Maxie came into the house, hoping that both of her parents had retired to their bedroom by now. Georgie was out with Dillon, so it should be smooth sailing to her room. She had taken no more than three steps into the living room when she heard the kitchen door swing open and woosh shut.
“You’re home late.”
Maxie turned slowly at the sound of Mac’s voice. “Yeah, sorry I didn’t call, but I made curfew at least,” she tried cheerfully.
Mac’s eyes were unreadable. Great. Cop mode.
“Did you go out with your friends to a movie or something?” He was being casual, but living under his roof as long as she and Georgie had, made them experts in dealing with Mac’s grilling.
“I was at the library. Overdue books.” She indicated her now empty backpack for emphasis.
His gaze never left hers. “Library closed over an hour ago.”
“I stopped at Kelly’s. I indulged in a shake and some fries while Lucas closed up.”
She wasn’t lying there. Lucky had been unsuccessful in reaching Nikolas and after a couple of hours of brainstorming, he sent her home with the promise of calling her when he did reach hold of his brother. When she left his place, she knew she’d need a reliable alibi in case someone asked after her whereabouts. Catching up with Lucas had been the perfect solution, plus, she’d gotten to spend time with her cousin while he bemoaned his love life and chasing after Brooke Ashton. It had felt good to give advice to someone else in need of a sympathetic ear.
Mac finally relaxed his posture. “How is Lucas these days?” He took a bite from his apple and absent mindedly began sorting through the day’s mail on the dining room table. Maxie breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. He said he’s actually starting to voluntarily spend time with his sister ever since Bobbie had the heart scare awhile back.”
“That’s good to hear. I’m glad for Lucas.” Mac smiled and headed towards her. “Don’t stay up too late.” He gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead, as he did every night before turning towards the stairs.
“I won’t.” She stood still as quiet filled the room, the effect of his hug still lingering. Things were different between her and Mac. The thing with Kyle had done a chunk of damage but the Zander thing and the fire had seemed to create a genuine chasm between them that had not been repaired yet.
Now this letter from Zander, or not from Zander and a partnership with Lucky behind Mac’s back. She was sure that none of it would help.
The chasm would only grow.
*~*~*~*~*~*
“You done yet?”
The night deskman nervously peered over Lucky’s shoulder before looking up again. They were alone in the squadroom but it didn’t lessen his anxiety at possibly being caught.
“Cool your jets. Nobody’s going to get caught and I’m covering my tracks,” Lucky promised, tapping madly at the keys as his eyes read the monitor carefully. The deskman looked closely but couldn’t really make sense of what Lucky was doing.
“Where’d you learn how to do this?”
“Police Academy,” Lucky said with a smirk. “It’s funny how I had to become a cop before I became a better crook.”
The deskman’s eyes widened. He didn’t want to know what that meant. “Spencer, I owe you a favour, but not this big.”
“Don’t worry, I’m almost done.” A few more clicks and Lucky hit the print button. Although his time as a police officer hadn’t endeared him to anyone, Lucky had discovered, as he anticipated, that his resources had tripled once becoming part of the blue line. Cops looked the other way, did favours, tapped into resources he’d never have been able to access on his own. All because Lucky had been a beat officer for a little over a year. His Father may have despised his choice, but he’d seen things differently. Contacts were everything and making friends with the unlikely was part of the game. Like the cops. Like the Cassadines.
“Thanks. I owe you.” Lucky shrugged into his jacket and grabbed the vital information he’d rooted out. He looked at the clock.
2:22a.m.
Perfect time to go wake up the coroner who’d allowed a Bert Cooee to authorize Zander Smith’s cremation.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Alexis awoke for the first time in a long time, smiling.
Her children were with her. Her son and daughter.
Her smile widened and she moved from her bed to the washroom quickly. The sooner she was ready for the day, the sooner she’d see their beautiful faces and hear their magical voices. She showered and dressed in record time and was just tidying up her bed when a knock at the door caught her attention.
“You decent?”
“Come in, Robert.”
He came in holding a folder but his face was relaxed and calm. “Zander is having breakfast with Gia and Kristina. Victoire is fussing, of course. RJ is checking the perimeter with Stefan. Nikolas and Dara are going over some Cassadine related contracts.”
“Christoph and Anais?”
“Riding. They left at dawn.”
Alexis simply nodded and sat down, eyeing the folder expectantly. An awkwardness came over the room and Alexis wasn’t too sure what to do with it. They had been through a whirlwind years ago and then nothing for 20 more. Now, they were experiencing the same whirlwind. She knew there was much between them that was unresolved. One look at him revealed he was thinking the same.
Robert swallowed his discomfort and took a seat next to Alexis. “I’ve brought you something. It came to me awhile ago.” He opened the folder to reveal a small manila envelope and some documents.
Adoption papers. Alexis took them with trembling hands. “Where did you get these?”
“A friend.” He watched Alexis as she read over the papers he’d pored over a thousand times already. The bits of information on Zander before the adoption. The petitioning of the various families. The letters of recommendation for Cameron and his wife. The mention of an older sibling, Peter. Finally, the last bit of paperwork and the stamp of approval.
“My baby boy. Losing his Mother hours after he was born, going weeks without me and then having to love a new Mother again. He’s fought the tide his entire life.” Alexis shook her head. It shouldn’t have been like this. It shouldn’t have been so hard for her little boy. Granted, it would have been a difficult life, being the son of a WSB agent and a reluctant Cassadine, but at least he would have been with them. He would have been theirs.
“They were good people,” Robert reminded Alexis gently. “A few scrapes here and there. They weren’t ready for his Scorpio temper or his Cassadine strength but they loved him and did the best they could.” He knew nothing would convince her that any life for Zander other than the one he should have had would lessen her pain or anger. He felt the same way.
Wiping fresh tears, Alexis soldiered on to the next item. “What’s this?” She indicated the manila envelope and Robert set aside the folder. He hesitated for a moment, but then handed the bulky packet to Alexis. She tore it open, pausing with surprise. “You haven’t seen what’s inside?”
Robert shook his head. He knew of the contents, but hadn’t wanted to view them without Alexis. She tipped the envelope and emptied the contents into her hand. A gasp escaped her lips the instant she realized what it was.
Pictures. Dozens of them.
Pictures of their son.
The first being Zander, missing two top teeth and grinning madly at the camera. He was shirtless, at the beach and holding a Frisbee. He was all of about six years old.
The next revealed an older Zander, maybe eleven, holding a half eaten hamburger at a picnic table. He was laughing wildly at something off camera, a bit of ketchup lumped onto his striped shirt.
This was followed by a serious face as he was captured mid-run down a soccer field, clearly in control of the ball. The next, elation as a goal is scored. The next, being tackled by his teammates.
Dark, slightly untamed hair. Brilliant brown eyes. Charmed grin.
Kristina smiled just like him.
Alexis let out a sob as she clutched her son’s life in her hands. She wanted to look at more. Pore over each snapshot. Amazed with the life he led and marvel at the changes that went on. A glimpse into the life of their child.
A life they were denied.
Yet with each happy pose, came a sharp stabbing pain that both Robert and Alexis experienced. Profound agony at their loss, striking them again and again.
“Why? Why Robert?” Alexis cried bitterly, her body shaking uncontrollably. “I don’t know, luv. I just don’t know,” Robert replied brokenly, unable to say much more before he too was overcome with emotion. Wrapping a strong arm around her, he pulled her to him, feeling her free hand fist his shirt tightly and together they grieved once more.
*~*~*~*~*~*
RJ and Stefan had been occupied for much of the early morning going over security procedures with the staff and monitoring the vast landscape protected by the WSB. RJ had a thick file on Stefan Cassadine, but little of what was written down compared to observing the man up close. Methodical, patient and extremely intelligent. Of course, these were qualities anyone else could see. What was most interesting was what lay beneath the stoic and calm exterior.
And what that meant for his sister, Dara. Reminding himself that she was a big girl who was quite capable of taking care of herself didn’t seem to cut it. Still, keeping a watch on Stefan was the most he could do. She’d have his hide if she caught him doing anything else.
He ran a hand over his smooth black hair as it bound into a small ponytail at the back of his head. He watched as Stefan tapped capably on the laptop. There was no point in being evasive about his examinations. He knew Stefan was well aware of what he was doing and why. Standing, he grabbed his travel mug and took a gulp of the still hot coffee. “I’ll be back.”
“Might I join you in your exterior examination of the property?”
RJ gave him an unreadable look. “Sure.”
They walked in silence for much of their trip. RJ had noticed problems with two cameras along the south east portion of the property and while the technical issues were not a high priority, with Helena on the prowl, every issue needed immediate addressing. The grounds were uneven and wild with weeds and wildflowers mingling with bushes of all varieties dispersed all over, just as Robert had intended for appearance purposes. Of course, what the eye could not see was the ghost surveillance equipment placed with precision to cover the entire grounds.
As they neared a dilapidated fencepost, RJ made a quick call to the surveillance team to ensure they were safe to proceed. Stefan watched all of this quietly, his emerald orbs following RJ’s precise movements, not surprised at how easily he was reminded of Dara. The same studious expression, hunched shoulders and determined stride. His demeanor softened ever so slightly at the thought of the fiery woman whom he, despite his best efforts, could not erase from his mind. Or any other place, for that matter.
RJ pulled the button sized camera from its resting place and with the tools he’d brought with him, began to examine the device carefully. “Damn,” he muttered. It didn’t take long to discover the problem.
Stefan squatted down beside him as RJ showed the malfunction. “These have been shorn right through,” he explained. “I have a feeling the other one will be the same way.”
“Deliberately shorn,” Stefan said grimly.
The implication was clear. “They’re testing for weakness in the security system.”
The two men exchanged a knowing look. Their position was compromised and with there being too many people involved to safely evacuate to a new location, movement at this juncture was not a possibility. Stefan turned to look at the villa, now a small dot in the distance. “It’s an excellent stronghold,” he observed. A familiar reserve kicked into gear and his resolve hardened. His entire family was in the villa. While Nikolas was head of the family, his eyes, along with the others, would fall on Stefan for leadership. It was a burden Stefan welcomed easily.
“We’ll replace the two cameras and head back.” RJ announced, pulling out a small case from the bag he’d brought along. “We’ll tell everyone once Christoph and Anais return.”
“Everyone?” Stefan asked, surprised by the decision.
RJ gave a curt nod as he snapped the new camera into place. The last thing he wanted was to give Stefan leverage with information. “Everyone.”
Stefan’s eyes flashed, but he said nothing. The control he sought would not come easily.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Alexis rubbed her temples and let out a sigh. While she’d never relished the idea of crying, the outburst had let out some of the feelings she’d been holding in all these years. The release had been cathartic for both of them.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner Robert? Why didn’t you tell me the moment you had a sliver of evidence that Zander was alive?”
Robert sat for a moment, as though he hadn’t heard the question but Alexis knew the tactic well. Robert would often pause to collect his thoughts when treading on delicate territory. “I couldn’t do it. I’d seen what losing him had done to you. I couldn’t face you again.”
“Why?” Alexis sat next to him on the bed. “He was OUR son Robert. I had a right to know.”
“He died because of me!” Robert burst out. “It was my fault she found us! It was my fault he died. You knew it then and so did I. I couldn’t redeem myself unless I damn near put him back into your arms again, safe and sound.”
He turned from her and Alexis felt a deep sadness envelop her. She had blamed him, horrifically so. She had railed at him with her agony and then cut him off coldly. Perhaps it was understandable then, but it had left Robert deeply scarred. Placing her hand on his back, she gently rubbed it up and down, as she did with Kristina.
“It wasn’t your fault.”
Robert shook his head and opened his mouth to protest but Alexis shushed him. “It was not your burden to carry. I was hurting terribly, but so were you and it was wrong for me to hold you accountable.”
“I used you.”
There it was, the deflection off his own feelings. Hitting on their past and his deception of her. He’d rather deal with her anger than confront his deep seeded guilt. It would have worked even 5 years ago, but not now.
She was no fool.
“I don’t know about that.”
Robert turned slightly, surprised by her response. “You don’t think I seduced you in college? Used you for WSB purposes?”
Alexis arched a brow suggestively at him. “You don’t think it wasn’t the other way around?”
Robert paused as Alexis continued. “I wasn’t what you would call experienced, when it came to men. I was a bit determined to get some with you, no pun intended.”
“Really.”
Alexis nodded. “I’m not letting you run away with all the guilt Robert. Not for any of it,” she declared incisively. She was met with a silent stare. Unsure, but a hint relieved by her words.
Her mouth parted in awe. “You look just like Zander when you do that.”
Robert sat back. “Do what?”
“That look. That whole weight-of-the-world-on-your-back-guilt look. No wonder I called Zander on it so often. I’d seen it before, in you.”
Robert gave a small smile. “I was hoping he’d inherited my charm instead of my guilt complex.”
“Oh, he got that too. Believe me. I could never shut the door on him, no matter how much trouble he got himself into, he’d call me, whatever the hour, give me a look and I knew I’d be up half the night working on getting him released.” Alexis let out a gentle laugh as she shook her head.
Robert reached out and gingerly took her hand in his. “He was so protective of me, as well,” Alexis continued. “Quick to jump to my defense. Always the first to stand up for me. This firecracker ready to blow if anything ever happened to me.” Her eyes landed on Robert’s. “He got that from you too.” Robert swallowed hard, pride filling him to the brim.
“Sounds like the two of you already knew, in the back of your minds, who you really were to each other.”
“We wouldn’t have really known without you,” Alexis corrected. “You made things clear. You brought it all together to make sense for all of us.” Robert smiled, but so much like his son, he was unconvinced that he’d done much of anything good at all. It was a rare weakness in the armour of the usually confident and cocky Australian. “Robert, you made us a family again,” Alexis stated simply. “All of us. Cassadines and Scorpios. You did that.”
Robert gave her a wry look. “If you insist.” The charm was back. Alexis let out a groan. “Now I’ve got two of you to deal with.”
*~*~*~*~*~*
“Anais! Pace yourself and Faucon!” Christoph called to his child as she and her young mount galloped about the open area with exhuberance. Anais let out laugh as Faucon, eyeing a small, wild rabbit and rushed eagerly towards the new creature. The startled rabbit darted away and Faucon let out a whinny of protest. Undaunted, the grey colt moved on.
Christoph watched from his mare, relishing this quiet moment of his child playing as her Mother would have wanted. Free to explore and enjoy the world around her without the fear of an enemy lurking nearby.
Helena.
The mere thought of her made him see red. His nerves tingled and his muscles twitched, at once greedy to strike back at the woman who had taken so much from his child.
“Papa! Look!” Anais was demonstrating Faucon’s recent skill of jumping small barriers with ease. Shaking himself from his thoughts, Christoph obediently watched as Anais expertly took Faucon through the few obstacles they’d found and clapped when they’d finished. He swallowed hard when she bent forward to give her steed praise, giving Faucon a small treat and rubbing him behind the ear. So much like her Mother already.
Wiping sudden tears from his face, he felt the buzz of his pager and reached down to unclip it from his belt.
“Wasn’t he great Papa?” Anais exclaimed breathlessly as she and Faucon ambled towards them.
Glumly, Christoph lifted his gaze to meet hers. They would have to cut their ride short. They were being summoned back. “Anais, we have to go back,” he started softly but her eyes were not on his.
Her mouth was open and her expression horror filled. His eyes widened and he jerked around to see what she was looking at. Momentarily stunned, he sucked in his breath before realizing what had happened.
So concentrated on his child, he had not heard the approach of the man who now stared them down, clad in black from head to toe, training a military issue rifle at the centre of his chest. In the distance, he saw the dust billow and heard the rumble of engines. The man was not alone and was not from their side.
“Run Anais,” he whispered. His mare stomped her foot uneasily and seemingly issued the same order to Faucon, her young. Faucon trembled and Anais gripped the reins tightly. “Papa,” she whimpered as her heart thumped wildly against her chest.
“NOW!” Christoph shouted and viciously seized the reins, causing the mare to whinny wildly and jolt forward. The disturbance startled the man and caught off guard, he lowered his weapon and took several steps back. It was the perfect distraction. Anais yanked Faucon towards home and gave him a mighty kick. Faucon gave a skittish shriek and ran blindly as Anais held on tight, scooting low as the seconds ticked by. She waited with dread for the crack of a rifle, the wind whipping wildly in her face but heard none. It didn’t prompt her to turn around. She had to press on. If she didn’t, she would die.
Christoph heard the frantic gallop behind him as he launched himself from his seat to the masked man. Any time he could give to Anais, he would do so with his very life if needed. Both men fell to the ground with loud grunts, the rifle landing a few feet away. The mare trotted away, but lingered, unwilling to leave Christoph behind. With the advantage given, Christoph delivered several powerful punches to the man’s midsection and wrestled for the sidearm but with a surprising strength, the man deftly struck back and with the butt of his hand, rammed it into Christoph’s left collarbone, site of an old injury. Christoph seized up in pain and fell back. The man was on top of him immediately.
“Shoot me!” Christoph grimaced. Anais was long gone. She would be safe from Helena’s men. The man breathed heavily, and shook his head. He pulled off the ski mask. They only had a few moments to talk.
Christoph gaped. “Alec!”
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