The Royal House of Cassadine

Once noble, the Cassadines have experienced a period in which their name has been dragged through the mud. But still, royalty is in their blood. They will pick themselves up and restore their family name to what it once was!

Eden Collins, harboring a huge secret, saw Helena Cassadine on the night of the storm at Lisa's. For the longest period of her life, she had been running from that woman and she finally had to see what the fuss was all about. Remembering how her mother had instilled a great fear of Helena in her, Eden cautiously approached the older woman. Helena was her usual charming self, believing that Eden had some ulterior motive for sitting down next to her at the bar. And while she was right, Eden managed to shake it off, telling Helena that she was paranoid. She had finally met the woman her mother had turned into a monster. And she found that she wasn't afraid of her. As Eden left, Helena made a mental note to find out more about the young woman.

Alexis, who has turned to Ric for help, was called to a meeting at Club 101. Venturing out into the snow, she and Ric ended up stranded at the club with it's new owner Eden Collins. Alexis and Eden had meet on a previous occasion and Alexis could feel a connection that she couldn't not explain. On that night she would get her answers. The lawyer in her knew something was up. Point blank she asked Eden to tell her what was going on...and Eden found herself confessing it all. She was really Eden Cassadine, daughter of Mikkos Cassadine. Her mother had escaped as soon as she found out she pregnant, fearing Helena's wrath. As Alexis embraced her new found sister, she told her that she was one of the lucky ones...one of the few that escaped Helena.

On that same night, someone else was attempting to escape Helena's clutches...Zander Smith. Dragging himself through the snow, he had only one goal in mind - freedom. He vowed never to go back. Finally he saw a light, and like a beakon he followed it to collapse on the doorstep. It was none other than the house of police comissioner Mac Scorpio. His daughter Maxie was the only one home and was shocked to see Zander lying there on her doorstep. She quickly helped him to his feet and inside to warmth. He was in shock and not really making any sense. Maxie worked to warm him up and found out that Helena was the one who had had him...but he didn't explain any further. When he was warmed up, he started to feel like his old self again. But he still didn't want to talk about what happened to him. He tried to turn the conversation towards Maxie but she avoided his questions, raising a red flag for Zander.

Nikolas and Emily left the Spencer family dinner, and headed back to Wyndamere. There lying in wait was Helena Cassadine, who finally discovered that Emily was carrying her great-grandchild. She also needed a place to stay - after all Santiago had blown her new home sky high. Nikolas was dead serious when he told Helena that she was most definately not staying there. Emily agreed - the last person they wanted in Wyndamere was that snake Helena. After kicking her out and double bolting the doors, the two decided they needed a vacation away from the stress of Port Charles. After all, Emily was not that far away from giving birth. Soon their lives would be drastically different. So they decided to do something to relax. As Nikolas made the arrangements, Emily called and told Elizabeth. She and Lucky would be the only ones who knew they were gone!

After leaving Club 101 with the knowledge that she had a sister, Alexis asked Ric to take her to the police station. Jax had left a message on her phone regarding petitioning for a blood test to determine the father of Sam's baby. While she filed the proper papers, Ric went to see how the exhumation of Luis Alcazar's body turned out. He was shocked at what he was told and he shared the news with Alexis - there was a body in Luis' grave! Alexis became upset and Ric desperately wanted to help her, hating to see her like that. He took her home and found the best medicine anyone could prescribe - little Kristina. He promised her that he would do anything with her and her mother, she just had to name it. Kristina picked the park, and Ric decided they could have a picnic!

Eden was leaving Club 101 after finishing up a few things. She felt one hundred percent better - she had gotten a huge secret off her chest. She knew that down the lines there would be consequences but for now, she was happy in the knowlegde that she had a family. She was walking home when she ran into Emilla Cates. The two had met before, and Eden was beginning to like the other woman. Both recounted how horrible the blizzard was...with Emilla telling a shocked Eden that she had been attacked by AJ. Eden was genuinely concerned but Emilla brushed it off, asking about Club 101. Eden admitted she was almost ready to open and was hiring people. Emilla wanted a job there and Eden promised to help the other woman out. Emilla was beginning to see Eden as someone to look up to, despite her protests. Emilla wished she could be as put together as the other woman but she knew she had one big thing left to do!

After having a hot shower, and 'borrowing' some of Mac's clothes, Zander decided to confront Maxie on her evasiveness. She asserted she was fine but Zander knew better. Maxie realized that he had always been good at detecting when something was wrong with her. She admitted that she was afraid that Helena might come after her and Zander. Zander knew he was putting Maxie in danger and decided to leave. Maxie didn't want to him to - saying that he made her feel much safer and that she didn't want to lose him again. Zander knew that leaving was the right thing to do for now. There were many things that Maxie didn't know about yet and he wanted to keep her safe. He promised he wasn't leaving forever and that he would see her soon.

Before Kristina, Alexis and Ric could go on their picnic, Alexis got a call from Skye. AJ needed a lawyer and suprisingly Alexis found herself agreeing to be his lawyer. She left, leaving Kristina and Ric to go on their picnic alone. The two went to the park and proceeded to play. They were interupted by John Durant. Within moments, the two got into an arguement over whether or not Ric was doing his job properly. Finally John declared he was going to be the next DA of Port Charles. Ric informed him that he would have one hell of fight on his hands. John left to make his battle plans leaving Ric to go back to playing with Kristina.

Zander left Maxie and quickly made it to the place he thought would help protect her - Harborview Towers. He shocked Carly by showing up at her door. He quickly told her that he needed Sonny's help. He might have inadvertingly put Maxie's life in danger. He wanted a guard on her. Carly quickly arranged it. She then decided to call Elizabeth and have her bring Cameron over. When Zander saw them, he broke down. He confessed to Elizabeth that during his time as a captive, he found out that he was Alexis' son! His last few months before Helena took him were all a blur. He barely remembered what had happened between he and Liz. He didn't want his son to be a part of the mess he was in so he asked Sonny to place in a safe house. After a few tense moments, Sonny agreed.

Eden came across Ric and her niece playing. She was surprised to see Ric up to his knees in sand. After all, she had only known the Ric that dealt with Luis. She joined them in making a castle fit for the Cassadine Princess. They were interuppted by a phone call...Ric found out that the DNA test done on the body found in Luis' grave did not match Luis Alcazar. He felt the overwhelming urge to find Alexis. Eden agreed to take her niece back to Ric's house. As she was gathering things up, Eden was approached by Hera Jackson who had overheard part of she and Ric's conservation. She wanted to know where she could find Helena Cassadine - her mother! Eden immediately was on guard, not willing to give Hera the information she needed.

The news that Zander was alive slowly trickled through various avenues of Port Charles. In order to secure Maxie's safety, Carly had to tell Jason the secret. Jason immediately thought that Emily deserved to hear it from him rather than second hand. So he called Emily where she was loungin in paradise with her husband. After exchanging pleasantries with his little sister, Jason broke the news. Zander was alive. Emily was immediately upset, calling for Nikolas to come support her. She couldn't believe it. The pair decided to return to Port Charles at once, and Emily tried to distract herself by planning a party for Elizabeth's son, Cameron.

With the final confirmation that Luis was alive, Ric decided to stick to Alexis' side. He went to the police station where she was talking with client, AJ. When she finally came to his office, he told her flat out that she may be in danger. Alexis was upset, and started to panic. Ric was there - assuring her that he would never let anything happen to her. He knew Luis, he would protect and Kristina from him. The two returned to Ric's house to find Eden playing with Kristina. Alexis was overwhelmed to see her daughter safe. After Eden left, and Kristina went to play with her nanny, Alexis decided to thank Ric by kissing him. This time, no one pulled back embarassed. The passion overtook them both and the pair made love for the first time. They then joined the festivities for Cameron at Wyndamere.

Eden felt guilty for leaving Alexis when her sister needed her the most. But she agreed to host the ReVamped fashion show at Club 101, hoping it would help boost business when she opened it later on in the summer. She got dressed up, feeling nostaglic as she looked at herself in the mirror- the last time she wore the dress was when she was with Lorenzo. But she pushed that out of her mind and hurried to Club 101. Once there she oversaw some of the setting up, but her conscious was bothering her. She dediced to speak to Lorenzo, maybe convince him to stop his brother's plans against Alexis. Leaving the club, she hurried to his penthouse only to find him gone. She did meet Lorenzo's newfound son, Diego, who proceeded to flirt with her!

There was more guest at Cameron's party - his father Zander. He couldn't sit in the safe house...not when his son was turning one. He arrived and the first person he saw Alexis. He was hit with a multitude of feelings and almost told her the truth then and there - she was his mother. But he resisted. This was not the time. Instead he embraced her and promised to meet her the next day to explain everything. He walked into the main room knowing that all eyes were on him. But he was really only there for one reason - to see his son.

Lorenzo soon arrived and Eden was happy to see him. After some idle chit chat, they got down to business. She asked him straight out to protect Alexis and he countered by wanting to know why. She decided that she couldn't (nor did she want to) lie to him. She explained that she had finally found her family - and they were the Cassadines. Lorenzo realized just how much this complicated things but Eden told him they would deal with as things came. The pair then couldn't resist a kiss - proving that the chemistry was indeed still there. Eden pulled away telling him that she still was attracted to him - put that is as far as she could go for now. She left, rattled by the meeting.

Emily was taken aback by Zander's appearance at Cameron's party. Since finding out he was alive, she had been wracked with guilt for how things played out between them. Finally she pulled him out on the terrace to have a conversation. She told him exactly how she felt and how she wanted to apologize for how things ended. Zander reminded her that it takes two to tango but admitted that he was hurt by her deception. He revealed that he had gotten over it and wished her well with Nikolas and their child. Emily wanted to go further - offering him a place to stay but Zander told him it was too awkward.

The same night as Cameron's party, Helena was at Metrocourt having a few drinks. Her mind was on the bastard children of Mikkos. She wanted nothing more than to dispose of Eden and Alexis and began plotting to do so. With the help of Marcus Taggert, Hera had managed to track her mother down. She introduced herself to Helena - who immediately rejected her lashing out at the hopeful Hera. Hurt and angry, Hera left with Marcus.

Meanwhile, Livvie Locke had just returned to Port Charles pregnant and widowed. She was about to meet a man that might change her life. Alexandros Cassadine is the adopted son of Helena Cassadine and has come to town to help his mother out. Originally, Helena asked Alexandros to date Serena and encourage her to break apart Talon and Sage. He was even promised Sage as a reward! But then Alexandros met Livvie. The two quickly bonded and Livvie revealed she was naming her child after him - Jacob Alex. The two definately wanted to see more of one another!

The next day, Zander showed up at Alexis' office a bundle of nerves. He decided to jump in with both feet. He explained how he had been kidnapped and Helena had attempted to brainwash him. He was forced into a tiny cell and for the longest time he didn't understand why. But then Helena explained it - years ago a teenaged Natasha got pregnant. Fearing the worst, she hid the baby and told everyone he had died. Of course he hadn't and the baby had been adopted by Cameron Lewis - Zander was her son. The two embraced, happy to finally have one another. Alexis finally understood why she felt so connected to him. Zander also couldn't wait to get close to his sister so Alexis arranged for Ric to bring her over...and she prepared herself to tell Ric the truth.

Nikolas was about to come face to face with his father - Stefan. He had survived the fall and had been washed ashore down the coast. Since then a woman named Priscilla had been taking care of him. The two had fallen in love and he convinced her to come to Port Charles with him. As they travelled, Stefan warned her of the dangers of Helena. As soon as they reached Port Charles Stefan found Nikolas. Things were tense but he was able to explain how Helena had controlled his every move. Now he was back he hoped to rebuild the relationship they once had. Nikolas was reluctant but he too missed the bond. He wanted to play it careful as just days later Emily gave birth to their first child - a daughter named Lila.

As Eden was beginning to settle into life in Port Charles and the Cassadine family, she began to date her old flame Lorenzo. Knowing what Lorenzo's brother Luis did to Alexis, the two agreed that they would have to work around the family issue. But both wanted to try. Eden soon realized though that she and Alexis needed to talk about the budding relationship. She wanted her sister to be comfortable with it. She was happy for the first time in a long time. So happy that she finally gave in to her fears and made love with Lorenzo...and even agreed to move in with him!

Helena was not just sitting idly as Stefan returned and the family accepted another one of Mikkos' bastard children. She was plotting big time. Blackmailing Luke into marriage was just the first of many things she had planned. She arranged to have Talon kidnapped from the boat wreckage to remind Luke to stay by her side. She called her son Alexandros to remind him of the plan to go after Sage but knew she might have a problem on her hand as Alex fell harder for Livvie by the second. Then she did one last evil deed before calling it a day - she had Nikolas kidnapped and put Connor Bishop in his place! (To see the full storyline regarding the Connor/Nikolas switch check out it's separate page - The Devil You Know)

Alexis' life was about to spin out of control. Luis Alcazar let it slip that he knew about Kristina's true paternity. Panicked, Alexis agreed to meet him to discuss what had to be done to keep it a secret. He made it sound like she had a chance to bury it but then revealed he was telling Sonny no matter what. He wanted his revenge. Upset Alexis called in Ric's help. She wanted to get out of the country and Ric knew how to help her. As she was getting ready to go, she confessed to Ric that she loved him but Ric could not say the words back. It only served to upset her more as she took her daughter and escaped to South America to hide from Sonny.

Priscilla had formed a friendship with Gabriel Devane in her first few days in Port Charles. It was becoming apparent though that Gabriel was deeply attracted to her. So when she ran into him on the docks, it was on the list of things to address. But first Gabriel confessed that he was having violent reoccuring dreams...dreams that seemed real to him. He wanted to get to the bottom of them and rejected Priscilla's idea of going to the police for help. He wanted her help. This allowed Priscilla to discuss his attraction to her. She loved Stefan, and Gabriel couldn't change that. Gabriel understood but still persuaded her to meet him for dinner.

Meanwhile, Stefan was meeting someone knew himself. During the boat explosion, he was trapped on a lifeboat with V Ardanowski. It had been years since their brief meeting but it was obvious that the pair had left an impression on each other. After a quick chat the two parted ways on the shore only to run into each other quite literally a few days later. V was running from an unknown person following her and found Stefan. The two went to Kelly's to talk and Stefan found himself enjoying listening to the redhead. V found herself intrigued by the handsome man - and she also found that she had a habit of not being able to keep her mouth shut!