| Jason fell back, not so much from impact, but��.. Well, when you are shot���that�s what you do! Sitting on the ground, a sharp pain in his gut. Great, dying with Brenda. Was there no end to his suffering? �Jason!� Brenda crawled around him because he had nearly fallen on top of her. Cue dramatic music, nice big tearing scene. She�s SO gonna whine. �What the��..� Jason looked to the source of the pain just along the waist band of his jeans. God bless Levis. A metal dart. Skewed to the side by the button of his jeans. But it broke skin, barely. After an initial moment of shock, he jerked the dart out. �What�s that?� Ya, well, good question. Jason frowned, �A tranquilizer maybe?� �Why?� �I guess killing us wasn�t the goal after all.� ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Sonny�s body was thrown across the saddle of the guard�s horse. Xenia scratched behind her ear. �Tranquilizers?� Stavros was distracted; his eyes focused on the trail ahead that lead back to the compound. �Yes, Dr. Lee prepared them for us this morning.� �You might have clued me in.� She grumbled. �You didn�t really believe I meant to just kill the man? What is the fun in that?� Xenia gritted her teeth. She wasn�t used to his games. In Moscow, if you shot a man, you had better make damn sure he is dead. �You know��..I loaded my own rifle.� �Really?� �Yes, so your game might have ended sooner than planned if I had taken the shot. There is a reason I like to be kept informed you know��..� Stavros was tuning her out, focused on getting back�focused on his son. Xenia sat up straighter in the saddle. �He�s��..early.� �Yes, I suspected he wouldn�t even realize Alexis was gone for a month or maybe longer.� �Are you ready?� Stavros looked at her finally for the first time since the shots from the compound were heard, �I don�t know, are we?� She hoped the sigh of relief wasn�t noticeable. She was still in the game, not out yet. �Yes, I believe we are.� Stavros stopped his horse. �Just so���.� �It is what has to be done. You tried it his way in Port Charles, remember?� �Yes, I remember.� He nodded slowly as the party continued on. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ �Nikolas! Call it back!� Nikolas turned around on the front lawn as the helicopter took off. He could see Alexis, holding what had to be Kristina, rushing toward the compound. He could finally breathe a little. She was alive, she had her daughter, Helena hadn�t done her worst. Yet. But she was yelling and he couldn�t hear her over the sound of the helicopter. She stopped and tried to catch her breath. Nikolas started jogging towards her and finally came with in ear shot. �You�re okay?� �No!� She took another breath. �Call it back!� �Alexis, it�s okay, I�m here now.� He was right in front of her and took the baby. �Nikolas, we have to leave, call it back.� Nikolas grinned at Kristina. �She looks good, has a little color, put on some weight. Why did you leave? You scared Ned. Is it Helena?� Alexis grabbed his arm and they started back toward the compound. �We have to leave, immediately.� �Fine.� He pulled out his cell phone. �There is no signal. You have to make them let you use the phone in the house.� �Alexis, this is MY island, I don�t have to make them do anything. They are paid to do as I ask. But if it is not Helena, then what is wrong with the phones? I�ve been calling for two days and there is no answer on any of the extensions. Was there a storm or something?� �A storm? I wish.� �Then����.� Over the crest of the hill, a man on horseback. Not close enough to get a clear view��.. No, not clear. He was too far away because he looked like���no impossible. Alexis took Kristina back from Nikolas when she saw the look of shock on his face. �He�s alive���.again.� Nikolas swallowed hard. Run! Run where? It�s a damn island. Alive? Well, hell, of course. No one in his life ever really died. Stavros left the party when he saw them, Alexis, the baby and his son. Standing on the lawn, in front of the compound. A pretty picture in the distance. Alexis in a long soft skirt, holding the baby all dressed in pink. Nikolas in casual attire, surrounded by the lush, green, perfectly manicured lawn. They looked like an Easter picture. Something out of his childhood turned into a dream but rapidly becoming a nightmare the closer he got. The looks on their faces. Now it was Nikolas�s turn to grab Alexis. �Come on.� Nikolas refused to make eye contact with Stavros as he moved his horse directly into their path and dismounted. �Nikolas.� Nikolas still had Alexis�s arm and tried to simply move past him, but Stavros grabbed her other arm. Great, she�s a wish bone. Nikolas was forced to stop, he wasn�t letting go of his Aunt. Kristina let out a squeal. She didn�t sound alarmed so much as���.excited. Like this is going to be GOOD! �Hand her to me.� Stavros let Alexis go and immediately moved to take the baby, but Alexis held firm. Nikolas was breathing hard, too hard. His chest puffed out automatically. �Leave them alone!� Stavros shook his head and continued his gentle struggle to take the baby, so Nikolas swooped in and took Kristina and grabbed his Aunt�s hand. �We�re leaving.� Kristina began to cry. �Oh, she doesn�t like that.� Stavros grinned. �I suppose I must allow you to stay, can�t upset the little one.� Nikolas rolled his eyes and began to pull Alexis across the lawn toward the house. Stavros followed. �Where is Gregor?� Nikolas was asking Alexis but it was Stavros who answered. �He�s most likely in his office. Shall I have the car take you there?� They were nearly to the front door when Alexis finally saw him. She let out a scream and ran for two men carrying the body toward the compound from the stables.�Sonny!� Nikolas finally looked his father in the eye. �What have you done?� Stavros clasped his hands behind his back as they carried the body into the foyer. �There was an intruder on the island, I took care of it.� �Where do you want him, sir?� �Put him down!� Nikolas noted that at least Sonny was still breathing. And then he noted something else. They didn�t put him down. Both men looked at Stavros and waited for further instructions. As if Nikolas hadn�t said a word. Stavros squinted for a moment. �Hmmm. Are there any available cells below?� �Yes, sir.� �No!� Alexis screamed. Kristina began to cry harder. �I said put him DOWN!� Nikolas fumed. �He can�t���you can�t put him in a cell.� Alexis sputtered. �I could have just killed him you know.� Stavros sighed. Kristina�s face was getting red, the sound of her Mother so agitated was not sitting well with her. The two men continued to hold Sonny up and look to Stavros which only made Nikolas more furious by the second. �I DEMAND���� �Just let him go!� Alexis begged. �I suppose we could throw him from the cliffs.� Stavros sighed. Xenia stood at the top of the stairs listening to the racket below. Baby screaming, Alexis screaming, Stavros annoyed and Nikolas���. Well Nikolas looked ready to implode. So maybe the day wasn�t a total waste. But they were still giving her a headache. She grasped the banister. �Take him to the Rose Suite. It is completely secure. Call Gregor and make sure the hunting party is informed that we have Mr. Corinthos. And someone make that blasted baby stop crying!� The men looked at Stavros, who nodded, and began to move up the stairs toward the Rose Suite. Alexis took Kristina from Nikolas and began to follow them. Xenia gave the group a haughty look and headed toward her own room. �Who is that?� Nikolas asked. �Xenia.� Stavros headed toward his study. �Where are you going?� �To call Gregor as she suggested.� Stavros left. Nikolas stood alone in the middle of the foyer and wondered if Helena would have been easier to deal with. He stood there for a full five minutes. No one approached him, no one greeted him. He was home after 7 years and�����no one cared. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Brenda hugged him hard. �Oh thank God. I just knew you were dead.� Jason����patted her on the head. �Nice throw.� �I was aiming for the gun.� �This was better.� �Is he dead?� Brenda looked across the creek. �Let�s not stick around to find out.� Jason stood up and�. Wanted to sit back down����.hard! He felt like he was walking through water, trying to step through waves. It passed and he took a few steps forward, then his vision blurred. He lifted his shirt, the tip of the dart and barely nicked him, but he hadn�t removed it fast enough. �Jason?� Her voice echoed for a moment, then there were two of her. Like one Brenda wasn�t bad enough? He leaned on a tree for support. �Go on.� �What?� �He could wake up�.� Brenda�s eyes got wide. �I�ll slow you down.� �No!� �Brenda.� �I�m not leaving you.� Jason tried to think. Dart. Tranquelizer, but not enough to knock him out cold like it was intended. But it was in his blood stream. Moving around, running, increasing his heart rate would make the drug pump faster through his system. But if the guy woke up, there was no way he could fight him off. He could kill him. But���.no gun. He�d dropped it in the water. Brenda, you have to check and see if the guy is still breathing. �What?� �Just���.look and see if he is breathing.� Brenda pulled on his arm, �No�.lets go. You can do it.� �I can�t move fast and if he wakes up��.� Brenda swallowed hard and walked back to the spot on their side of the creek that offered the best view. She didn�t know what to hope for. If he was still alive, he was coming after them, but if he was dead, she was a murder. She tried not to look at the blood that trickled down his face. She stayed very still and then she saw it, the very slight rise and fall of his chest. �He�s alive.� �Then you have to go.� �I told you NO!� �He could wake up at any minute.� �Well���.then����.do something!� Jason closed his eyes, he was starting to sweat. All he wanted to do was sit down and take a nice long nap. �I�just go.� �No!� �Damn it Brenda!� He slumped back against the tree again, yelling at her took too much energy. �You promised, on the boat, you promised you wouldn�t leave me.� �I�m going to get you killed.� He sighed. �What do we do?� Jason looked back across the creek. His gun was in the water but the rifle was laying across Dante�s chest. The rifle didn�t have bullets but��� �Can you���can you make it back across?� he asked her. �Are you insane?� Jason gritted his teeth. �I can�t do it. If you won�t go then�..it has to be you.� Brenda looked at Dante and then back at Jason. She couldn�t go on with out him, she couldn�t just leave him there. �So if I make it, then what?� �There should be more darts in the rifle.� �You�..you want me to shoot him?� �You wouldn�t kill him, it would just give us some time.� �What if I get across and just bring the rifle back and you shoot him from here?� �My vision is blurry, I can�t aim.� �I��..I don�t know how to shoot a rifle.� �It�s easy.� �I�.I don�t know if I can do it. What if I hit him in the eye or something, or what if I am too close and���I�.I just can�t.� �Then GO!� he snarled. �Fine!� She looked past him and thought about heading off deeper into the woods by herself. She remembered all the gun fire she�d heard earlier. She clenched her fists, turned around and ran for the creek, leaping across and barely making it to Dante�s side. Jason swallowed hard. �Good, now pick up the rifle.� Brenda hesitantly approached the unconscious body. Images from horror movies flashed through her mind, like his hand would reach up and grab her. But he stayed still as she leaned over him and took the rifle. She took several steps back and aimed. She was shaking all over. He was obnoxious, dangerous, but he looked very young. She aimed for his chest, then worried that she was still too close. �I�.I can�t.� Jason spoke slowly. �It�s okay, you won�t kill him.� �Maybe if I was further back but��.I���..I just don�t think I can shoot someone. He�s���.unconscious.� Jason felt kind of calm suddenly, like it didn�t matter too much. �It�s up to you.� �Huh?� �I�m just going to sit.� He slid down the tree. �No!� He looked ready to pass out. She took up the rifle, aimed again�. �Wait.� His voice was soft and she barely heard him. �What?� �Don�t shoot.� He shook his head. �Someone might hear.� Brenda groaned and lowered the barrel. �Open the rifle and take out one of the darts.� Brenda fumbled with the gun for a minute before she figured out how to open it. She removed what looked like a shell from the back, but once it was in her hand it had a sharp pointy tip. �Now what?� �You ever give somebody a shot?� He mumbled. Brenda looked at the dart, looked at Dante and then back at Jason. �Let me get this straight. First you want me to shoot him, now you want me to STAB HIM?� �You�ll���you have to do it hard.� �This wasn�t in the vows.� Brenda squeezed her eyes closed and held the base of the dart in her hand and approached the unconscious boy again. �Where?� she asked. �I don�t think it matters���..� �Where?� �Try someplace where you won�t hit bone.� Brenda cringed. She held the dart over the boy�s belly. She took a long deep breath and tried to prepare herself. �Hard Brenda.� �I know!� She hissed, but her arms hung in the air and she was unable to force herself to do it. Until he groaned. Brenda let out a little shriek and fear took care of the rest. Her hand slammed down, the dart slid through his shirt and deep into his skin. Brenda jumped up and backed away so fast she hit a tree. The boy flinched for a moment but then sank into unconsciousness again. Jason blinked several times trying to convince himself that she had actually succeeded. The adrenaline that seemed to be holding her up ever since the boat suddenly left her body and she felt weak and shaky. She looked back across the creek and Jason�s eyes were closed. �Jason! Wake up! I didn�t do this so you could take a nap!� Jason nodded vaguely. She made the leap back to his side. She leaned over him and kicked at his foot. �Get up!� Jason took a deep breath and somehow found the strength to stand. �If I pass out���� �If you pass out I�ll kick your ass.� �We�.we have to get moving, put as much distance between us and���� �Ya, ya. Let�s go.� Brenda started stomping up the path. �You�re never going to let me forget this, are you?� �What? The fact that stupid little Brenda actually managed to save big strong PERFECT Jason? What makes you think I would ever bring that up again?� Jason groaned. �Ya, I�m taking an ad out in the paper when we get back����.or maybe a billboard�..� ~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Nikolas found himself wandering the first floor alone. Childhood memories in each and every room. All lonely, most sad. It was no wonder he hadn�t been home in so long. He�d taken the best part of the island with him, the only part that ever brought him any real joy. His Uncle. Now he longed to see him. What had started out as a show of maturity had turned into torture. If his Uncle wanted a life separate from the family for a while, if he was able to go with out contact for months, well then so was Nikolas. And he owed it to his Uncle. It was about the only thing he was able to give the man. Some peace, some freedom. But Nikolas still needed him so much. Maturity played no part in it. He would be an old man, and still need Stefan. The last year had been grueling to say the least. A lifetime of preparation and he still felt lost most days. He leaned back against a table outside the conservatory and it wobbled. He turned around, he recognized it, but it had been moved from its original place in the hallway on the second floor. It wobbled because he�d damaged it as a boy. He smiled a little. A fort. A carriage. A tent. He�d used his imagination to turn it into a dozen different things. The best toys in the world but none compared to draping a sheet over the table and playing make believe in his little fortress. A dungeon. When he was in trouble, which was rare, he�d hide underneath and pretend he was locked away in a dungeon. He was a thief, a pirate��� a scared little boy waiting for his parents to rescue him. His Mother with golden hair would come to soothe him. His Father, the Prince no less, would scale the tower wall, fight off the evil guards and save him. Now who was going t save Nikolas�..from his Father? A chamber maid stopped dead in the hall and stared at him with big eyes. He didn�t recognize her, when he made eye contact; she looked down and hurried away. What the hell was going on? Where was Williams? Adonia? Gregor should have come the moment his return was announced. And Xenia was there, he�d barely caught a glimpse of her. He�d felt his feet try to move, as if of their own accord, toward the stair case to follow her. His cousin the enigma. He had a dozen cousins at least. Tony�s kids were everywhere, usually with a hand out. Stefan scowled and kept them away. He never liked them, never liked any of them. But Xenia? Nikolas had never been allowed to see her either, but Stefan had never said a false word about her, or a positive one either. To the best of his knowledge, Xenia had never asked for a thing, she earned her keep. The correspondence came from Russia. He�d seen his Uncle pour over the letters, study them carefully. They were written in a type of code to tell them what was transpiring with out giving away the details of any illegal activities. To the naked eye they looked like friendly letters to family, but they were full of details about her operation. And she turned more than tidy profit. And when it came time for Nikolas to decipher the letters����.he had the distinct impression that she�..disapproved of him somehow. He had nothing but admiration for her. She was efficient, ruthless, and never complained even though she had been handed the most difficult part of the empire to manage. Now she was here and apparently had his Father�s ear. He had a suspicion that wasn�t a good thing. |