This is a fan fiction that I began writing around April of this year. It is based on the then current events of Stefan's mind numbing obsession with a piece of canvas. Enjoy!
Chapter 1
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Katherine sits down on the cold stone bench with a sigh. The view that the bench overlooks is spectacular but all she sees is a montage of memories: the first time Stefan kissed her, that day at his retreat house, and most powerfully, that night at Serenity, when he looked at her with such love and longing. Katherine tries to hold on to that moment, one of the best of her life but newer memories crowd into her mind, pushing those old lovely ones out and reminding her why she is out here.
The day’s events come back to her in a flash. She remembers how excited she was that she had managed to leave Deception early, how she had hurried back to Spoon Island in hopes that Stefan would be home from the hospital. When she entered Wyndemere however, she found it empty. She walked over to the phone, intent on calling Stefan and asking him when he would be home. When she got to it she noticed that the answering machine part was blinking, indicating that there was a message. The guesthouse was not yet hooked up with a private phone, so her calls were being taken at Wyndemere. Katherine, thinking that it was possible that someone at the office had called with a last minute change for the Deception spring catalog, hit the button.
Out came the voice of Ralstad, who Katherine had assumed was going on vacation when he left Port Charles with his suitcases several days before. “Mr. Cassadine, I’ve found her. Mrs. Spencer, her mother, and her daughter were escorted to North Carolina yesterday by Mr. Spencer, who is on his way home now. They did not notice my presence and I got no indication that Helena was following them. Their new address is 20693 Woodburn Drive, Luling, North Carolina. I will keep you posted on any new developments.”
The machine let out a single beep, which was followed by a second message. “Ms. Bell, I know you said not to call unless it was an emergency but...” the voice of her assistant trailed off as what Ralstad had said reverberated through her mind. She dropped her briefcase on the heavy mahogany end table and quickly went out to the cliffs so she could straighten out what she had just heard.
**********
“And that concludes this month’s hospital board meeting. Next month’s meeting will be on March 20th, at 4:00 pm. The sound of chairs being pushed back from the table and of people getting up cuts through Stefan’s trance-like, boredom induced stupor. He had been reviewing the past couple weeks’ strange events, Katherine pushing for the speech therapist, the mysterious white dress and painting, and most recently the stone bench. He knows that Helena is behind these abnormalities but the question of what she thinks she will gain from them still eluds him. Stefan swivels around in his chair and gazes out over the harbor. The brilliant setting sun makes the water sparkle like blue sapphires, reminding Stefan of the eyes of the two women he has cared about most in his life. His mind drifts to thoughts of Laura, his first love, the mother of his child, and Luke Spencer’s wife.
[[FLASHBACK]]
[17 Years ago-Cassadine Island]
A younger Stefan stands next to a stone bench, he is gazing out to sea. He hears someone tripping lightly down the stairs but doesn’t turn, he knows who it is. Then the person begins to hurry back up, obviously trying not to be heard.
“Lasha?”
“Stefan,” she timidly questions. He turns and she lets out a relieved sigh. “Why are you wearing Stavros’ coat? When I saw you I thought he had discovered my only safe haven on this horrible island and was here to take that away from me as he has done with everything else I hold dear.”
“Shh, he’ll never know how much this place means to you. To us,” Stefan crooned as Laura laid her head against his silk shirt. “What’s wrong, this is more then mistaking me for Stavros.”
“I told them...about the baby. I told Stavros and Helena that I am going to have a baby,” Laura whispered furtively, as if it was still a secret.
Hearing those words squeezed his heart, that wonderful secret had been the only thing that Laura and he had shared just between the two of them. Every other thing was colored by her thoughts of her late husband, her fear of Stavros and Helena or his guilt about her being his brother’s life. The secret of her pregnancy had been so pure, just between the two of them.
“They were elated at the thought of a Cassadine heir, I shiver to imagine what they have in store for my baby when he is born.” She tightened her arms around him and looked up at him. “You are the only thing keeping me on this island, I don’t know what I would do if I was stuck here with just your brother and mother!”
[end of flashback]
Those months he had spent on the island with Laura had been very painful for him because of the guilt over loving his brother’s wife but Laura’s presence also made them the freshest and most exhilarating of his life, until he met Katherine, that is.
*******************
[Spoon Island-the cliffs]
Katherine’s eyes welled up with tears, she had known when they first got involved that Stefan had at one time been romantically interested in Laura but she had thought that he was past that.
“He loves me, I know he does,” she whispered but her voice quivered with uncertainty. Hearing that uncertainty strengthened her resolve, she was going to find out what was going on between Stefan and her. “I know just who to go to in order to get to the bottom of this!”
~~~***~~~
[General Hospital]
The phone rang just as Stefan was putting on his heavy overcoat so he could head home. [Brrrng!!!!]
“Stefan Cassadine here. Mrs. Landsbury, is anything the matter? Has something happened to Nikolas?”
“No, no! Master Nikolas is perfectly fine, he’s up in his room now, reading those French novels that Ms. Scorpio left for him.”
“Then why are you calling me at the office?”
“I just wanted to find out if you would be home for dinner tonight. Master Nikolas already ate so I figured that if you were not planning to come home I would retire. I haven’t been feeling quite myself lately, I think its one of those 24 hour...”
“What about Ms. Bell, won’t she be dining with me tonight?” Stefan asked cutting into her hurried explanation for the intrusion.
“No, didn’t she tell you, Ms. Bell said that she had some things to take care of in town and that she would not be back till late tonight and that she would eat in town.”
Chapter 2
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Stefan walks wearily through the heavy front doors. It had been a long day and he had been looking forward to some respite from it when he got home. He had intended to spend the evening with Katherine but that was impossible now, she had some mysterious business in town. When he learned that, he had delayed coming home longer than usual. Nikolas was there, true, but the cavernous house never seemed as homey when Katherine wasn’t there to welcome him home with a smile and a kiss. It was strange he thought, that she wouldn’t inform him of her plans.
Stefan was glad of whatever it was that prevented her from getting back to Wyndemere before him however, after hearing the message from Ralstad. He listened to the message then turned and locked eyes with Nikolas, who was standing on the stairs with a bewildered look in his eyes.
“Why is Ralstad keeping tabs on Laura,” he asks suspiciously.
“Why are you eavesdropping on a personal message?” Stefan asks a stonily silent Nikolas. A few tense moments pass and Stefan continues, “I send Ralstad to find out where your mother was because she was forced to move after Helena found their location in Switzerland. I know how much you care about your sister and grandmother, so I thought I would find out if they were safe from harm.”
“When were you going to tell me?”
“You found out at the exact same time as I, a few seconds ago. Before then, I had no idea where they were and I did not see any reason to cause you unnecessary worry by telling you that your mother, sister, and grandmother had disappeared.”
There is a long pause while Nikolas is digesting this new found information. Stefan walks to the bar and pours himself a brandy. He had just taken his first sip when Nikolas speaks, “Does Katherine know about this?”
“No.”
“Why not, you know she would understand if you explained your reasons. If she finds out that you are keeping a close eye on Laura it will awaken her insecurities. I don’t think she is completely over the way you treated her when Alexis made you think her to be your sister.”
“Katherine has no reason to feel anything but secure. She is the only woman in my life and you would realize that if Helena hadn’t planted the ridiculous idea that I was obsessed with Laura in your mind.”
“What if Helena mentions what she told me to Katherine? Wouldn’t it be better to tell her before it blows up in your face? She was down in the cellar looking for you the other day. That painting of Laura could easily have drawn her attention as it did mine and then what would you have done?” With that question hanging in the air, Nikolas turns on his heel and stalks angrily out to the stables to ride Sheba. Stefan is left alone to wonder if maybe Nikolas is right.
*******
Katherine bangs determinedly against the door of room 203 of the Port Charles Hotel. From inside she hears a creak, then footsteps padding towards the door. Alexis flings the door open and takes a small step back when she sees who it is. She stands there a minute, bleary eyed and slightly disoriented from sleep. “Katherine? What are you doing here, Its 11:00pm?”
Katherine sweeps past her into the dark suite and hits the light switch. She turns to Alexis, who has closed the door and is staring at her with an incredulous look on her face. “You came to me not long ago and begged me to help you. You told me a sob story about how Helena was threatening to kill you and that she demanded that I talk Stefan into getting a speech therapist for Nikolas. I didn’t know why she wanted this, but I saw no harm in it so I went along. Since then you have continued to try and manipulate me. I don’t know to what end, but it stops right now!”
“Katherine...”
“You tried to ruin Stefan and my love once before and I am not going to let you succeed now where you failed before. You may not believe it, but I love Stefan with my whole heart and he loves me. I want you to tell me why he has been so distant lately.”
“Katherine, I have no idea what is going on between you and Stefan. If there’s a problem, I don’t know what it is.”
Katherine bolts up from where she was sitting on the sofa and advances on Alexis, who backs up into the door. “Don’t you dare. You will not insult my intelligence by denying it. Ever since that night on the dock when you asked for my help, Stefan has been pulling away. You can either tell my why he is seems to be pulling away from me or I can go to Helena and ask her. Once she realizes that you are no longer needed because I’m wise to your manipulations, I doubt I’ll be seeing much more of you around Port Charles. I’ll give you twelve hours to decide. By 11:00 am tomorrow, I want an answer. When I get here tomorrow you’d better be ready to give me an explanation or be on your way out of town. Do you understand me?” Alexis nods meekly, her mind racing, trying to figure out which way would be better. “Good,” Katherine smiles a killer smile and quietly exits the suite.
The door clicks behind Katherine and Alexis sinks to the sofa in despair. She knows that for the next twelve hours she will be wide awake, contemplating all the possible consequences of each decision.
********
Katherine shuts her car door and looks up at Wyndemere, both glad and disappointed that all the lights are out. “I wish Stefan was up so I could look in his eyes and realize that this is all a mistake but at the same time, I don’t think I could face him right now.” She slides her key into the door of the guesthouse and heads straight to the bedroom. All she wants is to rest and in a couple of minutes she is fast asleep.
Stefan was watching from the window as Katherine pulled up. He watched her go into the small cottage and saw the lights go on then back off. He was disappointed that Katherine hadn’t come in to at least say good night. After a few minutes, he decides that he is going to go to her. Stefan slips out of bed and pulls on a silk robe over his black silk pajama bottoms. When he gets to the guesthouse, he finds Katherine sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her but wanting to hold her, he slips off his robe and crawls under the covers. He falls asleep to the sound of Katherine’s soft breathing and with her enfolded in his arms.
Chapter 3
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[[Guesthouse]]
[9:45am-Saturday]
The sun is shining in through the windows that had not been drawn the night before. Katherine awakens to find herself in Stefan’s arms. It feels so good to be this close to him, she could almost disregard her worries about Laura, almost. She gently slips out of Stefan’s embrace and checks the clock. “Good, I still have over an hour before I have to meet Alexis for her answer,” thinks Katherine. She strides to the adjoining bathroom but pauses in the doorway to study Stefan. He is lying on his side with his hand stretched out to her pillow, almost as if he is reaching for her. She knows she should probably wake him, the great Stefan Cassadine after all does not sleep the day away but he looks too peaceful so instead she quietly shuts the door to the bathroom to get ready.
Twenty minutes later Katherine emerges from the bathroom with matching fluffy canary towels wrapped around her midsection and her head. She notices that Stefan has not moved an inch, so she goes to the huge walk in armoire and tries to decide which outfit will most intimidate Alexis. She settles on a chocolate brown double breasted pant suit that always makes her feel more in control of any situation.
By 10:40 she is ready to go. Before she leaves, she walks softly over to the bed and caresses Stefan’s cheek. His eyes flicker open for a second and a slight smile appears as he looks at her sleepily. Katherine leans over the bed and brushes his lips with hers, she looks at the semi-awake Stefan and tells him, “I have some business to take care of in town. I’ll be back in a couple hours.” On the last work she grabs her matching purse and whisks out the door into the fresh morning air.
**************
The front door of the guest house slams shut. Stefan stretches and stands up to watch Katherine as she walks the last few yards to the ferry. He remains at the window a minute, going over his meetings and things that have to be done today. When he sees the time he grabs his robe and hurries downstairs to the entrance to the tunnel to Wyndemere. The tunnel is five feet across and lit by a lightbulb every five yards. The ground is gray concrete and overall the whole place is totally charmless. He makes a mental note to call the decorator about making the tunnel a little less provincial.
When Stefan arrives at the main house he finds Nikolas sitting at the breakfast table on the phone. Nikolas has a look on his face that seems to indicate that he is totally oblivious to whatever the other person is saying. Stefan goes upstairs to change then returns and sits down across from Nikolas and rings for Mrs. Landsbury. She comes bustling in and he orders one of his favorite breakfasts, Cherry Kafka Crepes. As Mrs. Landsbury leaves, Nikolas hangs up the phone after saying with false enthusiasm, “Its been great talking to you, see you later.”
Quizzically, “Was that one of your tutors giving you a lecture over your lack of interest in your studies lately?”
“No, that was Sarah?”
“Ms. Webber?”
“Yes.”
Stefan wisely refrains from questioning Nikolas further about why he is suddenly so disenchanted with the Webber girl. They eat in companionable silence for about ten minutes, while Stefan peruses the New York Times and Nikolas reads his latest French novel. After a few minutes Stefan hears slight noise and he looks up from reading an article about the plunge of the Jax Cosmetics stock to find Nikolas staring at him with a strange expression on his face. Nikolas is barely suppressing his laughter as Stefan frowns and asks, “Do you find something amusing?”
At that, Nikolas lets out a guffaw and dissolves in laughter. After he has recovered himself he points out to Stefan that he has a piece of cherry stuck in his impeccably groomed goatee. “It just looked so ridiculous, I couldn’t help myself. You were so engrossed in the stock market and you were just sitting there all serious and stern looking with a piece of cherry on your face,” with that Nik succumbs to another bout of laughter.
Taking out a handkerchief, Stefan brushes his chin where there is indeed a piece of his breakfast. Before he has a chance to respond, Nikolas’ laughter abruptly ceases and his eyes go to the main door behind Stefan as if he is expecting someone. The doors swing open and in walks Jax.
Jax turns to Stefan and asks, “Are you ready to finish up that business that we were talking about before?
*********
Alexis is sitting on the bed in her suite. Her eyes are red-rimmed from lack of sleep and she is slightly disheveled. When she hears the knock on the door she gives a start and jets to her feet. Alexis plods reluctantly to the door and opens it to find Katherine standing there with a determined look on her face. She steps aside and motions for Katherine to enter. After they are both inside Alexis quickly checks the hallway for any of Helena’s spys. The coast is clear so she double locks the door and turns to face Katherine.
“Have you decided yet? What’s it going to be, are you going to tell me what’s up with Stefan or am I going to have to ask Helena?”
“Katherine, I’ve thought about this for the majority of the night and I have come to a conclusion.” Alexis pauses and swallows nervously, “First of all, before I divulge anything to you I need some kind of guarantee that you will not go to Helena and tell her of how I betrayed her.”
“You have my word.”
“What if that’s not enough?”
Katherine answers testily, “It’s going to have to be. You don’t have any room to bargain here. It’s one way or the other. If you side with me I promise that I will not hand you over to Helena. If you don’t cooperate, well, I can’t make any promises about your security.”
Alexis paces to the window and stares out at the traffic below. Still looking down she says, “I’m in. I’ll tell you everything I know but you have to continue the charade as if you are still in the dark about Helena’s plan.”
“Fine, but I have some conditions also.” Katherine gets out her cell phone and dials a number, when they pick up she says, “Okay, you can come up now.” To Alexis, “From now on you are going to be accompanied everywhere my Miles and Bruno. They will be your bodyguards. They will serve two purposes: keep you around, after all you’re no good to me dead or in some far away Caribbean island, secondly they are to make sure that you are truly allied with me. Miles and Bruno will report all your actions and meetings to me. I don’t suggest that you double cross me. I may not be as powerful as Helena but, as you know, my old lover Damian was deeply involved in the mob and I haven’t cut all those old ties.” Two men come in without knocking and stand solemnly, one on each side of the door. “Miles, Bruno, this is Alexis Davis, you are not to let her out of your sight.”
The two men nod then say to Alexis in unison, “Good day Ms. Davis.” Alexis stares in disbelief at the two gargantuan men. She drops onto the nearby sofa with a weary sigh.
Katherine motions for the two goons to exit then moves to sit across from Alexis. “Okay Alexis, lets get down to business. Tell me what is going on.”
“Helena kidnapped me a couple months ago and brought me to her hotel room, where she told my that if I didn’t go along with her that she would kill me, as she did me mother Kristen. At first I refused but then I came to understand that she was not bluffing. My main usefulness according to Helena was that I could manipulate you. So I did. I played on your insecurities and uncertainties.”
“What events specifically were in your plan?”
“Everything. The speech therapist was just the beginning. Remember the white dress? Helena wanted me to get you to wear it in front of Stefan, which her spys tell me I accomplished. That same day a painting was delivered of a woman in the exact same dress. That woman was Laura. The baptismal gift was also a device to manipulate Stefan’s feelings and thoughts. The bench that I so conveniently happened to have was practically an exact replica of the one that Stefan and Laura used to sit together on while in Greece.” Alexis stops and glances at Katherine, trying to gauge her response.
All through Alexis’ monologue, Katherine is remembering each event and getting angrier with each word. Not just at Helena and Alexis but at herself. She cannot believe that she fell for those obvious ploys. When she comes back to the present she gives Alexis a hard stare and inquires, “What does Helena stand to gain by reminding Stefan of Laura? Does this have anything to do with Nikolas?”
Alexis who looks visibly relieved that Katherine hasn’t blown a gasket continues, “Yes, Helena wants to get back control of the Cassadine Empire. Right now Stefan has that control but when Nikolas turns 25 everything goes to him. Nikolas and Stefan are fervently devoted to one another, Helena’s plan is to alienate Stefan from Nikolas. If she accomplishes this there is more of a chance that Nikolas will be willing to accept her. She wants to cause Stefan to return to his obsession with Laura in order to cause a rift between the two men, you know as well as I that Nikolas would be hurt and furious if his Mother and his Uncle ever became involved. Helena’s hope is that he will be furious enough to cut Stefan out of his life completely.”
Chapter 4
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Jax saunters in and asks Stefan, “Are you ready to finish up that business that we were talking about earlier?”
Nikolas looks at the two powerful men and decides that he is probably going to be asked to leave shortly. In anticipation he tells Stefan, “I’m going to go upstairs. Sarah will be coming by later, when she does could you please have Mrs. Landsbury show her up?”
“Certainly”
Nikolas leaves and Jax looks mildly amused at what he has just witnessed. “You’re going to let a seventeen year old boy be alone in his room with his girlfriend? Boy, is that a change, my mum wouldn’t even let girls in the house without her or my father being there.”
“I guess that is just one more thing that proves how different the Jax and Cassadine families are.” Stefan is miffed that Jax is questioning his parenting skills.
“One in about one hundred, yes.” Jax grins and flops down onto the antique couch. The look on Stefan’s face is enough to make this departure from the usual business etiquette worthwhile, Jax thinks, Stefan is even more conservative and reserved then Edward. Suddenly serious however Jax looks at Stefan and inquires, “Were you successful? I’ve acquired what you wanted, did you manage to get back ELQ Jakarta? With the information I fed to you it should have been easy enough.”
“Cassadine Enterprises is now in possession of ELQ Jakarta. Are you prepared to make the trade?”
“Of course, but first I’d like to ask you something. Why did you want Lucy Coe’s company, Jax Cosmetics, anyway?”
Stefan hesitates, pondering Jax’s question, finally he answers, “My reasons are of a personal nature,” and leaves it at that.
Jax waits for him to continue but when he sees that he does not intend to, Jax cracks, “What, did you run out of your favorite eyeshadow or something?”
As if he didn’t hear the last remark, “All you have to do is sign in the places marked below. I have a notary in the other room. We can have this transaction over shortly, so that we can both get on with other business.” Stefan thinks to himself, “This will be the last time I do business with Jasper Jax. I had always heard how professional he was, this will teach me to go by a person’s reputation.”
Meanwhile, Jax is signing the documents thinking, “I don’t know what it is about Stefan Cassadine. He just makes me want to go to any length to annoy him. Maybe its his belief, and I know he does think this, that his family background and roots makes him better that a man who used to live in a car with his family.”
It’s not long before the deal is over. The notary signs and stamps the documents. After he leaves, feeling very joyful because of the large tips that Mr. Cassadine and Mr. Jax slipped him, Jax gets a phone call on his cellular phone and leaves to take it in privacy. Stefan stares down at his copy of the transfer and smiles. All in all, the deal went very well. The personality clashes were an inconvenience but Jax was the most direct route to acquiring Jax Cosmetics inconspicuously. Now he can give Katherine what he had intended to make a Valentine’s gift.
**********
Jax stands on the docks and listens to what the other person is telling him. “What do you mean that Ms. Barrett is missing? I just saw her two days ago at the hospital.”
The man on the other end speaks nervously, conscious of the anger in his boss’ voice, “I know Mr. Jax, but when she left the cottage yesterday morning she ditched her tail.”
“Yesterday? You’re telling me that she hasn’t been seen for almost two days and you didn’t notify me?”
“Well, yes...” Jax slams the cell phone shut and hits the end button. In frustration he throws it into the river and hops onto the launch. He knows exactly what he is going to do. He’s going to find someone with half a brain to track down Brenda and tell him where she is.
*******
Katherine is sitting motionless in her car thinking about all the things that Alexis had told her. She wants to confront Stefan about his feelings for Laura but first she has to do something. Katherine starts the car and drives to the Outback. Inside there are a few people eating lunch but it’s basically deserted. Looking at the few people makes Katherine realize that it is only 1:15 pm. It seems much later though because of everything she has learned. She crosses to the bar, where Felicia is on the phone.
Felicia hangs up and turns, “Katherine, is there something I can help you with?”
“Yes, I’m looking for Mac. Is he here yet?”
“He’s in the office. you can go on back if you want.”
“Thanks,” Katherine goes to the office door and knocks. From the other side there comes a mumble that sounds vaguely like ‘come in’. She goes into the office but doesn’t see Mac. When she shuts the door she hears a grunt that seems to be coming from under the desk. Sure enough, Mac is under the desk with a hammer repairing something. “Mac, it’s me, Katherine. I have something I wanted to ask you about. Could you come out?”
From beneath the desk, “I can’t. I only have fifteen minutes till I have to take over for Felicia so she can go pick up Maxie and I have to get this job done because I’m selling this desk to a customer. Just tell me what you wanted to ask, I can listen and work at the same time.”
“Okay, I want to hire you. I want to hire you to be my private investigator.”
“For what?”
Katherine crouches down beside the desk, “If I tell you, you have to take the case. You can’t tell anyone either, not even your partner and fiancee Felicia.”
“I’ll take the case, why don’t you tell me what you want me to do.”
“Good, I want you to...”
“Mac!” The frantic voice of Jax interupts Katherine. Mac jerks and hits hi8s head on the cherry desk and Katherine shoots to her feel. “Is Mac here? I have to see him, Felicia said he was in here.”
With a little groan, “I’m right here. What do you want?!?” Mac carefully inches out from under the desk and gets up to shut the door Jax left wide open.
Jax is a little bit calmer but not much, “Brenda is missing. You have to find her.”
“Missing, what do you mean?”
“I haven’t seen her in two days and my men tell me that they lost her car yesterday morning.”
“You were having Brenda followed?”
“That’s not the point. Of course I was, you never know, one of Sonny’s former mob enemies might have thought to harm Brenda. It doesn’t matter now, she’s gone. Will you help?”
Before Mac can answer, Katherine does. “No, he just took my case. You’ll have to find someone else.”
“Katherine’s right, why don’t you go to the police?”
Jax turns to katherine who he had ignored since he burst in. “Couldn’t you find a different investigator? I can’t go to the police. If you let Mac take my case I’ll pay another private eye to do yours.”
“No, Mac is the only person I trust enough for this job.” Katherine pauses and thinks a minute. “Mac, how long do you think it would take to find Brenda is you did take this case?”
“I don’t know, it could be a couple days, or it could take weeks.”
Katherine considers is for a moment then turns to Jax. “Ok, here is what we’re going to do...”
Chapter Five
[the Outback]
“You’re going to pay for two detectives to cover my case until Mac is free. When he’s free you’ll also pay him to work with the other two.”
Jax smiles in relief, he had thought Katherine was going to be difficult. “No problem.”
“And...I want you to sponsor the nurses ball again this year, with me, instead of Lucy Coe as the top coordinator.”
Jax starts in surprise. He’s amazed at her gall. He was going to sponsor the ball again anyway but Katherine didn’t know that. “How am I supposed to do that?”
“You’re the money man, you have the control. Threaten to withdraw support if it doesn’t happen of something. I don’t care as long as it’s done.” Katherine knows he’ll go for it. Her sources at the hospital had told her he was already making overtures about funding again, so the expense wouldn’t bother him.
“Alright. You’ve got a deal but we’d better make as much money as in previous years or you’ll never host a hospital event again.”
Smiling, “Of course.”
Mac cuts in, “If you two are done haggling over me, I have to leave. Jax, I’ll get started on finding Brenda as soon as possible.”
“Well, I have to run too. I’ll send you the bill for my detectives. You’d better get working on that nurses ball situation. See ya!
Katherine closes the door behind her, leaving Jax thoroughly confused. On the other side of the door, Katherine smiles triumphantly. Sure, she doesn’t have Mac investigating Stefan and Laura’s past but she does have two other PI’s and a chance to one-up Lucy Coe. Her elation disappears quickly though when she remembers that it’s time to go back to Spoon Island. The question of whether or not to confront Stefan has been bothering her all day. The only solution that has come to her was that she will know what to do when she sees him.
****
[3:00pm]
Stefan sits in the living room with a stack of papers in front of him. He’s trying to concentrate but his mind just can’t seem to stay on the fiscal records of GH right now. Putting down his pen, Stefan absentmindedly twirls the silver ribbon of the package he had Mrs. Landsbury wrap. Inside are the legal documents transferring possession of Jax Cosmetics to Katherine.
Stefan glances down at his gold watch, anxious to give Katherine the present he knows she will love. His thoughts turn to Laura and while he is remembering their times together a realization strikes him. Mind racing, he thinks, ‘I was young when I met Lasha, had never been in love. I fell hard and was encouraged by the fact that she was forbidden to me. When she left I was left alone. I should have gotten over her but how could I? My life was that of a recluse, with only Nikolas, mother, and the servants for company. Maybe if I had had someone to love besides Nikolas, Lasha’s son, I wouldn’t be stuck in this habit.’
For a second Stefan stares straight ahead, eyes glazed, mind blank. Then it comes to him, ‘Loving Laura is a habit that I have grown out of! For a few weeks I fell back into the familiar pattern of it but now I have something to fill the place that yearning for another man’s wife took up: my love for Katherine!!!
The chair falls to the floor as Stefan stands up abruptly. His behavior these past weeks towards Katherine haunts him. All the times he stood in the basement and stared transfixed at that infernal portrait was wasted. He had let his mother pull him back into an obsession that had been behind him. Stefan pledges aloud to the empty room, “No more! I will not let Helena ruin my happiness with Katherine!”
Before he can proceed with any more oaths, Stefan’s cell phone rings shrilly.
****
[4:00pm]
The front door of Wyndemere looms forebodingly in front of her. Katherine comes to a halt, stalling again. Since leaving the Outback she has been driving around the outskirts of Port Charles in order to avoid the inevitable confrontation.
Some of the time had been spent on her car phone arranging for the detective team Jax had hired to fly to Greece. ‘They’re probably on the Jax jet right now, about to take off,’ considers Katherine. The rush is costing extra but even if she had been paying it wouldn’t have mattered. The need to know what went on between Laura and Stefan so many years before is a raging fire within her.
Quickly, so she doesn’t lose her nerve, Katherine yanks open the heavy door and stalks inside. Knowing that Stefan is working at home today, she goes into the living room, where he normally works. The gloomy room is empty though, with only a couple stacks of paper, a present, and a note on the table. The note reads:
“Katherine my love-
The present is for you. I wanted to give it to you myself but unfortunately I have been called away. I’ll call as soon as I can. Tell Nikolas I’ll see him in a few days.
Love, Stefan!”
The writing is messy, practically illegible, so he was obviously in a hurry when he wrote this. Katherine doesn’t like the thoughts that are venturing unwelcome into her mind: Stefan going to North Carolina to rescue Laura from Helena, Laura calling and Stefan running to her aid, Laura and Stefan alone together... Countless equally awful scenarios occur to Katherine. With each possible scenario that she thinks of, her anger grows. The need to smash something is so strong and suddenly Katherine remembers what Alexis said, “a painting was delivered of a woman in the exact same dress. That woman was Laura.”
‘The painting, I am going to find it. If it’s still here then that will tell me what I need to know. I don’t care if I have to turn this place into rubble, I’ll find it,’ with that mission, Katherine sets off to search every room in Wyndemere.
Chapters 6-8
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