Spencer vs. Cassadine #8  Feb 10- May 20, 1998 - The Rape is Revealed -  8 hrs

Bobbie and Stefan continue their confrontation over Carly suddenly telling her she is her daughter, Caroline. Bobbie thinks that Stefan set it up to hurt her, so she went to him for the truth as it is difficult for her to believe that Luke would lie to her (he had told her that her daughter, Caroline, was dead). Stefan tells her he has only confirmed to her the truth that she already knows. Stefan points out she has been good to Nik and took good care of him after he was shot so he is returning that favor by telling her the truth about her daughter and will provide documention if she wishes. She has one more question, "Did you set me up that night when I found Tony and Carly together in the cabin?" He pretty much confirms is. Later, Ralston reports to Stefan that he has found Laura. Ralston reports that Lesley, her daughter and Lulu have all been installed in a house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Stefan talks to the portrait of Laura in the wine cellar, "I ordered you to never return. Have you forgotten the penalty? Or might you know be willing to pay it?"

Luke returns home and finds his sister waiting for him in the dark. When Bobbie bitterly reveals that she knows he lied about her daughter's "fatal" car accident, Luke attempts to explain why he hid the truth about Carly's true identity to protect her from further pain. Bobbie promises a shaken Luke that she will never forgive him for what he's done. Lucky returns from the Outer Banks and is surprised to find his aunt at odds with his father. Luke explains to his son why he and Bobbie are on the outs.

Nik is practicing his Tai Chi moves when Helena appears out of the mists.  "I am here to offer you the gift of truth." She tells him that Stefan is obsessed.  He did not come to Port Charles because of Lesley Lu's illness, no does he stay due to Katherine Bell--she is merely a pale substitute for his truelove, Laura Spencer. Helena reveals that Laura is back in the U.S. and that Stefan knows of her whereabouts.  He may well be planning a new move so that he can be near the object of his obsession.  She feels that Nik has a right to know, although Stefan may deny it. Helena moves toward him.  "Stay away from me," he tells her, speaking for the first time.  She's overjoyed that he can speak and if his anger at her helped him to communicate verbally, then she's glad.

Liz walks alone in the park, she sits down on a park bench and as she is sitting there, someone puts his hand on her mouth. Liz screams and struggles to free herself, but the attacker drags her off to the woods. Lucky is looking for Liz who was a no-show at the dance. He hears moaning and a rustling in the bushes.  Liz crawls out. Lucky's horrified.  His voice breaks as he asks what happened. "My shoe," she tells him, dazed with shock, "It's broken."  She is a mess, her face streaked with tears, her dress is torn and her arms are bruised. As Lucky tries to help her with her shoe, he notices the blood on her leg.  Who did this to her?  Liz doesn't know.  She realizes that her grandma's bracelet is missing, she has to find it, it was a gift from her grandpa!  Lucky tells her they'll find it, but first they have to get her to a hospital.  No!  Liz insists she does not want to go there.  Lucky helps her up and gently leads her away, murmuring words of comfort.

Lucky brings Liz to his home and gives her a warm shirt to put on. Liz asks to use the bathroom to clean up.  Lucky is sympathetic, but should she do that?  She should be examined.  Again Liz is adamant about not going to the hospital.  Well, then, how about if he calls his Aunt Bobbie the nurse? Finding he can't reach Bobbie by phone, he wants to run to GH and catch her.  Liz says fine, she needs some time alone.  Luck tells Foster to guard his friend.  Foster comes over, plops his head on the coffee table and regards Liz with a sad and sympathetic gaze.  She goes upstairs.   Liz showers.  We see her weeping in the tub. 

At the same time, a black-garbed figure approaches the house.  Scenes of his approach are intercut with Liz getting out of the tub.  (A little slo-mo, very creepy.)  A black-gloved hand tries the doorknob. Liz is downstairs in a robe now and cries "No!" as she sees the knob turn.  She cries out again as Luke enters. He instantly sees how upset she is and keeps his distance, he slowly reminds her that he's Lucky's dad.  Lucky and Bobbie arrive then Luke is surprised to see his sister, and speaks her name hopefully (is she here to see him?) but she sweeps past him and goes to Liz. Lucky looks at his father and tells him that Liz was jumped in the park. Bobbie takes Liz upstairs so they can speak privately.  Lucky tells Luke that he knows Liz was raped even though she won't say so.  As he recounts finding her in the park, his eyes fill with tears.  "The worst thing was her eyes...like something so bad had happened, she can't bear to know it.  It's still in there.  Did you see it?"

"Yeah, I saw it," Luke admits sadly, his eyes staring through Lucky and back into the past. In the bathroom, Bobbie tries to fix up Liz's cuts and bruises. Liz is glad that her face is not marked.  No on can tell anything happened.  Bobbie tries to tell her that rape victims need very careful treatment.  She tries to convince Liz to be examined, but Liz says she'd rather die.  Bobbie doesn't push. She tells Liz she has no authorization for what she's about to do and could get into serious trouble, but she provides Liz with a morning-after pill which is given to rape victims to prevent pregnancy.  Now, can she call Audrey?  No, Liz doesn't want her gran to know anything, and will deny it all if Bobbie tries to involve Audrey.  "This happened to me."  She stares at her face in the mirror.  "I'll decide who to tell."

Downstairs, Lucky is still wrestling with the situation.  "What kind of guy grabs a girl and forces her to have sex with him?" he demands.  He just doesn't get it.  "You'll never understand it," Luke tells him, shaken.  "Don't even try." Bobbie comes down and she and Lucky confer.  Liz won't admit to being sexually assaulted, and there's nothing they can do if she won't pursue it.  Liz comes down and escorts her home.  Bobbie stares at Luke.  "What's on your mind?"  he demands, uncomfortable under her hard gaze. "You make me sick." Luke wants to know if they're talking about Carly or what. Bobbie tells him she has no desire to talk to him about anything. She walks out and leaves Luke alone with his troubled thoughts.

Nikolas walked straight up to Stefan and confronted him, first about Helena, and then about Laura. Stefan had the "Your grandmother's a charming viper" speech all handy, so that one didn't get too far. But Nik did get under his skin when he asked if Stefan had loved Laura. ("Love you, Laura?" was how he put it.) Stefan told him that yes, he and Laura had a close relationship on the island - he felt sympathy for her and tried to help her, but she betrayed him as she betrays everyone. He went on to say that "Laura's a part of my past that I cannot control, but beyond that we have no connection." He claimed that Helena was conning Nik in order to interfere with his relationship with Katherine. Nik sulked out of the room, and Stefan called one of his monkeys and ordered him to find and keep an eye on Helena.  Stefan is shown in the wine cellar, looking very hard at Laura's portrait.

Luke arrives at the hospital.  Bobbie doesn't want to see him.  She reminds him of his rape of Laura and calls him a hypocrite. Lucky goes home and sees Luke.  Luke asks about Liz, and Lucky raves: how could a guy do that? Luke walks into Kelly's just as Lucky assures Bobbie he won't turn vigilante.   Lucky sees Lizzie outside and goes to her, greeting the new Mr.Murty (obviously a recast) on his way out.  Liz passes by Luke and Bobbie and Luke tells her that he admires her courage.  Liz runs out of Kelly's, obviously distraught.  Lucky asks Luke what he said to her, and Luke replies that he told her to 'hang in there'. Inside, Bobbie tells Luke not to make Liz's problem "about you and your past".  And Lucky overhears, asking "what about your past?" 

Lucky has overheard Bobbie laying into Luke.  He jumps to his dad's defense.  He knows his dad has done things to make people mad--but all his actions have been with someone else’ best interests at heart.  He's only tried to protect others. Bobbie is silent.  Luke thanks Lucky for the heartfelt defense, but reminds his son that Bobbie is entitled to her feelings.  When Lucky steps out to check on Liz, Bobbie gazes at her brother.  "How's it feel to be a hero?"  She leaves. Lucky returns.  Liz is gone.  But he's sick of feeling helpless. He's going to go to the park to look for her lost bracelet.  Does Luke want to come along? By the fountain, Lucky points out the place where he found Liz. Lucky recounts the events of that night, but Luke, behind him, is scarcely listening.  He's seeing another scene from 20 years ago of a teenage Laura, running through the park, her torn blouse gaping.  (We see this in an actual black and white flashback of the event.)  She collapses at the very same fountain, crying.

Katherine has given Stefan a bench, which reminds him of a similar bench at his home in Greece where he and Laura spent time together. This prompts flashbacks of them together in Greece. Nikolas is sitting on the bench.  Stefan joins him.  They reminisce about Greece; Stefan has flashbacks to his time with Laura. He speaks to Nik about Nik's father, in that classic Stefan way that isn't a lie but is designed to be misinterpreted.  Stefan speaks of Nik's father as if he were referring to Stavros, though Nik has his (mostly unspoken) suspicions.  Stefan assures Nikolas that he is a child of love, and tells him "that is Laura's last, most desperate secret." Nikolas returns to the wine cellar and has another look at the portrait of Laura.  Stefan finds him there.  If Stefan didn't intend for Nik to find this painting, he hides it well.  He asks Nikolas if he likes the painting and launches into a discussion of the painting's technical merits.  He says, "It wasn't done from life, unlike the first."  Nikolas asks, "Why is this here?" Stefan tells him he had had it commissioned for Nikolas, but given their current frosty relationship with Laura, he decided to leave it in the cellar for now.

Lucky is complaining to Luke about European history and Silas Marner. Luke thinks he's taking school too seriously.  They talk about Liz going back to school.  Lucky wants to help.  He wants to catch the guy, and asks for Luke's help.  Liz is so quiet and jumpy. Lucky just can't understand why a guy would do this.  He's sorry that Liz is ashamed.  Luke keeps taking it: "How can any man do this to any woman and go on living with himself?  Go on living at all?" Luke tells Lucky that sometimes being men makes you dumber than ever. They take power for granted.  He reminds lucky that it happened to Liz, not to Lucky.  Elizabeth needs to run the show, not have someone hijack her life again.  Lucky doesn't buy it.  He's feeling guilty about not going to the dance with Elizabeth.  Luke tells him not to take the guilt on.  Lucky is in tears, but if Elizabeth doesn't want him to bring the guy down, he'll just have to build her up.  "I just hope I always treat women the way you've treated Mom." Luke tells him: "I hope you do a lot better." After Lucky leaves, Luke sits all alone, wrapped in a blanket, crying.

Bobbie comes to Luke's office looking for Lucky.  She seems to have cooled off, since she and Luke manage to have a civil conversation in which she displays a great deal of sympathy towards her big brother and the difficult position in which he finds himself vis-à-vis his son. Bobbie reports that Lizzie has agreed to see a doctor about the rape, which will make it a police matter.  Luke hopes that Lucky will be comforted by the idea that police detectives will be searching for the rapist, since the boy really wants the person responsible to be punished. Luke talks of his concern for Lucky, giving Bobbie an opportunity to broach the painful subject of Laura's rape.  She is not confrontation, just concerned, as she suggests that he consider whether this might be the appropriate time to tell Lucky.  Luke's response:  "Have you lost your mind?"  He argues that telling Lucky would serve no purpose.  "Why would I hurt him like that?"  Bobbie argues that Liz's rape has brought the issue home to roost.  "Ordinarily" she would agree with Luke that there's no reason to tell Lucky, but Lucky's close relationship with a rape victim changes the equation.  She fears Lucky could learn about Laura's rape from someone else and that that would destroy the great trust he and Luke share.

Luke and Lucky are discussing Liz's situation.  Lucky sees how uncomfortable his father is, but misconstrues his reaction--"We both know that what happened to Liz is the same thing that happened to Mom." Luke pauses.  What does Lucky mean?  Well, he's been trying to figure it all out, why would any man force himself on a woman when he finally figured it out.  He's known people like that all his life, the Cassadines.  Laura was forced to stay on that island and to give birth to a child by Stavros.  She went through the same thing as Liz, except it was even worse because she couldn't leave.  Lucky wonders how his mom could even bear to look at Nikolas, knowing he's the product of a forced liaison.  Luke sits guilty and silent through all of this, then smiles sadly.  "There's no explaining your mother's heart." 

Lucky leaves and Bobbie enters.  She needs a drink, having spent the day holding Liz's hand during the girl's gyn exam.  It got her thinking about her own teen years; her own first gyn exam was when as a teen hooker she learned she was pregnant from a john. "Why do you want to go there?" Luke pleads.  Let the past alone. But the past is coming back to slap them smack in the face, Bobbie tells him. That is what is giving him so much trouble now.” Maybe so," he grinds out, "but it's my past, Barbara.  Not yours."  And there's no way he's going to hurt is son by dragging him into all the debris of the past.  Luke confesses that his son has drawn some parallels between what happened to Liz and what occurred to Laura at Cassadine hands.  "Ohh, I see." No, you do not see, Barbara Jean, Luke tells her.  What happened between him and Laura was completely different than what happened to Liz.  "There are only two people who can tell Lucky that, and one of them isn't here."  Luke stops her:  "Don't go there."  Okay, fine.  They trade a few quips and Bobbie departs.  Luke sighs gustily. 

The next morning, Lucky enters and they have a brief conversation about what makes for a better breakfast:  refried beans (Luke's choice) or a bagel (Lucky's). Lucky tells Luke about his experience at Liz's the other day (when she fell asleep and then woke up screaming and fighting, scratching Lucky's face).  Lucky said that hers was a different kind of fear than any he'd ever seen before, because she couldn't even see who he was.  He went on to say that "Mom must've been that way too."  And Luke replied that she was, for a while.  Lucky went on to say that he'd called Laura in NC to discuss the rape, and Luke asked him what she'd said.  Lucky said he couldn't bear to bring it up, since she sounded so happy and Luke agreed that he did the right thing, saying that that topic would be best discussed face to face.

Lucky mulls that over and wonders if he'd ever ask her, because he's not sure he could look her in the eyes.  He goes on to say that when Laura and he were arguing about Nikolas, long ago, that he used to think that she could've made Stavros stop and that Nik wouldn't be here if it weren't for her weakness.  And when Laura asked Lucky if he'd rather that she had died, Lucky admitted that for a second, he almost wished she had.  H worried that Laura might have seen that thought in his expression and hated him for it.  Luke interrupts and says that Laura never hated Lucky, and that "you're her hope, her heart.  You're a living symbol that if you get through the pain, there are good things ahead, sometimes profound things. That's the way she feels about you.  That's the way I feel about you. You're a blessing in our lives." 

Lucky asks Luke how he got past the anger of Laura's rape, and how he wants to kill Liz's rapist, but he knows he can't.  He goes on to say that the rapist is a coward, and that he could be anyone, even someone Liz knows or sees occasionally and that "at least Mom's rapist is dead."  Luke responds by saying that exacting revenge against Liz's rapist won't make the pain go away, and the damage is done.  He says that pain is sometimes a teacher and urges Lucky to learn from the pain.  "The only thing that will help is time passing." They share a hug and a pair of "I love yous".  Luke leaves and Lucky tells Foster that he's going on an errand, and not to follow him.

Lucky returns to the bench in the park where he found Liz.  Nik enters the scene and greets him.  Lucky says that he's glad Nik found his voice again and then Nik mentions his letter from Laura.  Lucky blows a fuse and tells Nik never to mention her name, and accuses Nik's father of raping Laura. A shoving match ensues, with Nik finally hauling off and punching Lucky, while saying "My father didn't rape our mother, YOURS did!" Lucky looks dazed.  Punches are thrown and Lucky lands on his knees.  Nik tells him that Luke is the one who raped Laura.  Lucky's still down, more from the pain of the revelation than from the blows. "Your father killed my father and he raped our mother, Lucky!" He raped her!" 

Lucky gets up and they struggle some more.  That's just another Cassadine lie!  "You want me to prove it?" Nik asks.  He tells Lucky that when Laura was married to Scott Baldwin, she worked at a club that Luke operated.  Luke knew she was married, but that didn't keep him from wanting Laura, or from raping her.  If Lucky doesn't believe it, he should check it out.  As if he'd ever try to research his own father, Lucky snorts.  "Check it out," Nik tells him." October 8, the date to remember."

Lucky then goes to  the local library, where he zips through microfilm of the Port Charles Herald.  He sees various headlines on his dad's past glory, Frank Smith, the Ice Princess and Luke saving the world, being elected Mayor and he feels proud of  his father. Then he comes across a small article about a rape victim found in the local park.  He reads the date of the issue, October 8.

Nik rereads Laura's letter.  She speaks of her knowledge that her two sons will one day find some sort of peace between them.  This brings on a feeling of uncertainty, that perhaps he made a mistake in telling Lucky that Luke raped Laura.  He asks Stefan, just how sure he is that Luke raped Laura and what's his proof.  Stefan tells him proof is easily available.  Even though  Laura chose not to accuse Luke there are public records, her former  husband, friends and family all know the truth and he's free to ask questions.  Nik admits to Stefan that he told Lucky about the rape. Nik blames Lucky for goading him into telling him all about the rape and daring him to go find the truth. Stefan figures Lucky is a bright and curious kid and is sure he'll keep digging until the truth comes out since it was only Luke' "limitless arrogance" that made him believe Lucky would never find out.  Stefan pacifies the young prince, holding him blameless, but warns Nik to be ready as Luke will undoubtedly come after them rather than face his own guilt.  Stefan is pleased that Nik confided in him.

Laura calls home which gives Lucky the opportunity to delve into her past. Telling her he's studying romantic poetry he asks about the first time she met Luke.  Upon hearing it was love at first sight, Lucky, clearly consumed by Nik's accusation asks, "No second thoughts? No fears?" When she asks him if he's looking for a girlfriend  Lucky makes his excuses and gets off the phone. Luke comes in.  Small talk gives way to another fishing expedition by Lucky. He tells Luke of his search into the 80s and all the neat hero stuff he found.  But there was also news of Stavros' death.  "A lower life scum never graced a morgue slab" is Luke's response.  Wound up tight, the notion that the Cassadines would do anything to destroy their family and paint Luke as the villain is what Lucky tries to hold on to but even it is mighty cold comfort.  Lucky just "wants to know the truth."  He heads off to school as Luke looks pained.

Lucky has tracked down Scott Baldwin. He wants to know who raped his mother.  Scotty looks uncomfortable with this painful piece of his past and not at all anxious to do Luke in despite his feelings for him.  He certainly doesn't want to mess around with the head of a teenager. Scott refuses to answer his questions while Lucky tries several different tactics to get him to open up including accusing Scott of being afraid of his father. Scott  noted that Lucky had his mother's looks but his father's personality but he also says he's changed  sure there was a time he would have liked to stick it to Luke but he's a dad now himself and isn't about to dwell on old vendettas.  He warns Lucky that if he goes looking for dirt, he'll find it! Getting nowhere, Lucky wants to know how bad his mom was hurt.  Physically, she was okay, but emotionally, he had no idea since he wasn't privy to it.

Luke comes home to find Bobbie at his kitchen table. She said her car just ended up in his driveway. Luke responds, "Yeah? Guess that means your car has forgiven me." Bobbie tells Luke all about Michael's.  Luke can't believe Carly lost the kid and wonders aloud if the girl has gone postal!  Bobbie believes Carly is genuinely terrified.  Luke wants to get involved by helping Jason. He disdainfully laughs of the police warnings about sloppy civilians getting in the way.  But he promises not to interfere unless Jason asks and adds that she needn't worry, she won't owe him a thing.   But Bobbie tells him what's going on isn't about their quarrel.  It's about the possibility that Michael could be killed.  Her fear of that is bringing up memories of BJ. She couldn't handle it alone and that's why she is there. Bobbie relates to  Luke how it felt to  hold Carly those few minutes after she was born and no matter what's happened since, she doesn't deserve this.  Dripping with foreshadowing, Bobbie tells Luke she hopes he never finds out what it means to lose a child.

Lucky goes into an empty, unsecured, medical records office, sits down at the computer and easily pulls up Laura's 20-year-old file. He reads about the physical ramifications of Laura's rape and  finds out that the police were notified but no assailant was identified. Lucky comes up to Stefan and asks "Why did you lie about my parents?"  Stefan won't admit it's a lie, and Lucky keeps pushing.  Stefan says "Whatever choices your mother made, cannot be judged by ordinary standards.  Laura is unique in her capacity for love  and forgiveness  for self-delusion."  Stefan walks sadly off.  Lucky is devastated. Lucky confront Bobbie at the Brownstone:  "I need an answer."  He says that when Luke lied to Bobbie about Carly, he claimed it was to protect her, "but that's a crock.  Because you wanted the truth, and no matter how much it hurt, it was better than a lie."  Bobbie flinches, and says, "I thought so," in a tone that implies that might not be true in all cases.  "Did my dad rape my mom?"  "Oh, Lucky."  Louder, slamming his hand on the table in a very Luke-ish move, "DID HE?"  "You have to ask your father."  "No, I don't."  With that, Lucky is gone. Bobbie immediately tries to contact Luke, but he isn't at his club.  "It's an emergency."

Luke is waiting at the penthouse to see Jason. Carly wants Luke out of the penthouse, but he insists on waiting to talk to Jason.  Luke neither blames Carly for the kidnapping nor exonerates her of responsibility.  He is firm about one thing, that while he doesn't blame Carly, she should have known better, she should have been more careful.  Bobbie again trying to call Luke, she has been called in for an emergency surgery, but she leaves a message on Luke's machine, asking him to page her ASAP, without revealing why.  We see the answering machine in Luke's house, recording the message, and we  see that Lucky is listening, a serious look on his face, as the message comes in, confirming to him that his question sent Aunt Bobbie rushing to warn his father. Lucky is preparing to take off, grabbing his backpack and checking to be sure the money stashed in it is still there. At that moment, Luke walks through the door, unaware of what he's walking into.  But he is immediately alerted that there is a problem.  "what's going on?"  he asks.  Lucky bristles.  "Don't you touch me."  Lucky is shaking, and angry.  Luke is troubled, and has a look on his face that indicates he knows precisely why Lucky is so angry.  The show is over, and we are all left waiting, with a mixture of anticipation and dread, the rest of this conversation.

"Get out of my way," Lucky tells his father, who stands between him and the door.  "Not until you tell me what's with the packed bag and the attitude."  Lucky tries to walk out, but Luke pushes him back and they struggle briefly.  What's Luke gonna do, Lucky asks. *Force* him to stay because he's bigger and stronger?  Luke is trapped now.  He knows it. "What do you know?" Luke grinds out. "Say it!" "You think the words will make you feel better?"

"If you can't look me in the eyes and tell me the truth," the boy cries, "then we have nothing.  We have less than nothing!"

"Less than nothing?"  Luke mutters.  "Is that so?  All right. A long time ago...long before you were born...In another life... I raped your mother.  There.  I said it.  Feel better?"

Lucky is shattered, but he has to know everything.  "Where'd you rape her?...I want to hear about the big lie my whole life is based on."

"There is no big lie!"  Luke shouts. "You were conceived, born and raised in love...nothing but love.  What happened between Laura and me a long time ago are personal matters that don't concern you.  And the darkest places in my soul are not yours to examine on demand!" Lucky's voice breaks and tears run down his face.  "You are so full of crap!  You're a coward.  You were a coward then and you're a coward now."  He tells Luke that he hates him.  He's a liar and a hypocrite. 

Lucky demands to know what exactly happened on that night.  He's sick of being lied to!  "I have to know!"  he screams. Luke's breath is shuddering, his speech is choked and halting, as through he's about to throw up.  "You want the truth? I don't even know if I know the truth... all right, son.  I'll tell you everything I know."  Luke is seated on the sofa and as he begins to speak, his voice is almost detached, as though telling someone else's story. "In those days I managed a disco, a cheesy little joint.  Laura worked for me as a waitress.  And I was obsessed with her." I was a walking dead man. Frank Smith had decided I was expendable. I was drunk.  That's not an excuse, just a fact.  But not as drunk as I wanted to be.  It was late, the disco was closed. And I was alone.  It seemed like a good time to die, and I was as close as I've ever been to putting a bullet in my head.  And then there she was.  My angel."

We see black and white flashback of the disco, Luke's tall silhouette turning from the bar...it's very hazy.  Then the screen becomes clear and we see a close-up of the lovely teen-age Laura's face.  She looks confused by Luke's presence. "She was dressed in blue...her hair was long and loose... (Luke's voice breaks) God, she was beautiful...how I loved her." We see Luke crying at the bar, Laura going up to him in concern. He continues, "She wanted to know what was wrong. I told her to go away, but she wanted to talk. she told me her marriage to Baldwin was over." Laura is talking to Luke, trying to convince him, and Luke circling her, gulping another drink at the bar.  "She started talking nonsense, like how Scotty and she were my friends, the three of us could go to the police. It was absurd, insane, pathetic...and so familiar...her refusing to go away. I couldn't take it any longer, so I told her she was a chain around me. She was tearing me apart."  

Luke is talking to Laura, her seeming to turn away in discomfort.  He grasps her shoulders, staring at her, forcing her to face him while he speaks. She's trying to calm him, touches his shoulder. Luke's voice is full of yearning.  "I was on fire, she touched me and felt like salvation and she smelled of roses and I wanted to drown in her. I wanted her to hold me underwater until my last breath exploded from me.  I wanted to die in her arms. But then she turned away.  Then she wanted to leave, just when I wanted her to stay.  And that was the dance we did, back and forth, push and pull."

Laura turns to get her purse.  Luke grabs her shoulder, pulling her around and throws her purse to the ground in rage? frustration? what?  Laura stares at the purse in confusion.  Luke circles in front of her. "There was a song on the turntable and the stupid disco lights were on." (We hear the throbbing disco beat in the background). "And all I knew was I couldn't go to my grave without holding her once, (his voice shakes) one time." Luke is standing in front of the jukebox, holding out his arms to Laura, almost smiling.  Laura shakes her head no.  The scene turns to color and we see Laura's blue blouse and skirt.   "The song on the tunrtable was "Rise". She was standing on the dance floor looking at me...eyes so blue... it could almost make you believe there was a God." Luke is moving forward toward her as she backs up a little. His arm is extended and he takes her hand and draws her forward. He places her arms upon his shoulders and they begin to dance.  (whispering) "Dance with me, Laura...dance with me."

"And then she got scared and wanted to go home and I kissed her." Luke twirls her and moves in behind her.  He's staring at her intently.  He kisses her neck, Laura's uncomfortable, scared, trying to turn her face away. "She kissed me back (voice shaking)...I know she kissed me back." Luke swings her out again and draws her close, kissing her lips.  Her arms are in front of her, not around him, she tries to pull away.  She shifts in his arms so we can clearly see her face, saying no, no.  "And then she said no.  I think she kept saying no, but I pulled her down on the floor and I took her.  I raped her."  Laura saying no and crying as Luke kisses her and pulls her down.  The camera moves away from them to focus on the flashing disco lights. "I think I blacked out or something.  When I came back to myself I was standing, looking down and she was huddled in a ball, her clothes were torn and I don't know how that happened (voice breaks, crying)." Luke is standing, shirt unbuttoned, in a daze.  He looks down at Laura and holds out his hand.  She is rolled into a fetal position on the floor.  Her make-up is smeared, her blouse is torn. "And her face was smeared with make-up, black tears, and I reached out to her, to help her up, to say I'm sorry, to apologize and she cowered away from me like a little wounded animal."

Laura shrinks from Luke's hand.  Luke's face is stunned, as he seems to realize what he's done. He turns away, raking his hands through his hair, heading toward the bar, while Laura crouches in fear, creeping out of the room.  "Ringing...there was a telephone ringing somewhere and then she was gone.  She ran to the park.  Someone found her there.  And I.. I..." Luke holds his hands clasped in front of his face, breathing deeply as though to compose himself.  He turns to his son, his voice and eyes hard.  "That's all I know."  He turns away and his face collapses. Lucky has listened in silence.  He stares at his father without expression.  Tears and mucus streak his face.  "Nice story, Dad." His voice is very low.  "I'm real proud."  He picks up his duffel bag and walks out.  Alone, Luke breaks down.

Bobbie rushes in.  "Oh, Luke I'm glad I found you."  She's about to tell him how much Lucky suspects when Luke tells her that he told Lucky the whole thing.  He's huddled on the sofa hugging a pillow.  Bobbie sinks down next to him. She wonders after the shock wears off, isn't Luke going after him?  No.  Luke is still shaken, his voice quiet.  If he's ever going to get his son back, he has to let him go now.  Well, shouldn't he at least tell Laura?  "No way in hell," he answers, himself again. He goes to the mantel and touches the family photos there. Right now, all of Lucky's anger is directed at him, and that's how he wants to keep it. Laura has paid enough for that night.   "Will you ever stop protecting her?"  A baffled Bobbie demands. "Someday you really should, you know."  Then she softens and tells him how sorry she is about everything.  "Yeah, me too," Luke murmurs.  He tears up again.

Luke arrives to see Liz, unaware that Lucky is already there.  He tells Elizabeth that he expects she will hear from Lucky soon and that Lucky really needs a friend.  He is extremely subdued, almost embarrassed. Lucky steps from behind the door.  Liz makes herself scarce, and Lucky steps outside to talk with his dad. Theirs is another heart-rending exchange.  Lucky:  What the hell are you doing here?

Luke:  She [Liz] knows?

Lucky, quickly, a snarl in his voice:  That's right, 'coz I don't lie to people I care about and I don't protect men who rape.

Luke, exasperated:  For God's sake, Lucky, I'm the same man I was yesterday, I'm the same person you've known all your life.

Lucky:  You really believe that?

Luke:  YES!  [what a wealth of meaning TG can pack into a single word.]

Lucky:  The man I knew would never do this.  The man I knew protected my mother; he didn't degrade her.

Luke:  I raised you, and I have always honored my wife.  We created order out of chaos and we've been faithful to each other for 16 years and you will not diminish that.  YOU ASK HER (voice choked with passion, just the right hint of defensiveness as he says the next line). She'll tell you it's been a good life.

Lucky:  That just makes her as twisted as you are.  And you now what?  I hate you both.

Luke:  All right, you hate me. You think you have that right. And I'll give you that.  Okay, I can take that.  But you remember why you hate me.  Because you love your mother.  And don't you take this out on her, because she has paid enough for that night.  You have no idea what happened to her.

Lucky:  I know exactly what happens to a woman when a man forces himself on her. This makes Luke angry, and he shouts at Lucky:  You know NOTHING. You know what happened to Liz. It's NOT the same.

Lucky: Yours is even sicker.

Luke:  And you're qualified to make that judgment?

Lucky:  Yes, I am.

Luke:  Who told you?

Lucky taunts Luke with the news. "The little Cassadine, my brother Nikolas, told  me.  And Stefan told him.  Wonder who told Stefan?  Mom? Kind of makes you wonder, don't it, was she kidnapped by the Cassadines, or rescued?"  Luke's eyes grow huge, and I get the feeling  it had not occurred to him before this moment that Laura might have confided in Stefan about this most painful moment in their lives. Though Lucky probably thinks it's the crack about the Cassadine 'rescue' that hurt most.  The news hits Luke hard, regardless, and he sort of stumbles away to face this last rude awakening.

Stefan is asleep, there is tinkly piano music, and we are invited into his dream,  consisting of a flashback to the night he made love to Lasha, all those years ago on the island.  Yes, it's a Greek Island Flashback.  We see a young Stefan, shirtless and gorgeous, entering a bedroom where Laura stands by the bed in candlelight.  He closes the door, his eyes never leaving hers, and joins her by the bed, brushing her hair from her cheek with the back of his hand.  She smiles shyly, and they kiss.  There's a shot of him peeling aside her robe, revealing the Cassadine medallion she wears.  That blends into a shot of him lowering her onto the bed, then into a shot of her contented face and her outstretched hand, as he plants a kiss in her palm.  It is very sexy, and romantic, and quiet.

Nik's hanging out on the Wyndemere roof looking over the edge when Luke pays a visit and remarks on the distance to the ground. Mainly he was there to hassle Nik for telling Lucky about the rape. Luke: "What happened Nikolas? After your stroke, which left you mute, you had so much poison in your mouth that was dripping off the pointed tips of your forked little tongue?" Nikolas held his own, noting: "Laura was raped, but certainly not by my father." Before leaving, Luke made one interesting observation and a promise. The observation was that most people were wrong in thinking that Lucky was the more jealous, competitive of Laura's sons. The promise was that he'd never save any of Nik's remaining four or so lives. As Luke was about to leave the island, Stefan presented some difficulty Luke's boat had been unhitched. It started out as another of their usual trade of insults, Luke: "Why don't you go hang upside down and go back to sleep?" Stefan, "You slink over to the island and scale a three story tower for the sheer excitement of terrorizing a boy?" The verbal confrontation escalated into a fight scene. Stefan started hitting all the right buttons until eventually Luke came after him.

The first connected swing came from Stefan, and Luke had his nemesis in a chokehold when Lucky interrupted, appearing on the docks out of nowhere to ask if anyone was missing a boat. Lucky enraged and stunned Luke, first by inquiring to "Mr. Cassadine's" health, and then refusing to ride back to the mainland in the same boat with his father. Luke isn't taking his son's teenage rebellion very well. Stefan hopped up to the tower to check on Nik an told him not to worry about Luke but to beware of him, that he shouldn't feel responsible for telling Lucky about the rape ("If there were some profound secret about your father, wouldn't you want to know it?"), and Stefan told Nik that he was getting ready to make a call to the Carolinas.

Nik takes out Laura's letter, just as Luke walks up behind him.  Nik says:  "If you're here to threaten me, don't bother.  I understand that I'm your enemy and that you'd kill me without a second thought.  The only reason that you hesitate is because you know my uncle would kill Lucky in return."  Luke insists that the park is a public place and that their meeting was an accident. Nik holds up Laura's note and comments on the lack of a return address. He says it's better not being able to respond to her letters, because he can't tell her that he almost died outside Luke's club and he can't tell her that he told Lucky about Luke.  "It must be difficult for Laura,"  Nik says,  "No matter what she does the people she loves will always hate each other.  Perhaps that's why she isn't here."

Luke says that Laura isn't here because a Cassadine destroyed her mother’s mind.  Nik replies:  "Oh, I know.  You told me. Why is it you can use my family's crimes against me, but you expect me to keep your secrets?"  Luke says that he didn't expect Nik to keep secret a fact that he had no idea Nik was aware of. Nik responds by saying that his uncle had told him while trying to explain the hold Luke had over Laura, how no matter what Luke does to her, she'll choose Luke and Lucky over Nik every time.  He goes on to say that he understands why Luke despises him:   Luke thinks he's a child of rape and that reminds Luke of what he did to Laura.  Luke says that Nik is wrong:  "You remind me of nothing apart from all the other Cassadines I've exterminated. And if you remind me again, you just might join that hapless heap of swarming insects."  And Nik interjects:  "And Laura would forgive that too." He leaves. Luke glances over to the bushes where Liz was found and flashes back to Laura crawling by the fountain after he raped her. Lucky raises the stakes. Luke walks into his club and offers to close up.  The last employee leaves.  Luke takes a swig of whiskey and we hear 'Rise' start to play. Lucky walks by without comment and leaves. Luke grabs a bat and smashes the boom box but the ruined CD continues to play a fractured melody, as Luke smashes barstools, glasses, the bar, and finally, his image in the mirror.

Helena comes strolling along the docks.  Lucky admits that he's been waiting for her.  He wants to know why she broke into their house in  Switzerland and stole his sister’s stuffed toy, only  to deposit it at their house in PC.  Helena tells him that the toy came into her possession, and it seemed only polite to return it.  Then it wasn't a threat?  Poor boy, Helena tells him, doesn't he realize the kind of games that the Spencers and the Cassadine play?  Lucky realizes that there are many things he does not understand about his family, things that even Nikolas Cassadine understands better than he himself does.  Helena offers to explain it all to him over an elegant lunch on her yacht. 

Luke is stretched out on the sofa with an empty liquor bottle beside him. He's having a nightmare, complete with flashing disco lights and Laura's voice crying "No, Luke, let me go!"  He groans and writhes but only wakes up when Bobbie enters and the door slams behind her. She spots the bottle and inquires if he feels better. No, not really. She tells him she has news of Lucky.  He's been staying at the brownstone, but doesn't want to see his father. Ouch. It's funny, Luke remarks.  "I don't usually dream.  Some folks might say that's because I have no conscience. I have nothing to feel guilty over.” But it's different when you see blame looking at you through the eyes of your kid.  He leans in and peers at Bobbie's eyes. She turns her head as she gets a whiff of his boozy breath. Is there blame in her eyes, as well?  "I can't read you." What does he want her to do?  Put her arms around him and tell him that it's all right?  She can't do it anymore. Just tell me the truth, Luke says. "There was a time when I thought you could do no wrong...that you'd never betray me.  But I was wrong.  Your halos' a little tarnished now.  You assume you know what's best for people, what they should know about their own lives, and you assume control. You did it to me and you probably did it to Laura."  Though Laura was hardly blameless, Bobbie recollects that their "come here/ go away" courtship was pretty hard to take. Bobbie leaves and Luke gags down some slimy concoction perhaps meant to drive away a hangover. 

Liz comes to the door. She admits that she's there for Lucky's sake. He helped her through the worst event of her life, and now she wants to help him.  Luke tells her that he knows what Lucky told her--is she afraid of him (Luke)?  Liz admits that her stomach is in knots.  Luke assures her that he is no threat to her.  Liz tells him that Lucky really needs his family now.  Though he's angry, it's only because he's hurting so badly. As she starts to leave, she sees a photo of Laura (with big hair) and picks it up.  "That's funny," she murmurs.  "She doesn't look anything like  me."  Luke asks her why she thought such a thing.  Liz is not sure, but...she asks Luke:  did he notice anything about her, her dress or talk or attitude that would make someone think that it was okay to do what was done to her?  Did she send out some kind of "signal"?  "No," Luke answers firmly.  "Rape is about control.  It's about bending someone else to your will, because of what's driving you... rage, desperation, obsession.  But it's not about the way you walk or talk or dress.. it had very little to do with you." Liz thanks him and hands him the picture.  She leaves.  Luke holds the photo to his chest, a haunted look on his face.

Luke comes into the Brownstone with Bobbie carrying groceries.  He wants to buy the food.  However, he's astonished when she gets him to pay and thank her for the privilege.  She laughs and explains it's an old hooker trick. Enter thundercloud Lucky.  "What is he doing here?" Luke wants him to come home.  Lucky says no, and adds that Luke doesn't understand that word.  Lucky tells about meeting Nik. Bobbie overhears Lucky ask what kind of woman marries a rapist.  He also says maybe Luke didn't tell Laura because he's still a coward.  Bobbie storms in, Luke leaves. Bobbie tells Lucky. Bobbie tells Lucky that if he can't live by her rules  to leave, and he does. Luke clears the club of customers and staff, then gets a gun and a drink.

Luke alone in his club, drinking, waving a pistol around.  It was eerily reminiscent, for me, of the way Stefan was acting the night he was playing with the gun after Laura was "buried" and he shot Katherine. Luke aims at a glass, shoots, and shatters it . Then he aims at some spot near the door and shoots, just as a tall blonde woman comes through the door and gets the fright of her life. She is Tammy, a woman of easy virtue, who was supposed to meet a customer at Luke's Place.  She is put out that Luke's closing the club has cost her a night's pay.  Luke has a proposition of his own for her-- he'll pay for her time, if she will listen to him and serve as his judge.  He peels off a hundred bucks, and she agrees.  Luke is telling his story to Tammy the Hooker.  He tells her he always knew life would not go well for him. "I knew this wasn't gonna last. I knew from the cradle, if I had one, that this life wasn't gonna fit me like a glove.  More like a dry cleaner's bag over my head."        

"But my wife, Laura, made me forget that, made me want to forget that. But it was a mistake to think that I could ever live like other people."  Tammy has doubts about his logic, and says she has felt the same way, but that you don't know unless you try.

"I knew."  He answers.  "And she should have known.  How could she have loved me? How could I believe that?  Even if she believed that, HOW COULD I?"  His voice is low, almost a whisper, as if he is talking to himself, not Tammy.  "How could I?" Luke is explaining to Tammy, vaguely, where Laura is.  Luke:  It wasn't easy for her.  But then again she's been gone so long, it must be getting easier.

Tammy:  You disrespect her. Luke:  No.

Tammy:  You doubt her and accuse her of lying. Luke assures her she must have misunderstood something he said.  But Tammy doesn’t mean the long absence, she means the fact that Laura loved him, despite it all.  "You don't believe she loves you.  Or you don't believe she should.  She married you.  She gave you your children.  And yet you say this is all a big mistake?" Luke tries to explain why he would feel that way.  "Before she loved me, I did something, I hurt her."  He never uses the word "rape" but he says he hurt her "in a way that you don't recover," "a way that I could have gone to jail." Then we have this revealing look into his relationship with Laura, from his perspective.  "but she took it upon herself, she made it her problem to solve, see.  She blamed herself for pushing me too hard and for not realizing I was obsessed with her.  She believed that because we loved each other, everything would be okay and she painted the whole thing pink like a fairy tale."  Regretfully, "And I let her." Long sigh.  "Because I felt like a guy who had fallen off a ten-story building and lived."  Long pause.  "You know what I called our first child?  Lucky."  He tries to explain why he is still punishing himself for it after nearly 20 years. "But I didn't hurt her because I loved her.  I hurt her because I was weak and I couldn't control myself.  because I was a coward.  And I wish she would hate me for it.  Because if she won't, as her husband, it's my job to."       

(I included a wonderful "35th Anniversary moment", it opens with the song from the Wyndham's episode, "Fascination," which plays under the clips as Tony Geary talks.  There's the dancing in Wyndham's clip, a great L&L moment. Geary:  You know, love scenes are like fight scenes.  You can throw the greatest punch in the world but if the guy can't take the punch right, its not going to look right.  The same thing goes for a kiss", as we see a kiss from that episode. We see L&L clinking champagne glasses, "I can rev up every ounce of romantic Valentine I can find in myself, and it won't mean a thing if the person can't take a hit."  As we see the reunion on the lawn of the mayor's mansion, "Ms. Francis takes the hit better than anyone I have ever EVER known."  The wedding kiss shot closes the clip (Note: I have created a GH Anniversary edit with tons of anniversary promos from the 20th-40th anniversaries, the 30th anniversary special with the re-airing of the first episode of GH shown in flashbacks, the 35th anniversary primetime special, the 40th anniversary show, and interviews and clips of the actors for different anniversaries.

Lucky's meets with Helena on the docks.  He thanks her for having treated him to lunch the other day.  "aren't you well brought up?" she drawls. "Yeah, I have good manners," Lucky counters, in a subtle but telling distinction.  He proposes an alliance-- he can open doors for her in PC, in return for stories about his family and double minimum wage.   Neither Helena nor  Lucky notice Luke lurking in the fog on the landing above.  Helena agrees to Lucky's proposal, and asks him to explain "that dolorous phrase, minimum wage." They shake hands, to Luke's distress. Luke listens in unseen as Lucky offers his "services" to Helena. Helena realizes that relations must be strained between father and son for Lucky to make such an offer.  Luke Spencer is responsible for the deaths of her son and her husband, and she owes him a death!  Lucky remains emotionless during her tirade, and she compliments him on hiding his fear.  Lucky thinks they should forget the whole thing.  Au contraire, Helena warms to the spunky Lucky and tells him to report for work tomorrow at 10 a.m.

Helena is asleep in her bed and murmurs with pleasure as a hand comes up and lightly strokes her face. She opens her eyes and stares into the face of *Luke Spencer*.  "Be still my heart," she whispers, keeping her cool.  "Exactly what I had in mind," Luke responds. He flicks open a knife and holds it to her throat.  "Tell me why I shouldn't slit your throat right now."

"Put away the knife away, Luke, and maybe we can find something more pleasurable to do in the dark," she urges. Luke demands to know what she wants with Lucky.  Well, he asked for a job, and she wanted to oblige.  But he must have learned something very nasty to be so angry  his father. Luke tells her that if anything happens to his son, he will take care of the rest of her "horrific spawn", including precious Nikolas.  Helena warns him that might alienate Lucky further.  But Luke warns her that Lucky will never trust the Cassadines. "If anything happens to my son,  Nikolas will end up in the hospital with the brain function of a bowl of lettuce."  Luke brings his mouth close Helena's face, hovering over her mouth, as though to kiss or bite her.  "Still feeling sexy?" he murmurs. Then he disappears. Luke takes a call from Audrey, and fishes for news of Lucky. The only thing she can tell Luke is that his son is being a wonderful help to Liz. Before hanging up, she compliments him on what a fine boy he and Laura have raised.

Bobbie visited Luke to tell him how whacked out her ex-husband is. Luke was stunned at how far gone Tony appears, and suggested she get a lawyer to sever Tony's rights, but Bobbie wanted Luke's help instead, and asked him to try to talk turkey to Tony. At the jailhouse, Luke presents a document to ex-doc-bro-in-law stating a release of all rights to Lucas. Tony says 'no deal,' and launches into the most eloquent self-defense of his parental skills that any "villain" could ever hope to spew. For seven months, he devoted himself to Carly's unborn child and he was the best possible father that baby could have. That he was willing to go as far as he did to protect the child was his proof that he was a good pop. Luke tried to both explain the reasoning behind Bobbie's concerns *and* empathize with the man behind the bars, and when Tony turns it around and asks Luke if he would sign those papers were he in similar shoes. We don't see Luke's face, but Tony does and it reaffirms his position. Luke returns to his home and a waiting Bobbie and tells her that Tony's agreed not to see Lucas without first clearing it with Bobbie, but that he wouldn't sign away his legal rights, and Luke wasn't about to lean on him to do so. Stefan  picking up a sheer scarf that Kat dropped, and presenting a Greek Island Flashback. Stefan in white and khaki presents a similar scarf to "Lasha" that he found; she says Nik must've pulled it out of her hair. Kat drags him back to the present.

Mike comes up to Luke at the jetty.  He tells Mike that Lucky is living elsewhere, and he wants Mike to keep Helena away from her yacht while Luke does his thing on it. Luke plants bugs under tables and things, but then he has to duck down behind a table while Helena's "Man Friday" sets up the table.  Helena is walking back toward the yacht and Mike steps out: "Roxy!" He pulls out all the con-man stops, telling her how he's missed her, and how sorry he is, but surely she will forgive him, and on and on. "Roxy, it's me, Mikey!"  "Do I look like the sort of woman who would know a 'Mikey??'"  Helena is intrigued in spite of herself. "Let me make you happy."  "There are many definitions of happiness."  "You define it, I'll do it."  Lucky comes on the scene and Helena realizes they know each other.  Mike beats a hasty exit, and Helena asks Lucky who that was.  Lucky tells her Mike is Sonny's dad, and Luke's friend, and when Helena wonders what he wanted, Lucky says Mike likes money and beautiful women. Helena takes Lucky to the yacht, Luke makes his escape, and Helena tells Lucky he's passed the test.  However, she impales a loaf of bread with a knife to indicate what happens to people who don't pass the tests. Luke has hastened to his listening devices and learns that Lucky told about Mike.

Helena arrives at Wyndemere with Lucky in tow. Stefan half-heartedly offers them tea. Helena compliments Mrs. Lanbury on her scones but then adds that she's grateful they weren't poisoned.  Stefan points out that poisoning is her MO. She asks about Nik's studies.  Nik says they're going well enough and he will need no help from her when he inherits the empire.  He then asks to speak to Lucky alone and they leave. "He despises you"  Stefan says to Helena and goes on to say that, despite the innocuous scones, she's not welcome here.  Helena says that she has important information. Helena tells Stefan that Luke and Lucky are at odds and that Lucky could be valuable to them.  Stefan is dubious of the boy's intent.  He may be another Spencer spy.  Helena gathers that Stefan's talking about Bobbie as the other spy, and taunts him for marrying her.  Stefan says that if anything happens to Lucky, that Luke would exact revenge by hurting Nikolas.  Helena says that Stefan is afraid of Luke or perhaps it's Luke's wife he fears.  Laura might hate Stefan for causing a rift between Luke and Lucky.

At Luke's Club, Kat walks in to squeal to Luke about Helena and Lucky's visit to Wyndemere.  After sparring briefly about Nik's role in Luke and Lucky's estrangement, she says that Luke should act in Lucky's best interest and stop all this revenge nonsense.  "Nothing I've done so far comes close to revenge,"  Luke replies. Outside, Nik tells Lucky that Helena's a murderer.  Lucky asks why Nik's even concerned about what he does.  Nik says it's for Lulu's sake.  Lucky says that what he does is his own business,  his life is his own. Nik says that if Lucky works for Helena, that she will control his life.

Back at the tea party, Helena wonders what's keeping Nik.  Stefan says he's avoiding her and suggests that she leave.  Nik returns and says Lucky's waiting by the launch.  When pressed by Helena, Nik says it's his (Nik's) choice to stay away from her.  He adds that if anything happens to Lucky, he'll ask Stefan to see to it that she suffers.  He dismisses her.  Helena starts to leave, but then adds "would he have as much faith in you if he knew you'd been to No. Carolina?"  "He knows,"  Stefan replies.  "And if you harm Laura in any way, he'll know about that too."  Helena leaves, momentarily defeated.

Luke walks into his office and Kat is still there.  She claims they weren't done talking.  Luke points out that she wasn't saying anything worth listening to, and advises her not to tell Stefan about their chat.  Kat says to give peace a chance.  Luke says that she can play 'informer' about Lucky, because, the safer Lucky is, the better off Nik will be.  Luke, in a booze-induced sleep, is asleep at his desk at the Club.  Bobbie wakes him and he wants to know what's on fire.  "Only your life Luke," she tells him. Home to Luke these days is only the place he hangs his neuroses.  Laura couldn't get anyone at the house so she called Bobbie. Bobbie didn't give her any of the details of what's going on in Port Charles but she thinks it's time Laura came home. Evidently Laura thinks Luke is avoiding her but Bobbie thinks that perhaps Laura is the one that doesn't want to come home.   Luke wants to know if Bobbie has a purpose for coming around and bugging him. Actually she does.  She's ticked that Luke didn't handle the Tony matter for her.  But Luke (after losing Lucky) knows that a man isn't going to just sign away his rights as father or that if he does it actually means he just stop being a father.  But in true Spencer bonding fashion, as mad as Bobbie is at Luke, she can't quite figure out how to stop caring about him. Katherine interrupts their visit. Bobbie exits.

Katherine acts like she's calming the waters in the Cassadine/Spencer feud but she's really on a fishing expedition  trying to ascertain where Laura fits in the scheme of things.  Luke suspects Stephan sent her over to fish out Laura's zip code. Katherine replies that Stefan would never harm Laura because Laura is the only other woman that Stefan has ever loved.  Luke did not know this little tidbit of info and he doesn't seem to  believe it until Katherine tells him that Stefan admitted it to her.  Luke gets rid of Katherine, no longer having fun with the game,  and he looks like someone who has just realized a big truth or that a whole bunch of stuff suddenly makes sense. Luke listens to a ringing phone as he continues to drown himself in booze and sneaking suspicions. Down in the cellar, Stefan whipped the cover off of Lasha's portrait, and loosed his switchblade. After raising it to the painting, he thought better and resheathed it.

Luke comes into the police station looking for Taggart.  Garcia gives him a seat.  Taggart asks about Jason.  He asks why Luke gets garbage removed from his club.  Luke answers: "Because I'm nice to people?"  After Bobbie talks to Tony, Luke walks her out.  They talk about Lucas. Bobbie wants to protect him, but she can't.  Luke tells her he'll know more about how he's doing with Lucky later (after he tunes into the bugs on Helena's yacht.)

Stefan, in the wine cellar.  He removes the quilt that covers Lasha's portrait and gazes at his Lasha with an inscrutable expression on his face.  We cut from this shot of Stefan thinking of Laura to Luke, sitting on the bench in the park, the spot associated with both Laura's and Liz's rapes.   Lucky and Liz come upon Luke, Lucky pretends not to see him, telling Liz "There's nothing here to show it happened.  I checked, remember?"  He looks at his Dad in a challenging way, almost daring Luke to speak to him, and Luke looks, as he often does these days, sadly resigned.  Luke asks Lucky how things are going. Luke tells Lucky Laura has been calling, Lucky guesses correctly that she doesn't know he's left home.  Luke expresses concern about Lucky's ties to Helena, and points out correctly that if Lucky really were finished with the family, as he claims, he wouldn't go out of his way to ally himself with his dad's enemy that way.  A nerve having been struck, Lucky taunts Luke about telling Laura what's going on with the Spencer men.  He suggests that Luke tell Laura that Lucky is through with his dad: "Tell the truth for the first time in family history."  Lucky continues to misunderstand the Luke/Laura bond, accusing his father of hiding from his mom and his mom of avoiding the truth about his dad.  Luke refuses to attempt to correct Lucky's ideas.  Instead, he sighs deeply and tells the cowboy to take care of himself, before leaving. After Luke is gone, Lucky apologizes to Liz, who is concerned about him.  He admits it's hard to see his dad, as he's reminded that "I saw him wrong all those years."  Liz thinks they should postpone their attempt to retrace her footsteps until after dark.

Luke is snooping around at Wyndermere, wearing black gloves and shining a flashlight in the wine cellar.  He sees the covered painting, rips off the quilt, and studies the picture.  I should point out that we can see Luke's face, but not the portrait, at this angle. Luke is still looking at the painting, and Stefan appears behind him.  "Interesting likeness, don't you think?" Luke and Stefan gaze at the unveiled portrait and debate the merits of art.  The painting is revealed to us as a portrait of Helena, younger and semi-nude.  (Aha, the old switcheroo!  So here's Lasha's portrait?)  Luke remarks that Stefan, holding on to such a masterpiece, must be a lot closer to his Mommy than anyone dreamed. Stefan tells Luke that he expected Kat's revelation that Stefan was "in love" with Laura to bring Luke charging over.  The pity that Stefan once mistook for love soon turned to disdain  one Laura abandoned her son and murdered Stavros. But Luke's not here to discuss Stefan's fantasy love life.  He wants to talk about Helena.  "Mommie Dearest has her wire hanger into Lucky" and Luke wants to remove it.  Stefan tells him to take it up with the woman herself, and Luke suggests that Nik's in just as much danger from grandma as Lucky is. Luke stops just short of proposing they team up.  Stefan does not take kindly to the warning, but once Luke leaves, he smirks as he gazes at the portrait. Luke fingers a photo of him and Laura.  "So, he [Stefan] never acted on it [his attraction] and you never knew.  Right, baby doll?"  Luke's face is hard and angry.  "Right?"

Lucky rifles through Helena's furniture.  She arrives, pats him and quizzes him about Tony and the Spencer reaction to his troubles.  Luke, of course, is listening via a planted bug.  Lucky gives her some vague opinions and talks about how sorry he feels for Lucas, his father has done an awful thing, he just hopes they will tell Lucas the truth.  Helena instructs Lucky to steal something from Luke's safe. Luke leaves his office so that Lucky can burgle it easily.  Lucky comes in and stares at the safe. Lucky goes through the safe but takes nothing.  He picks up some papers from Luke1s desk and leaves. Luke goes to Tony and cautions him about trusting a Cassadine.  Tony berates Luke until he leaves and then fondles Sheila's and Helena's cards, he chooses one. Luke realizes that Lucky did open the safe but hears Lucky deliver a bunch of beer invoices to Helena, pretending that they were in the safe. Luke received a large gift from Stefan, Helena's half-nude portrait. Luke was jokingly disgusted and ordered Claude to hang it over the fireplace saying it would help keep the Cassadines out. Wrong.

Nik stopped into the club and partly due to Luke's own sarcasm, made a piss poor attempt at thanking him for assisting in the emergency tracheotomy. He also attempted to apologize for spilling Lucky's family history to his half-bro, and was concerned to find out that Lucky was working for Helena. As Nik was trying to leave, Luke pointed out the painting of Nik's grandmother. Nik was suitably awed and outraged. Luke: "So what do you think? I just mounted your grandmother." On his brooding way out the door, he stunned Luke with word of Stefan's Portrait Du Jour collection of Laura. Upon returning home, Nik immediately confronted Stefan about the "gift" of Helena. Stefan was apologetic but dismissive of Nik's concerns, until his nephew momentarily wrecked his day by revealing what he revealed to Luke about Lasha central.  When Stefan snapped out of it, he asked Nik if he'd approve Laura's return. Nik tentatively agreed, but was concerned about how his telling Lucky would affect his mother. Stefan said he'd look forward to the fireworks, in not-so-many words. Helena made a phone call to Alexis, where she made it quite clear she'd been keeping tabs on everything Alexis does, and ordered her to make a stop at the Greek Island homestead to pick up a Very Special Package. Alexis was reluctant, but Helena suggested that her life depended on retrieving the trunk.

Luke's patrons were expressing mixed, okay, awful reviews of Helena's portrait when Bobbie came in to talk with her brother and hash out her upcoming appearance at Tony's trial, exposing all of her thoughts on Tony's sanity and history of both self-righteousness and empathy, and how she hoped he'd be sent up the creek for 40 years, which set Luke to counter with the info that Helena has taken an interest in Tony's case. Luke speculated that Helena was planning on using Tony as a tool against the Spencers, and asked Bobbie to try to talk him out of becoming Helena's next cohort. She balked and left. Nik came bounding downstairs to tell his uncle that the plan to bring Laura home had his full approval. Stefan practically grabbed his hat and left for the airport, but not before telling Nik to make sure Kat was left out of the loop as he feared she'd run straight to Luke with the news. Helena thanks Alexis for picking up her trunk in Greece and then tells her that Lucky Spencer is working for her now and he will pick it up.

Lucky is snooping around a bit until he hears Helena's voice and he makes a beeline for the couch.  Helena has a job for him. She wants him to do a little breaking and entering at Dare Jensen's office.  (Luke is listening in via his bug).  When Lucky voices minor reservations she wonders if he is up to the task. But Lucky wonders if she's trying to set him up to embarrass his father.  It wouldn't bother him but jail, on the other hand, that would bother him.  Helena makes it clear that this little errand is of great importance to her and isn't a test. She pulls out some cash, letting him know that he'd be rewarded for his success. Next in the hallway outside Dara's office steps Luke. Inside, Lucky has found something. It is Dara's strategies in Tony's trial.  Lucky leaves Dara's office just as Liz walks up and they make their exit.  The ever-watchful Luke had stepped out of sight so Lucky wouldn't see him. Lucky has turned over what he found in Dara's office and Helena pays him off. Lucky tries to question her about what she wants with Doctor Jones.  Helena isn't overwhelmed by his cleverness.

Luke is listening to his bug on Helena's yacht.  Jason comes in.  Luke is pleased that his garbage is being picked up during the strike, but "you didn't come here to talk trash.  What's up?"  Benny told Jason that Lucky is on Helena's yacht.  Luke knew, he's not listening to books on tape. Does Luke want Lucky followed? Luke listens in as  Helena is looking at the trunk.  She opens it, and says "Laura" which really gives Luke something to think about. Luke comes up and overlooks the file.  He asks "Natasha" if she's having "second doubts about defending Tony."  Luke wants to know why Helena is helping Tony.  Alexis warns him that Lucky is Helena's errand boy.  Luke says "one day Helena will ask you to do something that's going to turn your stomach."  Alexis says "That day has already dawned. On the yacht, in true Spencer fashion, Lucky snoops around while waiting for Helena.  He discovers a bug Luke has planted, but as soon as he finds it, Helena walks in and finds him.  Apparently she thinks he is planting the bug, because she strides toward him saying, "Lucky, I'm disappointed in you."  We hear this line along with Luke, who is listening in from his office. A worried look crosses his face as the bug goes dead.

Helena has also dropped by the courthouse, looking coolly elegant in a tiny black dress with a low-cut neckline.  Luke slips into the seat behind her, and asks "am I late, or do I have time to get popcorn?" Helena smiles indulgently. They banter throughout the day. Luke:  "What, getting soft on me, Helena?"  Helena: "You of all people should know how I detest that word."  Double entendre anyone?  Tony enters the courtroom, looking menacing.  He shoots a mocking look at Carly.  The judge enters, says he'll render a verdict, and warns against courtroom interruptions.  Defense has offered a plea, we learn, of second-degree custodial interference and the prosecution has agreed to that plea.  There's a one-year maximum sentence.  No mention is made of the kidnapping of Robin.

Helena spots the bug that Lucky has located, and she thinks he planted it.  She demands to know how many other are there.  Luck's pretty cool as he answers that he doesn't know.  An extremely pissed Helena orders her henchman to scour the place and dispose any transistors they find.  While they're at it, dispose of young Mr. Spencer as well. At the same time, we see the earphone that Luke has been eavesdropping through dangling unused at the club, as Luke speeds away to rescue his son. The goon finds three bugs and Helena presses Lucky for the rest of them.  The kid has his father's foolhardiness--uh, that is, gumption and acts pretty cocky with Helena, considering his life is at stake.  If anything happens to him, his father will see that Nikolas has an accident from which he will never recover Helena slaps him across the face.  How *dare* he threaten her grandson! She looks up to see Luke pointing a gun at her.  "Try that again, I'll put a bullet in your face before you can lift your hand." He disarms the goon as Helena congratulates him on using his son as a spy.  The two Spencers act as though that was the plan all along.  Helena smoothly offers Lucky his "payment" for his services a sealed envelope, which he picks up.  Luke tells Helena that he won't forget the slap she gave his son.  "You know I won't." He slips away. The goon grovels for forgiveness, but Helena shushes him. Lucky Spencer served his purpose.  "And I've given him something to remember me by."

On the docks, Lucky tells his dad that he no longer needs help. Luke believes otherwise.  Lucky opens the envelope to find photos of Laura, post-rape and battered.  He silently hands them to Luke.  These are fake," Luke sputters.  "The police never took pictures of Laura.  And she never looked like this."

"They may be fake," Lucky answers, "But what you did to her isn't."

"I'm your father, whether you like it or no."  Luke grinds his teeth.  "You'll never be finished with me."  He stalks off, taking the photos with him. At the club, Luke throws down the photos and pours himself a drink.  The phone rings, its Laura.  He pretends everything's just peachy.

Stefan delivers a message of love to Nik from Laura. Stefan flashes back to Laura and Leslie Lu.  He tells her he won't prevent her from returning to PC. Stefan tells Nik that he thinks Laura will come home soon and Nik tells him how her letters are the reason he can speak now. Nik  wants her back, even if he is 4th place in her life. Stefan warns him to mention none of this to Kat.  We see another flashback to Laura and Stefan, he tells her he won't use Nik's parentage as blackmail anymore. Leslie Lu is adorable. Stefan drifts off to sleep and thinks about Laura in NC. 

Nik notes a trunk in the sitting room.  It has come for Stefan. Helena smiles at Ari as he walks past.  She gazes at a key and behold!  There is Stefan.  He didn't know about the trunk.  "Perhaps you were in the guest quarters enjoying the favors of Ms. Bell when it arrived.  You  are pathetic! Waiting your whole life for the perfect woman, and then marrying Bobbie Spencer Jones, instead?  And then getting involved with this Bovine Peasant.  A cook's daughter?  Please please promise me that you will not embarrass the family by asking her to marry you." Stefan says she is no position to give marital advice.  Helena says she had a long happy marriage with Mikkos till Luke Spencer murdered him, "whose head you would have sent me long ago if you were any kind of man."  He tells her she is a nuisance and she's going home now. He has cleaned out her bank accounts.  They posture and threaten back and forth.   She gives him her key.  "You are a weakling, Stefan.  Do you honestly think that you can intimidate me?"  He leaves, and there's Luke on the Yacht, rising up behind the bar.

Ari returns, and Luke sasses him and ties him up.  He smokes a cigar, and surprises Helena.  "I'm here to kill you."  "Your threats are becoming tiresome."  Luke asks what was in the trunk.  He's angry about the faked beaten-Laura pictures.  He assures Helena she will die for what she did to his son.  Then: "I'm not going to kill you right now."  He wants to surprise her.  She surprises him with the news that Stefan went to see Laura in North Carolina.  They continue the death-flirtation, with poor Ari as the example victim.  Finally Luke downs the wine he'd convinced Helena was poisoned, and leaves.

Back at Wyndemere, it becomes apparent that Stefan has swallowed the bait, hook, line and sinker.  Nik wants to open the trunk, he's dying of curiosity.  Stefan asks Nik how he would feel if he (Stefan) asked Katherine to marry him.  Nik thinks it would be great.  Nik still wants to open the trunk, but Stefan puts him off.  He opens it when Nik leaves. There are Nik's baby shoes, a doll, and a jewelry box.  The latter contains a ring, and Stefan recalls Laura giving it to him as she leaves the Cassadine Island.  Stefan has a Greek flashback, dressed in his customary black suit, is in his bedroom where a fire is roaring in the fireplace. We hear that evocative tinkling piano music as he kneels by the trunk, opens it, and tenderly picks up a baby blanket. As he gazes fondly at the blanket, we go into a flashback, "I won't try to stop you, Laura," we hear Stefan say as the shot dissolves into the flashback of a young Stefan facing Laura,who is holding an adorable baby Nikolas in her arms.  "I understand why you must leave Nikolas temporarily. Traveling with an infant will only make it easier for Helena or Stavros to find you." His voice goes all husky in that sexy choked-up way he gets when he speaks of his bond with Nikolas, as Laura hands him the baby. "I will protect him with my life. You have my word."  Pause. "I wish you safe passage and a speedy return."  Laura removes her engagement ring and gives it to baby Nikolas. Then the flashback is over, and we see Stefan's gorgeous, troubled face, still lost in memories.

Stefan goes back to the trunk, open it again, and retrieve the ring Laura was wearing in the earlier flashback. As he gazes at it, we move to another flashback, a less pleasant memory of Helena.  I'm amazed at how Stephen Nichols manages to look 15 years younger in these scenes. This scene takes place after Laura has left the island.  There's a baby carriage, and Stefan is holding the adorable baby Nikolas in his arms while arguing with Helena.  Helena is belittling her son, as always, and ignores his denial of any knowledge of Laura's plans to leave the island "I swear to you, I have no idea where Laura has gone."

H:  You're as bad at lying as you are everything else.  I know Laura went to Spencer because I arranged for her to find out that he was alive. What I didn't foresee is that Stavros would go rushing off after her.

S: " Laura will be back.  She gave me her word."  He rubs the baby's back nervously. Helena laughs derisively.  "And you believe that? You're pathetic!"

S: " Nikolas is her son.  She would not abandon him."

H: "If she intended to return, would she have left this, the symbol of her marriage?" She picks up the ring from the baby carriage. "You think she will return because she loves you instead of Stavros." Stefan's face reveals no emotion, as he continues to jiggle the baby and stroke his back rhythmically. "Am I right? Come on, Stefan, tell Mommie your secrets.  Even a woman as desperately common as Laura would never love a man as weak and worthless as you.  She used you, that's all, and you allowed it."  Ouch, why does she hate her second son so much?  "Now, give me my grandson and get out of my sight." Stefan clutches Nikolas even tighter, shouts "NO," and baby Nikolas shoots Grandma the finger. [Great coincidence check your tape.]  "If there is any way I can help it, you will not so much as breathe on this child ever again."  Helena is taken aback by this show of resistance.  As Stefan walks away carrying the baby, she calls after him, "Your brother will hear about this, and you will pay for it for the rest of your life."

Luke tells Alexis he wants to help her get back "your edge, your passion, that certain gun-slinger mentality I found utterly irresistible when we first met.  It's gone now.  You've sacrificed it to I-don't-know-what. Natasha, Helena has sliced the fight out of you." Luke realizes that Alexis is a "virgin", she's never planned a murder before.  No matter, Alexis will not put up Helena's demands any longer.  The only way she will be safe is for Helena to die. Luke tells her she better think whether she can live with the consequences.  Alexis answers, no prob.  She wants to help Luke plan and carry out Helena's murder.  Not for just her own sake, but for Nik's. She's prepared to argue self-defense for the crime.  Luke says if they do it right, they'll never get caught. Alex confesses that Helena ended the affair between Alex and Ned, by forcing her to defend  Tony.  Watch out, Luke quips that she may be starting to trust him (Luke).  Maybe that's not a good idea, Alexis says.  What would keep Luke from using her as a fall guy?  Because they both have a common goal, Helena's death.  The two conspirators agree that the whole thing must look like an accident. Stefan proposes to Kat, she accepts. They tell Nik who is happy for them.

On the waterfront, Alexis is impatiently awaiting Luke when he comes up to her, clutching his bleeding stomach. He tells her to run! Helena's coming after her next! Instead, Alexis whips out her cellular phone to call 911. Luke grabs it with a "sorry, just kidding" explanation. He's testing her. Alexis is not amused. In a spliced montage, Luke and Alexis' plans for Helena's demise are intercut with Stefan and Kat's party plans. I'm not even going to try to do the scenes justice, but suffice to say, the party plans are set for May 22 at Wyndemere. Stefan proclaims a masked ball, the family tradition of Bacchanalia. Open to everyone. Luke and Alexis decide they need a public event, where they can don disguises. While, on the docks, Nik runs into Luke and informs him there'll be a major engagement party at his house on May 22 and Luke's not invited. In fact, he's so uninvited that Nik's already ordered security to take Luke out back and shoot him  if he even tries to crash the gates.

Stefan hands one of his goons the keys to the trunk with orders to bring it downstairs, after which, Kat comes along with the finished party invitations. Stefan bags about the nobility invited, and explains the history of Bacchanalia, Cassadine style; all the Russian nobility and family foes would hold a truce for the engagement party, but come masked as insurance. Exeunt Boris & Natasha, enter The Trunk. Enter Nik, who decides to open it,  and pulls out a letter from Helena to Stefan, basically taunting his memories and momento of Lasha contained in the box. Stefan tells her to close her eyes, and whips out the wedding dress that every Cassadine bride wears. A little of the history of the dress is discussed, but not the fact that Laura, also, wore it.

Luke is handling his invitation and asks Alexis for the scoop. She obliges, and he points out what a great opportunity it would be for a murder. If Stefan invites Helena, she says. Luke has a surprise to make Alexis' day, he shows her the portrait of Helena "in her Mata Hari" phase. Ms. Davis is duly impressed and shocked. When a waitress signals Luke, he shoves Alexis off to a side room against her protests and promises she'll be delighted. In walks Helena, who wants to know what possession of hers Luke has, and wants it back, immediately. Luke stalls, by talking about the upcoming shindig and engagement, and feels out to see if she's going.  Mike enters, happy to see his "Roxy." Helena, less than impressed, makes one of her patented death-threats. Mike fills up the bar with witnesses.

Round two: Luke pulls out a photo of a young Helena that he doctored to look as though she'd been beaten. She basically shrugs. Round three: Luke yells "hit it" and the Stripper's Theme comes up. While Alexis looks on, he reveals Helena to another vision oh her younger self, the nude. She does not take this well. While the onlookers enjoy the merriment, Helena is further stunned to find that it was her own son who sent Luke the painting. She threatens Luke and turns to leave. Round four: In walks straight into Bobbie, in full mama, or auntie-bear mode. After chewing Helena out for slapping her nephew, Bobbie sends a left hook straight that sends Helena reeling to the floor. "Oohs," from the crowd when Bobbie threatens to give her ex-mother-in-law a "good, old-fashioned, American butt-kicking" should she ever cause harm to another Spencer. Later, when all the gang's left, Alexis comes back out, giggling, but with a warning to expect Helena to try to exact revenge. "After next Friday," he says, "Helena will be nothing but a bad memory."

Katherine is fussing over the dress.  Stefan comes in.  She asks about the last Cassadine wife to wear it, Bobbie?  "No, that was hardly cause for celebration."  No this time he's proclaiming the woman he loves to the world.  The phone rings, for Katherine.  Stefan leaves and Nik comes in.  He's upset about the dress.  "Did he tell you this dress has a history?" Later Nik is looking at the dress and Stefan comes in and Nik asks her why Stefan is making her wear Laura's dress.  Stefan explains it's a Cassidine dress.  Why would Helena call it Lasha's dress? Luke has used his amazing ability to enter and leave Spoon Island at will to bring Alexis here to plan Helena's "accident."  My favorite line was Luke's "I wouldn't bury her alive; she might have the power to regenerate herself."  They settle on a fall from the parapet, with Luke gruesomely nonchalant as he observes it's a high enough fall to assure death and situated to provide for an "audience".  This decision made, Alexis leaves for a meeting and Luke stays behind to make arrangements.

A giggling Katherine and Stefan enter the living room, forcing Luke to hide and watch their silly antics.  There is much smooching, since Kat is wearing the "Lasha portrait" dress, which always puts Stefan in the mood.  Then Stefan gives Kat a dance lesson in proper waltzing.  They stop dancing and collapse on the couch in giggles and start kissing.  Then we're reminded of what, or who, is really on his mind.  "I've only attended one other Bacchanalia [notice he doesn't volunteer that it honored Laura as a former Cassidine bride].  Watching the engagement ring go on the bride's hand is something I'll never forget. This engagement, this tradition, marks a new beginning for both of us. They kiss some more, and he's particularly ardent, as always after a Lasha thought.  She invites him to come to the guesthouse, and Luke is able to come out of hiding as they exit. Luke finds the portrait of Laura, and a light bulb goes off when he sees that Laura is dressed just like Kat was earlier. Katherine is sitting on the stone bench, admiring her ring, when Nikolas comes over. As she's talking, Nik has a flashback to when he was a small boy and Stefan is telling him about the ring being his mother's  when he was a young boy, "This ring was once on the hand of the most beautiful woman in the world, your mother. Do you like it Nikolas?"

**The End**

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