There has been no change in Mackenzie�s condition. Stefan, Ned and Julia have been taking turns staying with her at the hospital.
Stefan looks up from his seat in Mackenzie�s room to see Alexis and Kimberly. He looks like he hasn�t slept in a month.
Stefan: �Where�s Ned?�
Alexis: �Sleeping.� She looks pointedly at him. �Something that you need to do. You, Julia and Ned are very quickly turning into zombies.�
Stefan: �I don�t want to leave her.�
Kimberly: �Stefan, why don�t you go home and take a little nap? You�ll feel much better if you do, and Alexis and I will stay with Mackenzie.�
Stefan: �But...�
Alexis: �There are no buts, Stefan. You�ve always taken care of me, and now it is my turn to take care of you. Go home and take a nap.�
Stefan: �Fine.� He yawns. �But call me if there is any change.�
Alexis: �We will. Now get lost.�
Stefan leaves, satisfied that Alexis and Kimberly are going to stay with Mackenzie.
As he gets into his limo and heads for Wyndemere, an idea pops into his head.
Stefan: (into the intercom) �Wenders, please take me to the Port Charles Marina. I need to take care of something.�
Twenty minutes later. Helena�s yacht.
Helena comes strolling into her living room, the Port Charles Gazette under her arm. She doesn�t see Stefan standing there, his face a mask of rage.
In an instant, Stefan slams Helena up against the wall.
Stefan: �You bitch! You will pay for this!�
Helena: �What are you talking about? Let go of me, Stefan! I demand that you release me.�
Stefan: �Shut the hell up, you bag of bones. I know that you�re the one who started the explosion at Caf� Mattice. The explosion that put Mackenzie into a coma.� He leans close to her. �Give me one good reason why I shouldn�t kill you.�
Helena: �I did not start an explosion anywhere, you delusional little thing! You�re beginning to sound like Alexis.�
Stefan: �What? Did you bomb the place to kill her? Or me? Why did you do it?�
Helena: �Stefan, I didn�t do anything.�
Stefan releases her and pushes her back into a chair. She moves to get up.
Stefan: �Don�t even think about moving. You and I are going to have a little chat, mother.�
Helena: �Stefan, I�m warning you...�
Stefan: �Your warnings mean nothing to me. I want to know why you almost killed me and my family three days ago.�
Helena: �I... I...�
Stefan: (cutting her off) �I bet it was because of Alexis. You aren�t going to be happy until the child that YOUR HUSBAND had with ANOTHER WOMAN is dead. Because you can�t stand the fact that my father loved another woman.�
Helena: �Arianna was a whore. Just like her daughter.�
Stefan walks over and slaps her across the face.
Stefan: �Do not talk about my sister in that manner. The only whore around here is you.�
Helena: �What are you talking about?�
Stefan: �I knew that you were sleeping with one of the servants even when my father was still alive. The servant was about fifteen years younger than you, but you didn�t care. You even slept with him in the bed you shared with my father!�
Helena: �You lying little...�
Stefan: �I knew about it and so did Alexis. When you found out that she knew about you two, you were so afraid that she would tell my father that you... do you remember what you did to her?�
Stefan: (without waiting for an answer) �After you finished beating her nearly unconscious, you locked her in a room with a very drunk Stavros and let him rape her again.� He lunges at her. �I should have killed you then. Both of you.�
Helena: �Do not talk about your brother that way.�
Stefan: (seething) �Your precious little Stavros was nothing but a RAPIST and a KIDNAPPER! He had NO HEART! You treated him as if he were the king, but you know what? He was scum. He was the scum that feeds on scum. He deserved to die.�
Helena: �Stefan...�
Stefan: �And you have no idea how grateful I am that Nikolas is my son, not his. It gives me such pleasure knowing that I took from him the one thing he desired above all else- an heir. It�s just too bad that he died before he found out.�
Just then, Stavros walks into the room, a knife in his hand.
Stavros: �I know now, Stefan.�
Stefan: (shocked beyond shock) �Stavros... you�re.... you�re alive?.... you�re supposed to be dead...� he turns to Helena. �I suppose that you�re behind this.�
Helena: �It seems that the condition my son was in when Luke shot him was reparable after all. I had the bodies switched and Stavros has been living in Brazil for all of these years.� She smiles. �Isn�t it wonderful?�
Stefan: �You are a pathetic excuse for a human being.�
Stavros: �Stefan, did you never learn to respect your elders? Your mother?�
Stefan: �She may have given birth to me, but she is nothing to me.�
Stavros: �Speaking of giving birth, Nikolas is your son?� he takes a step closer to him. �You slept with my wife?�
Stefan: (furious) �We loved each other. You treated her as a slave. Just as you treated Alexis.�
Stavros: �Speaking of little Alexis, I hear that she is our sister?�
Stefan: �No. She is MY sister. She is NOTHING to YOU.�
Stavros: �Really? How is that?�
Stefan: �You bastard. You raped her, beat her, and almost killed her. I will see you dead for that.�
Stavros: �I want to see my son.�
Stefan: �He is not your son. He is mine. And you�re going to have to accept that.�
Stavros: �You were not the first born son though. That makes Nikolas nothing more than the bastard son of you and my wife.�
Stefan: �You mean Luke�s wife. She was never your wife, Stavros, she was your toy. It�s pretty pathetic that you had to KIDNAP a woman to get her in bed with you.�
Stavros walks over and punches Stefan in the face.
Stefan: (flinching) �And I suppose that it was you who burned Laura�s house down?�
Stavros: (smirking) �I did no such thing.�
Stefan: �Don�t lie to me.� Suddenly it dawns on him. �You�re the one who bombed Caf� Mattice.� He slams Stavros up against the wall. The knife clatters to the floor. �You are
the reason that the woman I love is fighting for her life. You son of a bitch!�
He draws his fist back to hit Stavros, but just then, he feels the cold blade of the knife on his neck.
Helena: �Let him go.�
Stefan: �You wouldn�t.�
Helena: �Oh yes I would.�
Stefan: (stepping back) �You would not. Because if you touch me, I will have you thrown in jail for the rest of your life.�
Helena: �Oh, you mean like you did when I was charged with Katherine�s murder? Than why am I standing here?�
Stefan: �I will see you rot in hell.�
Helena: �No, what you will do is leave this boat, go home to your little family, and never breathe a word of this to anyone, or I will see you rot in hell.�
Stefan, shaken, races off of the boat and gets into his limo.
Stefan: (into the intercom) �Wenders, take me back to the hospital, please.�
Meanwhile, aboard the yacht.
Stavros: �It�s only a matter of time before he tells Alexis.�
Helena: �Then he must be dealt with immediately.�
Stavros: �I�m on it.� He stands up and leaves.
General Hospital. Mackenzie�s room.
Kimberly and Alexis are filling a comatose Mackenzie in on the latest news when Stefan comes racing in, a haunted look on his face.
Alexis: �Stefan, I thought I told you to go home and take a nap.�
Stefan: �Alexis, I must talk to you right now.�
Alexis: (sensing the urgency in his voice) �Kim, I�ll be right back.�
They go into the hall, where Stefan takes Alexis� hand.
Stefan: �Alexis, I don�t know how to tell you this.�
Alexis: �What? What happened, Stefan?�
Stefan: �I went to Helena�s yacht and confronted her about the explosion. It turns out that she isn�t behind it.�
Alexis: (surprised) �Then who is?�
Stefan: �Alexis, Stavros is alive.�
Alexis: (disbelieving) �You�re lying. He�s been dead for twenty years.�
Stefan: (softly) �I wish I was lying. But I�m not.�
Alexis: (getting mad) �What, did Ned put you up to this? Just because I�ve been having some bad flashbacks doesn�t mean that I need therapy or anything.�
Stefan: �Alexis, you have to listen to me. He is alive. I ran into him on the yacht. Helena has been keeping him alive for all these years in Brazil.�
Alexis: �No. you�re wrong.�
Stefan: �Stavros found out that Nikolas is my son, so he burned down Luke and Laura�s house. He is also the one who, who bombed Caf� Mattice.�
Alexis: (starting to cry) �No! I don�t believe this. He has to be dead. He can�t be alive!� she�s starting to lose the ability to put together coherent sentences. �He... he... No!� she collapses into Stefan�s arms, sobbing.
Just then, Ned comes around the corner and sees Alexis.
Ned: (instantly worried) �What�s going on here?�
Alexis: (backing away from Stefan) �I have to get out of here.� She turns around and practically runs from the room.
Ned: �ALEXIS!�
Stefan: (defeated) �Let her go. She will be safe. I have guard tailing her.�
Ned: �Why?� he looks at him suspiciously. �What did you say to her, Stefan? Is it Mackenzie? Is she okay?�
Stefan: �Mackenzie is the same. We have a new problem though.�
Ned: �What would that be? I didn�t think it was possible to have another problem.�
Stefan: �Stavros is alive.�
Ned looks like he has been punched in the stomach.
Ned: �You�re kidding.�
Stefan: �I wish I was. I ran into him on the yacht. Helena has been keeping him alive all these years, and he is as healthy and arrogant as ever.�
Ned: �Oh God.�
Stefan: �He somehow found out that Nikolas is my son and he...�
Ned: �...burned Laura�s house down?�
Stefan: �Yep. And the explosion at Caf� Mattice...�
Ned: �How could this be?� he looks around blindly. �Alexis must be terrified.� His face turns to a mask of rage. �Stavros is responsible for Mackenzie�s condition?�
Stefan: �I�m afraid so.� He glowers. �Ned, you have no idea how dangerous he is. And even worse, Alexis is in denial about this. She won�t admit that he could be alive.�
Ned: (starting to walk away) �I have to go find Alexis.�
Stefan: �Wait.� He pulls out his cell phone and dials the guard�s number. �This is Stefan Cassadine... where is my sister�s location right now?�
The guard tells him quickly and then Stefan hangs up.
Ned: �Where is she?�
Stefan: �It seems that she is down at the marina on her sailboat.�
Ned: �The marina! The same place that Helena�s yacht is? I have to get down there.�
He races away as Stefan watches in worry.
Stefan: (calling after him) �Be careful, Ned.�
Meanwhile, aboard the Brinna.
Alexis sits on the floor of the boat, tears running down her face.
Alexis: �He can�t be alive.�
* * * F L A S H B A C K * * *
Twelve year old Alexis is racing down the beach in Greece. It is raining, but she doesn�t care. She is completely terrified.
Stavros: �Come back here, Alexis!�
Alexis: (screaming) �Leave me alone!�
She continues to run until she catches her foot on a piece of driftwood and falls to the ground.
Stavros catches up with her and grabs her just as a bolt of lightening flashes across the darkened sky.
Alexis: �Stavros, please. Just let me go. Please!�
Stavros: �I wouldn�t dream of letting you go until we have a little chat.�
Alexis: �Okay. Let�s chat. Just don�t hurt me.�
Stavros: (leaning into her) �Listen, you little brat. You will do as I say, or I will drown you.�
Alexis: (crying) �Don�t drown me. What do you want me to do?�
Stavros: �I want to play that game with you.�
Alexis: �No, Stavros. It hurts when you play that game. Let�s do something else.�
Stavros shakes his head and ripping her clothes off, throws them towards the sea. Alexis tries to cover her naked body as Stavros laughs.
Stavros: �It�s not like I haven�t seen you like this before.�
Alexis: �Stavros, please. I�m begging you.�
Stavros: (in a low voice, knocking her back on the sand) �Oh Alexis, you know that you like it when I go inside you.�
Alexis: (sobbing) �I do not!�
Stavros: (running his hand down her body) �You love it. You�re just a little whore.�
Alexis: �I am not!�
Stavros: (slapping her across the face) �Say it. Say �I�m a little whore.��
Alexis: �No!�
Stavros responds by socking her in the stomach.
Alexis: (crying so hard he can barely hear her) �I�m a little whore.�
Stavros: (smiling) �I knew it.� He pins her down and begins to rape her.
Alexis closes her eyes and tries to make it all go away.
* * * E N D O F F L A S H B A C K * * *
Alexis is curled up in a little ball, crying.
Just then, she hears a noise behind her. She stands up, but doesn�t see anything. She turns back around and gasps.
Standing in front of her is Stavros.
Alexis: (beginning to panic) �You are alive! Stefan was right!�
Stavros: �Hello there, sister.� He says the word sister in a cynical way.
Alexis: �Leave me alone.�
Stavros: (ignoring her) �Well, well. Little Alexis is all grown up.�
Alexis flinches as Stavros takes her hand and examines her wedding ring.
Stavros: �And married, too?� he looks her over. �Who would ever marry you?�
Alexis: �Get the hell away from me.�
Stavros: �That is no way to talk to your big brother.� He slaps her across the face.
Alexis: �I�m leaving.� She starts to walk away.
Stavros: �Oh, no you aren�t.� he grabs her and clamps a hand over her mouth as she attempts to scream. �You�re coming with me, Alexis darling.�
Alexis kicks at him, but he pulls out a rag and clamps it over her mouth.
The chloroform begins to take hold as Alexis starts to feel woozy. When Stavros turns to see if anyone is around, she manages to slip her wedding ring off and it falls to the floor.
Then everything goes black.
Stavros: (watching Alexis fall to the floor) �Now where am I going to take you, Alexis? I can�t take you to mother�s yacht or they will find you for sure.� He looks out at the docks and smiles slowly. �Stavros, you are a genius. An absolute genius.�
Five minutes later.
Stavros watches the docks from a boat farther down the marina, having dumped Alexis� unconscious body into a storage closet on the boat he broke into.
Just then, Ned comes racing down the docks.
Ned: (yelling) �ALEXIS! Alexis, where are you?� he races towards the Brinna, panicked.
Ned boards the boat, unaware that he is being watched. He dashes into the galley, the bedroom and the upper level, looking for Alexis.
Ned: �Alexis? Are you here?� the wind carries his voice as he yells for her.
Just then, Ned notices something small and shiny on the floor. He crouches down and picks up Alexis� wedding ring.
Ned: (about to pass out) �Oh no. It can�t be.� He looks up at the sky. �He has you, doesn�t he? Alexis, I am so, so sorry.� He blinks back tears.
An hour later.
Jax pulls up in the Ashtons� driveway and rushes inside.
Jax: �Any word yet?�
Ned: �Nope.� He looks like he has been crying. �I can�t believe that I let this happen.�
Jax: �This isn�t your fault.�
Ned: �It is too. I should have protected her, I should have gone after her.�
Jax: �I�m sure she�s okay. Alexis is made of steel.�
Ned: (beginning to cry) �Don�t you understand? STAVROS CASSADINE HAS MY WIFE!!! He could kill her!�
Jax: �Have you gone to see Helena yet?�
Ned: �She seems to have mysteriously disappeared. Uncanny, huh?�
Jax: �Okay, than we have to move on to plan b.�
Ned: �And what would that be?� he takes Alexis� wedding ring out of his pocket and holds it to him. �I can�t lose her, Jax. We�ve been through too much to let it end here.�
Jax: (taking him by the shoulders) �I will not let that happen, Ned. Mark my words.� He pulls out his cell phone. �I�m going to call Jerry.�
Ned: (dully) �For what?�
Jax: �If anyone can track Stavros down, or anyone else, it�s him.�
Ten minutes later.
Jerry pulls his black BMW (the James Bond kind from Goldeneye) into the driveway and races into the house, cell phone in hand.
Jax: �Good, you�re here. We need your help.�
Jerry: �Let me get this straight. Stavros Cassadine, who is supposedly dead, is not in fact, and he kidnapped Alexis and you have no clue where they are?�
Ned: �Basically.�
Jerry: �Than we have our work cut out for us.�
Two thirty in the morning.
Alexis wakes up in the storage room of the strange boat. Her head is throbbing and she feels nauseated.
Alexis: �Hello? Is anyone out there?� she tries the door, but it locked.
Stavros has long since returned to Helena�s yacht.
Alexis: �Oh God. How am I going to get out of here?� her knees begin to buckle, so she sits back on the floor, beginning to cry. �Ned, I pray that you will come rescue me.�
The Ashtons� house.
Ned wakes up to find Avery standing next to the bed.
Avery: (upset) �Where�s Mommy?�
Ned: �Uh...�
Avery: (near tears) �Daddy, don�t lie to me. I saw the news.�
Ned: (whispering) �What did you see on the news?�
Avery: �Some man named Stavros kidnapped Mommy. When is she coming back?�
Ned: �I don�t know, baby. Uncle Jax is working on it.�
Avery: �Is she okay?�
Ned: �I don�t know.�
Just then, Hannah begins to cry. Ned gets out of bed.
Ned: �You get into my bed, okay? I�m going to go get Hannah.�
Avery: (solemnly) �Okay.�
Ned goes into the nursery and gets Hannah, and after going downstairs to get a bottle, goes back to his bedroom and gets into bed.
Hannah happily sucks on her bottle, unaware of her family�s world shattering to pieces.
Avery: (snuggling up against Ned) �Do you think Mommy will come back tomorrow?�
Ned: �I don�t know, Avery. We don�t know where she is.�
Avery: �Maybe you should go on the news and say, �If you please return Alexis Davis-Ashton, we will give you a bunch of money...��
Ned: �Well...�
Avery: �You can use the money in my piggy bank. And you can sell my Spice Girls dolls. I just want my mommy back.�
Ned: (his eyes welling up with tears) �So do I, sweetie. So do I.�
And I�d give up forever to touch you cause I know that you feel me somehow.
You�re the closest to heaven that I�ll ever be, and I don�t want to go home right now.
Alexis sits on the floor of the closet, tears running down her face.
And all I can taste is this moment, and all I can breathe is your life.
And sooner or later, it�s over, I just don�t want to miss you tonight.
Ned lays in bed, holding Hannah in one arm and Avery in the other.
And I don�t want the world to see me cause I don�t think that they�d understand.
When everything�s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.
Jerry sits on his couch, on the phone with the FBI. Bobbie comes to sit with him.
And you can�t fight the tears that ain�t coming, In the moment of truth in your life.
When everything feels like the movies, yeah you breathe just to know you�re alive.
Julia stands in the window of the penthouse, looking up at the stars.
And I don�t want the world to see me. cause I don�t think that they�d understand.
When everything�s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.
Stefan sits in a chair at Mackenzie�s bedside, his hands clasped in prayer.
Long instrumental section.
Flashback to Alexis running from Stavros on the beach in Greece.
Flashback to Alexis turning around to see Stavros (this past afternoon)
And I don�t want the world to see me cause I don�t think that they�d understand.
When everything�s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.
Kimberly is on the phone with Nikolas. They are both crying. (split screen)
And I don�t want the world to see me cause I don�t think that they�d understand.
When everything�s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.
Ned takes Alexis� ring off the bed stand and holds it, tears running down his face.
I just want you to know who I am.
Stavros and Helena toast each other with champagne on her yacht, the moonlight in the background.
I just want you to know who I am.
Alexis curls up into a little ball in the closet, sobbing softly.
I just want you to know who I am.
Flashback to Alexis� wedding ring hitting the ground that afternoon.