She held the phone to her ear waiting for him to pick up. "Please answer. Please," she sobbed. Her hands were covered with dried blood, that somehow made them feel heavier. Or was that in her mind? She didn't know. He finally picked up on the sixth ring. "Hello?!" She nearly yelled into end. It wasn't him thought, it was his answering machine. "Please call me back it's urgent. I...need your help. I think I did… I don't know if I did, but I think I might have killed him. Answer the phone Nikolas." Then she hung up and waited for him to call her back. He eventually did.

Present Day

"So where should I start?" Irina walked slowly around Helena, dragging a long thin blade across her body. Helena sat bloodied, bound and gagged to a wooden chair. Her right eye was a dark bruised purple as well as swollen shut. She was actually scared. The last time she was frightened like this was when she met Valentin Cassadine, a bastard of dead husband Mikkos. Irina wasn't as put together as him, but she had the same look in her eyes that he had in his. The silent look of a disquiet unbalance nature, that could snap at any moment. "How about my fucked up childhood. You know where you had me committed into an insane asylum for seventeen years. I actually thought one of the nuns was my mother for a while." Irina laughed. She stopped in front of Helena, crouching low enough to see her eyes. "You know what that nun said and to me? She told me I was a child damned to spend my next life burning in Hell, because I was abomination born from Lucifer's ashes. She was right about one thing…I was created by monsters." Irina stabbed the blade straight through Helena's hand, pinning it to the arm of the chair. Helena's head shot up as her muffled screams tried terribly hard to push through the sock that was shoved inside her mouth. Irina wagged her finger at Helena. "When it's your time to speak I will let you know."

Weeks had passed when Alexis was able to finally bring up a change in scenery for their Sunday dinner. Well for at least this one time. Nikolas seemed fine with that, as well as none the wiser to what Alexis really was up to. She wasn't the best cook or a cook at all, so she decided to just order a meal from the Metro Court and be done with all. "Don't you think they'll will notice that's from the Metro Court?" Julian said from his place on the couch. Alexis was unloading the food from the aluminum and plastic containers they came in, into her own dishes. "How's that? Food is food. I sincerely doubt they can taste that great of a difference from what I normally serve." Alexis countered as she unloaded the last one. "I mean its pretty obvious when you leave the menu you used to order the food from out like that." Julian said, pointing to the fancy Metro Court menu that sat beside the house phone. Alexis glared at him and grabbed the menu placing it under a stack of magazines. Sam and Danny arrived first. These past few weeks hadn't been good for her and Patrick. His suspension had been set to indefinitely, even after they settled with the patient out of court. Patrick had been lost and not himself. Alexis becoming as worried for him as she was for Nikolas. Sam seemed to be trying to hold it together. She had been working more. Getting more cases day by day, which made her happy. Glad to move around instead of being stuck in the same rut Patrick was in. Alexis warmed the food as they waited on Nikolas.

Helena had finally gone thankfully. She was really becoming a nuisance. So much so Nikolas couldn't host Sunday dinner at Wyndemere, for the fear she might make an appearance. Nikolas had been growing closer to Sam which gave him an substantial amount of triumph. While Patrick slowly spiraled into a black hole of prescription pills and alcohol. Sam wouldn't outright tell anyone of his problems, but from what Nikolas heard from the guy he hired to keep an eye on his cousin it was getting bad. He took great pleasure in this turn of events. Everything was going as planned.

Nikolas got to Alexis' house just after Kevin arrived. Seeing Kevin there, turned Nikolas mood from good to bad. He wasn't fooled by this. "So what's Dr. Collins doing here?" Nikolas looked directly at Alexis. Sam looked from Nikolas to Alexis and can see the tension that was building. "I invited Kevin as a friend. I just thought a home cooked meal would be nice." Alexis said adding the last few touches. "Home cooked meal? Mom this so takeout." Kristina said, not covering up her laughter. "Yeah. When's the last time you actually cooked?" Sam added. Molly just laughed. Alexis glared at all three them. "Maybe around the same you did." Alexis retorted, dropping the plates on the table. "Eat up."

Dinner was filled with utter silence. The only things to be heard were the sounds of forks scraping against the white ceramic plates and Danny asking for more juice. Kevin cleared his throat and looked at Nikolas. "So, how's life been going for everyone?" He asked the table as a whole, but was more so looking forward to Nikolas response. "Well besides studying for an upcoming test. I've been living the life of a hermit crab." Kristina said disappointedly. Molly smiled as she pulled out phone. Obviously receiving a text. "Umm...I'm doing good. Working a lot." Sam said, dodging anything that would delve deeper into what was really going on at home. Molly laughed as she continued to mess around on her phone. "What about you, Molly? Kevin pushed. Molly looked up surprised to hear her name. "Oh well, studying and trying to balance school and my boyfriend. Who just asked me if I wanted to see a movie." Molly said, giving Alexis a pouty look. Alexis rolled her eyes. "Oh alright. You can go. As long as your back by curfew." Alexis said sternly. Molly jumped up excitedly. "Thanks! And I will." She took one last bite of her pasta and headed for the door. "How about you, Kevin? How's life been treating you? How's your marriage to Lucy? If that's still a thing." Nikolas said. Alexis was embarrassed by his lack of regard for Kevin's privacy. "Nikolas." Alexis shot a look of sympathy to her friend. Kevin raised him, as he wiped the corners of his mouth. "Its fine Alexis. Nikolas is just naturally curious like anybody would be. Its human nature. And to answer your question, Nikolas, were actually taking a break right now." Kevin said unbothered. Alexis looked at Nikolas. "Oh that's terrible to hear. Must hurt when your wife chooses another man over you. So how is Scott?" Nikolas asked. He was obviously poking the bear. Trying to get a reaction from Kevin. Alexis was just about to snap at her nephew when Kevin cut in. "Does my presence here bother you?" Kevin said, waiting for a response. Nikolas laughed. "Why would you being here bother me, Dr. Collins?" Nikolas retorted. The rest of the table grew silent as they watched this all unfold. "I have no idea as to why it would be problem for you if I was here. Its not like I'm inhibiting you anyway. I'm just here enjoying a good meal." Kevin said with ease, taking another bite from his plate. "That's bullshit." Nikolas murmured. Kevin lifted his head. "Excuse me?" Nikolas threw his napkin down on the table. "I said, that's bullshit. We all know why you're here. My nosey condescending aunt invited you here to secretly evaluate me. Over some ridiculous idea that she feels I need to be analyzed because I'm somehow having a mental breakdown. Instead of just dealing with woes of life. Well fuck this." Nikolas ranted, he pushed his plate in front of him and stood up. "Nikolas!" Alexis said in disbelief. She was confounded by his behavior. "Oh don't give me that look Alexis. This entire dinner was a setup. The fact that you have that little faith in my intelligence is insulting. So you can take that look and shove it." Nikolas pushed his chair and walked right out the door.

Sam made it to the docks before he was able to leave by boat. "Was that really necessary? What was that?" Sam asked. She was truly baffled by his actions and needed a response. "Oh not you too, Sam. Come to me when Alexis is holding an intervention for Patrick without your knowledge. Then we'll talk." Nikolas was angry. This whole situation frustrated the hell out of him and he needed someone to understand it. To help him understand it. Sam face tighten as she glared at him. "What are talking about? Patrick" She almost hissed. Nikolas shook his head. "You're so in denial it's almost sad. Patrick is mess. I'm just surprised he hasn't overdosed by now. I mean that's what junkies do." As soon as he said it he regretted it. Now because it was harsh or wasn't true. It was because this was too much. He was pushing her away when the plan was to comfort her. To get her to see him for someone more than just a cousin. Sam felt every word like they were blows to her body. Sharp and painful. Her hand slid across Nikolas face so hard his head moved with it. He turned and looked at her. Breathing hard with a dark pulsating anger radiating towards. In that moment all boundaries aside he was hard and impulse control was gone. His hands grasp the sides of Sam's head and he dropped his face towards her. Passionately placing his lips against hers. Their faces were smashed together and as he kissed her. Bringing her closer to his erection. She gasped for air and as soon as her mouth was open his tongue slid in. Mingling with hers. In that moment he was alive for the first time in years. Every intense emotion he had ever felt hit him and hit him hard.

Nikolas jumped back and held his mouth. Sam had dug her teeth into his tongue, tearing flesh. Her face was flushed and as red as a cherry. He could see so many emotions pass over her as well. She didn't say anything. Her dark eyes just pierced him coldly. For few minutes they stayed like that. Facee in a hard confrontational deadlock. He wasn't going to back down and apologize and she was too speechless to get a coherent thought together. In that moment they were not family, or friends, but in a perplexing warped dance. In which he had set the board for.