"The Course of True Love..." Part Nine

"The course of true love never did run smooth." William Shakespeare

It is one week after Katherine's last encounter with Stefan in her office. She 
managed to keep her distance from him in the board meeting, and was able to slip 
out while a board member was bending his ear. Since then she set up a lunch date 
with Nikolas to tell him she can't see him anymore. She is torn between telling 
him half-truths and telling him the whole truth to get him to stay away from 
her. They have decided to meet at the Outback for lunch. Katherine is already 
seated at a table when Nikolas enters, crosses the room, and sits in the chair 
across from her.

N: Hi! Sorry I'm late.

K: (somber, but trying to act happy) Oh, that's O.K. I wasn't waiting long.
Nikolas notices Katherine's mood. He's always found it funny that compared to 
his uncle, his mother, and practically everyone else in his life; Katherine is 
awful at hiding her true emotions. In fact, she rarely even tries to hide her 
emotions with him.

N: What's wrong?

K: (sighing) I really need to take a course in how to disguise what I'm really 
feeling.

N: (smiling) No, you don't. It's what I've always liked about you. When everyone 
else was treating me like a child, keeping secrets… you never did. (Thinking 
back to when his Uncle and Katherine were torn apart by Alexis' lies) Well, 
almost never.

K: (shaking her head) I hated not being able to tell you what was happening back 
then, but I put your relationship with Stefan ahead of our friendship. And in a 
way, I'm glad you walked in on my conversation with your uncle at the 
guesthouse. You were able to hear for yourself what was going on, and it kept us 
from creating excuses for why we broke up.

N: Why do I have a feeling this is more than just lunch?

Katherine notices Ari sitting a few tables away. He is pretending to work, but 
she knows otherwise.

K: (whispering) Let's get out of here and go for a walk.

As they walk towards the park Katherine decides that if she must break off her 
friendship with Nikolas, she will tell him the truth. Helena can have her 
killed, but she is NOT going to be added to the list of people who have lied to 
him, not about this anyway.

K: (slightly exasperated) Nikolas, I'm going to tell you something you're not 
going to like. I don't want to do this, but I really don't have a choice.

N: (trying to stay ahead of what Katherine is going to say) If this is about 
Uncle… Did he tell you, you can't see me anymore? No… No, he always asks how you 
are. He was even happy when I said I was meeting you today. He tries not to show 
how much he misses you, and how hurt he is that you won't come back. Even the 
servants have noticed. They don't know how to take his moods.

Katherine is slightly taken aback that her absence would cause Stefan to let his 
guard down enough that the servants would notice. She begins to think that maybe 
Stefan *does* love her, but quickly refocuses on the dreaded task at hand.

K: You're right, it's not your Uncle. (Quietly)  What I'm going to tell you will 
make you very angry, but you can't show it. (Looking around) We're being 
watched.

N: (looking around also) By whom?

K: (whispering) Helena.

Nikolas stops walking and stares at Katherine. She tugs at his arm to get him to 
keep walking.

K: Promise me you'll let me get through what I have to say, and not stop me 
until I'm done.

N: O.K.

Katherine takes a deep breath, and talks quickly before her mind can let her 
burst into tears.

K: I know your family history is one big secret after another, and only a few 
ever surface to those people in your family, and fewer still to those outside 
your family. I refuse to keep this a secret from you. Your grandmother is having 
us followed, even now. She is looking for a way to get you away from your uncle. 
Control over the family, or something like that. (Sorrowfully) Anyway, months 
ago she began to slowly dissolve my relationship with Stefan. She wants you to 
either turn on your uncle, or make it so you have to go to her. And she will do 
*anything*, and I do mean anything to achieve that. If people have to suffer, 
and die so that you will be under her control, she will see that it happens. She 
will use me to that end also.

Katherine pauses so that what she is telling Nikolas can sink in. Nikolas is in 
shock at what he is hearing. His uncle had warned him about Helena. Even Alexis 
had told him stories of how terrible she was, but it felt strange coming from 
someone who cared about him, yet wasn't IN the family.

K: This is why… (Tears well up in her eyes) I can't see you anymore, and you 
can't see me.

N: (loudly) NO! I won't let her do this! I'll tell her to stay away from you!

K: (looking around) Calm down. She has been playing with our lives; mine, yours, 
Stefan's, Alexis', everyone's. And right now *you* have the power to delay her 
game. Try to think of it like your chess games. In Helena's eyes I am a pawn; 
expendable. If we don't stop seeing each other she will use me, or have me 
killed. 

N: (upset) And if we do end our friendship- she wins, too.

K: (trying to come up with the proper chess metaphor) No… Let's think of it more 
like instead of being her pawn… I'll be yours - you can take me out of the game 
so she won't have any reason to hurt me, or use me. I’m sure I'm not saying this 
right, but do you know what I mean?

N: Yes. (Disconcerted) Is this what you really want?

K: (emphatically) No! It would take me too long to tell you what I had really 
wanted. And as long as your grandmother is alive, I would never have what I 
really wanted… The only thing I can do for you now is to tell you the truth, so 
that if Helena ever manages to put herself in a position to… to "groom" you for 
your family obligations you'll know what kind of woman she really is. What she 
is capable of.  I know people say bad things about Stefan, and some of them are 
true, but he loves you. He may keep secrets from you, but I truly believe he 
does it to protect you. Most likely from your grandmother.

N: So, I can't see you anymore if I don't want my grandmother to kill you, 
right?

K: Yeah. 

N: Maybe Uncle can help. He wouldn't let her hurt you. He promised me that.

Katherine looks puzzled at this statement, but continues.

K: No, you can't tell Stefan. This has to stay between the two of us…(half-
smiling) This will be OUR secret from them. (Beginning to cry) Nikolas, if it 
could be any other way… I want you to know I will always think of you as one of 
my closest friends.

N: (choked up and a little angry) I swear to you Katherine, when I have control 
over this family…

K: (crying) I know. We'd better part here. I love you Nikolas.

N: (crying) I love you too Katherine.

They both turn and walk in opposite directions. Katherine turns to look at 
Nikolas, but he has broken into a run and is almost out of the park. She is 
sobbing by the time she sits down on a bench. Ari approaches her, he appears to 
have a rather pained expression.

A: (sorrowful) May I tell Madame it is done?

K: (not looking up) Yes.

A: (sympathetically) It is for the best really. Madame can be quiet savage when 
trying to get what she wants. (Earnestly) She had planned to kill you, until you 
made your offer to not see Master Nikolas anymore.

Katherine looks up into his eyes. Even through her tears she knows he is telling 
her the truth. Ari looks as if he wants to say more, but turns and leaves.


Helena is sitting in her living room, sipping a cup of tea. The phone rings, and 
she answers it.

H: Yes. (Smiling) Wonderful! Wonderful! So, she broke it off completely? Good. 
You may tell the gentlemen who have been following her; their services are no 
longer needed at this time… Oh, Ari… hurry home… I'm in the mood to celebrate.

She hangs up the phone and has a devious look in her eyes.

H: Well, even though my plans have had to change… Nikolas could still be mine. 
(Calculating) I will have to wait a bit though. Everyone is expecting me to make 
my move now. Yes, I'll bide my time. Hummmm. I could destroy the Spencers while 
I wait. THAT is always an amusing way to pass the time… But how? (Her eyes flash 
as an idea begins to form) The oldest son, of course. After what that man did to 
my beautiful Stavros… (With venom) Lucky. Such an odd name for a male child. And 
how ironic it could be. I can't kill him, or kidnap him - Luke would suspect me 
immediately. Nooo… Maybe if I could find a way to turn him against his family?… 
OR I could turn his family against him, but how? I will need to do this so Luke 
can't trace it back to me.

Helena becomes mesmerized at the thought of how to destroy the Spencer's happy 
home.