The decision weighed heavily on his mind as he sat with his gun laying flat on the table in front of him, his hand resting on it, ready for the just the right person to walk through the door. He heard footsteps descend from the staircase, he stood up from his chair, his hand clenched around the butt of the gun, he aimed it towards the door. He listened to the steps, it certainly wasn't Faith, it was too heavy a foot to be her. He glided across the hardwood floor, keeping his eye on the entry way.
A burly man stepped into the doorway, a man Zander hadn't recognized, he cocked the 9mm in his hand, awaiting the man's next move. The man approached Zander without hesitation like he knew him and certainly wasn't afraid of the weapon Zander had aimed at his chest. "Helena thought you'd like to see me." his husky voice sounded familiar to Zander, but the face he was wearing didn't. "And why's that?" Zander asked as the man approached a little closer then before. He held his arms out to his side to show Zander he was unarmed. "You can put down the weapon, Zander. I'm not armed." Zander searched the lining of his jacket to see if he had any weapons hidden, once he was satisfied he lowered his gun and stuffed it back in the front of his pants. Zander stared at the gentleman in front of him, knowing he should know the man, the voice was familiar, he just couldn't recollect from where.
The man saw Zander was straining to remember so he decided to give him a little help in remembering. "It's been a long time, Zander. It's good to see you, although I wish it was under different circumstances. I didn't plan for us to meet again like this." the look on Zander's face became more confused and the man was very vague in his chatter with him. Zander studied the man's facial features and then it came to him as clear as he was standing there. "Pete?" Zander replied with question. If this was a copy of his once dead brother, it was a cruel joke being played. Although being it Helena behind things, he wouldn't doubt it. A smile came over the man's face as Zander said his name. "As you can see I'm not dead." Zander still in disbelief, certainly had no reason to believe that the man before him was his brother Pete, who supposedly committed suicide 5 years ago in Florida.
"No! You can't be Pete. Pete's dead. I was there, I saw it." Zander turned and walked away from the stranger. "Zander, listen to me. I am Pete .... I'm your brother!" Zander turned and faced him once more. He studied the features again, very carefully. The voice was the same, and he guessed with age of 5 years, he could of changed. The hair was dark, his brother was tall and of medium build, but that could be changed too, he guessed. Pete saw that Zander was not believing him, he'd need proof. But at that point there wasn't much proof he could provide that Zander would believe. Zander sat down in the chair before his knees buckled underneath him. Peter sat down across from him, Zander still staring at his facial features, trying to get over the initial shock of seeing him again.
"Explain this too me, Pete. How are you here? I mean I was at your funeral, I saw the body, you were dead." Zander asked as he reached for the bottle of Jack and poured himself a shot. "Ah, it's what I wanted you to see Zander, actually not you, but our father. This plan was not mine, Zander. You have to believe that. I wasn't so much a willing participant in all this, it wasn't until later that I realized the rewards from me being dead. Dad was the real target, he was the one who was to suffer from my death, not you. And I'm sorry that my death caused you so much pain. It wasn't my intention that you be blamed for it, not at all. It was suppose to look like a suicide, I didn't want you to get the blame, and I tried to stop it after the fact, but it was too late, the plan was already set into motion." Zander sat dumbfounded as he heard his brother talk about what happened to him and why.
"Wait. So this was all a plan to get Dad? By whom? Who planned this, Pete?" Zander wanted answers, he had gone on far too long believing that he killed his own brother, he deserved to know. Pete ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Helena Cassadine." Pete replied as Zander stood up from the table in anger. "Helena?! She put me through 5 years of hell?!" Zander began to pace, trying to keep his distance from Peter. "That wasn't the plan, Zander. Not at all. I tried to make it better but Helena wouldn't have it. She had her plans for our father, and she wouldn't listen to what I needed to be done for you not to suffer." Zander was allowing all this information to sink in, but he was still not sure if he should believe this or not. He wasn't sure of anything anymore.
"So where have you been for the last 5 years? Why didn't you come out of hiding before now?" Zander was full of questions, which led to just more questions. Pete led Zander to the table and sat him down. "Dad was once married to a Cassadine, I'm not sure married is the word for it, but the two of them were very much involved. The woman he was involved with got pregnant. Dad was forced to leave her, and he reluctantly went after being threatened numerous times by the family. Dad married mom a year later, he had no other contact with the other woman, he doesn't even know there is a child out there that is his." Zander stopped Pete. "Wait, so we have a brother or sister out there? And of all things he or she is a Cassadine?" "Now listen, Helena was bound and determined to seek revenge because of this illegitimate child, the woman was eventually murdered, Dad was the only one left who knew much of the truth, but Helena and the family had chased him off before he found out about the child. There wasn't he much he could tell regarding the relationship he had with the woman. So Helena left him be for a while, then me and you came along. Helena knew that I was Dad's favorite, so she used me to get to him. To leave him alone and suffering like she had been all those years ago was enough punishment for her to inflict. She was satisfied with the sweet revenge she had put into place." Zander sat and listened, nursing the shot of Jack in front of him.
"So why now?" Zander asked. "I don't really know the answer to that Zander. I just have to assume that this punishment Helena has set forth is far from over, and that we are all in danger." Zander's mind went quickly to Elizabeth and the baby. "Oh my God." He pulled his cell phone from his jacket and dialed. He was hoping Elizabeth was working today, but he hadn't seen her earlier when he had arrived. "Who are you calling?" Pete asked concerned with Zander's quick decision to make a phone call. "I'm calling ..." he drifted off when she finally answered. "Elizabeth? Are you at work today?" he asked with concern. "Yeah, I'm in the middle of my shift. Why?" Zander sighed relief once he knew she was upstairs at Kelly's. "I'm downstairs at the Cellar, could you come down here please?" Zander sounded a little frantic, Elizabeth did what he asked thinking something could be wrong.
It didn't take but a few minutes, and Zander heard the door to the club open at the top of the stairs. He rushed to the staircase and assisted her down and into the foyer of the club. "Zander, what's this all about?" Zander didn't answer her, instead he showed her into the bar room area, where Pete was sitting at one of the tables. Pete turned around and saw Zander and Elizabeth walking in together. "Pete, this is Elizabeth." Zander introduced the two of them, as Pete extended his hand to her. She shook it hesitantly. "I thought ... wait, you're suppose to be dead." Zander looked down at her. "Helena strikes again." Elizabeth had been through this before when Helena took Lucky for over a year, but she didn't understand what it had to do with her. Peter noticed Elizabeth's little belly and his eyes widened. "Before you even ask, yes it's mine." Zander quickly answered and Elizabeth smiled as she caressed her unborn child. "Now you see why I'm concerned." Zander added as Peter shook his head in agreement.
"Someone care to explain this all to me?" Elizabeth asked. "I'd be happy to." Helena replied as she stood in the doorway. Zander quickly, without even thinking twice pulled the 9mm and aimed it at her. He stepped between Helena and Elizabeth trying to shield Elizabeth from the darkness entered the club. "My, my, aren't we quick on the draw." she said as she approached. Peter stood up from the table and stepped in front of his captor. "Peter would tell you brother to put the weapon away, there's no need for that." Helena glanced over Peter's shoulder and stared down the barrel of a loaded gun aimed for her. "What do you want?" Zander asked as he pushed Peter aside and faced her. "You're not very hospitable .. you're cute though." she said as she reached her hand out to touch his face. Pete stepped back in and pushed her arm out of the way. "It's over Helena! All of it!" He tried to intimidate her, but she knew his threats were empty. "Oh come now, Peter, is that anyway to talk to me. I saved your life once, you owe me." Helena smirked as her eye caught a glimpse of Elizabeth standing behind Zander. Peter wanted to say something, but she side stepped him. She walked up to Elizabeth as Zander tried to shield her. "Well, hello. We meet again." Helena said as she noticed Elizabeth's pregnant form. "Well now, that can't be Lucky's, so that must mean ..." she turned to Zander "...that must mean it's yours." A chill went through Zander as he stared her in face. The evilness everyone talked about surfaced and it scared him to death.