| Chapter 2 Robin Scorpio knocked on the door of Tony's apartment. She hoped he was home. She couldn't risk going to the hospital to find him. She couldn't be seen in town. It was a huge risk going to see Tony but he didn't know Ric and wouldn't trust him if he showed up and asked for help. After a few minutes Robin knocked again. This time Tony answered. "Robin?" "Hey, Tony, did I wake you?" "No, I just got in." "Sorry, but I need some help." Tony moved away so she could come in. "Are you okay? You look tired." "I'm fine for the most part." "What does that mean?" "I need to tell you something and I'll need your help. Can I trust you not to tell anyone?" "Of course," Tony said. "Are you in some kind of trouble?" "Not me, my sister." ~~~ Ric walked into the bedroom. He saw her almost lifeless form on the bed. He cursed his father again and again. How could he have done this to her? After everything that she had done for him? Ric couldn't fathom his father's logic. That night, his father hadn't cared that he'd almost killed her. That had sent Ric over the edge. "Ric?" "I'm here, Kylie," he said sitting next to her on the bed. "Where's Robin?" "She went to get a doctor. She'll be back soon." Kylie nodded and smiled weakly. "You're feeling guilty still, aren't you?" Ric smiled at her. She had always been able to read his feelings. It was a gift that only Cassadines had. "A little." "You hate me, don't you?" Ric looked at her in surprise. How could she think that? "No, I could never hate you, Kymberly." "Don't lie to me, Ric, please. I know you better than that." "I'm not lying. I love you Kylie." "But you hate this child." "I hate what my father did to you. I hate Helena for what she did to you." He looked away. "And I hate myself for not stopping it before it got out of hand." "You couldn't have stopped them, Ric. Don't do this to yourself. You did save me and you saved Robin." Tears slipped from her eyes and Ric wiped them away with his thumb. "I never should have left you alone on the island." "I wanted to stay. Stefan needed me there." "You had no obligations to him, Ky. He didn't matter." "Ric," she said. "He's my uncle." "Come on, Kylie. He never cared about you." "He asked for my help." Ric shook his head and stood up. "Forget it. You're too irrational right now." "Ric," she called out as he walked out of the room. He didn't turn to look at her. He didn't see the pain on her face or the anger in her eyes. ~~~ "Let me jump in the shower and get something to eat, okay?" Tony said after Robin had told him her story. Robin nodded. "Does Mac know any of this?" "No. Dad never told anyone else, not even mom." "That's a shock. He always told Anna everything." "I know," she said. He smiled at her and left the room. ~~~ Ric sat at the small table in the room. He couldn't understand Kylie's blind loyalty to the Cassadines. The family had nearly destroyed her more than once but she always defended them. Ric hated her mother for being so weak and giving in to them, letting Kylie be raised on the island instead of in Port Charles with her family. But it didn't matter. All that mattered was that Kylie was away from the Cassadines and she would stay away from them for as long as he could keep her away and keep them from finding her. He'd been hesitant about coming to Port Charles, but Robin had insisted and he couldn't deny her anything. Robin had said that Port Charles was the safest place for them all to hide from the family. Ric had heard about the Scorpio-Devane temper, but during those arguments, he'd gotten a taste of it. Robin was extremely protective of her sister. Ric knew that so when the conversation began he calmly agreed with whatever Robin said unless her suggestions were going to put Kylie in more danger than she was already in. Ric closed his eyes and sighed when someone knocked on the door. He stood up to open it but as his hand reached the handle, the door burst open and several men came in. They were all dressed in black, each carrying a machine gun. Ric moved back to the table, hoping, praying that they wouldn't search the room. He knew they would. These men worked for Helena. "Where is she?" one asked. Ric didn't speak. There was no point. Another man was heading towards the bedroom. ~~~ Frisco Jones walked into his office at WSB headquarters in New York. He'd been in meetings all day. Helena Cassadine was up to something that the bureau wanted to know what it was. The disappearance of Ric Lansing had brought many new facts to light and plenty more questions. When Kymberly Cassadine had been killed, the bureau's directors knew that trouble was coming quickly. Kymberly had often been the peacekeeper between the Cassadines and everyone else. When she'd been struck down by an unknown illness, Lana Cassadine had taken over her responsibilities under her guidance. During meetings with Kymberly, Frisco had found her familiar. She had many endearing qualities. She was full of life. He had hoped that someone would get her far away from the Cassadine family, but no one did and they killed her. The official report had been that she had been bitten by an exotic animal in Africa and the poison killed her. Frisco believed that about as much as he believed anything the Cassadines said. He knew that Helena had gotten scared of Kymberly and because of that, she'd killed her. Frisco had done extensive research on Kymberly's past, but found nothing about her father. Everything was deeply buried in Cassadine shrouds. No one would find out the truth. "Sir?" Frisco looked up to see a young agent enter the office. Callie Krystos was only nineteen, but he knew that she had the potential to become one of the top agents in the bureau. She had an analytical mind, but often walked into things before thinking. She reminded Frisco of himself. "What is it, Callie?" "This came from Port Charles." She gave him a paper. "Lansing's there." "With Robin," Frisco said. "Why?" "We don't know. He's been working with Corinthos." Frisco nodded and she left the office, closing the door behind her. Frisco picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Corinthos, Jones, why didn't you tell me that Ric Lansing was in PC?" ~~~ Helena Cassadine walked into her grandson's study at Wyndemere. Nikolas was sitting behind his desk working. He didn't look up until she cleared her throat. "Helena." "Nikolas, it's wonderful to see you." "You have two seconds to leave the island before I have my security team take you to the PCPD." "You wouldn't do that Nikolas." "Helena." "Kymberly isn't dead." Nikolas looked at her, hatred in his eyes. Helena had done so many things in the past five years. She needed to pay, but she had beaten the American system, so Nikolas had sent her to the island in Greece, but even there, under Kymberly's watchful eye, she had gotten into trouble. Then, she killed Kymberly. That had been the last time that Nikolas would be kind to her. Besides his uncle, Kymberly was the only person that Nikolas could relate to. She knew the difficulties and hazards associated with being a Cassadine. He related everything that Helena had done and she always listened. Now, Helena had the nerve to come into his home and say that Kymberly was alive? "You killed her," he said calmly. "I tried. Ric saved her. Now, Kymberly, Ric, and Ms. Scorpio are one little happy family hiding out in a motel on the waterfront. Would you like their exact location? The room will be empty by the time you get there. My men are taking care of that now." "Get out, Helena." "Do zvidaniya, Nikolas. I hope you realize your true family. Kymberly Scorpio will only bring you down." |