Three hours later, Luke and Laura were following a narrow footpath to a small hut on the shoreline. According to Sister Mary Katherine, the oldest sister living at the convent and a former classmate of Helena’s, Helena Cassadine as a young girl had had a wild crush on the gardener’s son, Nikkos. The convent school records had been lost in a fire in the 1960’s, but Sister Mary Katherine had suggested that the boy Nikkos, now an old man living as a fisherman, might have more stories to tell about the young Helena.

When they approached the small hut, Laura knocked on the door and it was opened by an elderly gentleman who bore no little resemblance to Anthony Quinn. He smiled at them, but after Luke presented his cover story, the smile of welcome turned into a frown as he led them through his house.

“I do not wish to talk about Helena Cassadine.” He said stiffly.

Laura smiled at him. “Please. Your help could make a difference.”

“This is not just about a book, is it?”

“No.” Laura thought about Emily, the baby, and Jonathan. “It’s about the safety of my family.”

Nikkos looked into Laura’s eyes for a moment and then nodded. “What do you want to know?”

“Anything you can tell us about Helena as a child.”

“Helena Cassadine was beautiful, sweet, and incredibly warm.” The old man’s eyes gloss over as he remembers. “She had this way of making you feel like you were the most important thing in the world to her. All of the girls at the school liked her, but Helena was shy with most of them. All she wanted was to be like all of the other girls, but every time she turned around someone was reminding her that she was a Cassadine and that she was meant to be the bride of the Prince. She used to have nightmares about Mikkos Cassadine. Sometimes she talked about running away, but we both knew that there was nowhere she could run to where the Cassadine’s would not find her. So in the end, she did what she had been raised to do. When they finally came for her, she went. She promised to write or to try to return for a visit, but she never did.”

“You loved her.”

“We loved each other. We were just kids. I was the gardener’s son. She was Helena Cassadine. Today such a relationship would be difficult. Back in those days it was impossible. But it didn’t stop us. We knew that we could never be together, but we also knew that we would never really be apart.” A tear traced a path down his cheek. “She never wrote. But I would hear stories about her. About her cruelty. About her hatred. I blame the Cassadines for destroying the sweet Helena I loved.”

“The Helena you loved died almost seventy years ago.” Luke said softly. He then explained their theory about Helena’s murder and Maria’s taking over her life.”

A rage burned in the old man’s eyes. “I never trusted Maria. She claimed to be Helena’s friend but she always watched her with jealousy in her eyes when she thought no one was looking. The idea that she killed my Helena and has gotten away with it over the years...”

Laura gently touched the old man’s shoulder. “That’s why we need your help. Is there anything that Helena might have given you that would help us prove Maria is not Helena.”

Nikkos smiled and walked over to a wooden chest. After a moment or so of digging, he emerged triumphant with a silver locket and necklace, both tarnished with age. Without a word, he handed the locket to Laura who gently opened it. On one side was a miniature painting of a young Helena, on the other a lock of hair.

“She wanted me to always have something to remember her.” The old man smiled. “I told her that I would never forget her, but she insisted. Will it help?”

Laura looks at the hair and smiles. “It’s perfect.”

Just then they heard the sound of a helicopter flying over and Luke headed out of the hut to see a sleek and ultra modern chopper making its way to land at the convent.

“You want to make a bet that somebody at the convent tipped them off that we were asking questions about our favorite non-Cassadine.”

Laura shook her head. “How do we get off this island? They’ll have the port locked down in minutes.”

Nikkos looked at the two Americans. “My grandson has a boat. He will take you to the mainland.”

“Thank you for helping us.” Luke gripped the old man’s hand.

“My Helena was a good person. The fact that that witch has taken the name Helena Cassadine and made it something evil is not right. I thank you for righting that wrong.”

Luke nodded as he and Laura made their way to the boat tied up to a log behind the hut.

Forty minutes later, Laura sat in complete and totally misery. The boat was small, with just room enough for the person sailing it and a cargo to fill its hold. That meant that both she and Luke were forced to sit in the dark and damp hold while Kristoff, Nikkos grandson, navigated the ship. But they weren’t alone in the hold. Kristoff’s cargo, on its way to Athens, was in the hold with them. Fish. Tons and tons of fish.

Luke looked at his wife sitting on a pile of fish in the corner and he couldn’t help it, he smirked. It was a mistake. This time she didn’t miss.

Athens
A while later

Luke and Laura made their way through the narrow streets of the beautiful, sun drenched city.

“You see?” Luke said loftily. “I told you that we’d fit right in with the tourists.” He smiled at the Japanese couple videotaping the sidewalk market.

“As long as no one comes within ten feet of us,” Laura says, trying to avoid inhaling as much as possible. “I vote we find a hotel and maybe buy some new clothes.”

“Good idea babe,” Luke said. “You are beginning to stink.”

“Luke Spencer I swear when this is over you are sleeping on the couch for at least a week.”

“You say that but we both know you’ll end up sleeping next to me after the first night.”

Laura shrugged no point denying it. They’d stopped in front a grocer’s stall and Laura made a face at the fish in ice looking back at her and turned her attention instead to some fresh fruit. She was hungry. Maybe she could....

She heard a click and felt the pressure of metal against her shoulder and saw Luke pale.

“You will come with me,” The harsh voice said in clipped tones.

Laura’s eyes met Lukes. “I don’t think so,” she shook her head.

“Then I will simply kill you here. Either way works.”

Laura reached over to the grocer’s stall with her hands while Luke kept the man talking.

“Why don’t you tell us what this is about and we’ll see if we can’t work out a little compromise.”

“Helena Cassadine does not believe in compromise. Not when she wants you dead.” The man smiles. “And not when she will pay and pay dearly for your deaths.”

“Here? In public? That doesn’t seem the Cassadine style.”

“This is Athens. Who do you think controls the city?” The man grins. “Now you will come with me or you will die.”

“Go to hell,” Laura yells as she picks up the fish she has grabbed a hold of and swings it hard against the man. The weight of the fish knocks him off balance and he drops the gun, which Luke quickly picks up and uses to shoot him. “Come on,” he yells at Laura who quickly follows him down the alley.

Two hours later

Laura Spencer, dressed in an “I love Athens” T-shirt and shorts, sits back against the seat and looks out the window of the airplane. She inhales cautiously and smiles when she smells nothing but diesel fuel.

“Did I ever tell you that you make a beautiful brunette?” Luke whispered as he played with a strand of the dark curly hair from her wig.

Laura smiled. “I wish I could say the same about you,” she almost giggled at the patently fake toupee on his head.

Luke shrugged. “We weren’t all born beautiful. Some of us were born smart.”

They were interrupted by the stewardess serving dinner.

Laura smiled at the women as she put a tray in front of her. “I’m so hungry.” She lifted the plastic top off the tray. She groaned. Luke burst out laughing.

The stewardess looked puzzled. “You don’t like fish?”

Port Charles
The big house in the woods

Exhausted, Emily leaned against the house as Lucky opened the door. Before letting Emily and Jonathan out of the car, Lucky and Jason’s men had swept the house. Jason had doubled the guards and Lucky was going to upgrade the security system as soon as he got Emily and Jonathan settled. He watched Jonathan enter the house and head to his room before he turned to his wife, alarmed by the paleness of her face.

“Em?”

“I’m okay. I’m just tired. I can’t believe that the three of us are here together. I never thought we would be again.” She looks up at Lucky with her eyes shining. “Our family is together again.” She leans into his quiet strength. “Do you know what a miracle that is?”

“I know, Em.” He feels her warmth in his arms. “I know.” After a minute he pulls away and smiles at her. “Come on. You look exhausted. I think its time you went to bed. We have a lot to discuss in the morning.”

“I still can’t believe the story Jonathan told us.” Emily shivers and Lucky pulls her close. “Do you really think we can get rid of her once and for all?”

“I know we can.” Lucky says without hesitation. “If I know Nikolas once Ruby and Michael told him, he probably went straight to Mom and Dad. It wouldn’t surprise me if their little trip out of town had something to do with this. Tomorrow we’ll sit down and I’ll tell you my idea and with Jason’s and hopefully Nikolas’s help, Helena Cassadine will never threaten our family again..”

“God, I hope you are right.” Emily hesitates and then sighs. “I fainted at the airport.”

“What?” Panic raises the tone of Lucky’s voice. “When? Dammit you should have said something. We were in New York. We could have seen the doctor.”

“We needed to get out of there and I knew you would react this way. I just fainted. The doctor said that might happen, remember? Jason was there. He took care of me.”

“The doctor also said you were supposed to avoid stress? I don’t think the last few days have been stress free.”

“Lucky, I’m fine. Really. I’m just tired.” She sighs at the implacable look on his face. “All right. I’ll call Mom in the morning and set up some tests or something. Okay?”

Lucky nods and cups her face in his hands. “I honestly do not know what I would do without you Emily.”

“I know what its like to lose you Lucky and I never ever want to feel like that again. I love you.” Emily gently presses her lips against his and for a few moments they are both lost in the wonder of each other.

Jonathan watching them smiles. Still holding his glove and baseball, Jonathan heads back into his room and decides that he’d much rather watch TV or read a book than play catch with his father. He plops down on the bed. Catch can wait. For now.

Outside the Scorpio residence

The car pulled up outside the house and Maxie smiled, even from the driveway she could hear Mac and the boys in the backyard.

She turns to look at Jason and the smile falters. “I guess this is it.”

Jason nods, his eyes blazing. “Maxie...I..”

Maxie stops with him a gentle kiss. “Don’t. There’s nothing left to say. One night remember? A night to treasure. And I will. With all of my heart always.”

She turns to open the car door when he stops her. “I need you to know that I love you. I need you to believe that if there was a way...if I could get out...I would for you. Please tell me you believe that.”

Maxie looks into his eyes. “I believe you. I think I’ve always known that you love me from that first moment in New York. It was just easier to live without you if I hated you.” She hesitates and looks at him. “I’m sorry that I can’t live with what you do. I should be able to say that all that matters is that we love each other. But I can’t. I just can’t.” As she starts to cry, Jason pulls her against him.

“It’s okay. I never want you to turn your back on who you are and what you believe for me. I couldn’t live with myself if I thought you did that. I just wish...I wish that twenty years ago when Sonny made me that offer that I could have known then what I’d be giving up some day.” Jason murmurs. Maxie takes a deep breath and inhales his scent and stores it away to hold onto it in her heart.

“Me too,” she whispers softly before pulling out of his embrace and walking out of the car and up the path to the front door, never once looking back.

Neither of them are aware of the silent figure at the upstairs window quietly watching the scene. Felicia Jones-Scorpio pulls back from the window and heads downstairs, trying to figure out as she walks what to say to heal her daughter’s broken heart.

Later that night
The house in the big woods

Emily is sleeping next to him when Lucky awakens. For a moment, he listens to her steady breathing and uses the familiar pattern to center himself. Quietly, being careful not to wake her, he pulls on a rob and walks to his son’s room. He watches his son sleeping and smiles. Then, with an air of quiet determination, he walks into the living room, picks up the phone, and dials a familiar number.

“It’s me.”

“No you’re not hallucinating. I know. It’s a long story. No they’re fine. We need to talk. I know. I have a plan that might take care of the problem once and for all. Yeah. Listen. We also have to talk about Jonathan. I know. We settle things with Helena first and then we deal with Jonathan. Sounds fair. You’ll be here in the morning. No don’t tell anyone else you heard from me. Not Lulu. Not Ruby. No one. All right.” Lucky hung up and stood silently, wondering if he had done the right thing. Maybe they should have just let Jason take them somewhere else? He closed his eyes. Emily’s illness made running away impossible. If she was to have even the slightest chance of making it through this pregnancy alive, than she needed to be here in Port Charles.

There were some things even a Spencer couldn’t run away from.