A dark room

"Shit!" The soft expletive escaped Jason's lips before he could stop it when his knee collided with the sharp corner of what he assumed was a table.

Even in the darkness he could see Kevin's smirk of amusement.

"Shut up Buchanan." Jason commanded.

"Me? What did I say?"

"It's not what you said it's what you were thinking."

"Wow I didn't know you could read minds," Kevin grinned. "That makes you the worlds first psychic mob boss."

"Don't be stupid. You have to have a mind before others can read it."

"Ouch. Touche. I do believe you just cracked a joke." Kevin laughed softly. "And here I thought all you could do was crack heads." Kevin's amusement fled as he took the small penlight he held and flashed it in the direction of what he assumed was a desk. "Here, hold this." He handed the light to Jason as he removed a small tool from his pocket." He felt Jason's gaze on him. "What?"

"I was just wondering where you learned to pick locks like this."

"Didn't I tell you about the cat burglar I had the affair with while I was in London? Although she was more con artist than cat burglar. She was as smart as she was beautiful. Helped me break into Scotland Yard once when I needed to confirm some information a source gave me. Man, some of the most wild times I've ever had in my life were with her. There was that time on the subway when we...." Kevin couldn't stop the blush that stained his cheeks. "Of course that was before I came back to Llanview and fell in love lock, stock, and barrel for Cassie. Still if I was still single I'd be very tempted to try to find Venus again......."

"Did you say Venus?"

"Yeah. Come on Jason keep the light on the lock. I may be good at this but even I can't do it in the dark. Or at least do this in the dark. Never mind, you know what I mean." He looked up. "What time is it?" Pause. "Jason?"

"Huh?" It couldn't be the same Venus, it couldn't be. "What?"

Kevin sighed. "How much time do we have before we can expect the black widow to return?"

"Enough I hope. Eddie did promise to keep her occupied and if the thought of a taking over ELQ isn't enough to keep her preoccupied, I'm sure he'll think of something."

"Nice of him to help out."

Jason grimaced. "Only because you threatened to sit down and have a long talk with Lila."

"Hey I like talking to Lila."

"Yeah but you have to know the old man is petrified of what exactly you'll talk about."

"I know." Kevin smiled in triumph as the lock clicked and the drawer opened. "So tell me again what we're looking for."

"Anything that will connect Santiago with Helena. Johnny says they've been meeting and I want to know why. And what it has to do with what's been happening to Emily and Jess." Jason growled softly as he began to rifle through the files.

"Nothing." Jason ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Damn it."

"Don't give up so easily," Kevin murmured softly as he removed the top wooden drawer."

"What are you doing?"

"Let's just say that I'm betting that Helena Cassadine and Asa Buchanan might have the same hang ups about security and the same penchant...." He tapped the bottom of the drawer carefully and paused as it fell, revealing a false bottom... "For secret compartments." He finished.

The two men stared at the documents that had been concealed by the false bottom.

"I'm going to kill her." Jason said softly as he picked up the rough drawing of the mall. His eyes narrowed and a cold gleam shone in them. Kevin shivered, most of the time it was easy for him to almost forget who Jason was and what he did and remember instead the friend who he owed his life and his sanity.

But not at a moment like this when Jason looked like this.

Not that he blamed him.

Not one bit.

A noise from outside the stateroom shifted their attention from the paper in Jason's hands to their own unsafe position on board the Cassadine yacht and in Helena Cassadine's stateroom.

"Shit." Kevin groaned and looked around. There was only one door leading out of the stateroom and Helena Cassadine was about to walk through it. Working quickly, he put the drawer back together and turned to Jason. "Get under the bed?"

"What?"

"I said get under the bed," Kevin pushed Jason in that direction. "Just trust me."

"Last time you said that....."

"I know. I know. But this time there's no Tequila and no handcuffs and a very dangerous wicked witch of the Mediterreanean coming this way."

"I'm not afraid of the bitch." Jason's hands went to his gun.

"Did I mention that this wicked witch is probably accompanied by some very well armed flying monkey types? Come on Morgan neither of us are going to do Jess or Emily any good dead."

After a moment, Jason nodded and had just scrambled underneath the bed when the door opened.

"Who are you and what are you doing on my yacht?" Helena's voice was cold and menacing and Kevin winced even as he held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm Kevin Buchanan of the Llanview Banner," Kevin smiled his most charming. After a quick mental apology to Cassie, he turned the smile seductive, remembering stories he had heard about Helena Cassadine's obsession with younger men. "I'm sorry to invade your privacy like this but I've been trying to arrange an interview with you for the longest time and your representatives keep turning me down so I thought I'd storm the castle myself." A pause and a smile. "Not that I ever expected to find so charming and beautiful a princess as yourself."

Kevin groaned, he sounded like those really bad romance novels Cassie liked to read.

Jason groaned. Kevin was laying it on so thick that Helena was bound to see through it. This would never work....

"Buchanan?" Helena mused softly, the hostility removed from her tone as she approached Kevin. "I once had this glorious affair with a cowboy named Asa once." Her fingers touched his chest suggestively. "He really knew how to ride me."

He was going to gag. Kevin managed a smile. "My grandfather."

"Well, well..." Helena grinned as she moved forward, causing Kevin to back up against the bed. "Let's see if the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree."

"Uhh..Did I mention he was my adopted grandfather?" Kevin looked around a little wildly

as Helena began to trace the buttons on his shirt as she pushed him onto the bed.. "Besides, I don't perform well for an audience."

He motioned to the six or so guards who had entered behind Helena and who still had guns trained on him. "Or under pressure."

"Oh, I can take care of that." With a grin, Helena motioned for the guards to leave. Once they had done so, she turned back to Kevin. "Now where were we. That's right I was just about to grant you an interview....a very intimate interview."

"In that case shouldn't I get my notepad so I can take notes."

"I don't think you'll forget a single thing so there's no need to take notes..." Helena lowered her lips to his. After a second, Kevin pushed her away.

"I'm married. Happily married. Very very happily married."

"And your point?"

"Well as beautiful as you are and as tempted as I am, my wife has this very jealous temper and if she finds out she's likely to kill me."

"She won't find out." Helena's hands undid the buttons of his shirt.

"And her mother," Kevin continued. "Is just as likely to have me beheaded or castrated or maybe both...."

"Shhhh...." Helena's lips trailed down his chest.

"All right then," Kevin groaned and not from pleasure as he dug into his pocket. After a moment of frantic wiggling, which pleased Helena to no end, Kevin removed the small syringe.

"Helena...."

"Yes...." She stopped her maneuverings and looked up, just as Kevin inserted the syringe in her neck and she collapsed.

"Typical women. Gets you all hot and bothered and then passes out." He held up the syringe. "Thank you soon to be stepdaddy." Rolling out from beneath Helena, Kevin stood up shakily as Jason emerged from underneath the bed. Kevin shuddered as he buttoned his shirt. "Remind me to take a shower when we get back to your place. No make that a dozen showers."

"What did you do to her?"

"Not much. Just a little sedative I picked up." He stretched Helena's still form out on the bed and began to disrobe it.

"What are you doing?"

"Other than trying not to throw up?" Kevin tried not to look at Helena's nakedness. "She knows my name. I want her to think she and I did it when she wakes up. The last thing I need is a woman scorned coming after me.

Jason sighed as he moved to help her. "I guess you're right. By the way what did you give her?" Jason stopped to look at the finished effect. Helena would wake up thinking she had had sex so good she couldn't remember it and her nakedness and the disarray of the room would back up that thinking.

"Long story and it can wait until we get out of here."

"Right." Jason turned and headed to the door.

Kevin stopped him. "We can't go that way. I mean you can't go that way. Her guards are on the other side of that door. I leave and they might smirk. You walk out that door and they'll probably shoot."

"Then how do you suggest we....." Jason shook his head as Kevin stared at the small port hole.. "Oh no. No. No. No."

"Jason...."

Ten minutes later, after looking through the desk one more time, Jason stood at the porthole. "I'm not doing this."

"Come on Jason. It's not that cold outside. And it's the Port Charles River so there won't be THAT much pollution."

"Easy for you to say. You get to go out the door."

"The guards know I'm here. They won't blink when I walk through the door. You however they might not treat as friendly."

"I'm wearing leather."

"I told you polyester was better for breaking and entering."A pause. "There's no other way."

Jason groaned. "Fine." Glaring at a Kevin who could barely contain his laughter, Jason climbed through the porthole and a second later Kevin heard a splash.

Finally giving into his laughter, Kevin sat down on the bed to wait until enough time had passed that he could leave without the guards getting suspicious.

The Docks Near The Launch To Wyndemere

Nikolas checked his watch as he disembarked the launch after his meeting with Stefan had been called when Stefan had to take an unexpected business call. It was still early, just a little past 8 and he contemplated calling Emily and seeing if she was up to a late dinner or even just a quiet walk. It didn't matter to him as long as he was able to see her. And maybe hold her. And it would be good to kiss her.

He grinned. Oh yeah he was in love and he had it bad.

And God it felt so good to know that she loved him. They were going to make it, despite everything they were going to make it.

He looked at his watch again. He shouldn't call her. She'd been up most of the night worrying about Jess and she was probably exhausted.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to call the mansion and check in on her....

He almost jumped when his cell phone rang.

"Cassadine."

"Nik? It's me." The voice on the other end sounded sad and melancholy. Inwardly Nik winced as he headed for the garage where he had parked his car.

"Liz?" He paused, hating himself for even asking the question but old habits, and old obligations, died hard. "Are you okay?"

He could almost hear her shake her head.

"I was cleaning my closet and I found some old drawings I did of Lucky and I just....I miss him Nikolas." He could hear her soft sobs. "Why did he have to die? Why did he have to leave me?"

"Liz....Lucky loved you. He didn't want to leave you. You have to be strong like he would have wanted you to be. You have to let him go." Nikolas hated this conversation. Not that he minded talking about Lucky. He loved talking about Lucky, he loved remembering the brother he had known so briefly. But not with Liz. Not like this. Because talking to Liz about Lucky reminded him of the time after Lucky's death when he had gravitated to her, before he had realized how he truly felt about Emily. Before Christmas had brought him and Emily together. And the guilt for what he had done, what he had almost allowed himself to do was still there, lingering on the edges of his awareness.

"Nikolas I miss him." Liz continued and Nikolas closed his eyes. That was the other thing he hated about these kinds of conversations with Liz. It was all about how much she missed Lucky. She never once gave any real consideration the great big hole inside him that his brother had left behind. Not like Emily who would ignore her own loss to comfort him in his. A smile crossed his lips as he remembered the day they had visited Lucky's grave with Laura and Lulu on the anniversary of the fire and then had gone to Kelly's afterwards, Emily had said little but the tight grip of her hand in his had given him a lifeline to draw on. She had listened as they all talked about Lucky, leaning her head on his shoulder and holding him when he cried. It was only afterwards, when he had found her staring at the water with tears streaming down his side had he realized how deep her own pain was. He had touched her shoulder and gently turned her around and they had cried together.

"Nikolas."

He forced himself to pay attention. "I'm here Liz."

"I know you are Nikolas. You're always here for me when I need you, just like Lucky would have wanted."

"Liz...."

"I need to see you tonight Nikolas. I need to talk to someone who loves Lucky as much as I do. I just...I feel closer to Lucky when I'm around you and I need to feel closer to Lucky tonight."

Nikolas hesitated. This wasn't a good idea for either of them.

"Nikolas....please."

"Liz I....I love Emily."

"Oh Nikolas I know that and I'm happy for you and for Emily. I wouldn't do anything to destroy your happiness. I just want to talk to you." A pause. "Besides Emily said something about crashing tonight so she won't mind."

"Okay, I'll meet you at Kelly's."

"No...that is I don't want to be around other people Nikolas. I don't want them to stare at me or pity me or anything like that."

Nikolas sighed. Every instinct was telling him that this was not a good idea. But every time he started to say no he could picture Lucky's face in his mind. He had promised to look after Liz for his brother.

"All right. I'll be there shortly."

"Thank you Nikolas." As Liz hung up she sat back, a satisfied grin on the face that was devoid of any tears.

Outside the Webber Household

Johnny watched the Webber house carefully, still not quite sure why he was there. Liz had finished out her shift at Kelly's and then came straight home. Nothing suspicious. Nothing out of the ordinary.

So why was he still here?

Because every instinct in his body was telling him that something was wrong and he had learned long ago to listen to his instincts. Especially when they were sounding off with the subtlety of a boom box.

He tried to think things through logically. Elizabeth and Emily seemed to be friends. Jason liked Elizabeth. Once Johnny had even wondered if his employer's interest in the young girl went beyond that of just friends.

But that had been last year. Things change and in Port Charles they seemed to be changing all the time.

Bottom line, he didn't trust Elizabeth Webber. That look on her face earlier made him uneasy. Her role in those damned pictures had yet to be clarified either.

A few minutes later, Johnny heard a car drive up and was surprised to see Nikolas get out of his sports car and head up the front walk to the house.

This was getting interesting Johnny thought as he made his way closer to the house for a better look.

An hour or so later

Emily walked up to the house quietly, still not altogether sure she wanted to be here but feeling an obligation to Lucky to continue her friendship with Liz. She'd had Reginald drop her off a few blocks away, deciding that a nice walk on a warm evening like this one would help to clear her head. She wasn't afraid of anything nasty happening to her and neither was Reggie, both had seen Jason's men following discreetly behind them and Emily figured that even now they were out there, watching over her.

It was either creepy or heartwarming depending on how you viewed it she supposed.

She approached the house cautiously, fighting the instinct to just call it a night and call Liz in the morning with her apologies. Make up some story about how hard it was for Reginald to wake her up after her night.

Come on Em, it's just Liz. You can do this. The two of you used to be friends.

That was a lifetime ago.

So pretend.

Emily took a deep breath as she knocked on the door. There was no answer but the door was slightly open and after calling out for Liz, Emily opened the door. The living room was dark and Emily frowned. Liz knew she was coming. In fact Liz had been adamant that Emily come over tonight. Emily stepped further into the living room, a worried look on her face as she glanced around the room. What if something happened to Liz?

Without giving it much thought, Emily instinctively headed upstairs to check the bedrooms. If no one was there, she'd call the PCPD. She'd make Taggert come out and check the house. She'd use whatever clout she had with them to make them find Liz and make sure she was okay.

Come on Emily get a grip. Liz probably ran to the store.

Even as she tried the argument out in her head, Emily knew it didn't make sense. Liz was expecting her. Liz should be here. Something was wrong.

You're being paranoid she told herself, just because a mall fell in on you and Jess almost drowned in the river doesn't mean that anything.....

She almost jumped when she heard a noise coming from Liz's bedroom.

A noise like a moan, like someone was hurt.

"Liz?" Emily called out softly and there was no response.

Grabbing a crystal vase from the accent table in the hall closet, Emily gently pushed open the door to Liz's bedroom.

And stopped in shock as the vase fell to the floor and shattered.

Nikolas was there. In Liz's bed. Naked. They were both naked. Liz moving over Nikolas. No blanket or sheet or anything to block the image from her mind.

They were making love.

Nikolas and Liz.

Nikolas.

Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.

Emily stumbled as she took a step back and shut the door.

They hadn't seen her. Oh God. At least she hoped they hadn't seen her. Turning in the hallway, she fell to her knees and vomited.

Afterwards, she wiped her mouth and did the only thing her mind and body were capable of doing, she ran.

Nikolas and Liz. Nikolas and Liz.

Nikolas was making love to Liz. Nikolas was f**king Liz.

Nikolas and Liz.

Nikolas and Katherine.

Nikolas and someone else who wasn't her.

Blindly she made her way out of the house and ten feet down the pathway before she collapsed, her sobs coming out in huge shudders as her mind focused on everything and nothing at all.

Images flooded her head as the last year came barreling down at her, each picture in her head like a shot through her system.

Nikolas and Liz together. Dating. Trying to convince herself she really loved Juan when her heart knew better. Running away to Llanview to help Jess and escape her own problems. Meeting Nikolas. Falling for Nikolas all over again. Believing him when he said he loved her. Stupid idiot. He never loved you before, what did you expect that he suddenly looked at you and started loving you. Stupid Idiot.

She closed her eyes and held herself tightly even as she rocked back and forth. She had believed him. She had believed him and she had allowed herself to love him again. All those months they had been together. Happily together. Like a dream. Like someone had found the secret fantasy she'd always held and made it come true.

Only it had been a lie. All of it a lie. Because he had been with her. The pictures had proven that. Pictures she hadn't wanted to believe but he had confirmed. She could still remember the shock that had run through her system when he hadn't denied it.

Why couldn't he have denied it? She'd have believed him.

She'd rather live in a delusional world where she was happy than in the real world where the pain could hurt this bad this deep.

Nikolas and Liz.

She shut her eyes tighter. The pictures had been difficult to block out. The images of their bodies intertwined on that bed would be impossible.

She took deep gaping breaths as she began to hyperventilate.

"Emily?" She felt a hand on her shoulder and twisted away, afraid that it was Nikolas. Afraid that she would believe his explanations and set herself up for getting hurt again. Or worse, afraid that she would end up apologizing to him.

She laughed harshly at the last thought.

"Emily."

She looked up, the voice wasn't Nikolas's soft and cultured tone.

She blinked. "Johnny?"

"Emily?" Johnny's heart froze at the look of utter devastation on her face. "Emily what's wrong?"

She shook her head, too afraid to make it real to say it out loud

"Tell me!" Johnny looked up at Francis and the other guard, but they shook their head helplessly.

Emily moaned. "Nikolas and Liz....."

Johnny's eyes widened even as disbelief hit. He'd seen Cassadine around Emily and he'd been there the day of the mall explosion. He'd watched Nikolas as the rescue attempt went on.

The kid might be an arrogant asshole, but he loved Emily. Johnny would have staked his life on it.

"Watch her." He ordered Francis.

"Where are you going?"

"To check the house. Somethings wrong."

"Do you think...."

"I don't know. But if he did, he's dead."

Emily heard his footsteps head back to the house and she felt Francis place a jacket around her shoulders but her mind was distant, her thoughts preoccupied as they locked onto that one phrase over and over.

"Something's wrong." "Something's wrong."

Her heart racing, she forced herself to calm down....to breath.....to think not just react.

She remembered the pictures. But she also remembered being trapped in that darkness with Nikolas's voice the only thing that kept her sane.

He said he loved her. He acted like he loved her. It was in his touch, in his eyes, in him. She couldn't have been wrong about that.

Nikolas loved her.

Nikolas was having sex right now with Liz.

They both couldn't be true. One had to be a lie.

She'd seen him with Liz with her own two eyes, heard them.

But she had seen his love for her with her own two eyes also. Heard it in his voice. Felt it in his touch.

Which was the lie? Which the truth?

She closed her eyes and the image of the two of them came flooding back only to be replaced with an image of another time when she had opened a door and seen Nikolas in bed with someone else.

She'd wanted to be sick that day too.

He'd come after her that day, so apologetic and distraught that Emily had found herself apologizing to him. She'd hated that about that day, in all the times in her mind when she replayed it she got angry and told him what she really thought about friends who used their friends like that.

In reality all she had done was apologize.

But he had come after her that day.

Where was he now?

Maybe he hadn't heard her? Hell she'd vomited in the hallway and she hadn't been quiet down those stairs. Not to mention the glass shattering.

But he hadn't come after her.

That wasn't Nikolas. Even if....even if he wanted to be with Liz, he still would have come after her. That was the kind of person he was. That was who he was.

A puzzled frown appeared on her face. And Liz had been expecting her. Liz had told her to come.

Johnny was right. Something was wrong. Really really wrong.

Emily shivered. She should just go home. Francis would take her. Go home and walk away and begin the process of forgetting that Nikolas Cassadine existed.

Or stay here.

Stay here and do what?

Take a chance that what she saw wasn't real.

Or at least let Nikolas know what kind of sick bastard he really was.

No apologies this time. No running away this time.

Or go home and forget everything again.

Slowly, gathering her resolve around her carefully, Emily stood up and began to move.

In the house

"Cassadine!" Johnny yelled as he stormed through the living room and headed up the stairs. "Cassadine you might as well let me kill you because you know Jason's going to add a little torture to your death...." He began and stopped as he stood at the door to Liz's bedroom. Liz was nowhere to be seen, but Nikolas was still there, his nude body sprawled across the blankets.

"Aw hell she was right," Johnny muttered contemptuously as he approached the still

figure, he shoved it roughly. "Wake up. Wake the hell up so I can kill you."

Cassadine didn't move. Johnny shoved him harder. "I said wake up dammit."

Still no response.

Johnny's heart stilled. He bent down and turned Nikolas around. Still no response. "Jesus." He lifted Cassadine's eye lids, smelled his breath, and swore.

Someone had drugged Cassadine. He began to look around the bed and stopped as his hand closed around a syringe.

"F**k it." He in the process of pulling out his cell phone and calling Jason when he noticed the closet door was open and stopped.

His heart in his throat he approached the closet slowly.

There on the back wall were a line of pictures of Lucky Spencer that he recognized. No

problem there, every girl should have pictures of her dead boyfriend lining her closet.

It wasn't those pictures that bothered Johnny.

It was the ones below those.

The ones of Nikolas Cassadine.

The ones where Emily's face had been stabbed or torn or shredded.

Those were the ones that scared the shit out of him.

His hand automatically went to his gun even as he heard the gunshot from outside and the scream that followed.

Emily's scream.

Racing down the stairs as fast as he could, Johnny stopped when he reached the place where he had left Emily.

Where she was nowhere to be seen and he could see Francis and the other guard slumped

unconscious.

Scared like he had never been before, Johnny turned and that was when he saw it a few feet down the path. The grass and flowers along the edge of the path were crushed like someone had stepped on them.

Or someone's body had fallen on them.

He moved closer and bent down and as his finger swept the brick path he felt it encounter something sticky.

He lifted it up until he could see it in the streetlight.

Blood. And he had a sinking feeling that it was Emily's.

To be continued.