Chapter 7
Nikolas tries not to look back at Elizabeth as she leaves the ballroom. He curses Robin's timing, he and Elizabeth haven't spent that much time talking in over a year. But now is not the time for regrets, someone is targeting his family, first him one of his cars was tampered with but he wasn't using it that day; unfortunately it was Elizabeth driving, she and the children nearly drowned. After that someone messed with Jake's medicine at the hospital, now Lulu.
It all started six months ago, with a phone call from Scott. Laura was having nightmares again and had been for awhile. She thought she was being followed, she was becoming paranoid. Scott increased her therapy sessions but they weren't helping, things were getting worse. The day of the call Scot found evidence that her nightmares were true, someone was tormenting her and they were threatening her children and grandchildren. For once the villain wasn't Helena, perhaps she was growing soft in her declining years.
It's taken all six months and millions of dollars to track down every person who might hold a grudge against Laura and to be safe, the Cassadines. They were all at the ball. Some came, excited for the invitation, others had to be blackmailed or bribed but they came. One of his guests would die tonight, he just awaits confirmation of his theory.
He walks up to the screaming Robin and with a slight bow at Patrick whirls her onto the dance floor. Her cell phone is in her hand, he looks at the screen and sees, "the Greek." He exhales and says, "You should really consider not making public scenes Robin. You risk looking deranged, it does you no favors."
Robin huffs and wrests her wrist from his hand to put her cell phone back in her purse, she than gracefully puts her hand back in his and joins him in the waltz.
"Not even a request to dance? You're very controlling," Robin says in mock exasperation while twirling around the ballroom with Nikolas.
"Absolutely, I only care about my wants and desire," Nikolas answers ironically. "Since we've been friends for years I thought you already knew that."
"Hmm, I've touched a nerve. You know I don't believe that, it's just all this cloak and..."
"Robin," Nikolas warns.
Robin starts over, "I think part of you is getting a kick out of this. I really do. A little advice from one friend to another, don't get comfortable with it, you might find that it takes you to dark places from which you can never return. Any way thanks for interrupting the latest in a long line of arguments with Patrick. It seems that's all we do anymore, fight."
"If you're open to some reciprocal friendly advice on relationships," Nikolas arches an eyebrow at her surprised look. "Not my own, my mother's, sometimes anger is love in disguise."
"No offense to Laura but I don't agree. Anger is all that's left, I'm done putting energy towards our marriage."
"You may think you're not but you are, negative energy is still energy."
"Darn it, I hate when you're right. It really messes with my opinion that you're aloof and disinterested."
"My apologies, I shall work at being …. unavailable."
"Don't work too hard at it, you might get confused with your uncle Stefan. So be careful."
Elizabeth enters the game room. Pausing she looks at each of the players, Sonny, some men and a woman she doesn't recognize, Luke and Helena. One of them is trying to kill her children and he or she sits playing poker, acting as if they haven't a care in the world. She wants that person to suffer, to die a slow and painful death. The ferocity of her desire surprises her. She's never felt such anger in her life, it nearly brings her to her knees. Where once she was opposed to Nikolas' plan she now finds herself in agreement.
She looks down at the corsage on her wrist, fully aware of what it means. She has the power to prevent Nikolas from taking revenge, she could walk out of this room and flush that little white pill down a toilet. Her fingers play with the corsage, she looks up and catches Helena's eye. Helena sneers at her and Elizabeth can read the contempt. Helena would exact revenge with no guilt, with no sympathy for the guilty party, she sees Elizabeth's hesitation as weakness.
Elizabeth straightens her spine and walks purposefully to the table, tonight she is not weak, she's a mother protecting her children. She stands behind Luke and reaches to put her hand on his shoulder, Helena puts down her cards and grabs Elizabeth's wrist.
"What an interesting corsage, Nikolas must be making a statement giving you Oleander. It's poisonous you know." While she speaks Helena sweeps one finger under the corsage and takes the pill.
Elizabeth is shocked, the pill was to go to Luke. Helena reads the surprise in Elizabeth's eyes and says, "Perhaps that's what he wants, he'd get sole custody of little Aiden. I'm in complete accord with my grandson; some mothers are more trouble than they are worth. He gives you a poisonous corsage and you blindly put it on. That's the difference between you and me. I don't live my life according to a man's plan, I do what I want, when I want. You should try that some time, you might be interesting enough for more than a one night stand or sordid affair."
Luke exhales a puff of cigar smoke and interrupts, "Helena, that's the mother of my grandchildren you are insulting."
"And my great-grandson, which is almost more of a disgrace for poor Aiden than what little Spencer needs to suffer. At least his embarrassment of a mother had the good graces to die."
Sonny looks like he wants to say something on his sister's behalf but he just sits back in his chair and watches the show.
Elizabeth looks at Luke a little desperately and says, "Luke I was wondering if you would dance with me."
Luke gives Helena a long look and pats Elizabeth's wrist meaningfully. "Thanks for the offer my dear but I'm winning and it's never good to leave the table mid-way through a good hand. Maybe later. Right now I'm working on taking Helena for everything she's worth."
Elizabeth understands that Luke knows who has the pill and that he'll take care of it, left with nothing to do and not wanting to draw attention to anything she leaves the room. She needs to find Nikolas and warn him that the black queen was making her own moves.
AN : I'd like to thank all my reviewers your words of encouragement are greatly appreciated. I'd also like to apologize, because I don't know if I'll be finishing this fic. I can't seem to get chapter 8 to come together, it's been six weeks since I started editing it, deleting much of it and starting all over and a month since I stopped trying. But life changes, so we'll see.
