Mariah is sitting at her desk, a cigarette burning between her fingers.  There
is someone knocking at the door, but she pays it no heed.  She is lost in
memory.  The memory of a man she knew long ago and a promise she wished she had
never made good.
        His father was a good man once, a friend to the Community, and even more to
Mariah for a time, but when descended into insanity, she should have known.  She
did know.  She saw it in his son's eyes.  The malevolent madness hovering just
beneath the surface.  She forced herself to ignore it because she made a promise
to watch over his children, his firstborn in paticular.  Sitting alone now
staring at the wall she wishes she had left him to die.
        Mariah finally hears the knocking.  "Come."
        Melissa moves into the office slowly.  "Are you alright?  I've been knocking
for almost five minutes."
        "What did you need?"  She asked ignoring Melissa's concern.
        "Ricky needs to see you."
        "You will have to handle whatever it is."  Mariah says as fixes her desk and
walks to the stairs leading to her loft above the club.  Melissa starts to ask
why.  "I'm going out.  I may be gone awhile."
        "Out?  Where?"
        Mariah ignores her and heads upstairs.  Melissa stares at her as she goes.
Something is wrong,  she thinks to herself, very wrong.  Quickly deciding that
someone needs to find out what's going on with her she picks up the phone and
dials.  After a few rings it's answered by a woman.  "Theresa?"
 
Spoon Island.

        Stefan was escorting Sarah to the boat dock.  She supposedly had come to
Wyndemere on Watcher business, but Alexis knew better.  Over the past weeks she
noticed that both Stefan and Sarah were using that excuse as a means to spend
whatever time they could together without actually admitting that they just want
to be near each other.
        After an hour or so of business Stefan invited Sarah to join him and Alexis for
dinner.  No sooner had she agreed then Alexis announced that she would be unable
to join them because of a prior commitment.
        During dinner however Stefan was unusally quiet and when Sarah asked what was
wrong, he told her.  Laura Spencer had come to the island and laid into him
about his not informing her that Elizabeth Webber was an Immortal.
        Stefan said that Laura had known about them and the Watchers since the island
but refused to elaborate any further on the subject.  Sarah told him that she
could understand Laura's feelings on the matter.  Even though Liz would never
place Lucky in danger on purpose, there was no denying that he was now a
potenial target, along with Audrey and Sarah, for any psycho with a sword who
wanted her head.
        Stefan smiled and said that was almost the exact same thing he told Laura.  By
the time she left he felt he had convinced her to talk to Lucky and Liz about
her fears.  Laura told him she'd consider it.  After unburdening himself Stefan
relaxed and the two enjoyed a quiet evening by themselves.  They continued their
quiet chat about the day's events, both of them avoiding the subject of Nikolas.
        Reaching the boat dock Sarah turned to Stefan.  Stefan smiled at the adorable
way she bit her lower lip when she was nervous.  Staring down at the lovely
woman with blue eyes Stefan leaned in slowly and touched his lips to hers.
        Sarah melted into his arms as he held her close and whispered into her ear.
"Stay with me tonight."
 
        Laura walked up to the door of her home.  She was fishing her keys from her
purse when a hand appeared over her mouth and everything went black.
        She awoke a short time later in a dark place.  After several seconds her eyes
adjusted to the gloom and Laura discovered that she was underground.  She could
hear the sound of dripping water as it echoed through the surrounding chambers.
        Lifting herself off the bed she made her way quietly through the dark tunnel
hoping that whoever brought her here was gone for the moment.  Moving along the
passage she spied a light up ahead.  As she drew closer Laura could tell it
wasn't the exit but another chamber lit by candles.
        Laura had only taken a few tenitive steps into the chmber when the stench hit
her like a fist to the stomach.  She surpressed the urge to vomit as she walked
slowly to the source of the foul odor.  Sitting in the corner like a queen
perched on a throne is the decaying body of a woman.  Taking a candle from one
of the stands Laura holds the flickering light before the corpse.
        "Helena."  Laura gasped.
        A dark shape loomed up behind Laura as she slowly back away from the body of
her former enemy.  A boney hand touched her shoulder and she spun around
frightened.  The candle in her hand illuminated the man's face and Laura
screamed.
 
Eve's apartment.

        Thier evening had began quite normally, following the pattern they had
developed the past weeks.  Methos had met Eve at GH after a long shift and was
now cooking dinner for the relaxing doctor.  Or trying to cook anyway.
        Eve noticed an odd look on his face when he picked her up from work and every
so often, when there was a pause or break in their conversation she would see it
again.
        "What's wrong Adam?"  She asked taking leaning on the kitchen counter.
        Methos was busy shredding peppers for the chicken he was about to place in the
oven.  "Nothing's wrong.  I just.... I just ran into someone I haven't seen for
a long time."
        "A friend?"
        "A very dear friend."  He answered grabbing another pepper.  "I'm just worried
that she's going to do something she'll regret later."
        Eve leaned in and kissed his cheek.  Methos was trying kiss her back when his
fingers lost their grip and the sharp knife he was using sliced into his palm.
Eve jumped back quickly when he cried in pain.
        He grabbed a dish towel and wrapped it around his hand.  Even though the towel
was rapidly soaked with blood, Methos could feel the wound already starting to
heal.
        "Adam, lemme have a look...."  Eve said trying to take his hand.
        He pulled away a little too roughly.  "Eve, it's fine, I'll be alright."
        She looked at him oddly.  "Are you kidding?  There's a gallon of blood.... you
might've sliced a tendon or something."
        Methos looked at her and sighed to himself.  <I guess it's now or never.>
"Eve.... come sit down and you can look at my hand."
        Eve was still looking at him curiously, but nodded her head and left the
kitchen for the dining room.  She sat down and looked at him.  He pulled his
chair close to hers.  A closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  <It's not to
late to chicken out old man.>  He slowly removed the towel, wiping away the
blood to show her his palm.
        She looked up at him stunned.  Taking his hand in hers, she touched and
examined it.  She ran her fingertips along the area where the deep wound had
been only a few minutes earlier.  "That can't be.... there has to be some
kind...."
        "Eve."  He knelt down next to her.  "There's no easy way to say this, so here
goes.  I'm Immortal."  Eve was still holding his hand.  "I was born over 5000
years ago in what is now known as Greece."
        It was almost too much for Eve.  "Adam.... how could you not tell me this?"
        "Eve, please understand.  With what I just told you, I've placed my life in
your hands.  I wanted to tell you after that first night we had dinner, but you
don't survive as long as I have without being cautious."
        "I thought you said you were Immortal, that you couldn't die...."  Eve sucked
in a breath as he explained more about Immortals and about the Game.  "You've
survived all this time by killing others like you?"
        "I do   n't go looking for fights.  Not anymore, not for a long, long time.  If
someone does challenge me I have to fight, that's the way things are."  Methos
was still kneeling next to her, clasping her hand tightly in his.  He looked
deep into her eyes pleading with her to understand.  "Eve.... I'm not a
monster."  Liar, a voice inside him he recognized as Kronos' mocked.  He tried
to ignore it.  "I'm just a man.  A man who loves you."
        Her eyes widened.  Ten minutes ago, hell five minutes ago, she would have felt
nothing expect joy at those words.  "I.... I need time to think about this."
She stood quickly, pulling her hands away from his.  Methos followed her to the
door, trying to gauge her emotional state, but not trying to stop her from
going.  Eve looked at him, speaking in a quiet, breaking voice.  "I.... I....
don't know when I'll be back."
        Methos stared at the door for awhile, then went into the kitchen.  He tossed
the chicken, the salad and the rest of the food into the garbage, then leaned
his back against the refrigerator and slowly slid to the floor.  He pulled his
knees up against his chest and buried his face in his hands as the ache in his
heart overcame him.
 
        Stefan and Sarah were stretched out on a thick burgundy rug that covered the
floor of Stefan's bedroom.  A fire was blazing in the fireplace and they sat
together in front of it.
        "You're awfully quiet Stefan."  Sarah whispered as she felt him stroke her
blond hair.
        "I was thinking."
        "About what?"
        Stefan kissed the top of her head.  "About how truly beautiful you are."
        She lifted her head from his chest and surrendered her lips to Stefan's.  A the
passion of their kiss increased, a faint rumbling from Sarah's stomach broke the
mood.
        "Sorry."
        Stefan laughed.  "It's alright.  I'll tell you what..."  Stefan got up and
slipped on his robe.  "You wait right here and I'll be back with something."
        Sarah reluctantly released his mouth and Stefan headed downstairs to the
kitchen.  She was only alone for a few seconds before she the sound of something
falling.  Wrapping the blanket tightly around her nude body she got up to
investigate the noise.
        At the end of the hall she found Stefan lying unconscious.  She had just bent
down over him when a figure moved up behind her.  Turning around she screamed at
that man standing over her and the last thing she saw before everything went
black was a pair of glowing yellow eyes.
 
        Stefan slowly regained consciousness.  He was seated in a chair in a dimly lit
room.  A foul odor instantly invaded his nostrils.  Looking around he spotted an
unconscious Laura lying on a small couch.  Rushing to her side, Stefan breathed
a sigh of relief.  She was alive.
        "Still running to her aid Stefan?"
        The voice echoed through the chamber and penetrated Stefan's very soul.  He
knew instantly who it was, but it was impossible for him to be here.  He's been
dead for nearly 20 years.  Turning around Stefan came face to face with a ghost.
        Stefan's voice was a hoarse whisper.  "Stavros."
 

CHAPTER 19

        Alexis stood to the side as the paramedics looked over Sarah.  She had returned
home to find her lying at the top of the stairs unconscious.  "How is she?"
        Frank Scanlon turned to Alexis.  "She's got a nasty knock to the head, but I
think she'll be okay.  We're going to take her to GH just to be safe."
        Nikolas arrived just as they finished strapping Sarah to the gurny.  "What
happened?"  He asked worried.  "Where's Stefan?"  No one answered him.
        Alexis was standing in the doorway as Frank and his partner wheeled Sarah down
to the waiting helicopter.  As the medical chopper lifted into the air she went
back inside the house.
        "Alexis what happened here?"  He asked again following her inside.
        "I don't know."
        "Where's my father?"
        "I DON'T know."  She answered her voice breaking with emotion.
        Nikolas walked toward her and allowed Alexis to collapse into his arms crying.
 
        Lucky paced around the living room while Garcia and Luke talked.  He had come
home and found his mother's purse and keys on the front porch.  He looked
through the entire house and around the neighborhood and found no trace of her.
He called the police to report his mother missing and they arrived only a few
seconds before Luke.
        Liz was listening from the kitchen.  She was watching Lulu, trying to keep her
from knowing what was really going on while her father and brother handled it.
        "I wanna know what you're doing to find my wife?"
        Garcia bristled at Luke's tone.  "We're doing everything we can Luke.  It's
only been a few hours."  Garcia's cell phone rang.  "Talk to me.  Yeah?....
When?.... Okay I'll meet you at GH."
        "What is it?  Laura?"  Luke asked hoping it wasn't.
        "No it's not your wife.  Sarah Webber was just brought in to GH from Wyndemere.
Apparently Stefan Cassadine has disappeared too."

The penthouse.

        Brenda was laughing as Sonny brought in two glasses of wine.  "What's so
funny?"
        "It's just a postcard Terry gave me.  It's from V."
        "Really.  Is it too much to hope that she has convinced Jerxy not to come back
to Port Chuckles."
        Brenda slapped his shoulder.  "You are so mean."
        Sonny laughed.  "Well what does the good detective have to say?"
        Brenda picked up her glass of wine.  "Not much really.  Just that she's having
a great time and she wanted Terry to thank me for warning her about Jax and
yachts."
        "She really does love him doesn't she?"  Sonny took a sip.  "Let's hope old
Jasper is a lot smarter than he looks and realizes what a catch he's got there."
        "I think he already knows."  Brenda sat her glass down on the coffee table and
moved a little closer to Sonny.  "I had a nice time tonight."
        "So did I."  Sonny smiled as he brushed her hair behind her ear.  "It was nice
to just talk to you again without dredging everything else up."
        Brenda clasped his hand.  "This is a new start for us."
        "Do you really mean that?"
        Brenda leaned in till their lips were almost touching.  "What do you think?"
        Brenda kissed him and after a few seconds Sonny returned it with demanding
passion, releasing the pent up emotions of the past weeks.  He felt her silky
hair touch his cheeks and neck as she pushed him back against the couch.
        Sonny worked his hands up and down Brenda's back.  Finally out of breath they
broke the kiss.  Sonny touched Brenda's cheek and ran his thumb along her lower
lip.  He moved his hand lower to the buttons of her blouse.  Brenda nodded her
head.  He undressed her gently, as if she were a child and Brenda started to
shake and tremble.
        Having removed her blouse, Sonny stood Brenda up and just as slowly undid her
jeans.  As he pulled them down from her hips and over the curve of her behind,
Brenda leaned forward pressing Sonny's face against her flat stomach.
        Stepping out of her jeans Brenda stood before him clad only in undergarments
the same color as her hair.  Brenda's breathing was becoming more rapid as Sonny
lifted his shirt over his head.  Tossing it on top of Brenda's discarded clothes
he pulled her back close to him.
        Brenda moaned softly as he tenderly kissed her stomach.  Moving up her body he
planted soft kisses between her breasts and across her neck eventually finding
her lips again.  As his tongue plunged deep into her mouth, Brenda moved an arm
around his neck and Sonny picked her up in his arms and started for his.... for
thier bedroom.

        Sensing a presence, Aaron walked slowly down the stairs into the practice hall.
He could make out a vague shape sitting alone in the dark.  "Methos?"  He didn't
answer.  "Are you okay?"
        "I told her Antonius.  She left."
        Aaron knew things were bad when Methos used his real name.  "For good?"
        "I don't know."
        "Do you want some company?"  Aaron asked.  He sat down not waiting for an
answer.  "How did she find out?  Did one of us challenge you or did you decide
to tell her?"
        "Neither."  He answered.  You would think after fifty centuries he would have
learned that it was the little things that could really screw you over.  Like
green peppers.
 
        Back at the Spencer homestead Lucky was sitting quietly on the couch.  Luke had
gone to hospital with Garcia to see if there was any connection between his
wife's disappearance and that of Stefan Cassadine.
        Liz came downstairs after putting Lesley Lu to bed for the night.  She had
wanted to go with Luke to check on her sister, but from Lieutenant Garcia said,
Sarah was fine and Liz didn't feel good about leaving Lucky here by himself.
        "They'll find her Lucky."  Liz said as she snuggled up next to him.
        "I hope so."
        Tears started to well up in his eyes and she brought him close to her.  He was
resting his head on her shoulder when someone knocked on the front door.  Liz
got up to answer it and as soon as she cracked the door Nikolas barged in.
        "Where is he!"  Nikolas shouted.  "LUKE!"  Seeing Lucky sitting on the couch
Nik made his way over to him.  "Where is he?  Where your bastard of a father?"
        Liz tried to stop Nik before he said anything more.  "Nik please stop this."
        Nik just shook Liz off.  "What has he done with my father?"
        "What?"  Lucky said as if he just noticed him.  "What?"
        "MY FATHER!!"  Nik shouted as he pulled Lucky off the couch.  "I want to know
what Luke did to him!"
        "What the hell are you talking about?  Don't you know what's going on?"  Lucky
asked confused.
        "All I know my father has vanished and YOUR father had something to with it."
He tightened his grip on Lucky just as his younger brother grabbed him the same
way.
        Liz forced herself between the two brothers.  "Nik.... Luke had nothing to do
with what happened to Stefan."  He tried to reach out for Lucky again, but Liz
pushed him back.  "Haven't you heard yet?  Laura is missing too."
        Nikolas stepped back shocked.  "What?  When?"
        "I suppose you're going blame my dad for that too."  Lucky said sitting back
down.
        "Lucky....."  Liz turned back to Nikolas.
        He looked confused as if someone had just slapped him.  "No.... mother.... she
can't be.... not her...."  Liz tried to touch him, but he backed away from her
toward the door, still mumbling to himself.  "....not her.... promised....
said.... he wouldn't...."
        After Nikolas left, Liz and Lucky just stared at each other not quite
understanding what just happened.

Robin's loft,
a short while later.

        Robin was sitting by herself in bed.  Jason had left to take Michael back to
Carly.  It hurt Robin each time Jason was forced to take that cute little guy
back to that witch.  It hurt because each and every day that Michael spent with
her and Jason she grew to love him more.
        Terry was right.  Michael isn't her son, he isn't even Jason's, but they both
love him as if he were.  Robin wasn't quite sure when it happened, when the
affection turned into love, but it did.  Now the only question was, what to do
about it?
        In a perfect world, Jason could go on pretending to be Michael's father instead
of AJ, and Robin would be content being the perfect step-mother.  But this
wasn't a perfect world.  AJ is Michael's father, not Jason, and Carly is his
mother, god help him, not Robin.  Sooner or later the truth will come out.
        Robin closed her eyes.  Just thinking about this gave her headache sometimes.
Robin got out of bed.  She walked through the empty loft on her way to the
kitchen.  Terry had recieved a call and rushed out without a word to anyone and
Aaron, she wasn't quite sure where Aaron was at the moment.
        She did hear him say something about doing some work on their new place.  When
Aaron bought this building he had discovered that the upper floor was originally
intended to be two separate living areas.  The owner of the building left the
second unfinished when he was forced to put the place up for sale.
        Now that Robin had moved back in and Jason with her.  Aaron decided to finish
the other loft for him and Terry.  Jason and Robin offered to give them back
their loft and take on the renovations to the other themselves, but Terry
wouldn't hear of it.  Besides, she said, Aaron loves doing this kind of thing,
mostly because he gets a kick out of being able to give her whatever she wants.
        Coming out of the kitchen she heard the door buzzer.  Looking at the security
monitor, she couldn't believe who it was.  <What's he doing here?>  She opened
the door for her visitor.  "Nikolas?"
 
        Luke stepped outside the entrance to GH and lit a cigar.  He was observing as
Garcia questioned Sarah about Stefan.  He blew smoke into the air at the thought
of Count Vlad sleeping with his son's ex-girlfriend.  Sarah didn't have very
much to tell.  She didn't have a chance to get a look at whoever kidnapped
Stefan before she was knocked out and from what little she was able to tell it
seems that Laura was taken by this person first.
        The good thing (if you could call it that) about this Luke thought, was that
the list of people who would want both his wife and Cassadine was fairly short,
and most of the people on it were dead already.  Luke stamped out his cigar and
started for Sonny's place.  He hated having to involve him, but this just the
kind of thing that Sonny's connections could help with.
        Pulling into the underground garage he parked the caddy near the stairwell.  He
had just closed the cardoor when a strong hand spun him around.
        "Nice to see you again Spencer."
        "Stavros!"  Luke said in disbelief.
        The name had barely left his lips before a fist to the chest forced all of the
air out of his lungs and Luke fells to his knees.

        Mariah had just finished packing a small shoulder bag when she felt someone's
eyes on her.  Quickly turning around she sees Terry lounging on her couch.
        "Care to tell me what's going on?"  She asked uncrossing her legs.
        "It does not concern you Theresa."
        Terry got up.  "Don't give me that.  We've been friends too long."
        "Please don't involve yourself.  This is my problem, I will handle it."
        "What problem?"
        Mariah sighed.  "I made mistake a long time ago."  Mariah motioned for Terry to
sit down.  "Some years ago there was a man with whom I was involved.... a mortal
man.  He was a friend to the Community and helped us when needed it."  She
paused.  "It wasn't love or anything like that, but we had something special."
        Terry could a change in her old friend as she spoke.  "His name was Mikos and
he became very important to me.  I won't bore by going into details about
our.... relationship, but when we finally had to part, I made him a promise.  He
had been such a friend to us, and a confidant to me, that I felt I owed him
that."
        At this point Terry saw Mariah slip back to her old self.  "He was married.
Although I have never met his wife, from what I heard, she was a vile and
contemptible woman.  She did however give him two sons.  Mikos had a daughter as
well, by a woman named Kristen.  Her existence was kept secret because his wife
would have saw her as a danger to her eldest son's inheritance.  My promise to
him was that I would watch over his children and protect them, and if any of
them should die before their time...."
        "You were to bring them across."  Terry finished.
        "Yes."  Mariah rose.  "Many years passed, then I got word of Mikos' death.  In
his final years Mikos apparently had some kind of breakdown and was left
hopelessly mad.  Following his death I renewed my promise to him, because I
could still remember the man he was before.  Little did I know how soon it would
be before I would have to make good on that promise."
        Mariah had moved to the window and looked out over the water as she continued
her tale.  "His eldest son was shot, right here in Port Charles, and was dying.
His wife had left him and he followed her here and there was some kind of fight
between him and her lover."
        "And he was shot?"
        "Fatally.  By the time I came to him it was almost too late.  I wish now that I
had been too late."
        "Why?"  Terry asked coming up behind her.
        "This man, the son I swore to protect.... whatever madness had consumed his
father was living and breathing within him."  Mariah started to shake.  "And god
forgive me.... I ignored it and made him one of us.  I released a monster upon
the world Theresa.  A monster named Stavros Cassadine."
 

CHAPTER 20

Robin's loft,
near sunrise.

        Robin sat at the dining room table glancing every so often at the sleeping form
on her couch.  Robin breathed deep waiting for them to arrive.  She was way out
of her league on this.  Jason had tried to sit up with her until Terry and
Mariah came, but finally he was unable to keep his eyes open.  Robin kissed him
softly and sent him straight to bed.
        Robin looked up as the loft door opened.  "I was beginning to think you
wouldn't make it in time."
        Terry embraced Robin.  "We almost didn't."
        "Is this him?"  Mariah asked.
        "Yes."  Robin walked over to the couch and knelt before the sleeping form of
Nikolas Cassadine.
        "What happened?"  Mariah asked.
        "He came to see me.  He was really out of it.  Mumbling, talking to himself
about someone breaking their promise.  He started to scare me."  Robin stood up
and Mariah took her place.  "Anyway I managed to calm him down, but he couldn't
or wouldn't answer any of my questions.  That's when I tried the whammy."
        "And?"  Terry asked.
        "And I couldn't get through.  It took everything I had just to get him to fall
asleep.  I started to think that maybe...."
        Terry moved past Robin and bent down to Nikolas.  She said a few words and his
eyes snapped open.  After a minute or so of staring into the young man's eyes
she turned back to Robin.
        "It seems you were right."
        "He's been whammied."  Robin said flatly.
        "Yes."
        Robin touched his forhead.  "I guess that probably explains the mood he's been
in the lately."
        "Perhaps.  If the commands or instructions are implanted as deep as I suspect,
it could have affected his ability to control his emotions."
        "Can you help him?"
        "We'll see."  Mariah said as she threw off her coat.  She moved the barely
conscious Nikolas into a sitting position and stared into his blank eyes.
"Damn...."  She said shaking her head.  "Whoever did this is strong, he's used
the hypnotic equivilent of a sledgehammer to do this to your friend.  It's going
to take several hours just to get through to him.  What's his name?"
        "Nikolas...."  Robin answered.  "Nikolas Cassadine."
        "Cassadine?"  Terry whispered as she looked over to her friend.
        "Stavros."  Mariah muttered with barely controlled hatred.
 
General Hospital,
later that morning.

        Sarah stirred as the door to her room opened.  "Liz."
        "Hey sis."  Liz came in and sat down next to the bed.  "Are you okay?"
        "I'm okay.  The doctors said I have a minor concussion and they want to keep me
for a couple days just in case.  I heard that Laura Spencer is missing too,
how's Lucky?"
        "He's holding it together for Lulu's sake."  There was a short pause before Liz
spoke again.  "So.... you and Stefan Cassadine, huh?"
        Sarah's face flashed red and she looked down at her hands.  "How did you find
out?"
        Liz smiled.  "You were taken to the hospital wearing only a silk sheet."  Sarah
smiled too in spite of her embarassment.  "How long has this been going on?"
        "Not long."
        "Does Nik know?"
        "Let's just say that he's not happy about it."
        "I'll bet."

The penthouse.

        Sonny groaned as he heard the sound of knocking on his bedroom door.  Brenda
rolled over as he lifted himself off the bed.  He grabbed his robe and fastened
it around his waist.  He opened the door a crack and Rinaldo whispered something
to him.  Had Brenda been awake she would have heard him swear as he closed the
door.
        A few minutes later he came downstairs and saw a most unwelcome guest in his
home, Detective Taggert.  "Good morning, Taggert.  What can I do for you this
time."
        Taggert looked up at him and smirked.  "You can start by coming downtown to
answer a few questions."
        Sonny took a cup of coffee from Rinaldo who then returned to his post outside
the apartment.  "About what?"
        "You'll find out when we get there.  Now do you want to get dressed or am I
going to be forced to take you in the way you are."
        Only seconds after Sonny left their bed Brenda woke up.  Seeing the door close
behind him she slipped a robe over her body and followed him.  As she got closer
to the staircase she heard Taggert's voice and she immediately turned around and
got her phone from her purse.
        Not hearing him answer Taggert reached out for Sonny.  "Okay have it your
way.... Let's go."
        Sonny shook him off and Taggert was about to grab him again.  "Unless you want
to be out of a job by lunch I wouldn't do that if I were you."
        Taggert looked up surprised at hearing Brenda's voice.  "Well, well.... Miss
Barrett.  It didn't take you long to hop back into the sack with the boss man
here."  He leered at the attractive brunette with rumpled hair.  "I'm going need
to talk to you as well."
        "No you won't."  A voice came from the door.  Justus Ward strode in and placed
himself between Taggert and Sonny.  "You've been warned time and again about
this harassment Detective, and if you don't leave right now, you are going to
lose that badge you enjoy abusing and this city is going to have one hell of a
law suit on it's hands."
        "I need to talk with Sonny-boy about the disappearance of Luke and Laura
Spencer."
        Brenda walked up to them.  "Luke and Laura are missing?"
        "Along with Stefan Cassadine."
        Clearly disturbed at the news of his friends disappearance Justus spoke next.
"I still don't see why you would need to talk to my clients about this."
        "Because counselor.... It seems that Luke Spencer was snatched from the garage
of this very building."  He eyed Sonny suspiciously.  "Quite a coincidence,
huh?"

        Eve washed her face in the bathroom sink.  Warm water ran over her hands and
she ran them through her hair, slicking it back.  Droplets running down the nape
of her neck.  The mirror was covered with steam.  Eve wiped a slash through it
with her hand.  Her face looked back at her, paler than usual.
        Her mind was still a blur, confusing thoughts rushing through so quickly that
she was unable to think through one before being distracted by another.
        Immortals?  People living for thousands of years?  She had seen Adam's hand for
herself.  She watched as the deep wound disappeared moments later, healing
itself.  Her eyes told her that he wasn't any different from her, but she
couldn't help but remember her initial feeling when she first met him that he
was somehow, something special.
        She could not begin to fathom his life.  An existence where he outlived every
thing, every person he had ever known.  All she could think of was how lonely he
must be.  What kind of strength did it take for him to keep going year after
year, century after century?  How difficult was it for him to emotionally open
himself up to another, to fall.... to fall in love?
        Tears poured down her face as Eve Lambert admitted to herself that she was, for
the first time in her life, totally in love.  So much in love that her heart
battled her mind.  Her brain told her to leave now and never look back.  Her
heart told her that nothing mattered but the feelings they had for each other.
        Adam brought long surpressed emotions to the surface.  Eve could imagine
spending the rest of her life with him.  The rest of YOUR life her head reminded
her.  Did it matter?  Her heart replied that she and Adam were meant to be
together.  Could she walk away, no matter who.... or what he was?
 
        Methos was sitting at the counter at Kelly's when he felt the buzz.  "Hello
Adam."  He turned on his stool at the sound of a soft voice with only a hint of
an English accent.
        "Julia."  Methos said as rose and embraced the woman.  "It's been a long time."
        "Too long."  She whispered back.  He released her and led her to a nearby
table.  "I guess I don't have to tell you why I'm here."
        Methos frowned.  "No you don't.  I've seen Christian."  He touched on her
hands.  "Julia.... let this go."
        Julia pulled her hands away from his.  "I can't.  Christian has to pay for what
he's done."
        "I know and he will."
        "When?  I've been doing some checking on Dr Chris Ramsey since I arrived.  He's
tried to do it again.  He tried to destroy the reputation of two of his
colleagues so he could win a meaningless award, and almost got one of them
killed."
        "I didn't know about that."
        "And they aren't the only ones."  Julia stood after several people came into
the diner.  "How long is he going to be allowed to do this?  How many lives is
he going to damage or destroy before someone says enough."
 
        Jason sat next to Robin as they waited for Mariah and Terry to finish with
Nikolas.  It's been nearly three hours since they moved into the guest room.
        Jason gently massaged the exhausted Robin's neck.  She had her eyes closed and
even fell asleep a couple of times to the soothing motion of her lover's hands.
        The bedroom door opened and Robin got to her feet.  "Well how is he?"
        "He's sleeping.  Mariah will stay with him for a bit."  Terry answered as she
sat down next to Jason.  "What a mess."
        "Is Cassadine going to be alright now?"  Jason asked.
        "It's hard to say.  Stavros really beat those commands into his mind.  There's
no telling what it may have done to him."
        Robin handed Terry a wine glass.  "What did he have him do?"
        Terry took a long sip before answering.  "At first he was used to spy on his
father and mother and to inform Stavros of thier movements.  Later, he was
instructed to do wire transfers and offshore account liquidations."  Terry took
another sip.  "Apparently his mother...."
        "Helena."  Robin interjected.
        "Yes.... apparently she had known about her son being one of us since he was
brought across.  She had been hiding and supporting him all of these years.  Her
death left him with no one, so he was forced to seek out and use the young man
he still believes is his son.  He filled his head with tripe about plots and
schemes against the family and all sorts of nonsense."
        "Was Nikolas involved with the disappearances."  Robin asked, praying that he
wasn't.
        "No.  It was news of Laura's abduction that placed him the state he was in when
he came here."
        "Does Nikolas know what Stavros is planning to do with them."
        "I'm convinced he doesn't."  Terry emptied her glass.  "He does however know
where they are possibly being held."
        "Where's that?"
        Terry rose from the couch.  "That will have wait until Aaron returns."

Wyndemere.

        "Miss Davis"
        Alexis spun around at the sound of an unfamiliar voice.  "Who are you?"
        "My name is Aaron Grey.  I think you know who I am."
        "My god."  Alexis whispered as she realized who she was speaking to.  "What....
what do you want?"
        "I need to talk to you."  Aaron said in a calm voice.  "It's about your
brother, both of them."

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