CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

	Lisa sat in the waiting room, waiting for Alan Quartermaine to give
her the test results from her earlier appointment.  She looked at Lesley,
who was sitting next to her.  “Thanks for coming with me, Grandma.  I just
didn’t want to hear what Dr. Q. had to say alone.”

	Lesley smiled, “That’s okay, baby.  Just as long as you know he’s
probably gonna react kinda funny when he sees me.”

	Lisa nodded, “Our family seems to have a knack for coming back
from the dead.”

	They both laughed as Alan Quartermaine stuck his head out of his
office door.  “Lisa, come on in.”  He looked oddly at the older woman with
Lisa, but he couldn’t get a good look at her face as she stood up.

	Lisa looked at him, “I hope you don’t mind, Doc, but I brought my
grandmother with me for moral support.”

	Alan shook his head, “No, of course not.” He extended his hand to
Lesley, then realized who she was.  “Lesley?” he asked disbelievingly.

	Lesley nodded, “Hello Alan.”

	“Hello, nothing.”  He pulled her into a big bearhug.  “This is
amazing.  Your alive!”

	Lesley smiled politely, happy to see him, but reminding herself of
her priorities.  “Yes I am.  But we can discuss that later, I’m worried about
my granddaughter.”

	Alan nodded, “Yes, of course.  Come on into my office and I’ll tell
you what we found.”

	They walked in the office and all sat down.  Lisa waited patiently
for Alan to tell her the news.

	“Well Lisa, the pain in your sides that you were experiencing is left
over from your attack.  The muscle tissue is trying to knit itself and in
doing so, creates the pulling that you feel.”

	Lisa nodded, “But that doesn’t explain the nausea.”

	Alan agreed, “True, but the cause of that is something much
simpler.  Lisa, you’re pregnant.”

	Lisa gasped as her hand flew up to her mouth.  “Oh Doc, please tell
me you’re wrong.  I can’t be, that shouldn’t happen.  It just can’t.  That’s
impossible.” she mumbled mostly to herself.  She tried hard not to cry, but
the tears just started coming.  She looked up at Alan, “Doc, they told me
when my daughter died that I had internal injuries and that there was no
way that I could carry a child.”  She looked at Lesley beggingly, “What am
I gonna do, Grandma?  I can’t, I can’t, I can’t do this.  I just can’t,” she
began to mumble over and over.

	Lisa brought both hands up to cover her mouth and began to rock
back and forth, trying to hold back the tears.  Lesley took one of  Lisa’s
hands in her own and stroked Lisa’s hair before looking at Alan.  “What
are the risks to this child, based on her previous injuries?”

	“I saw nothing that should prevent this from being a perfectly
normal pregnancy.  But, under the circumstances, I’ll set up an emergency
appointment with her OB/GYN.  We’ll make sure that we do everything
we can to keep both Lisa and her child healthy.”

	Lesley nodded, “Thank you, Alan.”  She helped Lisa to stand up. 
Lisa was completely in a daze, totally unresponsive.  “Come on, honey,
let’s get you home.”

	Lisa nodded vaguely, her arms wrapped around herself.  She
walked only with Lesley’s guidance.

	Alan was worried, but knew that Lisa was in good hands with
Lesley.  “Will she be okay?”

	Lesley nodded, “Sure, once I get her home.”

	Alan just looked at them both, “Lesley, welcome back.”

	“Thanks.”  Lesley and Lisa left slowly.

	Lesley steered Lisa towards a chair in the waiting room.  Lisa
practically fell in it.  She looked up at her grandmother, tears flowing freely
now, the news sinking in more.  “I can’t lose another baby, Grandma, I just
can’t!  The first time was too painful.”  She resumed rocking herself.

	Lesley took Lisa’s face in her hands, “Lisa, listen to me, you are not
going to lose this child.  Your whole family is going to be there the entire
time.  You’ll have the best of care, I guarantee it.”

	A look of shock washed over Lisa’s face when Lesley mentioned
family, “Stefan, we have to find and tell Stefan!”

	Lesley nodded and they stood and walked out towards the elevator. 
“We’ll find him,” she said reassuringly.
	
*****

	It was getting late, Stefan refused to turn on any lights at
Wyndemere.  There was one small light on by the door, but that was it.

	Finally, the door opened.  Stefan waited to see who walked in. 
Alexander walked in alone.  Stefan continued to wait until he was sure no
one had followed the old man.

	Alexander took off his coat and hung it in the hall closet.  He had
no idea what was about to happen.

	Suddenly, a figure lunged towards Alexander.  He yelled slightly as
the figure grabbed him by the lapels and slammed him against the wall.  By
the light of the small lamp, Alexander could see the fury in Stefan’s eyes.

	“Tell me the truth, old man,” Stefan growled, “Andrea is a
Cassadine.”

	Alexander nodded slightly, but quickly, “I...ye...yes...She’s yours.”

	“Why have you allowed my daughter to be dead to me?”

	“Your mother...”

	Stefan pushed him against the wall again, “What about her?”

	“She ordered it.”

	Stefan immediately let Alexander go.  He glared at him, “Leave. 
Leave now.”

	Alexander shrugged his shoulders defiantly, “Sure.  Whatever you
want.”  He quickly grabbed his coat and headed for the door.  “But you
haven’t heard the last of this, kid.”

*****

	Lisa sat at Kelly’s, still in a daze.  Lesley had gone back to the
hospital to try and find Stefan.  Luke walked in and sat across from her.

	“You heard?” she asked him emptily.

	Luke nodded, “Yeah, darlin’.  I heard.”  He reached over and held
her hand, “You and the kid are gonna be fine, you know that.”

	Lisa nodded blankly, “Yes, Daddy.”  She finally looked up at him. 
“What am I going to do?”

	He sat back in his chair.  “I don’t know what to tell you, Sunshine. 
You got yourself knocked up by a damn Cassadine.  I don’t think you want
to hear my opinion on what you should do.”  He watched as tears formed
in his daughter’s eyes.  “Look, babe, I’m sorry.  I will try to be there for
you.  Whatever you need, you just let me know.”

	She looked back down, “If by some miracle, this baby survives, are
you going to hate it, just because it’s a Cassadine?”

	Luke didn’t say anything, simply stared at her.

	“Dumb question,” Lisa mumbled to herself.  She stood up, “Thank
you Daddy, for the moral support.  Now I think I’ll see if I can help
Grandma look for my husband.”

	Without another word, she walked out and got in her car.  She
thought back to the conversation with her father and about the
complications surrounding her attempt to bring a child into the world. 
Especially a Cassadine child, whose mother was a Spencer.

	Instead of driving to the hospital to look for Stefan, she decided to
take another, more fateful turn.
			
*****





CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

	Lesley figured the best way to find Stefan if he was in the hospital
was have him paged.  Or ask his “wife” Bobbie.  Unfortunately, Bobbie
didn’t know she was back.  Unless Alan had told her from earlier, but she
doubted it.

	As she exited the elevator and looked towards the nurses station,
she saw Alan and Monica involved in a discussion on one side, Bobbie and
Audrey conversing on the other.  She decided to go with the known
commodity.

	Lesley walked over to Alan.  He saw her approach, smiled and
waved.  Monica turned to see who he was looking at.  Lesley took a deep
breath, “Here goes nothing,” she said to herself.

	Alan was the first to say anything.  “Hello again.  How’s Lisa?”

	Monica just stared at her.

	Lesley smiled politely at Monica, then answered Alan’s question. 
Falsely, however.  “She’s fine.  Would you do me a favor?  I need to find 
Stefan Cassadine.  Could you page him for me?”

	“Sure,” he went to complete the page.

	Lesley noticed that Monica was still staring.  “Hello Monica,” she
finally said.

	Monica started shaking her head, “You can’t be, you’re dead...”

	Lesley took Monica’s hand and held it gently against the pulse point
on her wrist.  “No, I’m alive.”

	“Oh my...” Monica exclaimed as she threw her arms around Lesley. 
Alan just looked on and smiled.  “When did you get back?  Where have
you been?” she asked.

	“I got back a few days ago.  But I had to tell Laura and Amy
everything first.  You guys are the first people to see me outside of my
family.”

	Bobbie and Audrey heard Monica and walked around to see what
the commotion was.

	Lesley watched as they walked over and saw the look of shock
register on each of their faces as they saw her.

	“This is unbelievable,” Audrey said.  “Lesley, is this for real?” 
Lesley nodded in reply, going over and hugging Audrey, “I’m so happy to
see you,” Audrey said finally.

	“Me too Audrey,” Lesley replied.  She reached out and took
Bobbie’s hand briefly while still hugging Audrey.  “How are you, Bobbie?”
she asked.

	Bobbie just looked on, but couldn’t make any words come out.  “Hi
Lesley,” she finally said softly.

	Stefan walked off the elevator and saw the group standing in a
circle.  “Lesley,” he called out to her as he approached.

	Lesley pulled herself away from them, excusing herself from the
group only with the promise of seeing them all soon.  She then walked
quickly over to Stefan.

	Together they walked back towards the elevator.  “What’s wrong?”
he asked.

	She looked right in Stefan’s eyes.  “It’s Lisa.  She needs you now
more than ever.”

	“Let us make haste,” Stefan said simply as they entered the elevator
and left, leaving very stunned people staring at the elevator doors.
	
*****

	Tony frowned as he opened the door to his apartment.  He
wondered how he could have been so naive about the hostility between his
lover and his ex-wife.  He knew that Bobbie didn’t know that Carly was
her daughter, but he had a sneaking suspicion that Carly knew exactly. 
Things were finally making sense to him.  He knew what he had to do.

	“Carly, are you here?” he asked when he didn’t see her in the living
room.

	Carly came out of the kitchen.  “Hey Tony.  You’re home early.” 
She bounded over to kiss him, but he backed away.

	“Tony, what’s wrong?”

	Tony was somber.  “Carly, I found out something today.”

	Now she was worried, “Is something wrong with Lucas?”

	They both sat down on the sofa.  Carly was looking expectantly at
Tony, but he couldn’t return the look.  He jumped right to the point, “How
long have you known that you were Bobbie’s daughter?”

	Suddenly, Carly felt like she was going to throw up.  “Who told
you?  Did Luke tell you?  He promised he wouldn’t say anything.”

	“Then it’s true?”

	Carly knew she couldn’t deny the truth any longer.  “Yes,” she said
softly.

	Tony breathed deeply.  “And no, Luke didn’t say anything.  It was
your grandfather.”

	“Old man Alex?  Lisa was right, he’s been nothing but trouble since
he got here.”

	Tony frowned, “Carly, this changes everything between us.”

	She looked at him.  She knew it had only been a matter of time.  “It
doesn’t have too,” she begged.  “We can work through this, Tony.  We
love each other.”

	Tony gave her a harsh look, “Nothing you have ever said to me is
the truth.  I can’t have a relationship based on lies.  It’s over, Carly,
Caroline, or whatever you want to be called.”

	“Over?” she repeated.  “I don’t want it to be over.  I’ll fight for
you, Tony.”  

	“No Carly.  We have nothing to tie us to each other.  Let’s just call
it quits and be done with it.”

	“No, that’s not fair!” she yelled.  “Who the hell do you think you
are that you can just come in here and tear my life apart?” 

	Tony gave her a pathetic look, “Don’t you hear what you’re
saying?” he said calmly, despite his rising anger.  “That’s exactly what you
did to me and Bobbie.”  He glared at her for a minute, then said softly,
“You deserve all that happens to you.”

	Tony realized that he didn’t know this girl anymore, he saw her as a
child for the first time.  He didn’t just want to leave her like this, in case
she was dangerous to herself, but he couldn’t stay either.  He found himself
wanting nothing more than to hold her.  But he couldn’t reassure her and
tell her everything would be okay, because it wouldn’t.  Nothing would
ever be the same.  He finally stood up.  “I’ll come back later to get my
things.”

	She shook her head in defeat, “No need.  The apartment is yours. 
I’ll go back to my room at Kelly’s.”

	Without saying another word, Tony left and Carly just watched him
go.  As soon as he was gone, she picked up one of the closest books off the
coffee table and threw it out the door.  “Damn you Alexander!” she yelled.

*****
	
	Lisa sat in her car, parked in the alley near the docks.  There were
tears streaming freely down her face.

	She put her hand on her stomach and talked to her unborn child. 
“I’m sorry, babe.  I just can’t do it, you know?  There’s too much risk to
both of us.  I went through this whole thing with your sister, just to lose
her before I even knew her.  I can’t tell you what that did to me.  It hurt
your daddy too, but he never let it show.  That’s why I left him.

	“I’m scared, little one.  Your grandpa and daddy don’t like each
other and I’m afraid they can’t look past their differences.  They haven’t
been able to for me, that’s for sure.  I just don’t think I can handle that
anymore.

	“I know you can’t possibly understand this, but it’s what I feel I
have to do.  This is only thing I know to do.  Your daddy says he loves me,
but he’s with someone else.  I can’t use you to get him back.  That’s not
fair to any of us.”

	Lisa wiped away tears and turned on the radio.  The song “Don’t
Speak” by No Doubt was playing...


You and me, we used to be together
Everyday together, always.
I really feel, I’m losing my best friend,
I can’t believe this could be the end.
It looks as though, your letting go,
And if it’s real well I don’t want to know.

Don’t speak, I know just what your saying 
So please stop explaining, Don’t tell me cause it hurts.

Our memories, they can be inviting,
But some are altogether mighty frightening.
As we die, both you and I,
With my head in my hands I sit and cry.


	While the chorus of the song played again, Lisa revved up the
engine of the car.  “I’m sorry, baby,” she said softly.


It’s all ending, I gotta stop pretending who we are.
You and me, I can see us dying, are we...


	Just then, Lisa gunned the car and threw it in gear, driving right off
the end of the pier.


Hush, hush darling...
Hush, hush darling...

*****