| Chapter 4 As soon as they were given the all clear Alexis tore off her seatbelt and bolted from the helicopter. She cleared the blades, took in great gasps of air and willed herself not to throw up. Xenia gave orders to the pilot as everyone else cleared the blades. They were on the ground for no more than five minutes before the helicopter took off again. Xenia watched Alexis wipe the sweat from her brow. �You were fine on the plane.� �I don�t see why we couldn�t have taken a boat.� �I didn�t want to waste anymore time. You look a bit green.� �The last time I was in a helicopter we crashed in LIBYA! It kind of left and impression.� Alexis shook her hands out. She�d clenched her fist the entire way. �Libya? When were you ever in Libya?� �A few years ago and I wasn�t fond of helicopters before that. Are you sure you aren�t working for Helena?� Xenia paled at the remark which struck Alexis as odd. �I was only kidding.� Xenia pursed her lip. �I have work to do, it seems a certain Quartermaine jet is headed this way.� �So Ned knows where we are? So soon?� �Yes, well that is my fault but I intend to correct my mistake now. If you will excuse me.� Xenia turned on her heel and headed toward the house. It was only then that Alexis turned around. The helicopter left them on the front lawn. Throughout the flight Alexis kept her eyes closed with only brief glimpses to check on Kristina. Both the doctor and nurse were speechless. Their mouths agape as they tried to take in the monstrosity before them. They�d skipped the drive. Typically a guest arrived by sea. They were met at the docks by a car and driven to the compound. The drive was important, meant to heighten anticipation of seeing the main house. For the house to just be revealed like this without warning was unheard of. The drive was a mystery, evoking the sensation of driving through depths of nature. A long winding road designed to show off the natural landscape of the island. It rose from the beach and moved through olive groves, fields of green, and forests of wood. The road was gravel in her childhood but had been paved years ago. There were legends about the compound throughout Europe and people were always eager to catch a glimpse of the Cassadine folly. The house was entirely out of place on a Greek isle. The island offered beautiful summers with delicious breezes and a mild to almost non-existent winter. The sun shone, the waves crashed, the groves and vineyards were bountiful and on the outside, outdoors, the island was paradise. But inside the compound�����.Mother Russia reined supreme and it was impossible not to feel the cold. Stone. Cold gray stone. Limestone. Brought in at great expense. The main house boasted four square acres of floor space and rose 4 stories high. 250 rooms, 34 guest rooms, 65 fireplaces, 3 kitchens and the list ran on and on. No expense was spared; no luxury over looked but nothing about the compound brought any warmth or comfort to Alexis. This was supposedly a safe haven for her and her daughter but Alexis felt anything but safe. This was a house of horrors and she never wanted Kristina to see it. Even knowing her baby was too young to know what was going on wasn�t of any comfort. �No child should ever set foot here.� Alexis whispered. No one moved, no one seemed to know how to proceed, including Alexis. Xenia had disappeared within a matter of seconds leaving the front doors slightly ajar in her haste. A white glove came into sight and the doors opened fully as two members of the staff came towards the group. Two young men began moving the incubator toward the house and the silent little group followed. Alexis swallowed hard as she entered. Why was Stefan putting her through this? Did he despise her now? To make her come here. To bring an innocent child HERE! In her entire life she had never remembered first coming to the island until that very moment. Ignorance is bliss. ~~~ It was raining. She was in a man�s arms. She�d been passed to different people over and over. All strangers, she recognized no one. Mamma? Where�s Mamma? But she didn�t ask it aloud. She couldn�t remember how. Or perhaps she even thought she was asking aloud and they were ignoring her. Someone had washed her hands, they were red. Someone had thrown a blanket around her. There was yelling. Men were yelling and then she was in a car, in the back seat and it was very dark. Mamma? She was on a plane, her dress was very dirty, it was red. A big red stain. Mamma was going to be angry. A car. A plane. A boat. Men yelling. She was passed from one person to the next. Where�s Mamma? Through the front doors of a big ugly house. Maybe Mamma was there, waiting for her. She was wet, the man was wet. He stood in the doorway for several minutes. She started to shake she was so cold. A big woman came and took her, passed to another stranger and taken up the stairs to a big dark room and then into a tiny bathroom. The woman took her dress, stripped her down and placed her in a bathtub. The water was too hot. Steamy. She was scrubbed nearly raw. The water was pink. Dried with a towel. A long white night gown. Too long, too big. The woman tried to make her eat soup. She couldn�t swallow. Sleep and then nightmares. Where was Mamma? When would she come to get her. ~~~ �Miss Alexis?� Alexis willed herself to stand upright. Stefan hated her. He�d hate her forever now. For what she�d done. For the mistakes she�d made���..she didn�t think anyone could punish her more than she�d punished herself. She was wrong. This was hell. She�d delivered her own daughter to hell. What had she been thinking? She hadn�t been thinking. She�d reacted. The thought of losing her daughter to Ned, of exposing her to Sonny. There had to be a way out! But this wasn�t it. The gentleman cleared his throat and Alexis finally focused on him, on all of them. The staff lined up for a formal greeting. A line of servants, not all, but all the heads of household. For me? Aw shucks, you shouldn�t have. But while you�re all here, can anyone tell me the fastest way off this isle of the damned? �It is good to see you again, Madame.� The butler stood directly in front her. His nose in the air, his back too straight, his words cold. Just so damned typical. Nice to see the years hadn�t dulled his distant English formalness. �Thank you.� Alexis choked out. �There have been few changes since last you came to stay with us.� Except, I�m a little higher up on the food chain these days you pompous ass! From distant cousin to bastard daughter. That one must make your head spin you pretentious old windbag! Alexis hated the man. Couldn�t understand why Stefan kept him. �As Mrs. Lansbury is in America with the Prince, Miss Willosby is now head housekeeper.� Miss Willosby was Lansbury�s younger sister. Never married, she�d spent the majority of her life on the island. She was efficient, quiet, and rather boring. Alexis could take her or leave her, at least she was better than Williams, the butler. Willosby nodded. �Your room has been prepared. The adjoining suite was converted into a nursery for the child. Dr. Lee is across the hall and I understand the nurse wishes to room with the child, we have made arrangements for her as well.� The child. As though she were the table, or the chair. �Your things will arrive from the mainland by nightfall. If there is anything you require in the interim, Elsie will be your personal maid and you may make your request with her directly.� Elsie curtsied. Alexis felt ancient. The last time she�d seen Elsie, she was still a child, a tweenie. She ran between the floors taking supplies up and down the stairs for other servants. Now she was to be Alexis�s personal maid. Was that a promotion? Alexis wasn�t sure. Williams continued down the line. A footman, a groundskeeper�����..she tuned most of it out until he reached the cook. �Mrs. Beaumont will of course need an accounting of your dietary needs and those of the child as well���..� Why caviar and Dom of course! Only the BEST for my child! Williams dismissed everyone and the room, previously quiet and still, sprang to life as Dr. Lee and the nurse were escorted upstairs. Two men approached the little incubator to wheel it to the elevator but Alexis stopped them and pulled Kristina into her arms. She gave a small cry and Alexis soothed her. The front hall gradually became quiet again as all the servants dispersed. All but one. Adonia Beaumont stood her ground. The size of a line backer her hair was now solid gray and pulled back in a tight bun. She wore the same dull gray uniform the rest of the staff wore. A stiffly starched dress, white apron, sensible black shoes. She looked stern and formidable both in stature and expression. But Alexis knew better. Adonia was born on the island; her father was the original chef. While the Prince ruled the island, the chef ruled the three kitchens of the compound. Adonia�s family was Greek, brought over from the mainland after the Cassadines fled Russia. Adonia spent her life at her father�s side learning anything and everything about food, wine and the culinary arts. It was always assumed that when her father retired, she would take over for him. Adonia was only 19 when her father passed away suddenly of a heart attack. The entire island mourned him and just when it appeared Adonia�s life couldn�t get any worse, it did. Helena, wed to Mikkos less than a year, decided the island needed a more experienced chef and found him in Paris. Pierre Beaumont was considered one of the finest chefs in Europe and Helena paid a small fortune to hire him for the island. Upon arrival the problems began. It seemed that in her haste to hire Beaumont, Helena had failed to inform her husband, who was less than pleased. He refused to fire Adonia and Helena refused to send Pierre away. The battles began at once. Pierre threw fits. The main kitchen was not to his liking, he changed things, Adonia changed them back. New foods arrived, Adonia threw them out. Snails belonged in a garden, not HER kitchen. There was screaming, cursing, and finally a major showdown in which the kitchen staff ran for their lives as Pierre brandied a butcher knife and Adonia, a frying pan. No one knew exactly what happened but after two hours of French and Greek cursing, there was silence. Mrs. Lansbury, fearful they�d killed each other, finally gathered up enough courage to enter the kitchen. Flour, raw meats, nuts, fruits, an assortment of pastries covered the kitchen walls and there in the floor were two very hot and sweaty chefs in various stages of undress. A wedding was followed by a period of culinary delight unlike the world had ever experienced. Adonia�s ancient Greek recipes mixed with Peirre�s French mastery of sauces and pastry produced food unique to the island and considered by many the finest in the world. Pierre and Adonia, both passionate in every way, ran a kitchen filled with love in a compound that was cold and dreary. In her childhood, the kitchen was the only place indoors that offered Alexis any warmth. But later in life, after she left the island, she found she despised going into a kitchen. It felt wrong to be in one without Pierre and Adonia there singing and laughing. Alexis cooed and awed over the baby and finally looked up at the cook. �Well I suppose you have something to say.� Adonia crossed her arms and thrust her chin up in the air. �You are too skinny.� �You always say that.� Alexis grinned. A small smile crept across the old woman�s lips but she worked hard to hide it. �Well you are always too skinny. You just had a baby. You should not be so skinny!� �Speaking of having a baby�����.come and say hello to my daughter.� Adonia couldn�t fight it anymore. She looked down into Alexis�s arms and her face beamed. �Hello my little darling.� �Isn�t she beautiful?� Alexis asked. Adonia�s hand stretched out and gently stroked Kristina�s head. With no children of her own it still brought on a little sadness but God had granted her 30 years with her husband and she tried not to be bitter. If she had a child now, perhaps she wouldn�t miss Pierre so terribly. But at least Alexis was home and that was something. �She is as beautiful as her Mother. And as skinny as well! I have to fatten you both up!� Alexis laughed. �Thank GOD you are here!� �And where else would I be? Someone has to feed you. Obviously American food has not succeeded.� �I like popcorn.� Alexis offered. �Pfft. You will find none of that trash here. I won�t allow it.� �Oh come on Adonia����� �No, no. You need a decent meal. You are skin and bones. I�ll cook you your favorite tonight����� �My favorite is popcorn.� �No, no no. Real food! Greek food. We will have lamb. We will have���.� �Do you know you are the only person on this entire damn island I missed?� Adonia�s eyes watered and she threw her arms around both Alexis and Kristina. �Oh my darling, not as much as I missed you. We have much to catch up on! You have a child and no husband. Did I not raise you better than that?� �Adonia��..� �Don�t speak to me of your modern ideas. In my day there was a wedding THEN a child. Did you have a wedding? No, I think not. When was the last time you went to church? You will go with me Sunday and confess your sins and beg the lord to forgive you. Where is the child�s father? Does he have no honor? Why isn�t he here?� �I suppose he is busy, with his wife.� Adonia crossed herself. We will be in church all day Sunday! You may give the priest a heart attack.� �He�s been priest to this family for years, he�s heard worse.� �You are better than all of them. I am very disappointed in you! But mostly I fear you will collapse from starvation. I must feed you. You look exhausted. Exhausted and skinny and full of wicked sin.� �And you will fix all of that.� Alexis kissed her cheek. �You can sleep, I can feed you. Only God can forgive you.� �I need no forgiveness when I have this beautiful baby. I can�t be forgiven Adonia when I am not sorry for what I did. I would do it again. � Alexis smiled down at Kristina. �Even though you have had to come back here? Even though you have no husband? The child has no father? You would do it again?� �In a heart beat.� Adonia looked up. �Holy Mary, please help me. She will spend an entire month in the confessional.� ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~~* �We have a problem.� Jason spread the map out. �Just one?� Sonny looked down at the map of Greece with its numerous surrounding islands. �Can�t find the island?� �I found it, that was easy.� �Great, so call our contacts in Greece���� �We don�t have many and they can�t help us.� �They owe me, they�ll help us.� �I don�t mean they won�t Sonny. I mean they can�t. The island is here,� Jason pointed out the small patch of green in the surrounding blue. �and it has nothing to do with Greece.� �It�s in Greek waters.� �It�s a Principality.� �A what?� �Oh! Like Monaco.� Brenda stood in the doorway. Sonny shook his head. �Like what?� Jason sighed, �It�s independent. So long as there is a Prince, the island remains independent and the Greek authorities have no say in anything that goes on there.� �So they can just do whatever they please?� �Pretty much.� �Look, I have an island. Granted it�s not the size of this one but even I am subject to some other country�.� �There was a treaty. Do you have a treaty? No. So it�s different. They can commit mass murder and Greece won�t touch them. But they are protected by Greece so no other country is going to interfere either. No extradition, no one will interfere, once on the island, they are untouchable.� �Okay, it makes no difference. We didn�t really plan on involving the authorities anyway. All we have to do is get to the island and I�ll speak to Alexis���.� �There is no landing strip so that leaves two options. Helicopter or boat.� �Helicopter is faster.� �I�ve called all over Athens and I can�t find one.� �Come on. No helicopters in Athens?� �Not after I tell them where we are headed.� �So lie.� �We need someone to fly the damn thing Sonny.� �What about our pilot?� �Never flown a chopper.� Sonny sighed. �Okay, how long by boat.� �A few hours. It�s Greece, shouldn�t be as difficult to find a boat.� �Great. At least we can handle that and don�t need a pilot. It�ll be just the three of us.� Jason eyed Brenda standing in the doorway looking bored. He leaned over and whispered to Sonny, �You sure you don�t want to just leave her in Athens.� �I may need her to talk to Alexis.� �It�s just���� �She�s going with us Jason. Accept it. Now get on the phone and find a boat, something we can handle on our own. The fewer people involved the better.� Jason glared at Brenda, Brenda glared back. Jason picked up the phone and started dialing. ~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~ Xenia hung up the phone and leaned her head forward on the desk. She was tired, she needed to sleep but it seemed once she fixed one problem, another one reared its ugly head. She�d just hung up with the pilot, Corinthos was calling all over Athens looking for a helicopter, he was on his way. Of course no one was willing to help the man but it was just a matter of time. He�d find some way to approach the island and she had a feeling he was not going to be as easily detoured as Ned Ashton. The Ashton situation was handled, she was certain of that but now she had Corinthos to deal with. She picked up the phone again and dialed 3. �Gregoire, this is Xenia. I need to see you. We have a threat and I need your men on full alert. I�ll be in your office in 20 minutes. I have one more thing to take care of here, then I am on my way.� She hung up. Gregoire�s office was located next to the docks, it was only a ten minute drive. Xenia finished her brief letter on the laptop, printed it off and placed it in the fax. She checked her watch and hit send. One problem solved, now off to work on crisis number two. ~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~ Ned sat back and tried to relax. It was impossible. Alexis was less and less rational. He didn�t know how to deal with this Alexis. Now he was reduced to petty threats. There was a time he could reason with her but, no more. What the hell had happened to his girl? Where was his strong, albeit neurotic, girlfriend? Sonny had killed that woman long ago and in her place he�d left a hyperventilating, over emotional MESS. He deserved to lose his child. The phone rang and he answered. �Yes.� �Ned?� There was a long pause, �Um, Mother?� �Ned, what the hell is going on?� Ned stood up. He never heard from Tracey. She didn�t even call for money anymore. There was nothing between them. His only contact with her at all was twice a year when he sent Christmas and Birthday gifts to Dylan. �What do you mean what is going on?� �Where is your brother?� �How the hell should I know where Dylan is?� �Well there was a note at the desk when I got back to the hotel and it said you had Dylan.� �It said what?� �It says, you picked him up from school.� �Mother, I�m on a plane�����..wait a minute���� �What the hell is going on? You have him on a plane?� �No, no���listen the other line is ringing, I�ll call you back.� Ned hit the other line as his Mother continued to scream at him. �Hello?� �Ned, it�s Monica.� �Monica?� �I just got the strangest call from Emily�s physical therapist. He said you had cancelled all of Emily�s sessions and she wouldn�t be coming anymore, do you care to explain yourself?� Ned�s heart was slamming into his chest. �Have you spoken to Emily?� �I tried her cell and there was no answer. What is going on? Why would you cancel her therapy? Where is she?� Line three lit up on the phone and Ned felt his knees give way. He fell back down to the sofa. His mouth went dry. �Monica, hold on, I�ll be right back.� His hand was shaking as he hit line three. �NED! What the HELL do you think you are doing? We have a custody agreement. You don�t just show up and jerk Brooke Lynn out of school���..� Lois continued to rant. Ned�s head was spinning. Three lines lit up. Three hysterical women waiting for answers and he didn�t have any. This wasn�t Alexis, hell he didn�t even think Stefan was capable of this. Children? Threatening innocent little children? Ned heard the buzz of the fax machine and watched the paper spit out. Even from across the room he could see the Cassadine crest across the top of the page. He dropped the phone with Lois still screaming at him, his hand shook as he waited for the page to finish printing. THERE IS ENOUGH FUEL LEFT TO DO ONE OF TWO THINGS. TURN THE PLANE AROUND, GO HOME AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY.OR CONTINUE ON TO ATHENS TO PURSUE A CHILD YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO. THE FATE OF YOUR TRUE FAMILY LIES IN WHERE THIS PLANE LANDS. THE CHOICE IS YOURS, I AM COFIDENT YOU WILL CHOOSE WELL. Ned did not walk but ran to the cockpit. �Turn the plane around!� �Excuse me?� �TURN THE DAMN PLANE AROUND! We are going home, back to Port Charles.� �Sir��� �DO IT NOW!� �Yes sir.� Ned crumpled the paper up in his fist as he headed back to the phone. Three lines blinked at him. It would be four hours before he landed and knew for sure that they were safe. The longest four hours of his life. ~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~ Alexis sat up with a start. Where was she? The island? Oh damn, it wasn�t just a nightmare after all. She looked around, the room was dark, it was late. She checked her watch, a couple hours until dinner. Her stomach growled. She reached over and turned on the bed side lamp. The room was exactly the same. EXACTLY. Horrible dark chamber. Same hideous furniture. Same wallpaper, same heavy drapes. Stefan was enjoying making her pay. She was sure she�d hear all about it over dinner and she dreaded it, but she�d have to go, she was starving. She slid off the bed. Maybe she would head down to the kitchen and���.at that point, she smelled it. Freshly baked bread. There, by the window was a covered tray. Alexis sat at the small table and removed the cloth. God bless Adonia. Bread, still warm from the oven. She tore into it with her fingers, crispy, flakey crust still steamy. A plate with assorted cheeses and fresh fruit and then, an old favorite, something she hadn�t had in years. Huge green olives the size of her thumb stuffed with escargot. She poured herself a glass of wine and drained it completely; she was still dehydrated from the long flight. Okay, so everything wasn�t horrible. Her bedroom was still a nightmare but the nursery was a marvel. If Stefan was angry with her, at least he had no obvious problems with his niece. She�d only seen it briefly as she laid Kristina down in her incubator next to the massive canopied crib and then she had gone to her own room and collapsed from exhaustion. But her brief glance around the room said enough. One wall lined with stuffed animals, some of them bigger than Alexis. There was a doll house, a book shelf held dozens of children�s books; she hadn�t had the energy to see which ones yet. The drapes were drawn back and the French doors were covered with gauzy white sheers. Kristina had her own terrace over looking the ocean. The walls were light and every conceivable variation of pastels had been used. It was bright but soft, elegant and airy. The nursery of a Princess and Alexis reminded herself that while the island held tragic memories for her, it meant no harm to Kristina. She dropped her napkin back over the tray. Adonia�s snack would hold her over until dinner. Then she would face Stefan and explain herself, but until then she had two wonderful hours to spend with her daughter. Two hours knowing she was healthy. Two hours with out interruption from nurses and other parents in the NICU. Two hours of blissful peace to hold her daughter without the threat of Ned or Sonny or anyone taking her away. Alexis opened the door between her bedroom and the nursery. Soft lamp light, the smell of baby powder and salt air. The French doors were open and Alexis wondered if the nurse had checked the warmer in the incubator. The room wasn�t exactly cool but she felt the breeze and didn�t want Kristina to catch a chill. The nurse had Kristina on the balcony. Alexis heard whispers and gurgles and smiled. It wasn�t the nurse, it was a man. Had Stefan finally chosen to see his niece? She knew he was angry but couldn�t help but smile. He�d love her. Adore her. Spoil her. He wouldn�t be able to stop himself. She pushed her way through breezy sheers of white, �Stefan?� As he turned around Alexis froze in horror. �Really Alexis. A girl? Why should I be surprised? You never could do anything right.� He sighed. �Stavros?� |