Lucky threw the door open, swaggered across the office, and leaned on the corner of Nikolas' desk. "Did you miss me?" he asked, a cheesy grin on his face.

"Did you go somewhere?" Nikolas asked.

"I'm hurt!  Elizabeth and I spent the weekend in  the Pennsylvania Dutch Country."

"Why?"

Lucky's face was blank for a long moment before answering, "Because I'm a sucker for my woman, that's why."

"More than a sucker, Luck. So, how did it go?"

"Well, after being there for two hours, I realized why no one ever hypes all the fun Amish people have."

"I might be going out on a limb, here, but I would guess it's because the Amish don't have any fun."

"Why didn't you tell me that before I left?"

"What good would it  have done?" Nikolas asked, closing his file and pushing it aside. "You still would have went. Everyone knows that Elizabeth calls the shots. So, if she decides to paint the Pennsylvania Dutch..."

"Then I'll be there to hold up the easel?"

"Most likely." Nikolas tried not to laugh at the puppy dog look on his brother's face. "It's okay, Lucky. I think I can be accused of  the same thing."

"Oh, yes, little miss Gia has definitely put her stamp on your forehead. So much so, that you don't even notice when I drift out of town." Lucky remarked, standing up and moving to sit on the sofa across the room.

"I noticed...I think...probably."

"Gee thanks. It's good to know I'm loved."

Nikolas propped his feet up on his desk. "You're loved, little brother..." There was  a  silence before Nikolas shifted the conversation. Cautiously, he started, "We never really talked about what Helena did to you..."

Those words immediately had Lucky's attention. "No, we didn't, but then there was nothing to talk about," he replied tensely.

"She brainwashed you-"

"Truthfully, Faison brainwashed me. Helena just exploited it for all it was worth."

Nikolas' eyes dropped into his lap. He bore Helena's guilt as if it were his own. His family had been responsible for what had happened to his little brother. Sometimes he felt he should have been able to stop it. To stop Helena. "I'm sorry, I really am-"

"When are you going to stop apologizing for something you didn't do? I don't blame you. It was all that whacko grandmother of yours."

"Yes, MY grandmother who took a year of your life."

"The old bat is evil. That's not your fault. So stop feeling guilty. Does Stefan feel guilty for any of the horrible things his mother does? Nope! Of course, he doesn't feel guilty for any of the horrible things he  does, so that's a bad example."

"At least he has noble intentions. I can forgive him, but not Helena," Nikolas said, his voice trailing off. He was starting to wonder if there was an error in that. What made Stefan redeemable, but not his grandmother?

"What are you thinking, Bro?" Lucky asked. He knew there was a point to the questions.

"On Thursday, Gia was mugged."

"What!? Is she okay?"

"She's fine, but only because Helena was on the docks and fought off the attacker."

"Helena fought off Gia's attacker? I could believe it  if Helena *hired* the attacker. "

"She said she did it for me. Because I love Gia. She almost sounded sincere."

Lucky stood up. "She wasn't, Nik. Don't let her manipulate you with gratitude. This whole situation stinks."

"It gets worse. Gia invited her to dinner tomorrow. She wants to thank Helena for saving her life. "

"You're going to let her in your house?  Maybe you need to explain to Gia why that's a bad idea."

"She knows, Lucky. But she was so scared when that guy attacked her. He had a knife. He was trying to pull her off the docks behind the staircase. I really think she was traumatized by the whole thing," Nikolas explained. He ran a hand through his dark hair.

Lucky  nodded. He understood Gia's fear. He remembered watching Elizabeth pull herself out of a similar fear. "That's pretty rough, but don't let Helena use this to her advantage. If Gia is fragile, I have no doubt that your grandmother will try to break her."

"Look who's giving *me* advice about Helena! I was raised by the woman."

"I know, but you seem to be thinking kind thoughts, man. I just wanted to strengthen all that ill will Stefan instilled."

"She saved Gia! Am I supposed to forget that?  Besides, it's just dinner. We'll eat and then Gia and I will have the rest of our lives to hate Helena.  . ." Nikolas replied crisply.

"Yeah, well I went to bed one night and woke up dead. Keep that in mind, Nikolas." ~*~   ~*~  ~*~

"Dr. Jones is with a patient at the moment. Would you like to leave a message?" Gia said into the phone receiver. She jotted down a message and hung up the phone. She dropped the little pink slip of paper on top of the others. In ten minutes, she would be finished for the day.

She leaned forward in her chair, reaching across the desk to lift the portrait of Nikolas into her hands. She ran a manicured fingernail across the smiling face.  She knew that she was blessed. 

"Shouldn't you be working, Miss Campbell," A voice called to her from the doorway.

"Go away, Stefan."

He closed the door, slowly walking to her desk. "That is no way for a secretary to speak to the Chief Executive Officer."

"What do you want?"

"I want to talk to you."

"About?"

"Helena."

Gia set the framed picture of Nikolas back down on the desk. She stood, moving around the desk to face Stefan. "Have you figured out a way to get the tapes back?"

"No. But I have figured out what Helena wants from you."

"Really? Care to let me in? I've been pulling out my hair trying to figure out her angle."

"That's not all you have  been pulling," Stefan hissed.

"What are you talking about?" Gia asked, trying to make herself look innocent.

"I ran into my mother this morning when she was discharged from the hospital-"

"And that's my fault?"

Stefan spoke over her interruption. "She happened to mention that she had been the recipient of a dinner invitation from you and Nikolas. She was very smug, Gia."

"Helena's always smug!"

"More smug than usual. What kind of a deal did you make with her?"

"I didn't-"

"Don't lie to me! Not where Nikolas is concerned! I know that this dinner was your idea and I want to know what's going on!" Stefan roared, momentarily forgetting that people were around.

"You know that I was mugged. You know that Helena saved me. I wanted to repay her for her kindness."

"Is this the kind of drivel you've been telling my nephew?  She's using you to get to him, isn't she?!"

"No! It's just a dinner. I am grateful for my life."

"You're stupid, too."

"Don't call me names. I am not doing anything wrong. It's dinner. My mother taught me to be polite when someone did something nice for you."

"Then send her a thank you note," Stefan retorted angrily. He stepped closer to the young woman. "But don't think that you can save yourself by sacrificing Nikolas."

"I would never-"

Stefan grabbed her roughly by the arm. "Of course you would. We both know what kind of a person you are. You would do anything. Including using your charms to manipulate Nikolas into trusting Helena. I can see the truth in your eyes."

Gia's eyes were glassy. "There is nothing in my eyes except my hate for you. You talk about me manipulating Nikolas when that's all you've ever done. You used him to destroy Luke and Laura. You lie to him. You play with his life. What right do you have to question me? And what right do you have to pretend to be any better than Helena?"

Stefan tightened his grip, yanking her very close to him. She shuttered and he could tell he was hurting her. "Think what you want of me. I don't care. But never doubt that Helena is psychotic. She will destroy Nikolas if she gets the chance. Just like she destroyed his father. Much the same way she destroyed me. For never doubt that I am a monster. I let her obliterate my soul to save Nikolas'. I did that and I have not regrets," he seethed. "There are no lengths I won't go to for him, Gia. NONE!  You have aligned yourself with Helena. You are the enemy." He dropped her arm as if the mere touch of her skin repulsed him.

Gia rubbed the spot on her arm. "What are you planning to do?"

"I am going to level you!"  Stefan turned and started walking for the door.

"That's not a good idea. I'm dangerous when my back's against the wall, Cassadine."

He stopped. "Is that a threat?"

"It sure the hell is! I won't let either you or Helena ruin our love."

"The only love there is, Gia, is your love for his money."

"That's not true. I do love him!"

Stefan smiled grimly. "Don't lie to a liar. It's bad form."

By the time she picked up and launched her cup of pencils at his head, he was gone. Tony stuck his head out his office door.

"Is there a problem, Gia?"

"A problem? You bet there's a problem. My life is filled with Cassadines!"

~*~  ~*~  ~*~

She banged her fists against the door of the closet. She was on the inside and her life was on the outside. Her life was crumbling around her.

Crumbling
Crumbling
Crumbling

But she wouldn't let it. NO, she wouldn't let it. She turned in a small circle. Her steps labored as an invisible weight pressed on her shoulders. It was so heavy. She was tired of all the weight. Tired of all the work. All she wanted was to be was happy.

And she was going to be happy if it killed her.

Or someone else...

She started pounding her fists against the closet door again. She could feel the anger coursing through her. Her breath was coming faster.

She could feel herself losing control.

Again

She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. She couldn't scream. She never had been able to. She wasn't allowed that extreme. She ached for inability. That sent her raging against the nearest rack. She ripped the clothes from the hangers, frantically flinging them about in the small space. Her chest heaved.

There were tears she couldn't see through.

There  were words she couldn't hear.

There was twisted shades of red that bled into yellow inside her head.

YOU WILL NOT WIN!!!!!

She wouldn't let them. She would fight.

Her anger intensified. More red flooded through her. She started kicking the wall. She kicked and kicked and kicked until there was a hole in the plaster. And she fell to her knees, picking and peeling that plaster from the wall. She worked at it until her hands bled. She stumbled up off the ground of the closet and picked up one of his shirts. She wrapped it around her hands.

She knew there should be pain, but she felt none. She wasn’t' really sure if there was blood. To her, everything looked crimson. She slid down a wall, placing her hands in her lap. She unwound the bloody shirt. She looked down at the long scratches on her hands.

She wanted to cry, but she knew that wasn't to be either. She held her hands up into the air. The rage was settling back into a tight ball in her gut. Where it always went when she gained control.

She pulled it back in. She would be careful. She would be really careful. She would keep things together. Her breathing slowed.

The red was receding. It pulled away like the tide. She was numb as she looked at the torn wall, the displaced clothing, the  scratches on the wooden door.

And the blood on her hands. So much blood on her hands.

Would there be more?

She closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall. Would there be more?

Would there be more?

She knew it depended on who got in her way. She would do what she had to do. She would handle what she had to.

She loved him...

She would do anything to protect that love....

She would kill....

She had killed....

But still, the question haunted her. Would there be more?  Would Emily be the last life she took?

Or would there be more....

Her eyes popped open.

She'd have to wait and see. ~*~   ~*~   ~*~

End of chapter Fifteen, Please e-mail any feedback by clicking on the mailbox below :)

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