CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

	On Spoon Island, Alexander had just finished packing his bags.
“Helena, you’ve used me for the last time.  I will tell them the truth, there is
no denying it any longer.”  With that, he sat down at the desk, pulled out a
piece of paper and a pen and began to write.

*****

	Luke walked over just as Stefan was coming out of Lisa’s room.
Stefan stood in the doorway, “She’s sleeping,” he said authoritatively.

	Luke glared at him, “What are you, Lisa’s guard bat?”

	Stefan continued to stare Luke in the face, “I don’t know what you
told her earlier tonight, but in the entire time that I’ve know her, she’s never
been as depressed as she was tonight.”

	“Luke shrugged, “And you blame me?”

	“Who else is there?”

	“Out of my way, Cassadine, I’m will see my daughter.”

	Stefan continued to  block the door. “You will not disturb her.  My
wife and unborn child will be just fine, no thanks to your low opinion of
her.”

	Luke challenged him, “Look, Son,” he practically spit out the word,
“I going to see my daughter, I don’t give a damn what you think.”

	Stefan stepped aside, not because Luke forced him to give in, but
because he knew that Lisa would want to see him. “She will want to know
that you are here.” 

	Luke sniffed in disgust at Stefan and walked in. 

	He watched his daughter for a second, sleeping in bed, like the first
time he had seen her a few short months ago. But now, she looked different.
Older, somehow, if that was possible. Could it be that this whole business
with the Cassadines and her kids was really getting to her. Or maybe her
long drive off the short pier was really the cause.  Either way, he felt
somewhat guilty.

	Lisa looked up and saw her father standing by the doorway. She
looked around, half expecting Stefan to still be there. “Hello,” she said
tiredly.

	Luke walked over to her, and sat in the chair, holding her hand
gently but firmly, “I’m so sorry, Baby Sunshine. I never should have put you
and your kid in the middle of this feud with the Cassadines.”

	“Forget it, Daddy,” she said hollowly.

	He shook his head, fighting back his own tears about what
happened.  “I can’t, because of me, you nearly died.”

	Lisa closed her eyes and leaned her head back wearily, “Daddy,
you’re here because Laura told you what happened.  I’m alive because
Stefan was nearby.  My daughter Anreya is still alive, no thanks to Helena
and Alexander.  My unborn baby doesn’t have nearly as many risks as I was
led to believe.  I’ll be fine.”

	“Are you sure?” he asked.

	Lisa just looked blankly at him as Stefan walked in.  Luke stood up
and kissed her on the forehead, “I’d better let you get your rest.  Just never
forget that I love you, Sunshine.”

	“Bye,” she said softly.

	Stefan walked over to Lisa’s bed as Luke started to leave.  The two
men glared at each other.  Stefan sat on the edge of the bed.  Lisa sat up as
Stefan embraced her.  She allowed herself to sag against him.  

	Luke looked back again and saw his daughter in Stefan’s arms. 
Sighing, he walked out the door.

*****

	The next morning, Lucky came out of his bedroom and looked out
the window. His mother’s car was gone, but the pink Caddy was in the
driveway. He wiped his eyes and looked at his watch. 8 am. He took a deep
breath and walked downstairs.

	Luke was sitting on the sofa with a mug of coffee in his hand. His
eyes were closed and his head was leaned back against the sofa. Except for
the fact that his fingers were moving, Lucky would’ve sworn he was asleep.

	Calling out to him, he said, “Dad, what are you doing here?”

	Luke didn’t move, but said, “I live here.”

	“Yeah, but I figured you’d be at the hospital for when Lisa leaves.”

	Luke sat up and drank some coffee, “Nope. I went last night. Lisa’ll
be fine.”

	Lucky sat down in the chair opposite his father. “I knew that last
night before you did. So did Mom, for that matter.”

	“Your mother is with Lisa now.”

	“Dad, I don’t get it, you’re the real parent here. Why don’t you
spend time with her?”

	“Look Cowboy, I don’t approve of the company your sister is
keeping. But I seem to be outnumbered there, even by you.”

	Lucky sighed, his father was being incredibly stubborn, “Just cause
she’s married to Cassadine and is having his kid, you’re going to abandon
her? Mom did the same thing, but you’re still together.”

	Luke’s stare at his son turned icy, “Your mother only did what she
did on that island because she didn’t have a choice. Lisa has a choice, and
she made it. She chose the Cassadines. She’s made her bed, now she can
sleep in it,” Luke said harshly. He stood up quickly and walked in the
kitchen before Lucky could protest any further.

	Lucky shook his head and went back upstairs to change clothes.

*****

	Lisa and Stefan were just walking out of Lisa’s room. Doctor
Quartermaine had given Lisa her release papers and now she wanted out as
quickly as possible.

	Lisa frowned as she saw Alexander walking down the hall towards
them.

	Stefan watched as Lisa’s body tensed and glanced around to see
what upset her.

	“Keep him away from me,” she said in a hushed whisper.

	Alexander called out to her, “Lisa, we need to talk.”

	Stefan stepped protectively in front of Lisa as Alexander got up to
them. “If you are half as bright as my mother credits you for, you should
leave right now.” 

	Alexander ignored Stefan and looked at Lisa while saying, “I have
to talk with my granddaughter.”

	Lisa glared at him. “I stopped being your granddaughter when you
stole my baby from me!” she yelled.

	Alexander shook his head, “Lisa, it’s not like that, really. Let me
explain.”

	Lisa jumped around Stefan, reaching for Alexander’s throat.
Fortunately, Stefan caught her around the waist and held her back.

	“I’ll kill you!” she yelled, swinging her arms toward Alexander.
Stefan repositioned his arms around Lisa to hold her arms as well.

	Alan and Bobbie were just walking around the corner discussing a
patient, when they heard the skirmish. They came up behind Stefan and Lisa.

	Stefan, not seeing them, was still struggling to hold Lisa back and
said, “I suggest you leave my wife alone, before I am unable to hold her
back.”

	Alexander grinned and glanced from Bobbie to Lisa, “Which wife?”

	Bobbie looked right at Alexander, “Give it up, Alexander, I already
know.”

	When Stefan heard Bobbie’s voice, his grip on Lisa loosened
slightly. She broke free and had her hands around Alexander’s throat almost
instantly.

	Alexander could not fight her off. Stefan and Alan each took hold of
one of her hands and tried to pry her loose, but her grip was like steel.

	Laura walked around the corner and took in the situation quickly.

	“You stole my daughter and nearly my life, now you will pay, old
man!” Lisa said almost calmly.

	“Not me...Helena...her fault,” Alexander squeaked.

	“Lisa, let him go!” Laura called out to her commandingly.

	Lisa’s concentration broke as she saw Laura. Stefan and Alan pulled
her away from Alexander.

	As Alexander gasped for breath, Stefan said, “Barbara, you’d better
get your father out of here.”

	Bobbie nodded her head and escorted Alexander out of harm’s way.

	Laura nodded to Alan for him to give them some room, which he
did. Laura put her hand on Lisa’s shoulder as she started crying. Stefan
turned her around to face him and pulled her tight to him. Lisa buried her
face in his chest and sobbed. Stefan mouthed the words, “Thank you,” to
Laura.

*****





CHAPTER FORTY
			
	Bobbie had Alexander by the arm, forcibly leading him quickly
towards the elevator. He was still breathing heavy and rubbing his neck.
“Thank you, Barbara,” he said.

	Bobbie just looked pathetically at him, “Don’t thank me, thank
Laura.  Besides, you should know better than to provoke Lisa, she has
Luke’s temper.”

	“No wonder her real mother committed suicide.”

	Bobbie glanced around, then turned him around to face her, “Enough
about Luke and that excuse for a daughter of his.  I have reason to believe
you know something about my daughter?” She thought back to that first
conversation with him on the docks and his remark about her daughter and
her husband. “And what do you know about Carly and Tony?”

	As the elevator doors opened, Carly thought through how she was
going to tell her mother the truth about who she was.  Then from the inside
of the elevator, she heard Alexander say, “Carly is your daughter, Barbara.” 
Carly rolled her eyes and wished for a hole to climb into. 

*****

	Lisa had calmed down enough to stop crying, finally.  She, Laura
and Stefan were sitting down in the waiting area.  Stefan was holding Lisa’s
hands in his own protectively.

	“I’m sorry,” Lisa said, “I just lost it.  Everything that’s happened, I
focused all of that energy on him.”

	Stefan nodded slightly and pulled a note out of his pocket.  “He
deserves a good portion of  that anger, Leezia.  He left a note at Wyndemere
that Alexis brought here to me.  I want to read it to you.”  He looked at
Laura, who suddenly felt like she was intruding.  She stood to leave, but
Stefan stopped her, “No Lasha, you should hear this.  It concerns you as
well.”

	“Go ahead,” Lisa said quietly.

	Stefan opened the note, put on his reading glasses and started to
read.

“Stefan,
	I have been a loyal servant to your family now for many years. 
And I loved your mother for most of that time.  Your mother and I were
involved, yes.  At one time, I would have thought that she cared for me,
but when she became pregnant with our first child, I learned the truth. 
She ran to Mikkos who should have banished the child and killed me. 
Instead, he raised him as his own son, because he didn’t have his
precious heir yet.

	“Yeah, I guess that’s what I’m saying.  Your older brother Stavros
wasn’t Mikkos’ son, but mine.  Helena would never let me admit that to
anyone, in fact, this is the first that I’ve ever spoken of it.  I know that
once Helena finds out that I told you, my life is over.  But it needed to be
said.  Please say goodbye to my family for me.

	“By the time you were born, Stavros was being raised to think that
he was The Cassadine, and nothing changed.  He wasn’t my only son by
Helena.  When you were young, she had another child.  Since Mikkos had
his precious heir, this child was banished from the household.  Helena
begged to raise the child, so Mikkos backed down enough to allow him to
be raised by the Evans’.  That child’s name was Erik Wilhelm.  But
everyone called him Billy.  You can thank Lisa for that.  She started it,
you know.”

	Stefan looked up at the two women.  “There’s more, should I
continue?”

	Lisa shook her head, “Don’t.  I think I’m gonna be ill as it is. 
Stavros and Billy weren’t Cassadines at all.”  Lisa looked over at Laura,
who looked a little nauseous herself.

	Laura shook involuntarily.  “They were Luke’s half brothers.”

	Lisa looked at Stefan, then held her head in her hands as she
mumbled, “Just take me home.  Get me out of here.  I can’t stand it
anymore.”

*****

	Alexander glanced behind him and saw Carly trying to scoot quickly
out of the elevator and on her way.  He reached out and grabbed her by the
arm.  “Caroline, we were just talking about you.”

	Carly looked from her grandfather to her mother.  She tried to shake
loose of Alexander’s grip.  “Let go of me, Alexander.  You promised to
keep your mouth shut.”

	Alexander shrugged, “Yeah, well, your cousin just tried to throttle
me, so I guess all bets are off.”

	She shook him off, “I’m not Lisa, so just get over yourself, old man. 
You aren’t the be all and end all of this family.  Take it from someone who
watches from the outside just like you always will.”

	Bobbie looked at Carly, “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked softly.

	Carly shook her head and shrugged, “Didn’t think you’d care.  You
sure didn’t care when you abandoned me.”

	“Do you think I would have spent all the money and time I invested
in trying to find you if I didn’t care?  But you knew that already.”

	Carly looked down at the floor.  “You wanted your daughter
because you thought that she might be able to be a bone marrow donor for
your niece.  I tried, I failed.  Again.  I even called Lisa, the little girl’s
sister, but she didn’t match either.  So sorry, I guess you were right the other
day, the two of us aren’t good for anything.  You know Bobbie, maybe it’s
best that your daughter be dead, cause I certainly can’t be what you want me
to be.”  She walked off around the corner without giving Bobbie a chance to
say anything.

	Alexander shuffled his feet uncomfortably, “I guess my job here is
finished.”

	Bobbie glared up at him, “Are you satisfied?” she asked harshly.

	Alexander nodded, “I’ve fulfilled my obligations to Helena, well,
all except killing Lisa, which I refuse to do.  I’m done here in Port Charles,
now it’s time for me to go home.”

	Bobbie grabbed Alexander’s collar, “You just walk in, rip lives in
two and leave to ‘go home’?  Who do you think you are?  Cause you’re not
my father!”  Then she sighed and let him go.  “You’re not worth it.  If you’re
serious about leaving, just go.  I never want to see you again.”

	Alexander straightened his collar, “Goodbye Barbara.”  With that,
he walked into the elevator, leaving behind the only family that could ever
learn to love him. He realized sadly that his only family was Jessica, the
daughter that loved him unconditionally.  He knew that except for her, his
last few months were going to be lonely.

*****

	Alexis sat in the living room at Wyndemere, holding Anreya and
talking softly to her.  Anreya held a tattered old gray teddy bear and
babbled to it.

	“You are adorable, Little Cousin,” Alexis said to the girl as she
thought of what she’d given up for her family and career.

	“You are very good with children, Alexis.  I think you missed your
calling,” Stefan said as he and Lisa entered the room.

	Alexis put Anreya down and said, “Ah, Stefan, I didn’t hear you
come in.  Leezia, how are you feeling?”

	Lisa shrugged, “Okay, I guess.”

	Stefan walked over and picked up his daughter, “Hello, Princess.”

	Anreya looked up at him and grinned, “Papa,” she said.  She held
out the teddy bear towards Lisa.  “Want Bear?” she asked.

	“Sure, honey,” Lisa said as Anreya dropped the bear in Lisa’s hand
and wrapped her arms around Stefan’s neck.

	Lisa quickly looked at the tag on the bear.  An odd expression
crossed her face which Stefan immediately noticed.

	“Leezia, what’s wrong?”

	Alexis quickly stood up and headed for the door, “I’ll leave you all
alone.”

	Lisa crossed to the sofa and sat down.  Stefan sat beside her, stilled
holding Anreya.  Lisa looked at him sadly.  “My father gave me this bear
when I was Anreya’s age.”

	Anreya looked over at Lisa, “Mama?” she questioned.

	Lisa smiled and reached for her baby, “Yes, sweetie?”

	“Bear?” Anreya stretched her arm out towards the bear.  Lisa
simply handed her daughter the bear.  Anreya climbed out of Stefan’s lap
and sat in the floor, playing with her bear.

	Stefan reached over and stroked Lisa’s face with his hand,
“Alexander must have gotten the bear from the toys back on the island.”

	Lisa stood up and walked over to the fireplace.  She wrapped her
arms around herself and cried softly.

	Stefan walked over to his wife and wrapped his arms around her. 
“What’s wrong?” he asked.

	She shook her head and leaned back against him.  “Among other
things, I’m cold.”

	He kissed her neck, “I know how to alleviate that,” he said between
kisses.

	Lisa closed her eyes, relaxed, “Mmmm.  I might have to take you up
on that later.”

	Lisa looked down as she felt a tug on her pants leg.  She smiled,
“Hey baby girl,” she said as she picked up the little girl.

	Anreya wrapped her arms around Lisa’s neck.  “Mama?” she asked
again.

	Stefan watched as a stray tear ran down Lisa’s cheek.  “Yes Baby,
this is your Mama,” he said softly, kissing his daughter’s head.  He turned to
Lisa, “This is the way it should be.  Welcome home.”

	Lisa looked from her daughter to her husband.  “Yes, I am home,
aren’t I?” she asked, smiling.

*****