even had a doctor picked out to assist her."
"Who?"
"Dr Tony Jones. She plans to use Lucas Jones as a pawn to get Dr Jones to do her bidding."
Nikolas swears. "You have to be kidding me."
Stefan drains his glass. "I wish I were."
Roy peers into the window of the cryogenics chamber. "Who the hell is that? And what the hell is this thing?"
"Knowing the old witch, I'd bet she couldn't stand parting with him, so she froze him." Luke swears some more. "Roy, meet the once dead, and soon to be dead for good.... Stavros Cassadine. It's a fairy tale, Cassadine style. So if we have the Evil Prince in the glass case. Where are the seven trolls?"
"Two are out of commission. But that still leaves the other five trolls."
"Probably out there ready to slice our heads off." Luke walks over to one of the walls lined with machines and edges himself between two of them. He grins. "Two birds with one stone." He grabs some power cords and yanks them out of the wall. The machines in question stop their whirring and purring. With his pocket knife, he saws the cords off at their base from the machines. Triumphantly, he raises a hand full of power cords. "I think these will do to tie up our two trolls. Don't you?"
Roy grins. "Sure. Hand 'em over." They make quick work out of tying up the man that's in the room. "I'll go take care of the other guy down the hall and drag him back here. No sense in alerting anyone else to our presence."
"Good thinking." Luke runs his hands along Stavros's cryogenics chamber, feeling for seams and buttons. Anything to turn the thing off. "It might take a while to melt this popsicle..." His hand runs across a row of buttons on the underside of the chamber. "Aha. pay dirt."
"You can't let Helena do this..."
"No, I can't. The boy, Lucas, must not be put in jeopardy. Revived, Stavros would be a pawn Helena could use to do her bidding. Stavros has no conscience. He kills when it suits him, and with no remorse." Stefan shakes his head miserably. "I repeated this all to myself as I faced him in the lab. All the reasons he must not be revived. I found the switch to turn off his cryogenics chamber. All it would have taken was flipping the switch....." For the first time since he returned from the lab, Stefan begins to weep.
Nikolas presses his forehead to his father's forehead. "Father, it's okay. It's okay."
"I couldn't do it, Nikolas. To save us all, I had to, but I couldn't.... I couldn't." Stefan's body shakes as he weeps. "I am a coward. I am ashamed. But I could not kill my brother. Not even to save us, Nikolas. I couldn't bring myself to. I loved him once.... I keep seeing his face when we played as children. He loved me too. But when we grew he turned into a monster...." Stefan's voice cracks. "And I couldn't do it. I was too weak."
"No.. no no." Nikolas wraps his arms around his father and rocks him. "No, you aren't, Father. You are the strongest man I know. You lay your life on the line to protect me and I'm proud to be your son. You aren't like Helena. You aren't like Stavros. They are the murderers. Don't you see?"
Stefan pulls himself together, taking his handkerchief, he mops his face. "I am a babbling fool. I have not told you the rest of it."
"What is the rest?"
"If all went as I planned, at this very moment Luke Spencer is destroying the lab and ending Stavros' life once and for all."
Nikolas' eyes go wide. "You sent Luke?"
Stefan stares into his vodka glass. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. He will gladly do what I could not. I have done my part to ensure Luke gets in and out safely. There is some measure of risk, of course, but it is minimized. Knowing Spencer, he will come out of this unscathed."
The laboratory machines unplugged and Stavros's cryogenics chamber open, Luke lights a cigar in honor of the occasion. He takes several puffs. "Well, Stavvy Baby. I guess this is sayanora. I'd say it's good knowin' you, but that'd be lying. It's good seeing you dead though. I'll be sleeping mighty fine tonight." Luke knocks the cigar ashes into Stavros's chamber. He chuckles as he bites down on his cigar. "I guess you will be too."
Roy peeks into the room. "Luke, how much longer?"
"I just want to make sure the 'cicle's good and thawed before we go." Luke puffs on his cigar. "So, any more troll sightings?"
"Nothing. I'd say someone else has your back."
Luke puts out his cigar and leaves it on Stavros' chest. "Bye bye now. I imagine hell will be mighty nice and toasty after the last twenty years in the deep freeze." Patting the chamber one last time, Luke strolls out of the laboratory whistling. Recognizing the tune, Roy smiles and joins in with the words. "Heigh ho, Heigh ho, it's off to bed we go...."
Chapter 79
From the back of the packed court room, Stefan watches the proceedings with a growing sense of impending doom. Finally, the judge lowers his gavel with a loud crack. "Caroline Benson, you are a danger to yourself and this community. I am hereby committing you to Ferncliffe Psychiatric Facility for six months, at which time Dr Evans has the right to petition for a longer commitment. I am awarding AJ Quartermaine full custody of Michael Quartermaine and order you to have no contact with your son from this day forward." With a wave of his hand, the judge motions the bailiff's forward. "Guards, take her into custody."
Stefan rushes forward to Carly, his only thought to get her away from this nightmare, to protect her. But the crowd holds him back, blocks him. He cries out to her. "Caroline!"
Carly turns to him, devastated, tears streaking down her face. The guards grab her roughly, pinning her arms behind her back and snapping on cuffs. "Why, Stefan, Why? All I did was love you. Why are you doing this to me?"
"Release her!" Stefan bellows, fighting the faceless people who are holding him back. "She is no criminal! Caroline..."
Carly doesn't fight the guards who hold her fast. "Why couldn't you love me? Why didn't you protect me? All I wanted was to be with you."
"Caroline... I .... I...." The words stick in Stefan's throat. His excuses were useless. She was right, he didn't protect her. A dam bursts inside him, allowing the words to come out. "I love you, Caroline."
Carly seems to wither as Dr Evans steps forward to stroke her damp face. "Such a pretty sentiment, Mr Cassadine, but it's a little too late for that now. She's mine." Dr Evans pulls out a syringe and Stefan watches in horror as the man gives Carly an injection. Carly flinches. "The poor thing is overwrought. What kind of doctor would I be if I allowed her to harm herself? You are free of her, Mr Cassadine, she is my responsibility now." Turning his back, Dr Evans starts to lead Carly away.
Carly stumbles under the effects of the drug but the guards hold her upright. When she speaks, her voice is small and childlike. "You'll come to visit me, won't you?"
His heart in his throat, Stefan doubles his efforts to reach Carly, but can't seem to get any closer. "Caroline! Caroline! Let her go!"
Carly looks back at Stefan one more time, her eyes vacant. "Good bye Stefan."
Stefan feels a strong hand on his shoulder and turns to find Stavros grinning malevolently. "That poor poor girl. Such a sad situation, isn't it, Brother? You always fall for such beautiful yet pathetic women..... But not to worry. With the help of Dr Evans, I will take excellent care of her. Seems only fair, considering how well you took care of my wife......." Chuckling, Stavros strolls past him to follow Dr Evans.
"Caroline! NOOOO!" Stefan wakes with the scream in his throat. Sitting bolt upright in bed, his entire body is pounding with adrenaline. His hand is on the bedside phone and her number half dialed before he realizes what he's doing. With great effort, he forces himself to hang up the receiver. Feeling almost as helpless and defeated as he did in the nightmare, he sags against the headboard of the bed.
In a small room down the hall from the court room, Margo and Carly sit quietly. Pale and trembling, Carly looks at her hands in her lap. Margo places a warm hand on top of Carly's ice cold ones. "You have excellent defense witnesses, Carly. I've interviewed each one, and their support of you is solid. The law allows you to have witnesses, but there is no requirement for us to advise the prosecution ahead of time. This is good since it won't give them a chance to prepare. What you have to decide now is whether you want to request a jury for the hearing. That's your right. The process will take a lot longer, and the longer you draw this out, the more nerve wracking it will be. Personally, I would recommend a judge. They understand the law better and aren't as swayed by dramatics."
Carly fiddles with her hands as she considers the question. Damn it, she didn't know what to do. According to Luke, the judge was supposedly on the take. Wouldn't her chances be better with a jury? Unless Evans and Helena got to the jury beforehand. It would really help to know what Luke was planning. "I'll go with the jury. I know it'll take longer but I don't trust the judge to be impartial."
"Okay."
Carly tries and fails to draw in a deep breath to dispel the knot in her stomach. She looks up at Margo, her bottom lip quivering. "I just can't keep from thinking about what it was like in Ferncliffe the last time. If I have to go back there...."
"I'll do everything in my power to keep that from happening," Margo reassures her. "Do you realize it's virtually unheard of for a defendant in a psychiatric commitment case to have any witnesses testifying for them? You don't have just one, you have five! And one of those witnesses is an expert witness. Dr Reardon is your silver bullet. You have a lot to be hopeful about."
Carly nods. Margo is right. She has a good chance of beating this. Her situation is a hell of a lot better than it was after she shot Tony. It's hard to believe how much support she has around her. It still hasn't sunk in completely.
"Your job is to remain calm in the court room," Margo continues. "No matter what anyone says or does. All the jury is going to care about is your reaction, your emotional stability. Do you understand?"
"Can I have a few minutes alone before we go in, Margo?" Carly asks. "I'll be okay. I just want a few minutes to gather my thoughts. I can't be a quivering mass of nerves when I'm in court."
Margo pats Carly's hand. "That's a good idea. I'll wait for you outside and I'll advise the prosecution about your wish for a jury trial. Then we'll go into the courtroom together."
Carly smiles tremulously at Margo. "Thanks for everything. I'll be out as soon as I'm ready."
After the door shuts behind Margo, Carly rises unsteadily to her feet. Closing her eyes, she takes in a deep breath and clears her mind as she has been taught to do. Straightening her spine and squaring her shoulders, she calls up the details of Stefan's meditation room and Stefan's voice, his calm solid voice instructing her in Tai Chi. She places her body in position and begins the exercise. The anxiety gradually dissipates as her body moves in a prescribed series of graceful movements. Already feeling stronger than she's felt all week, she's confident she will be ready to face her foes when the time comes.
Judge Hancock doesn't so much as pause when the knock comes to his door. He continues writing while he answers. "Come in, Doris."
Luke's smile is impish as he ambles up to the large oak desk. "Mornin' Judge. Thought you'd appreciate a little friendly chat before your first case."
Judge Hancock's head snaps up and his writing ceases abruptly. "Who are you? What are you doing here? You aren't allowed in here. BAILIFF!" He calls out loudly.
"I wouldn't suggest you do that, Judge," Luke warns quietly. He'd thought well to enlist Roy's help in keeping the bailiff otherwise occupied. "Not unless you want to be publicly embarrassed and lose your bench to boot."
Judge Hancock rises to his full height. "Are you threatening me? I'll have you arrested! BAILIFF!!"
"I'd hold off the cavalry just yet." Luke tosses a small stack of papers on the judge's desk. "Read it and weep, Judge. It's all there in black and white."
The judge, furious that his bailiff isn't right at hand to drag this scum from his chambers, snatches the packet and glances at it, prepared to rip it to shreds. This poorly dressed miscreant deserved to cool his heels in the tank for a few days after this stunt. But the first line catches his attention immediately and he roughly leafs through the rest. The wind knocked out of his sails, he drops back into his chair. "What do you want?"
"Glad to finally have your attention. I figured you for a practical man." Luke ambles around the finely decorated chamber, pulling a cigar out of his breast pocket and lighting it. Lord, he loves nothing better than ticking off corrupt arrogant windbags while he has them cornered, and his cigar is the perfect vehicle. Well perhaps thwarting Stavros' resurrection could compete with the feeling. "What you have in front of you is just a copy, Judge. I have the originals poised to be delivered to the state district attorney's office by noon today. Your career is on the line. One false move, and I could have you thrown in jail. Even if you can buy your way out of a sentence, your career will be ruined by the bad press. You'll never sit on another court case for the rest of your life."
"This is blackmail!" Judge Hancock roars.
"Touchy when threatened, aren't ya?" Luke notes as he puffs on his cigar. "I understand that. That's kinda how I am when it comes to me and mine. But I believe I have an offer that'll make us both happy. One where you get to keep your career and my niece walks away from this farce."
Chafing in his suit, Jason checks his watch outside the courtroom. He hates lawyers and judges almost as much as he hates cops. For the most part they are a pompous asses full hot air, puffed up in their importance. He has better things to do than waste time listening to them.
Spying Monica and Edward out of the corner of his eye, he prepares to duck out of sight. His mother and grandfather give him a headache on a good day, and he has no interest in tipping Carly's hand or knocking heads before the time is right. The time to annihilate them will come later.
Just as he slips around the corner, he feels a tug on his sleeve. He turns to find Carly standing beside him, looking pale but determined. "Carly, what are you doing? Shouldn't you be with your lawyer getting ready for the hearing?"
"I will in a minute, but I wanted to talk to you first."
Jason's ice blue eyes study her without apology. She looks scared but ready for battle. If she's panicking, she is doing a good job of hiding it. Her eyes are clear, no sign of a wild scheme in the works. "How are you?"
"Half scared out of my mind," Carly admits. "Thanks for agreeing to testify for me, Jason."
"It's the right thing to do," Jason answers simply. "And you should thank Emily. She was the one to ask me."
"I will." Carly looks around furtively, to be sure they aren't overheard. "I have a favor to ask, and I have to ask now, because it might be the last time I get a chance to."
"Go ahead." Jason looks over her head, watching the people mill past them to the other court rooms, on the lookout for marauding Quartermaines.
She puts a tentative hand on his chest, her eyes seeking his out. "If... if it goes all wrong today, if .. if I get sent away, I want you to take Michael and get out town. Just take him and disappear."
Her emotional plea and the feather-like touch of her hand on him causes his stomach to do a somersault. He fights the urge to hold her, to soothe her, to touch her hair. Obviously he isn't as immune to her as he thought. "You'll beat this, Carly."
"I'm sure I will..." Her voice cracks. "But just in case... Please Jason. I need to know it'll be okay for Michael, no matter what. I don't want my son near the Quartermaines, they'll destroy him. AJ tries, but he's too weak. He'll break under the pressure. You're the only one strong enough to fight them. To hide Michael." Carly's fingers stroke the lapel of his suit anxiously, her eyes bore into his. "Please, Jason. Say you'll do this. For Michael."
Jason swallows the painful lump in his throat, and of it's own accord his hand rests on her shoulder. He wants nothing more than to pull her into his arms. "Michael will be safe, no matter what happens. I promise."
Carly closes her eyes and lets the breath out she'd been holding. "Thank you." Pulling a slip of paper out of her suit coat pocket, she presses it into his hand. "As soon as the court order is read, Jason. Don't wait around to watch the theatrics."
Inside the courtroom, Carly sits at the defense table with Margo. While the Tai Chi exercises earlier have helped keep her from coming completely out of her skin, she finds it impossible to be calm in the face of what she could lose. She closes her eyes and takes a slow deep breath, reminding herself that Jason would make sure Michael is safe no matter what happens here. She feels a hand on hers, Margo's hand, as she whispers that it won't be much longer.
The waiting is killing her.
She opens her eyes and makes the mistake of allowing them to wander over to the prosecution table, where she finds Dr Evans in conference with the prosecuting attorney. One look at Evans has her stomach in a vicious knot; she forces herself to look away. The longer she looks at the man, the more scared she is and the more he wins. She won't give him the satisfaction. Next her eyes rest on Edward and Monica sitting on the bench seats behind the prosecution table, in deep conversation. Her hatred of them is tempered somewhat by the realization that she has Jason, AJ, and Emily waiting in the wings to support her. She takes a moment to relish the fact that it would drive Monica Quartermaine absolutely nuts to have all her children on the opposing side.
The Quartermaines catch her looking in their direction and they lock eyes across the room. Staring pointedly at Monica first, and then Edward, Carly lifts her chin defiantly and lets a slow triumphant smile creep over her face. Let's see you try to figure that out. Monica narrows her eyes and turns away. Edward glares at her before he turns his back her. Carly savors the small victory. They are small minded bullies and they will never see her son. Even if the worst happens and she ends up under Evans's thumb, Michael will be safe and those hypocritical pigs will lose.
But she has no intention of letting anyone lock her up again. With Margo, her family, and the younger Quartermaines at her side, she will beat this fair and square. Then she will wipe the smug looks off Monica and Edward's faces.
Then she will take her time getting her revenge. After all she's learned at Stefan's side, she understands the value of retribution.
Carly feels a touch on her shoulder from behind. She turns to look at Bobbie and gives her a strained smile. "Hi, I'm glad you made it."
"As if I'd be anywhere else? Everything will work out, Carly, I'm certain of it," Bobbie says, injecting as much confidence as she can into her statement. "We'll wipe the floor with them. We'll make them sorry they ever picked this fight."
"They will be very sorry they ever messed with me," Carly answers too calmly.
Bobbie is startled by the Carly's steely expression and cold determination. She's seen the look before, but not on her daughter's face. She shivers. If she didn't despise the Quartermaines at this moment, she'd feel sorry for them.
Bobbie takes a seat on the first bench behind the defense table. She smiles a greeting to Margo. "How long until it begins?"
Margo checks her watch for the umpteenth time. They should have started fifteen minutes ago; the delay is odd since this judge is always punctual. He's obsessive about getting to his tee-off early. "Any minute."
"Where are the witnesses?" Bobbie asks, glancing around nervously. "Shouldn't they be in the courtroom?"
"They are all ready to testify," Margo assures. "But I asked them to wait in the adjoining room until just before the hearing begins. I don't want the prosecutor to have any time to prepare."
The Bailiff stands at the front of the courtroom and announces, "All rise for the Honorable Judge Hancock."
In the back of the courtroom, Emily, Vincent, Jason, Dr Reardon, AJ and Luke file in and stand amongst the benches behind Carly. Everyone stands at attention as Judge Hancock enters and takes a seat. He glances up and his eyes lock on Luke who is smiling at him like a Cheshire cat. Helena, the last one in, strolls in regally and stands at the back of the court room. The Judge cracks the gavel and sits, as everyone else follows suit. The Judge clears his throat. "We are here in the matter of the Superior Court of New York vs Caroline Benson. Ms Renfield, I have been made aware of the defendant's wish for a jury trial. But before we address that matter, I wish to see Counsel in my chambers. I am calling a brief recess while we confer." He slams the gavel down and rises, exiting as quickly as he came.
Luke stands at the back of the court room, his arms crossed and a grin plastered there. The rest of the room's inhabitants are in varying states of confusion, surprise, and trepidation.
Carly turns to Margo and grabs her sleeve. "What does he mean, he wants to meet with you first?! This isn't how you said it would go!"
"It will be all right, I'm sure," Margo answers. "I'll admit, this is highly unusual. Perhaps the judge has been made aware of some evidence. Let me go find out, and I'll be right back."
Meanwhile, across the room, the prosecutor is gathering up his briefcase. "Don't go anywhere, Dr Evans. I'm sure this will be brief."
"Yes, Sir. I'll wait right here." Dr Evans glances over at his prey, a hungry glint in his eye. He didn't like the delay, but he was used to being patient. It wouldn't change the outcome.
Edward and Monica turn for the first time to find AJ, Jason and Emily on the other side of the courtroom. Monica pales. "What... what are they doing here?!"
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