Risk

Chapter XXVI

Laying Down the Law

The sound of an approaching helicoptor draws Michael's attention. He goes running to the rise behind the house. He stays back until the rotors come to a complete stop. The tutor jumps out of the helicoptor. Michael goes running up to him. "Hey! I'm on vacation! What are you doing here?"

"Vacation is over, Michael. Stavros needs your mother."

Michael frowns. "Stavros is in trouble?"

"Well he wasn't too happy when I talked to him."

"Stavros has the phone, doesn't he? Cause me and Mama are on vacation. It's the damn attorneys again." Michael protests.

"I didn't ask." Tutor says wryly. "But I don't think this one is going to be fixed overnight... so you need to go get your stuff. Where is your mother?"

"She's talking to Uncle Sonny in the kitchen. It's real serious. So I've been real quiet."

"That's good." The tutor nods. "Go get your travel bag and meet me back here. I'm going to go get your mom."

"What about Uncle Sonny?"

"I think your mom wants him to stay on vacation. Didn't you say he works too much?"

"Yeah, all the time. He's always gone on business. And he's mad cause he can't find his phone either. His damn attorney was always calling him at home too."

"I don't think that your Uncle Sonny has to worry about that any more." The tutor says wryly. "Go get your bag and meet me back here. Maybe your mom will be able to figure out what is bothering Stavros fast and you'll be able to come back before Uncle Sonny's vacation is over."

"Okay." Michael goes racing to the house.

Benny is announced at Penthouse 4. "Where is Johnny?"

"He went with Sonny to meet Carly." Jason answers absently. He is dressed in a custom tailored Hugo Boss suit and handmade Italian shoes. He had to go with the handmade shoes... the stuff in the stores made his feet itch. "Everything set for Atlantic City?"

"Yeah, there should be no problems. It's the set agenda and accounting. The bosses down there are familiar with you. There was a shakeup down in Brooklyn. Few new players. I have files on them for you."

"Good." Jason holds out his hand and then goes over to the fireplace. Page by page he reads the materials and then feeds them into the fire.

"You gonna remember all that?" Jason looks at Benny and frowns. "Just askin'. They're going to ask you to move drugs. They always ask when there is a switch over between you and Sonny."

"Same answer as before, Benny. No, it's sloppy. Stick to the stuff we do already."

"Right boss." Benny talks fast to cover for that slip. "Max is already checking out the limo downstairs."

"Right." Jason strides out of the penthouse ushering Benny out too and then locking the door behind him.

"I haven't heard from Ms Davis lately." Benny tries to make conversation as they wait for the elevator.

"She had some... family business to take care of." Jason says casually and hits the down button again. "I don't know when she'll be back. Find another attorney."

Stefan walks up to the nurse's station. "I need to speak with you... privately." He says quietly to Bobbie.

"Amy, will you finish this please." Bobbie hands the test results that are being sorted into files to the other nurse.

Amy's eyes go wide. "Sure." She tries to file while keeping her eyes on Bobbie and Stefan over in the seating area set aside for people waiting on appointments.

"What's up?"

"Stavros just called."

"Oh really?!" Bobbie stiffens and has a slightly ticked look on her face. "What has he done now? Is Carly okay?"

"Caroline wasn't the topic of the conversation. He knows that Nikolas and Gia have ended their engagement and he is... concerned."

"How did he know... nevermind I don't think I want to know." Bobbie sighs. She takes her stethescope off from around her neck and tucks it in the pocket of her lap coat. "What is he going to do?"

"Hopefully nothing. He does however know that you have information on the situation. I told him to not call you but I have little confidence in his ability to see the logic of my request."

Bobbie shakes her head. "I can deal if he calls. As long as it is about Nikolas."

"Barbara, while I understand your loyalty to Ms Webber I am finding it increasingly misplaced. It is causing problems for Nikolas and Ms Campbell as well. I think it is also doing a disservice to Lucky. She is taking advantage of your discretion."

"You have no idea what you are talking about." Bobbie dismisses but she bites her lip, feeling that Stefan is telling her what the little voice had been telling her since talking to Nikolas earlier.

"While I may not have Caroline's intuitive skills. I do know when something is wrong. And I have total faith in your reasoning skills when you use them. You terminated Ms Webber from her employment at the diner. You would have only done that with significant cause."

Bobbie laughs. "I don't know if I should be complimented or not. Thanks I think." She grows serious. "Why is it that you picked up on that and Luke and Lucky didn't?"

"It is as I told Stavros. They have a blindspot where Ms Webber is concerned. One that you no longer share. Nikolas shares it with his Spencer relatives. To the detriment of his relationship with Gia. Not just this time but also when Nikolas was playing his deceptive game with Helena. Nikolas is sacrificing his happiness for his brother yet again. He is paying a debt for the generations before. I tire of it."

Bobbie reaches out and puts a hand on Stefan's arm. "I get it, Stefan. Nikolas isn't you, or his father or Helena. He's a good kid."

"So why cannot Nikolas accept that as well?" Stefan's frustration and concern comes thru.

"Do you want me to speak to him again? I did talk to him for a moment. I think I let him know that... that he didn't have all the information. But I think he was going to talk to Jason Morgan."

"Morgan?!"

Bobbie looks over at Amy who is listening intently. "Amy, I'm going to take a break. I'll be back in fifteen."

"Okay." Amy says grudgingly, annoyed that she'll be missing the juicy stuff again.

"Come on." Bobbie starts back toward Stefan's office. Stefan rests his hand at the base of her back escorting her to his office and not asking any questions until they are back in his office.

"What does Morgan have to do with this?" Stefan demands.

"I want your word."

"No. I will do as I think best."

Bobbie sighs. She sits down on one of the chairs by Stefan's desk. Rather than going around to the other side of the desk Stefan takes the seat next to her. Bobbie reaches out again and rests her hand on Stefan's arm. She can feel the tension in her ex husband. "Elizabeth has been thru alot. Things have happened to her that have nothing to do with the Cassadines of course but she is also a victim of Helena. She was right there when we all believed that Lucky burned up in that fire. She was on the frontlines when the programming took effect after we got Lucky back."

"Yes, yes I know all this." Stefan says impatiently. "She is a martyr on the altar of the Cassadine evil. So why do Gia and Caroline hold her in such disdain?"

Bobbie winces. "I don't know the details on that one. Carly always thought that Elizabeth was after Jason or after Sonny. It was a paranoid jealous thing. And I think Gia got pulled into that with the Face of Deception."

Stefan shakes his head. "Too simple."

"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. You asked me about Jason. Nikolas had words with Gia because Gia told Jason about Elizabeth being fired. I don't know if that is true or not. I told Nikolas it didn't matter cause Jason already knew why Elizabeth was fired. And Elizabeth knows that Jason knows why she was fired."

"Knew it before she told Nikolas and Lucky that Gia told Jason?" Stefan cuts to the heart of the matter. "So she set Gia up. To deflect attention from herself. Why do I suspect it is not the first time? There was a strain in Nikolas and Gia's relationship when we were in Greece. She mentioned both Elizabeth and Emily then."

"Jason!" Nikolas catches up with Jason down in the parking garage below the Harbor View Towers.

Max gets between Nikolas and Jason. Jason puts a hand on Max's shoulder. "I got it. What's up, Nikolas. Make it fast I got an appointment."

"Gia told you about Elizabeth."

"Yeah, so?"

"But Bobbie says you already knew what was going on... before Gia said anything."

"Yeah." Jason leans over toward Nikolas. "Let you in on a secret, sport." Jason channels a little Sonny to torment Nikolas. "Gia still doesn't know why Elizabeth was fired. And I bet you don't either. And Elizabeth plans on keeping it that way. I gotta go." Jason steps into the limo. Max shuts the door firmly and then seats himself up next to the driver. The limo pulls away with Nikolas standing in place.

The tutor raps on the kitchen door of the plantation house.

"What the hell?" Carly rises to her feet. She goes over to the door but Sonny is there before her.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Sonny recognizes the man from Michael's book.

"I am Michael's tutor. I need to talk to Mrs Corinthos."

"What the hell?" Carly pushes by Sonny. "This is a really bad time. Sonny and I were... it's a really bad time."

"Prince Cassadine sent me to pick you up." The tutor says quietly. "I already told Michael that your vacation has been cut short. He believes it is because of the damn attorneys. Michael is already at the helicopter with his things. "

"Is it? Did you bring the phone with you? Maybe I can handle it from here."

The tutor shakes his head. "Prince Cassadine said he wanted you."

"Damn." Carly swears. "Sonny, I'm really sorry but..."

"No, Carly! You're staying right here until we hash this out!" Sonny demands.

"I'll be back. This should only take a little while. Just relax... have some rum. Michael and I will be back before you know it."

"Carly!" Sonny reaches to her. The tutor gets in the way. "Get out of my way."

"I'll handle this." Carly brushes the tutor aside. "I know his timing sucks. But it's business."

"You can't go running off every time he can't manage to control-alt-delete on the computer. Damnit, Carly, this is important! This is our marriage!"

"Michael told you he wasn't computer literate. Stavros is getting better. But there are certain things I am just better at handling. Stavros trusts me." Carly leans over and gives Sonny a kiss. "Back in a bit." She runs the few steps down the porch. The tutor is right behind her.

Sonny starts following them down to the helicopter landing sight. "Carly..."

Carly climbs into the passenger seat next to Michael and straps in. The tutor shuts the door. Carly and Michael wave as the rotors start up and then the small craft smootly lifts away.

"Damn it!" Sonny stalks back to the house and precedes to tear it apart to look for his cell phone.

"Madame, we have arrived." Andreas knocks on the suite at the back of the Cassadine jet.

Alexis opens the door with a yawn. "Where are we? What time is it?"

"Kampala. Or rather a small airfield outside of Kampala. I will find out the local time for you."

"Excuse me it's been a few years since my last geography class. Kampala?"

"Uganda, Madame."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Alexis' jaw drops. "What happened to Greece? Or even Europe?"

Andreas comes into the suite and goes thru the closet to find a suitable outfit for Alexis to wear. "The Cassadines have always had ties to the so called dark Continent. While Helena preferred to deal with the madman in Libya, The Prince has forged significant ties to the government here. In exchange for medical information provided by Helena's experiments, The Prince has been given political asylum here. A representative of the Government will be greeting the plane. You will represent The Family."

"Medical information? Oh please. Poisons."

"Do not dismiss the work done by the applications Helena chose. The research alone that went into reviving the Prince from his long sleep have applications in a dozen different diseases. Positive applications. The Prince chose carefully when he selected Uganda. It is actually the most forward thinking country on this continent despite their press in the western world dating back to the days of Idi Amin. But they are a victim of the scurge of the rest of the world even as they make every educational effort to stop or even reverse the trend."

"AIDS." Alexis grimaces. The modern plague.

Andreas nods. "They are willing to take the research that the Prince has provided and use it to jump start their own efforts rather than waiting for the... trickle down from America or Europe. Like the majority of the world they cannot afford the cocktail of drugs used in the States. They would prefer to find the cure and save their next generation. I believe Mrs Corinthos gave The Prince the idea. Something about him being able to write his own ticket the world over if he could find the cure."

"Now that I believe." Alexis says wryly.

"He has taken the creme of the scientists here added the surviving members of Helena's research team, funded a state of the art lab built by local labor, designed by a local architect. And as The Prince has little tolerance for delay paid huge bonuses to have the lab up and running in record time. This compound is a gift from the President of the Country in return for gift of monies and information that the Prince has given them."

"In other words, Stavros is a god here."

"He is well respected." Andreas counters. "This is the first addition that the Prince has made to the Cassadine Estate since taking back the reign."

"Translated... nobody knows it's here."

"Nobody outside of the country." Andreas agrees. He finishes laying out an outfit on the bed. "It is a great honor that your brother has given you. He has yet to personally inspect the work done here. You are the first direct representative of The Family to arrive here."

"Andreas..." Alexis is about to protest but Andreas interrupts.

"Whatever the Prince's agenda in seeking a cure, or for bringing you here. This is a good thing, Madame." Andreas says sternly. "The work being done here could save millions worldwide. You represent The Family. Do not do anything that might cause the Prince to have second thoughts about this venture. These people may have little use for another attorney but they do need The Cassadine. They need you to be an advocate for them."

Alexis considers the case Andreas had made for her cooperation. "Leave me."

"Madame?"

"I have to dress."

After making sure that the tutor has Michael occupied, Carly stalks into Stavros' rooms. "What is the big freaking emergency?!"

"Gia called."

Carly winces. "Oh yeah. I was going to tell you about that."

"I do not like surprises."

Carly turns it around and goes on attack mode. "Something we have in common! Alexis?! What the hell was she doing on the boat? You didn't tell me anything about her showing up! And I'll be damned if I'm going to be living across the hall from her or looking at her smug face over dinner!"

"How I chose to treat my family is not your concern." Stavros says imperiously.

"Bullshit."

"Excuse me?"

"How you treat your family is every concern to me and my son. I know I didn't set too many ground rules when we teamed up. We got the what's yours is yours and what's mine is mine down. And the no drinking in front of Michael. You've been really great about that. But the smacking women around thing was something I didn't think we'd have to cover."

"Alexis forgot her place." Stavros tone is threatening.

"And you think I'm forgetting mine? You think you're gonna start smacking me around?! There are a few things that have changed in the last twenty years... nah that's bull too. It was the rule back then too. There is a thing called weight class. If I want to kick Alexis' ass, I'm allowed and I've got a multitude of reasons believe me." Carly starts holding up fingers. "I'm a woman and I think I can take her even if she has a few pounds on me. You don't get to. You don't get to beat up on women... you don't get to beat up on kids.
You want to take on Stefan-- hell I'll sell tickets. You wanna kick the crap out of Jax... I'll hold your coat. But Michael will be raised by the code... and that means it'll always be his job to look out for people who are younger or weaker than he is. If you are going to be around my son then that is what you are going to teach him too. By example. I have one place in this world. ONE. That is Michael's mother. And I never forget my place!" Carly snarls. Stavros grins at her. "What? What you think is so funny?"

"Why couldn't Laura be more like you?"

"Oh don't even mention her to me!" Carly throws up her hands and then tosses herself on a nearby couch. She closes both of her eyes momentarily and then runs both of her hands thru her hair. "I didn't tell you about Nik and Gia cause I hoped they'd work it out. Didn't think they would but I hoped. Gia didn't say anything bad about Nikolas, did she?"

"Yes, she did." Carly winces at Stavros answer. "She called him a jerk. Caroline, you forget that I am well acquainted with Gia. I know how much she loves my son. I know she loves him in the face of his disdain. Even as he abandoned her while he was toying with Helena, Gia loved my son. Nikolas was being... a jerk then. I cannot imagine a scenario where Gia would abandon my son."

Carly sighs. "I can." She sits more properly on the couch and pats the spot next to her. "Let me fill you in a little bit on the goings on in Port Charles."

"And you will tell me all about this blindspot of the Spencers. Someone that your mother would have a connection to. Stefan refused to give me her name but I know she is at the root of Nikolas and Gia's estrangement."

"Oh yeah. I know exactly who you are talking about. And as much as I'd love to say she's the exception to the no hitting women rule... her ass is mine and you'll just have to go to the end of the line. But, Stavros, what is going on between Nik and Gia is about Nik not about Elizabeth Webber. Hell I think I could make a case for it being all Stefan and Laura's fault."

Stavros files the name away. "Tell me. I cannot counsel my son if I don't have all the information."

"Are we okay?" Carly asks seriously.

"What is mine is mine. What is yours is yours. No drinking in front of Michael. And all physical confrontations will be limited to those within the same weight class. It is not unworkable."

"And what you do to your family does concern me as long as we're hanging. Especially now since it involves my family. And that is all your fault. Because you brought my family into it... Mama, Lucas. It means you're going to have to get creative about messing with Stefan without messing with them. And Alexis...." Carly grimaces. "Please tell me I don't have to spend time with her. Cause that is a serious dealbreaker. I could be over sipping Pinacoladas with Sonny and working on my tan."

"Alexis is a continent away from here... a continent away from the compound in Greece. You might have to deal with either her or Andreas but only over the phone. Have you had a change of heart? Have you forgotten your plans for Deception? For returning to Port Charles? Would you now prefer to stay here? You have set things up so that your husband cannot return to Port Charles."

"Damn-- you do ask the hard questions."