Ruby looks at the door in front of her. It looks like it a leftover prop from the set of some 1930’s monster movie. She shivers in the damp and cool basement. It was a good thing Jonathan had given her directions, or she would never have found this door on her own.

She glances at her watch. She’s suppose to be spending time with Stephanie, but she knows it won’t be long before Stephanie’s governess comes to check on Stephanie. Once she realizes that neither of them are where they are suppose to be, the entire Cassadine security system will be out in force. And that’s one explanation that Ruby does not want to have to make.

She removes a long thin key from the pocket of jean.

“What’s that?” Stephanie asks with avid curiosity.

“It’s a skeleton key,” Ruby explains with a sigh. “Now I told you, you have to be quiet for a moment so I can use this thing to open the door.”

“Where’s the skull?”

“What?” Stephanie points to the key and Ruby relaxes. “It’s not that kind of skeleton.” She looks around her. “Not that I don’t put it past my dear sweet brother to keep a few of the other kind of skeletons around down here.”

“He didn’t come home last night.”

“Who?” Ruby asked abstractedly as she finagled the key and pushed. No luck. Come on. How did Sonny say this was done when he showed her last year?

“My dad. He didn’t come home last night. I’m worried about him.”

Ruby looks up and sees Stephanie’s eyes bright with unshed tears and grimaces. “I’m sure he just needed to be alone last night. Lucky was his brother, you know.”

“He was your brother too. How come you aren’t feeling sad?”

Ruby faltered. How could she tell this already too sad and overly sensitive little girl that she had spent most of the night crying for her brother? And the rest of the night listening to her parents cry. How could she tell Stephanie that the only way she could cope with the death of her brother was to go full blown with her plan to take care of Helena, just like Lucky would have wanted? An eye for an eye. It was part of the Spencer code and if it wasn’t she would write it in. She’d started this quest trying to find a way to make her father proud of her. Now it was about so much more than that. Helena Cassadine had killed her brother. It was not something she was going to let go unavenged. She knew her father felt the same way, but he was too busy helping her mother cope to go after Helena. Which meant it was up to the three of them. Which meant that she had to get this door open.

“I miss him too. A lot.” Ruby improvised. “I just didn’t know him for as long as your father did.”

‘I didn’t know him for that long either. But I loved him.” Stephanie hesitates. “I bet Jonathan misses him.”

“Like crazy,” Ruby confirms. “You haven’t talked to him?”

Stephanie shakes her head. “I don’t know what to say on the phone and my father says I have to stay on the island because of the bomb and we don’t know how safe anything is and I really really want to help Jonathan through this and I can’t.”

Ruby looks at Stephanie. “I’m supposed to meet him and Michael for lunch at Kelly’s. Maybe the three of us can spend some time at Wyndemere this afternoon.”

“That would be great.” Stephanie reached forward and enveloped her aunt in a great big hug.

Ruby groans inwardly. First she tried to comfort Jonathan yesterday. Now she was being nice to the pipsqueak. What in the world was wrong with her?

The question is lost as she feels the lock click and her weight against the door propels it forward. Clutching her flashlight nervously, Ruby enters the dark and musty room.
Kelly’s

Michael and Jonathan were seated in a corner booth when Ruby entered, a big grin on her face.

“I got it.”

“Got what?” Michael asked. “A bad haircut? A case of the measles? An overdeveloped ego?”

Ruby glared at him. “And to think I actually missed you while you were gone.”

Michael brightened. “Of course you did. I’m very missable.”

Ruby groaned. “Now who has the over developed ego?” She shook her head. “Anyway, I found this. She handed the two boys a manila envelope. “Don’t worry. I already made a copy. Several.”

Jonathan opens the envelope and pulls out a yellow and faded photograph.

“Is this what I think it is? Or should I say who I think it is?”

Ruby smiles. “It’s exactly what you think it is. What you have in your hand is going to blow up the Cassadine Empire and Helena along with it. Once we make what we know public, nothing is going to be the same in this town or anywhere the Cassadine name has any meaning again.”

“I knew what the disk said,” Jonathan says shakily. “But I never suspected that we’d be able to find proof. There it is, exactly what the disk said. I wonder how Katherine Bell knew?”

Ruby shudders at the mention of that name. “I don’t really want to think about her.”

“Maybe Helena let something slip and Katherine got suspicious. She must have been using the information to blackmail Helena all these years,” Michael answers Jonathan’s question. “The question is what do we do with the information?”

“We use it to bring down Helena, of course.” Ruby says adamantly. “Especially after what happened yesterday.”

“I hate to bring up a sore point, but Nikolas is your father and your brother. Have either of you stopped to think about how this news will affect him and Stephanie?”

Ruby and Jonathan exchanged long looks and sighed.

“I thought so. Look, I propose we go to Nikolas with what we know. Give him at least a warning that his world’s about to blow up on him. Let him take some precautions and safeguards.”

“Then we take down Helena?”

“Then we take down Helena,” Michael says. “I even know how to do it.”

“How?”

“Cousin Sly,” Michael says with a smile.

“Cousin who?” Jonathan asks.

Ruby looks at Michael with admiration. “My god Quartermaine that’s brilliant. Totally and absolutely brilliant. I know mom called after .....the accident. He’s coming to Port Charles as soon as the NY Times can send out a replacement to cover that Balkan war he’s working on.”

“Who is ‘Cousin Sly’?” Jonathan repeated the question.

“Sly Eckert. Or Sylvester Eckert although he hates it when anyone calls him Sylvester, it sounds better in his byline. He’s a second cousin or something of my dad’s. Actually according to the stories I’ve heard he and Lucky and your mom were best of friends when they were your age. That was before Sly left town.”

“And why is telling this Sly guy a brilliant idea.?”

“Sly Eckert is an international reporter for the NY Times. He’s won a Pulitzer and a whole lot of other rewards for his work. If a group of kids like us were to tell the world the truth about Helena Cassadine, no one would believe us. But if Sylvester Eckert tells the truth...” Michael explains.

“Everyone will know that it’s true. There will be no way for Helena to deny it.” Ruby finishes with a flourish.

Jonathan looked at his watch. It was a little after 11 am. “Look, I know we talked about spending the day together, but I really don’t want to leave my mom alone for that long. If you guys can handle telling Nikolas without me, I’m going to head home.”

“You need a lift?”

“No,” Jonathan almost smiles. “Let the guards earn their keep. They can drive me.”

Ruby pushes a manila envelope in his direction. “Here, take this. It’s better if we all have a copy just in case.”

Jonathan nods. “Call me and let me know what Nikolas says.”

Ruby agrees. “And do me a favor and call your sister. She’s worried about you and Nikolas has her pretty much locked up on that island until this mess is over.”

“I will,” Jonathan says as he leaves.

Michael waits a minute after Jonathan leaves. “So, you want to eat now or after we tell you brother the truth.”

“Now.” Ruby picks up a menu. “This might be my last meal in a while. I have a feeling that the first thing Nikolas is going to do is call my mom and dad and tell them that I haven’t exactly been spending my free time on homework.”

“Ouch,” Michael’s voice softens as he looks at his favorite cousin . “You want to tell me how you really are doing. No acts. No Spencer fronts. No stiff upper lips. Just you and me. You’ve always been there for me Ruby, let me return the favor. How are you?”

Ruby’s eyes teared up. “I just got him back, you know what I mean. All those years of missing him and wondering why he didn’t call or come home and then finally he comes home and less than two months later he’s dead. It isn’t fair and she has to pay.” Ruby says the last with a certain viciousness in her tone that makes Michael wince.

“She will,” he says firmly. “I wish I could do something to help. I know it must hurt.”

“It hurts like hell,” Ruby says in a shaky voice. A determined look crosses her face as she shakes off the deep sadness that threatens to wash over her. “Which is exactly where Helena Cassadine is going to be when this is all done. Hell.”

Michael says nothing just watches his cousin with a worried expression on his face.

The Big House In The Woods

Jonathan opens the front door and yells for his mother. He frowns slightly when there is no answer and then relaxes. She wasn’t expecting him back till later this afternoon. She might have gone for a walk or maybe over to the mansion to see his grandparents.

Still, walking into the house he can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong. He decides to call over to the mansion and let her know that he came home early. As he is looking for the number in the bills and personal papers his mom kept in desk drawer, an envelope slides out and catches his eye.

It’s addressed simply to Jonathan. Feeling his heart pound, Jonathan opens up the envelope and reads the note within.

He has to read it twice.

He puts it down with shaking hands. He knows what she’s going to do. It’s what he’s wanted to do since the launch exploded yesterday afternoon. But he can’t let her. He has to protect her.

His first thought is to call Jason and have Jason stop her. But he doesn’t know what time she left or how she was traveling. He doesn’t even know where she’s going.

He looks up and out of the corner of his eye he sees Lucky’s desk. He smiles grimly. Less than five minutes later, he knows where his mother is going.

Ten minutes later, he has his backpack down from the shelf in his closet. Credit cards, false ID’s, emergency cash, and all. He puts in a change of clothes. And, hesitating briefly, he puts the manila envelope with the photo Ruby found in the backpack too.

He looks outside. Two guards at the door. Two on the grounds. Tricky, but not impossible.

Jonathan hesitates. Leave a note? He shakes his head. He’ll call Jason from New York. Once he’s there, it will be too late for Jason to stop him.

Too late to stop him from walking right into Helena Cassadine’s embrace.

He would do whatever he needed to do to save his mother and his sister or brother.

Some things run in the family.

The Estate of Jason Morgan

Jason was in a meeting with his top assistant, when the guard announced AJ Quartermaine. Jason dismissed his assistant and nodded at his brother. The two men had long ago ceased to be enemies, but they would never really be friends either.

“Michael was here earlier,” Jason offered as he handed AJ a Diet Pepsi. “He had some interesting comments to make about your camping trip.”

AJ grinned. “I don’t think Michael is ready for a subscription to field and stream quite yet. And to be truthful, neither am I. The next time I suggest a camping trip do me a favor and steer in me the direction of a week in the Bahamas instead.” AJ grew more somber. “I’m actually here about Emily. And Jonathan. I’m worried about them.”

“We all are. God, the look on her face yesterday. She called met this morning and I had to tell her there was still no sign of him. She was so sure that he was still alive.”

“He can’t be, can he?”

Jason shook his head. “No one could have survived that blast. He had no time.”

“Mac Scorpio told mom and dad that the bomb was meant for Emily.” Jason nodded. “Which means she’s still in danger?”

“I’ve got guards on her and Jonathan round the clock.”

“I figured you would.” AJ says. “But I’d feel a lot more comfortable if she and Jonathan weren’t alone in that house. I want her to either move in with me and Michael or back to the mansion or even here with you. At least for the next few weeks until she’s coping better.”

Jason shrugged. “I agree. She’d be better off with family. But Emily isn’t the same person she was when she left town before Jonathan was born. She’s become tougher. Harder. Stronger. She’s had to to survive everything that Helena has thrown at her.”

“She’s still a woman who just lost her husband. She needs her family,” AJ crossed the room with a worried frown on his face. “Frankly, I think she’s in denial about the whole thing. A shopping trip to New York the day after her husband died is not normal. I mean she said she had an appointment with the specialist this afternoon and that she wanted to pick up some furniture for the baby’s room and some other stuff and I know it’s probably a good idea for her to keep herself occupied but still...”

“Wait a minute,” Jason interrupts, alarms ringing in his head. “Emily went to New York?”

“Yeah, she called this morning and asked if she could use the ELQ jet. I told you, she said she had a medical appointment with her specialist and that she couldn’t miss it. I mean, after hearing everybody describe how shell shocked she was yesterday I thought it was a good sign that she was focusing on something positive like the baby but after thinking about it I’ve..”

“Stop.” Jason nearly yells at his brother. “Let’s get this clear. You let Emily go by herself to New York City?”

AJ looks hurt and frowns. ‘Of course not. She wasn’t by herself. Maxie Jones was going with her.”

Jason curses violently but before he can strangle AJ like he wants to, the guard at the door enters with a dazed look on his face.

“I do not want to be disturbed.” Jason snaps.

“I think you might want to be this time,” the guard says nervously.

Jason is about to fire the man, when he stops, a look of shock on his face as he looks at the second figure standing in the doorway.

Lucky Spencer, looking dirty, disheveled, and extremely dangerous glares at the two men. “Where the hell is my wife?” He says in a harsh voice. He looks at the two men and his worry grows at their continued silence. “Emily!” He yells. “It’s me babe.” He looks at both AJ and Jason as his calls are meant only by silence. “All right, I’m going to ask again and I’m going to do my best to ask politely. She’s not at the house, although your guards are. She wouldn’t go to the mansion or to my parents after the little bomb Helena put on that cursed launch. She’s had to figure out by now it was meant for her and there’s no way she would endanger them” His eyes narrow. “Tell me she’s not at Wyndemere.”

“You are supposed to be dead?”

“I am,” Lucky replies coldly. “Dead tired. I’ve been through hell in the last 24 or so hours and all I want right now is to hold my wife in my arms and make sure she, the baby, and our son are okay.”

“Jonathan is fine.”

A look of pure relief lights up Lucky’s face. “I wasn’t sure if Helena used the bomb for a distraction or what and it took longer to....” He stops as he notices the look on Jason’s face. “All right. Where is she?”

Jason meets his brother in law’s eyes.

“She went to New York. I don’t suppose she had a doctor’s appointment ?”

“No, what is she doing in New York?” Lucky’s face pales as the staggering realization hits him. “She went after Helena, didn’t she?”

Jason nods. “I’m afraid so.”

Next chapter:

Adventure, danger, and romance in New York. Nikolas learns the truth as Ruby and Michael reveal Helena’s secret. And Jonathan prepares