Chapter 31
 

In the main roomŠ

Taggart and Garcia have just arrived on the scene.  Stephan immediately came
to greet them at the entrance.

"Good evening, gentlemen.  It was good of you to come so quickly."   Stephan
said,   "Let us go to the banquet hall and talk."

The threesome then headed towards the banquet hall, with Veronica in hot
pursuit.  On the way, they passed Mulder and Scully as they made their way
to the main room.

Mulder¹s glaze lingered on Veronica,   "Who do you suppose she¹s dressed
as?"   he asked curiously.

"Unless, she¹s paying homage to the Men¹s Wearhouse, I¹d say that she isn¹t
wearing a costume, Mulder."   Scully offered, as they continued towards
their destination.

"Scully, why don¹t you go talk to Lucky and Lizzie B., and I¹ll see what
those four at up to."   he suggested, as he turned to follow them back to
the banquet hall.

"Sure thing, Boss."   Scully said, imitating LizzieB.

Mulder chuckled, as he headed off in the opposite direction,  "I¹ll check
back with you later, okay."

Once in the banquet hall, Mulder move as near to the conversation as
possible without seeming conspicuous.

 "This is Det. Garcia and I¹m Lt. Taggart."   Taggart announced, before
stating his business,   "What seems to be the problem, Mr. Cassidine?"

"Earlier, an uninvited guest caused a great deal of trouble, but since then
the situation has been handled and brought under control.  The woman in
question has agreed to reframe from further unseemly behavior, and I in turn
have agreed to reframe from having her incarcerated."  Stephan explained.

Just then Veronica spotted Stephan and walked over to the threesome.

"Veronica Wielding Barrett at your service, but you can call me ŒRonnie¹."
she said as she held out her hand to Stephan.

Stephan, Taggart, and Garcia looked over at her.  Although nothing improper
was visible, it was readily apparent that the formal men¹s jacket, which
ended mid-thigh, was the only thing she wore.

Stephan observed her outstretched hand suspiciously for a second before he
answered.

"My name is Stephan Cassidine, but you may refer to me as Stephan.  This is
Lt. Taggart and Det. Garcia."   Stephan directed at Veronica, before he
turned his attention back to the officers.

 "Let me guess, indecent exposure?"  Garcia said indicating Ronnie¹s
somewhat odd attire.

Annoyed by their presence, Veronica turned to the officers and said,   "I
was, by no means, indecent, and I most certainly wasn¹t exposed, as you so
crudely suggested.  My nudity was perfectly tasteful and completely
warranted.  In fact, it was an essential part of my costume."

"Do you care to explain how you were nude while at the same time wearing a
costume?"  Garcia asked in confusion.

"I came as Lady Godiva, and as we all know she was most well known for her
infamous nude ride through the English forest.  So, of course, I arrived in
attire that was befitting of the character I portrayed."   She explained.

Stephan smiled at her somewhat subdued description of the earlier incident.
 "What Ms. Barrett means is that she galloped through the doorway, atop my
nephew¹s stallion, wearing naught but her perfume."   He informed them, then
added,   "Her daughter, the newly resurrected Mrs. Corinthos, was kind
enough to cover her nakedness, and take responsibility for her reckless
behavior.  Since then, Ms. Barrett has caused no further problems, so I have
agreed to allow her to enjoy the remainder of the celebration."

"You noticed my perfume?"  she said in surprise,   "How thoughtful."

Taggart¹s mind only went as far as ŒCorinthos¹.   "Mrs. Sonny Corinthos?"
he inquired.

"Certainly.   Who else would Brenda be married to?"   Veronica said, as she
looked over at the officers rather strangely.

"So, the prodigal Sonny returnsŠ"   Taggart said flippantly, then addressed
Stephan   "I didn¹t know the Cassidine hospitality extended so far."

Stephan¹s eyes narrowed in annoyance.   "Whom I choose to invite to my
residence is none of your concern.  As I have explained, the situation is
under control.  Now, I believe that the reason for your visit has expired."
 He said dismissively, then added,   "However, if you so desire you may stay
and enjoy the party provided that you refrain from any official duties, and
that includes harassing Mr. Corinthos and his associates.  I will not
tolerant another disturbance in my home tonight."

Taggart and Garcia looked at one another for a second before Garcia
answered,   "I think we¹ll take you up on that offer."

"Enjoy yourselves, gentleman."   Stephan said, then turned to nod in
Veronica¹s direction before he departed.  "Ms. Barrett."
 

StablesŠ

"So, this is Sheba."   Emily stated matter-of -factly, as she rubbed the
animal¹s mane.

Nikolas nodded proudly, as he continued to situate her in the stall.

"She¹s beautiful."   Em commented, then added humorously   "Although, I
doubt if anyone noticed."

Nikolas chuckled.   "Yeah, that scene was pretty bizarre.  In fact, this
whole party has turned out to be quite a unique experience."   He said.

"I know what you mean, imagine, Brenda has been alive all this time.   Her
and Sonny are married.  My parents no longer object to Liz and Lucky.  Not
to mention, Brenda¹s mother¹s Šappearance."  she said

"Did you see the look on my uncle¹s face when Sheba came strolling through
the doorway?"  Nikolas inquired in amusement.   "I thought he was going to
explode."

They both laughed as they made their way over to a pile of hay, and sat
down.

"Do you mind if we take a break from the party for a while?  All that
dancing has tired me out a little."  Emily said.

"No, not at all.  Everyone knows where we are.  Besides, I¹m a little tired,
too."   Nikolas replied, as he leaned back on the hay.
 

On the ParapetŠ..

Carly felt awkward.  She could have sworn that Jason was going to kiss her,
but now she¹d never know because one of his men had picked that exact moment
to tap into their frequency.

"Carly, why don¹t you go on down and enjoy the party.  I¹ll wait for our
replacement, he should be up in a minute."  Jason suggested, wanting some
time alone to think about what had almost happened.

"And you¹re coming right down?"   Carly asked.

"Yeah, but stay visible, because I might be on another frequency, okay?"
Jason warned her.

"Okay, "   Carly said distractedly as she headed downstairs.
 

On the shoreŠ..

Helena and her henchmen have just arrived on the island.  One of her crew
was now dressed as the Grim Reaper, and he, in turn, took over the launch
pilot duties.

"Once we are safely inside, proceed with the plan, and stay on schedule."
She barked at Ari.
 

ElsewhereŠ.

Carly was replaying everything that had happened on the parapet in her head
as she headed towards the main room.  She passed the restroom on the way,
and stopped in front of the door momentarily, and contemplated going in to
check her appearance.  Remembering Jason¹s warning, her decided against it.
She then turned, and was about to walk away when a figure emerged from the
restroom, and clubbed her over the back of her head.  Carly fell to the
floor, unconscious.

The figure then began to pull her limp body inside the woman¹s restroomŠ..
 

In the main roomŠ..

Rescue me, take me in your arms
Rescue me, I want your tender charms
"Cause I¹m lonely and I¹m blue
I need you and your love too
Come on and rescue me..

"You mean she was completely nude?"   Scully asked not believing her ears.

"Yep, and she wasn¹t in a hurry to cover herself either."   Lucky chimed in.

"Yeah, it took her daughter the better part of ten minutes to charm her into
Mr. Corinthos¹ jacket."  Lizzie B. informed her.

"It seems that Mulder and I missed all the excitement."   Scully concluded.

Just then someone tapped into Mulder and Scully¹s frequency.

Earpeice:   "Cassidine¹s here, her and four other people just pulled up on
shore.   Looks like it¹s show time, so spread the word, and keep an eye on
Carly for me.  I¹m on my way down right now."

"Wait a minute, isn¹t Carly up there with you?"  Scully asked.

Earpiece:   "She was, but I sent her down a minute ago."   Jason said, then
thought for a second,  "You mean you didn¹t see her.  Where are you two?"

"What¹s going on?"   Lizzie B. directed at Scully.

Scully held up her hand in respond, indicating that she was still receiving
information.

Earpiece:   "I¹m in the banquet hall, and I can tell you for sure that I
didn¹t see Carly come this way." Mulder said, as he glanced around the room.
  "There¹s not that many people in here, and I¹m standing right beside the
door."

Earpeice:   "Scully, what about you?"  Jason asked becoming increasingly
disturbed as the seconds ticked by.

"Just a minute and I¹ll check."   She replied into her mouthpiece, then
turned to Lucky and Lizzie B., "Carly¹s missing, have either of you seen her
in the last five minutes or so?"

"No."   Lucky and Lizzie B. said simultaneously, as they shook their heads.
 

At this point, they all began to look around the dance floor frantically,
but to no avail.

Come on baby, and rescue me.
Come on baby, and rescue me.
ŒCause I need you by my side.
Can¹t you see that I¹m lonely, rescue me..

Earpiece:   "Dammitt!!!"  Jason swore as he sprinted for the stairs.

Just then Helena made her grand entrance.  She was elevated on a canopied
platform that was carried by four henchmen, two in the front and two in the
back.  She was dressed in ancient Greek garb, complete with a ankle length
white toga, that was belted at the waist with a gold braid-like rope, gold
arm-bracelets, a ring of greenery atop her head, and wing-tipped sandals.

Announcer:  Now arriving is Mrs. Helena Cassidine, dressed as Helen of Troy.
 

StablesŠ.

"What was that?"   Emily asked as she sat up,   "Did you hear something?

"Yeah, I did.  Maybe we should head back to the main house."   Nikolas
suggested as he moved to stand.

"I¹m gonna call Lucky and Liz, and check in."   Em said as she reached down
and changed her frequency,
"Lucky, Liz, what¹s up?  Nik and I are still in the stables, and we thought
that we heard something."

Earpeice:   "We didn¹t hear anything on this end, but you guys might want to
high-tail it back over here anyway.  Carly¹s missing, and Grandma Cassidine
just walked through the door."   Lucky informed them hastily.

"Cool, see you in a sec."   Em said, as she switched off and came to stand
beside Nikolas.

"We¹ve got trouble.  Helena¹s here, and they can¹t find Carly."    She
informed him.

"Let¹s go."   He replied as they headed for the door.

Just as they reached the door, Emily glanced down and noticed a smoky
substance seeping in from underneath.

"Wait, don¹t open it!  There¹s smoke coming from outside."   She said as she
pointed to the bottom of the doorframe.

Nikolas glanced down, while at the same time moving both himself and Emily
away from the door.

"Em, I hate to say this, but I don¹t think that¹s smoke.  It¹s too thin, and
plus there¹s no odor."   Nikolas informed her gravely.

Almost afraid to ask, Emily said,   "Well, what is it then?"

"Gas."
 

ElsewhereŠ..

Luke and Laura were in one of the secret tunnels within the walls of the
house.  They¹d heard the same sound that had startled Nikolas and Emily.

"Come on, it sounded like it came from outside."   Luke said, as he and
Laura headed for the outside opening to the cave.

When they reached the entrance to the cave, Luke bent down and checked on
the equipment that they¹d left earlier.

"Looks like everything is still here."   Laura commented as she glanced
around.

"Yeah, but something¹s not right.  I can feel it."   Luke said,   "See if
you can get Jason, Sonny, or Mulder¹s frequency, if not, then try Lucky and
Cassidine."

Laura complied, first trying Jason, Sonny, then Mulder and Scully.

"Anything yet?"   Luke asked her after a minute.

"No, nothing.  I¹ll try the boys next."   She replied, as she switched
frequencies again.

"All I hear is static, Luke.  Something¹s wrong."   She said, after she had
covered all the inside frequencies.

"Calm down, Darlin¹, something just occurred to me.  These walls are solid
stone, probably with a little metal ore mixed in, which means that the
signal can¹t travel through it, that¹s all.  Once we get outside we¹ll be
able to pick them up again."   Luke informed her.

"I hope you¹re right."   Laura said worriedly as she followed her husband.

Just as Luke made his last step before he reached the entranceway, he
tripped a wire that was stretched across the floor.

"BACK!!   GO  BACK!!!"   Luke yelled as he realized he¹d walked into a
trapŠŠ
 
 

Chapter  32

In the main roomŠ.

Although many of the guests in the main room were rendered speechless by
Helena¹s arrival, Stephan did not even bat an eyelash at his mother¹s gall.
All pretense of a party had fell away, as everyone looked around and mumbled
in confusion.

"Good evening, mother.  I trust you are well.  Let me be the first to
complement you on such an appropriate choice of costume.  Only you could so
perfectly portray a woman whose very existence was ultimately responsible
for the fall of a nation."    Stephan stated, in vicious humor.

"I might say the same for you, my darling son."   Helena replied, with equal
venom,   "How so like you to hide behind a mask, while you cower in the
sewers in search of your soulmate."

Across the room, Lucky leaned over to Elizabeth and whispered,   "Looks like
you were right about that toga."

Just then, there was a loud explosion in the distance....
 

ElsewhereŠ.

Mulder heard the explosion as he was searching for Carly along the main
route from the front room to the banquet hall.

"CARLY!!"    Jason shouted as he arrived on the scene.

"Jason!"   Mulder exclaimed in recognition,   "Did you hear that?  It¹s
sounds like all hell broke loose outside."

 "Yeah, we¹ll have to deal with that later.   Have you had any luck finding
Carly?"  Jason asked anxiously.

"No, I¹m afraid not, and she doesn¹t answer on her frequency."   Mulder
replied,   "I was just about to check the ladies room."

"I¹ll do that.   You head up front, and try to get a handle on whatever¹s
going on."   Jason said.

Mulder quickly departed for the main room, while Jason walked over to the
ladies roomŠ.
 

ElsewhereŠ.

Luke bent down over his wife, and tried to ascertain her condition.

"Laura!  It¹s Luke, are you okay?"   He asked anxiously.

She groaned softly, as her eyes began to flutter.

"That¹s it darlin¹, show me those baby blues, so daddy knows you¹re okay."
Luke cooed in relief.

She sat up quickly, in confusion.  "Luke, what happened?"  she said as she
looked around.

"Well, there¹s bad news, there¹s really bad news, and then there¹s even
worse news.  Which one do you want first?"  he replied.

"The bad, I guess."   She said.

"The bad news is I tripped some sort of wire on the floor, which set off an
explosion.  The really bad news is that the explosion completely closed off
the cave on both ends, and the worst news is, it¹s a pretty good bet that we
only have a limited supply of oxygen."   Luke informed her with a sigh.

"And is contacting somebody still out of the question?"  Laura asked
hopefully.

"Afraid so, Darlin¹.  We¹re stuck here for a while."   He stated.
 

 StablesŠ.

"Okay, now I¹m really scared.   What the hell was that?"   Em asked
fearfully.

"It sounded like some sort of explosion."  Nik said distractedly, as he
pulled off his jacket,   "Look, I think we should try to keep the gas from
coming in here.  And try not to breathe it in, okay?"

"Do you think it¹s poisonous?"   Emily asked, as she took off her scarf and
her hat and handed them to Nik.

"I don¹t know, but I don¹t think we should take the chance and find out."
Nik said, as he bent to shove the articles of clothes into the gap between
the bottom of the door and the ground.   "Try and contact Luke or Jason,
they¹ll know what to do.  Try Mulder and Scully, too."

"Okay, okayŠ"   Emily said as she began to change frequenciesŠ.
 

ElsewhereŠ..

Jason opened the door, and slowly entered the ladies room.  It was
completely black inside, and he began to feel around for the lights.

He heard a faint sound coming from somewhere in the room, and doubled his
efforts to find the light switch.  When he finally came across it, and
flipped it on, he was horrified at what he saw.

Carly was unconscious on the floor, with blood trickling from the back of
her head.  There was a short figure, draped completely in black, poised over
her with an ax raised in hand.

"Don¹t!"  Jason ordered, as he aimed his gun at the figure.

Just then, someone tapped into his frequency, distracting him.

Earpiece:   "JASON!!  JASON!!  Please pick up this message.  Nik and I are
in trouble."  Em cried.

The figure used this opportunity to drop the ax and make for the door.
Jason recovered just in time to get one shot off as the figure was leaving.

"Damn!!"  Jason swore as the figure continued out the door.

He then went over to check on Carly, reaching for his mouthpiece in the
process.

"Em, it¹s me.  Where are you and what¹s wrong?"  he asked.

Earpiece:   "Oh, thank God!  Nikolas and I are stuck in the stables.
There¹s some sort of gas seeping in from outside, and we don¹t know if it¹s
poisonous or not."   Em explained,   "I tried to contact Lucky¹s parents,
but all I got was static.  I hope they¹re okay."

"I¹m sure they¹re fine, Em.  Luke can take care of himself and so can
Laura."   Jason assured her,   "Look, about this gas, is there any way
possible that you can keep it outside?"

Earpiece:   "Nikolas, is working on that right now."   Em informed him,
"What else should we do?"

"Just make sure you don¹t breathe any of it, and stay as far away from the
door as possible, it might be explosive as well as poisonous."   Jason said,
hovering over a still unconscious Carly.   "Look, I might be a while, I just
found Carly, and she not in good shape."

Earpiece:  "She¹s notŠ"   Em trailed off.

"No, she¹s alive."   Jason assured her,   "I just can¹t wake her up."

Earpiece:  "Just so you know, Lucky told me that Helena¹s here."   Em told
him.

"Yeah, I know."  Jason said as he switched offŠ.
 

ElsewhereŠ.

Mulder entered the main room, and immediately his eyes went to Scully. As he
made his way over to where she stood, he noticed the new arrival.

<Ah, hell>  he thought, as he realized that Helena was no doubt the cause of
all the madness going on.

"Did you or Jason find Carly yet?"   Scully asked, as Mulder walked up,
"And what was that explosion a minute ago?"

"Jason¹s checking the restrooms as we speak.  As far as the explosion goes,
your guess is as good as mine."   Mulder replied, then glanced over at
Helena and Stephan,   "What¹s that all about?"

Across the roomŠ

Stephan and his mother were still trading insults when a very peeved
Veronica decided to join the conversation.

"Steffy, where have you been, I¹m getting lonely."  She pouted.

Helena looked over at Veronica in horrified amusement.   "So, I see that you
have replaced the other gutter rat with a new one.  Are you sure that this
one has her full capacities?"  She asked nastily, as she took in Veronica¹s
attire.

"No, mother, but unlike you, her mental condition is improving."   Stephan
returned.

"Enough of this drivel, where is my grandson?"   Helena demanded to know.

"As you can see, Nikolas is not here.  He had a previous engagement and
decided not to attend."   Stephan lied smoothly.

"I do not believe you."   Helena replied.

"And yet, you believed that I would simply tell you Nikolas¹ whereabouts at
your request?"   Stephan fired back.

Across the room, Lucky became uneasy,  <Where the hell are Nik and Em?  They
should have been here by now.>

Lizzie B. had a similar thought pattern.   "Lucky, I¹m getting worried about
Nik and Em.  They should be here by now."   She said fretfully.

"Call them and find out what went wrong.  I¹m gonna try mom and dad and find
out what¹s up with that explosion."   Lucky said as he reached to change
frequencies.

A few feet awayŠ.   Mulder and Scully were still contemplating what to do
when Jason tapped into their frequency.

Earpiece;   "Scully, I need your help in the ladies room.  I found Carly,
but she needs medical attention, now!"  Jason said hurriedly.

"I¹ll be right there."    Scully said as her and Mulder headed for the
ladies room.

A few feet awayŠ.   "Nik and Em are trapped in the barn, Lucky.  There¹s
some sort of gas outside, and they can¹t leave."   Lizzie B. informed him as
she switched off.

"I couldn¹t get in touch with mom and dad at all.  There was only static."
Lucky told her,   "Come on, there¹s a cave entrance behind the stairs."

"Wait, Lucky.  How do we know that the gas isn¹t in the cave, too?"   Lizzie
B suggested.

"Damn!  I hadn¹t thought of that."  He replied, then added.   "Even if it is
poisonous, dad can handle it, he always has a gas mask in his equipment bag.
 I more worried about that explosion we heard earlier, not to mention Nik
and Em."

A few feet awayŠ. "Sonny?"  Brenda said shakily, as she moved closer to her
husband.

"Stay with me, Brenda, I gonna call Jason and see what¹s going on, okay?"
Sonny told her in a stern voice.

"I¹m okay.  Just hurry."   She replied.
 
 

ElsewhereŠ.

Scully was busy tending to Carly¹s wound, with Jason and Mulder looking on
from behind.

Just then, Sonny tapped into Jason¹s frequency.

Earpiece:   "Jason, where are you?  We need a status report."  Sonny said.

"Okay, here¹s the situation.  Carly¹s injured, I found her unconscious on
the floor in the ladies room with some ax-wielding maniac standing over her.
 Mulder and Scully are here with me now, trying to wake her up.  Emily and
Nikolas are trapped in the stables.  There¹s gas outside and they can¹t
leave.  None of my outside people are answering anymore, so I assume they¹re
either unconscious or dead, as a result of the gas.  Luke and Laura¹s
frequency is dead, and no one has seen them in at least thirty minutes.
And, of course, Lizzie B. and Lucky are in the front room with you, right?"
Jason said quickly.

Earpiece:  "Yeah, they¹re right over there."  Sonny confirmed,   "Did you
get a look at who attacked Carly?"

"No, whoever it was, was completely covered, and Em tapped into my frequency
and distracted me just long enough for the attacker to escape."   Jason
replied, then asked.  "What¹s Cassidine up to?"

Earpiece:  "Nothing, at the moment.  Her, Stephan, and Ronnie are having a
somewhat colorful conversation up by the door."   Sonny informed him.

"Who¹s Ronnie?"
 
 

Chapter 33

"Luke, couldn¹t we just dig our way out of here.  There¹re tools in your
bag, aren¹t there?"   Laura suggested.

"Yeah, but the problem is, we don¹t know how much rock that we have to dig
through on either side.  It could take us weeks, before we cut through."
Luke informed her.

"It¹s either that or sit here and twiddle our thumbs until the air runs
out."   Laura reminded him,   "It¹s not like we have so many other appealing
ways to spend our time.  Besides, do you have a better suggestion?"

"Good point.  You take the pick, and I¹ll get the shovel."   Luke said as
them both headed for the supplies.

After they¹d retrieved the tools, and donned their work gloves, a thought
occurred to Laura.

"Which way?"   she asked, looking at her husband,   "Toward the house or the
outside?"

He thought a minute before he replied,   "We should probably head back
toward the house, the outside is obviously booby-trapped, and we can¹t
afford another setback.  We have to warn the others not to leave because I
seriously doubt that the explosion we tripped is the only one that she set.
Helena probably has the whole island wired."

"So, you think this is Helena¹s doing?"   Laura asked, already knowing the
answer.

"Don¹t you?"   He returned.

"Yeah, I guess I just needed to hear you say it, too."   She said with a
sigh.

With that, they started to digŠ
 

StablesŠ.

"NikolasŠ."    Em said faintly,   "IŒm getting tired."

"NO!  No, Em, you can¹t.  We have to stay awake."   Nikolas said frantically
as he shook Emily.

<Damn!   It must be coming in somewhere.>   Nikolas thought to himself.
<I¹m a little tired, too.>

"Come on, stand up and let¹s walk around for a while, okay?"   he said as he
stood and dragged Emily to her feet.

They walked around a bit, doing their best to avoid the outside door.

"Tell me a storyŠ"   Emily requested softly.

"Good, that¹s a good idea."   He replied as they took another turn around
the barn,   "Uh, Once upon a timeŠ.
 

ElsewhereŠ.

"What is it?  What¹s wrong with her?"   Jason asked Scully anxiously.

"I¹m not sure, it looks to me like she has a concussion, but that blow she
took could¹ve done more damage than is readily apparent.  Otherwise, she¹d
have come out of it by now."   Scully informed him, then added,   "I need
some smelling salts; it¹s imperative that we get her conscious as quickly as
possible.  I don¹t want her to slip into a coma."

"Wouldn¹t smelling salt be in any Œrun of the mill¹ first aid kit?"   Mulder
suggested.

"Yeah, and there¹s probably one around here somewhere."   Scully replied.

"I¹ll check with Cassidine."   Jason said hurriedly, as he rushed out ladies
room door.

After he¹d gone, Mulder started thinking.   "You know something just
occurred to me."   He said.

"What, Mulder?"   Scully asked.

"You know all this time we¹ve been assuming that Helena was having Carly
watched and/or followed, but what if she wasn¹t?"   Mulder proposed.

"But then how did she know about Michael¹s paternity, not to mention, yours
and LizzieB.¹s visit to the penthouse?"   Scully reminded him.

"Maybe, someone told her.  Someone who already knew about the kid¹s
paternity as well as mine and Lizzie B.¹s investigation.  Did you ever think
of that, Scully?"   Mulder asked, then added,   "And another thing, how was
Helena able to come by so much of Carly¹s hair?  Every time I¹ve ever been
to the penthouse, there was a guard out front.   Therefore, it would¹ve had
to be someone who had access to Carly¹s penthouse, someone that even
Reynaldo knew and trustedŠ."

Scully thought for a minute.   "I¹ve never thought about it like that
before, but you¹re right, Mulder."   She said with a frown.

Noticing her frown, he asked,   "Are you thinking what I¹m thinking,
Scully?"

"I¹m afraid so, Mulder.  Jason isn¹t going to like our latest theory."
Scully said with a sigh.

Just then there was a small moan coming from the floorŠ.
 

ElsewhereŠ

Veronica looked from Stephan to Helena and back again.   "That¹s your
mother?   No wonder you¹re so stiff-necked, you¹d have to be to stand being
in the same room with her."   Veronica directed at Stephan, then added
playfully,   "Just so you know, stiffness is usually a quality I relish in a
man but I have to tell you Steffy, too much of anything is not necessarily a
good thing."

Stephan¹s eyebrow rose in surprise at the implied meaning in her statements.

Helena glared briefly at Veronica before she turned her attention back to
Stephan.   "If there is one thing that is similar between you and my darling
son, Starvos, it is that the pair of you seem to be easily entranced by
cheap, demeaning women."   Helena quipped, in response to Ronnie¹s words.
"Cheap and demeaning?  That sounds familiar."   Ronnie said, faking memory
loss.   "Oh, I know, those were just the words that Brenda and I used to
describe that quaint little portrait of you hanging over the bar at Luke¹s.
Or was it vulgar and tasteless?  I forget."
Stephan chuckled at Helena¹s mortified expression, which was brought on by
Ronnie¹s comment.

"What the hell is going on here?"  Mac asked no one in particular, as he,
Taggart, Garcia, Felecia, and Robin arrived in the main room from the
banquet hall.

Stephan looked over at them and smiled wickedly.   "Ah, Gentleman, you have
arrived just in time.  Please remove my mother from these premises.  She was
not on the guest list, and I have grown weary of her loathsome presence in
my home."

Helena merely threw her head back and laughed.   "No one is leaving this
island until I find my grandson, least of all me."

"I might have something to say about that."   Jason said ominously as he
entered the main room.

"Jason!"   Robin cried as she came over to greet him.

A few feet awayŠ  "I don¹t remember her arriving."   LizzieB. whispered to
Lucky.

"There¹s been a lot going on lately, Elizabeth, maybe you just missed her."
 Lucky replied.

"How?  We¹ve been on the dance floor since before Helena arrived, and Robin
wasn¹t announced.  And if there¹s been gas outside, presumably since after
Helena arrived, then how did she get in?"   Lizzie B. proposed.

"Hmmm.  Good question."   Lucky admitted.

"Robin!"   Brenda fairly shouted as she went running her way.

Robin stopped dead in her tracks as she glanced over and spotted Brenda.
"Oh myŠ"   she exclaimed.

Just then Jason¹s thought pattern began to run along the same lines as
Elizabeth¹s and Lucky¹s.

<How could Robin have possibly been announced into the main room without
Brenda spotting her before now?>  he thought silently.

"How long have you been here?"   Jason directed at Robin as she pulled back
from her and Brenda¹s embrace.

"Not long."   She replied.

"I need to know exactly when you arrived, Robin."   Jason said sternly.

Robin sensed that a lot was riding on her answer, while everyone around
waited in hushed anticipation.

"It was before Helena arrived, I think.  I¹m not sure how long."   She lied.

"That¹s strange because I was up on the balcony then, and I don¹t remember
seeing you pull up on shore."  Jason replied suspiciously, then asked
shrewdly,   "Are you sure you didn¹t arrived after Cassidine?"

"Yeah, that must be it."   Robin amended nervously.

"And you didn¹t have any problems, getting in?"   he returned.

"No, why would I?"   she said, looking over at Helena.

"You¹re lying."   Jason stated shortly,   "Pete, when did you announce
Robin¹s arrival?"

"I didn¹t, Mr. Morgan."   Pete replied, from his post at the main entrance.

Robin looked over in horror as she realized that the Mummy at the door was
actually Pete.

Jason then turned his attention to the DJ,    "What about you Joseph, when
was the last time you saw Ms. Scorpio?"   he asked.

"This is the first time I¹ve seen her all night, Boss."   Joseph answered.

The room erupted into inquiry at this announcement.

Jason then turned his attention back to Robin.   "You couldn¹t have gotten
here just before Helena, because I was on the balcony, and I would have seen
you.  You also couldn¹t have arrived anytime after Helena because the gas
outside would have either knocked you out or killed you like it did my men
outside."   Jason concluded, as he began to advance on her.

"I don¹t know what you¹re talking about, Jason."   She lied shakily.

"Tell me the truth!  You¹ve been here for quite some time, hiding in the
ladies room just waiting to get a crack at Carly.  Haven¹t you!"   Jason
demanded to know.

"No!  It wasn¹t like that."   Robin pleaded.

Ignoring her, Jason continued.   "But I showed up just in time, and ruined
all your plans.  You were
planning on killing off all the competition, so you could have Michael and
me all to yourself.  That¹s why you bumped-off A.J., right?"

"Jason, please, let me explain!"

"Am I also right in assuming that I didn¹t completely miss my target
earlier, when I interrupted you in the middle of whacking Carly¹s head offŠ"
  Jason broke off, as he abruptly reached out and grabbed the lower left
side of Robin¹s body, an action which sent her into fits of pain as blood
seethed through her Peter Pan costume.

There was yet another collective gasp in the room as it became readily
apparent who the second murderer was.

"You?  You¹re the one who tried to kill me?"   Lucky said, staring at Robin
in surprise.

"I didn¹t want to, she made me do it."   Robin tried to explain, pointing at
Helena,    "After she found me with Jax, she started blackmailing meŠ."

At this point, Helena took the opportunity to distance herself from her
accomplice,   "Surely, you jest.  Why on earth would I associate myself with
an imbecilic little twit like you?  And besides, what possible motive could
I have for wanting to have Jasper Jax and that Quartermaine Brat killed?"
Helena said to no one in particular

"YOU killed Jax?   How could you?"   Brenda asked, looking at her long-time
friend in disgust.

Desperate for some sign of sympathy, Robin turned to her uncle,   "Uncle
Mac, If you¹ll just let me explain.  I know you¹ll understand what happenŠ."

But Jason intervened,   "ENOUGH!  I¹m so sick and tired of listening to you
whine, preach, and bitch about Carly and what a man-eater she is, about the
Quartermaines and how they deserve to see Michael, about my job and how
wrong it is, and about whatever else you consider yourself an authority on.
 For once, just SHUT UP!   Because now, I have a few choice words for you."
 Jason told her, then continued menacingly.   "If Carly dies, or has any
kind of permanent medical problems because of what you¹ve tried to pull
tonight, you¹d better hope and pray that they send you up the river for life
because if they don¹t, the second you get out, your ass is mine."

"Just promise me that I can have what¹s left of her!"  Monica added angrily,
as she came to the forefront, followed quickly by an equally outraged Ned,
Alan, Edward, and Lila.

At this point, Stephan joined in the fun.   "I am afraid each of you will
have to wait in line, behind me.  You see, the young lady has murdered two
members of my family, therefore I shall deal with her in my own special
way."   He said dangerously.

Robin turned back to Jason, and tried one last time to get him to listen.
"Jason, you have to hear me out.   You have to know that I only meant to
teach Jax a lesson.  It was his fault that Brenda died, so why shouldn¹t he
die, too.  What do you care if he¹s dead, you never liked him anyway?   And
as for A.J., it¹s not like you two were ever close.  With him out of the
way, that¹s just one less Quartermaine going after Michael, right?"

"Do you even hear how twisted you sound?"   Sonny asked, looking at her with
pity.

"It wasn¹t my idea to add Carly to the list.  Helena is the one who wanted
her dead, Jason you have to believe me."   She said in desperation.   "I can
endure anything if you¹d just keep on loving me."

"But I don¹t love you anymore.  I don¹t know when it happened, or even how,
although after tonight I certainly know why."   Jason told her bluntly, then
admitted,   "I haven¹t loved you for a long time."

"Jase?"   a small voice said from behind.

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