| Chapter 2 The next evening Stefan and Esme' were in the dining room going over final preparations when Mrs. Landsbury entered. "Master Nikolas and Miss Gia are here," she said, then left. Stefan and Esme' walked out of the room and went over to Nikolas and Gia. /\/\/\ Sonny was stil waiting for Carly to get ready. Finally she came downstairs. She looked beautiful. She wore a simple red dress with diamond earing and a dimond pendant around her neck. Her hair was done up in ringlets and she wore very little make-up. /\/\/\ After everyone had greeted each other, Esme and Gia had gone upstairs to check on Jared, Angelina, and Tiana. "Esme', can I ask you a question?" Gia asked while they were with the twins. "Sure." "How do you do this? I mean taking care of your children and being a Cassadine wife?" "It gets complicated, but I've adjusted, you will too, in time." "Esme', I think I'm pregnant." /\/\/\ "So Nikolas, how are you enjoying being married?" Stefan asked as they sat in the library. "It's wonderful. Gia is wonderful." "I'm glad you're happy." /\/\/\ Sonny and Carly stepped off the lauch and were welcomed into Wyndemere. Mrs. Landsbury led them to the nursery where they found Esme' and Gia. Upon seeing Carly , Gia quit speaking, but looked to Esme' for support. Esme', knowing the look, began greeting her brother and sister-in-law. "Hello Micheal," Esme' said hugging him tightly. She pulled away from him and turned to Carly. "You must be Carly." Carly scrutinized the woman. "You must be Esmeralda." "Hello Carly," Gia said. "Sonny." Sonny nodded at Gia. He was about ot sat something to Carly when Alexis came into the room. "Esme'," she siad embracing her sister-in-law. "Are we ready to start?" Stefan asked coming into the room, Ned and Nikolas behind him. Everyone nodded, except Sonny, and they all left the room. Sonny stopped Stefan before he could leave. /\/\/\ Lorenzo Lopez sat behind his desk and reclined in his chair. THere was a knock on the door. "Sir," the young man asked. "Yes, Pablo," Lopez said annoyed. "Campton is here." Lopez smiled. "Send Mr. Campton in." A few minutes later another young man walked in and sat down across from Lopez. "Whatta ya got for me?" Campton asked. "Something big, very big." /\/\/\ Esme', Alexis, Gia, Carly, Nikolas, and Ned sat at their seats in the dining room. Everyone but Esme' and Carly looked around for Sonny and Stefan. They both knew what was going on. /\/\/\ "We need to talk," Sonny said very low. Stefan nodded, letting Sonny continue. "I don't want my sister hurt by you or your psychotic family." "Most of the family likes her, and I would never think of hurting her." "What about Helena?" "We are working to rid our family of her." Sonny only nodded, realizing the hidden meaning. They both walked out of the room. /\/\/\ Helena slammed her phone down. How dare they have a family dinner and not invite her. "Andreas, we will be leaving for Wyndemere momentarily." /\/\/\ Lopez handed Campton an envelope. He opened it and pulled out two pictures. "There is a certain time that I want this done Campton." Lopez handed him another picture. "Only when they are with this woman." "What about her?" "Don't touch her, and don't kill them. I need them both alive but seriously injured." Campton nodded. "I'll watch. You gotta deal." "Good." /\/\/\ They are about to be served the main course when the chief of security comes in. "Sir, Helena has just arrived on the island." Stefan nods a dismissal. Nikolas took a sip of his wine. "Well I guess this is now an 'official' Cassadine dinner." Esme' chuckled. "Probably." "What is that supposed to mean?" Carly asked. Alexis answered. "It means that if Helena sits down to eat, watch her carefully. You don't eat anything that she doesn't. If she doesn't sit don't touch any of the food." Nikolas added, "When the servants refill your wine glasses, don't take a drink." "Watch her with anything that could be a potential weapon," Esme' finished. Carly, Sonny, and Ned looked at them all like they were crazy but turned their attention to the newcomer. "Now Stefan, why didn't you invite me to this family dinner?" Helena said. "Hello Mother," Stefan said, pretending to be bored. "Yes, hello Helena," Esme' said. "Killed anyone lately?" "It would be wise for you to watch what you say. You never know when something could happen. Or when history could repeat itself." Esme' was shocked by Helena's threat. Stefan and Sonny wondered what Helena meant by that. The servants began bringing out the main course. Helena took a seat at the end of the table, opposite Stefan. "But you do know Esmeralda, that the past always comes back. I thought that you would have learned that by now." Esme' glared at Helena. "Don't make empty threats Helena." "I don't make 'empty' threats Esmeralda, but I do make promises. The past does have a nasty habit of coming back to haunt us." "Oh, so now you're talking about yourself, because I did nothing that could come back to haunt me. You were the one who tried to kill Robin." "She was a nuiscence." "No, she's just Robert and Anna's daughter." "It doesn't matter now. Robert and Anna are dead." "Or are they?" Helena looked at Esme. Everyone else watched the battle of words between Helena and Esme' in confusion. Who and what were they talking about? Helena angrily stood up and was about to leave when Esme's words stopped her. "Just because you are told someone dies, doesn't mean that they are actually dead." Helena glared at her then left. Esme' rolled her eyes. As soon as Helena was out of earshot, everyone at the table bombarded her with questions. She finished off her wine and stood and left the table. /\/\/\ Joe Campton walked into his hotel room and went to the bar. After pouring himself a drink he looked at the pictures he got from Lopez. After studying them for a minute he went over and opened the wall safe. From it he took a small metal box, a pair of headphones. and his cell phone. He opened the box and put the headphones on. Hw pushed a button on the inside of the box and he began to hear the unmistakable voice of Lorenzo Lopez. /\ A phone rang. Lopez answered it. "Lopez." "Mr. Lopez I need the plan sped up," Helena Cassadine replied. "Mrs. Cassadine, this is a delicate matter. In order for my plan to succeed, your son, Esmeralda, and Corinthos have to be in the same place at the same time with no other witnesses." "I don't care what you have to do, just make sure that it gets done by the end of the week," she finished, slamming the phone down. /\ Joe had heard both sides of the conversation becuase the bug he had placed was so sensitive. "So Helena orded the hits and the kidnapping," he said to himself. He took the headphones off, but made sure to press the record button. He picked up the cell phone and dialed a number. "Hey Sean." "Frisco, how'd the meeting with Lopez go?" "Good and bad. He wants me to 'injure' Corinthos and Stefan Cassadine." "That's not so bad." "It gets worse. He wants me to do it when they are both together with Esmeralda." "Damn't. What's he planning?" "He's going to kidnap her." "Frisco, youre going to have to get her outta there." "I know. I have a plan." "Oh G*d, here we go again. Another plan cooked up by the great Frisco Jones." "Hey, my plans aren't that bad," Frisco said laughing. "Are you going to need any help?" "Robert's." "I'll call him and have him meet you in the catacombs." "Great. Later Sean." "Bye Frisco." /\/\/\ Robert Scorpio watched his brother pace around the office going on and on about the PCPD's inability to get anything to stick on Sonny Corinthos. Robert couldn't hold back his laughter anymore. Mac looked at him like he was crazy. "Robert what is so funny?" He demanded. Robert finally regained his composure. "You are. You're so annoyed that Sonny gets off of every charge the PCPD throws at him." "Well he does." "So, you can't do anything about it, so give up." "Why can't I do anything about it Robert?" "Because, every time the PCPD gets a charge on Sonny, the WSB gets involved." "No they don't," Mac disagreed. "Yes they do, you just never knew about it until now. You see about eight years ago Sonny, in a way, helped the WSB catch Faison. So every time you get something on him, they bureau makes the charges go away." "How'd he help?" "He disowned his sister, she helped us, so as an ongoing favor to her we keep Sonny out of prison." Mac, now interested sat behind his desk. "Why'd he disown his sister?" "She slept with his worst enemy, Sonny walked in on it." "Who, Moreno, Sorrell?" "No," Robert laughed. "Your friend, Lt. Taggert." |
| A Family Divided |