Bloodlines
Part Three
Shadows had begun to fall on the papers spread across the study's large desk. Stefan and Alexis were deep in conversation about their contents. A sizeable portion of the Cassadine empire was represented by the data the papers contained, and Stefan was diligent about supervising every detail of Nikolas' birthright.
"I'll be home later, Papa," Andresj' announced from the doorway.
Stefan looked up from the document he was examining and motioned for Andresj' to enter the room. "One moment! You have completed your studies for today?"
"Yes!" Andresj' replied a little impatiently. "You can ask Monsieur."
"Where are you off to?"
"I am meeting Nikolas at his mother's. Then we are going to the Outback." Andresj' turned to leave.
"Arman and Anton will be with you," Stefan said quietly.
His statement brought Andresj' back toward his father in protest. "That isn't necessary, Papa! Nikolas will already have his guards."
"This isn't a discussion." Stefan's tone brooked no argument.
Andresj' teeth clenched in frustration. He knew from his father's tone that there would be no further discussion of the matter. "As you wish, Father," he ground out. "Good night, Alexis."
*********************
"I don't believe Andresj' is too happy with you right now," Alexis said, with a small smile.
"He isn't," Stefan agreed. "My son only addresses me as 'Father' when we are in public, or when he wishes to express his displeasure with me." He began to gather up the papers from the desk. "No matter. He will get over his anger. I cannot afford to ease my vigilance where his safety is concerned."
"I was surprised you allowed him to go to Laura's so easily. You know that Luke will try to take advantage of the opportunity his visit presents."
"I have no doubt he will try," Stefan agreed, as he placed the paperwork into the safe.
"You are remarkably calm about that."
"Why shouldn't I be? Luke can pull no stunts while I am there to protect my sons. Now, do you require a ride to your apartment?"
Rising, Alexis shook her head. "No, I have my car. But I will ride to the docks with you."
"Let us go, then."
*********************
The docks were fairly quiet. Stefan's guards had checked the area before he would allow Alexis to leave the limousine. And still he walked her to her car.
Alexis slid behind the wheel of her dark-blue Mercedes sedan and allowed Stefan to close the door. She lowered the window, looked out at him and said, "Be careful, Stefan. My three favorite men will all be in one place."
"Do not worry so, Alexis. Though my anger at Spencer is great, my first - and only - priority is the safety of my sons." He bent down toward her. "Why do you smile?"
"You are such a proud papa, Stefan," Alexis answered, as she shook her head. "Hearing you say my sons with such pride . . . I can only imagine how ill it must make Helena to see you so secure as not only the head of the Cassadine family but your own."
"I will forgive you your amusement at my expense, Little One." Stefan used his childhood name for her to show his affection. "But only because of the truth you speak."
*********************
The doorbell rang, interrupting the laughter of the people within the small room. "That's probably Andresj' now," said Nikolas, rising. "I will get it." He opened the door and stepped back to allow his younger brother entrance into the room. "Come on in. I was just telling Laura and Lesley about our trip to the mall last week."
"I am sure no one wanted to hear that story. Good evening, Mrs. Spencer, Mrs. Webber," Andresj' said somberly. He then crouched down to speak to the little girl sitting on the couch next to Laura. A shy smile softened his face. "Hello, Lesley Lu." She rewarded him with a smile as he stood.
"It was a very funny story. Good evening, Andresj'," Laura said. "You look very handsome."
Dressed in black slacks and a plum-colored turtleneck shirt that accentuated his well-toned physique, he could have easily been mistaken for some young media star. Dark, curly hair helped emphasize his finely chiseled features. "Thank you," Andresj' replied.
"Nikolas tells me that the two of you are dining at the Outback tonight." Laura attempted to put the young man at ease.
"Yes, ma'am."
When it became obvious that Andresj' had nothing more to add to his response, Nikolas spoke. "You'll have to excuse my little brother, Laura. He isn't a big talker. I think he inherited that from our father." He rose, and gathered his jacket from the couch. "Well, we had better be going. Our reservation is for seven."
"Are you celebrating something?" Lesley inquired.
"I'll be seventeen next month," Andresj' answered politely.
"He's trying to find out if I've bought his gift yet," Nikolas smiled. "Goodnight, Laura, Lesley. And goodnight to you, Lulu."
"Yes, goodnight," Andresj' added.
"Thank you both for coming by," Laura said, with a smile. "You know, Andresj', you are welcome here anytime. With or without Nikolas."
"That is very kind of you, Mrs. Spencer."
"Well, enjoy your evening."
*********************
The sound of the limousine's departure broke the silence that had reigned since the two young men's exit from the room. "He is a beautiful young man, isn't he?" Lesley Webber asked her daughter. "And his mannerisms are just like Stefan."
"Yes, they are." A fleeting expression of bemusement crossed Laura's face. "Nikolas has said before that Andresj' is more like his father than he. I see now what he meant. He is a carbon copy of Stefan."
"And Andresj' and Nikolas are obviously very close. That's good."
"Yes, it is, Mother." Laura rose from the couch and crossed the room to the mantel where pictures of her children stood. "I am glad Nikolas had another child in his life," she said, running her finger across the framed photo of her eldest child. "You know I always worried that he would grow up alone in that big estate and never have a childhood. Oh, I knew that Stefan would give him the love he needed to be a secure young man. I just didn't know if he could give him enough time to be a child."
Softly, Lesley said, "Laura, Nikolas had a very happy childhood."
Laura quickly turned away from the mantel. "How do you know that?" she demanded.
"He told me," Lesley said simply. "Nikolas said that Stefan fought to make sure that he and Andresj' were allowed to be children. He refused to discourage their interests. They were allowed as many childhood experiences as Stefan could safely provide for them." She paused. "Didn't you know any of this?"
"Nikolas never talks to me about his childhood. And I can't blame him," Laura's voice wavered. "After all, I am the mother who deserted him."
"You are trying too hard, Laura. Give Nikolas time to learn to trust you again."
********************
The chauffeur shut the limousine's door, effectively silencing the outside sounds. Bulletproof and designed for comfort, it smoothly pulled away from the Spencer house. Two bodyguards rode inside while another two followed in a large, black sport utility.
Andresj' broke the silence. "Does she know?" he asked, looking out into the darkness.
"Laura?" Nikolas frowned. "I don't think so. I didn't tell her, if that is what you are asking."
"I know you didn't tell her. You gave me your word you wouldn't. I just wondered if Luke would have told her."
"Why are you asking? Because of that invitation she gave you?"
"Yes."
Nikolas reached over and flipped on the car's interior light. He wanted to gauge Andresj's mood, and needed to see him to do so. In times of emotional crisis, Andresj' had learned to adopt a stoic, unyielding demeanor that was almost unreadable. It amazed Nikolas how completely like their father Andresj could be. "Laura wouldn't invite you there for Luke's sake. She wouldn't let him use you that way."
"The way she let you think she was dead because Luke said so?" Andresj' asked quietly. "I'm sorry, Nik. I know that you are trying to work past that with Laura. And if you choose to trust her, then I support you all the way. But I am not going to put myself on the line that way. I know in my heart that Luke Spencer would only see my visits to that house as an opportunity to turn me against Papa. Every visit would just be another chance for Luke to bad-mouth him." The anger Andresj' felt was evident from the rapid rise and fall of his chest. "I don't want Luke Spencer anywhere in my life."
"'Dre, you can handle Luke. I do."
"It isn't the same," Andresj' argued. "You are living proof of Laura's ties to the Cassadines. Luke doesn't want to be in the same room with you. That isn't true for me. 'Cause no matter what Luke Spencer says, I know that he sees me as a weapon against you and Papa."
"That's his problem. Father and I know the kind of man Luke Spencer is. Just as surely as we know that you would never turn against us." Silence. "We are family, 'Dre. Nothing, and nobody can change that."
Bloodlines
Part Four
From across the table Nikolas watched his younger brother pick at his food. Andresj' had been quiet since they'd left Laura's house earlier that evening. It wasn't unusual for him not to say much, but this silence was different. And it bothered Nikolas.
"Hey, lighten up!" Nikolas playfully ordered.
Andresj' gave him a wan smile. "Sorry, Nik. I guess I'm just not very good company tonight."
"With all this quiet, I feel like I'm having dinner with Father."
Andresj' laughed, despite his mood. He recognized that Nikolas was trying to cheer him up, so he responded with an appropriate facial expression.
"There, you see! You even have that eyebrow thing of his down pat. You are more like Father than I am."
"So you're finally admitting that I am the better son?"
"In your dreams!"
*********************
All in all, it had turned out to be an enjoyable evening. In time 'Dre's mood had brightened and he spent the remainder of the meal doing wicked imitations of everyone they knew. Even as they waited for the car to come around, he practiced another.
"Nikolas, darling, you've been misled by Stefan. I only want your happiness."
"You know if Helena ever heard you, she'd -"
"Well, well," Luke interrupted, "who do we have here? The little bastard prince and the deluded Pretender . . . Hands off, fellows." This last comment was directed to the bodyguards who prepared to physically remove him from the area.
"Go away, Mr. Spencer," Nikolas ordered.
"You know, I would, but I need to talk to the boy. So, what is it gonna be, boy? Do we talk somewhere private or do I spill my guts to little prince Nikky, here?"
Nikolas stepped forward and replied, "Andresj' is my brother, Luke. I know everything about him. Including the fact that he considers you a nuisance."
"Your mouth is moving, but I swear I hear Stuffin."
"No, Spencer. Now you hear me." Stefan stood directly behind Luke, arms crossed and looking dangerous. At some silent signal from him, the bodyguards released Luke.
"What 'cha doing, Cassadine?" He turned around to face Stefan. "Running scared that I might talk some sense into the boy?"
"As always, you overestimate both your importance and your influence."
"That's why you and the little prince there keep running interference, right? 'Cause the boy's so free to make up his mind about what I'm saying?"
"I am tired of you acting as though I'm not here," Andresj' spoke up from behind Nikolas. He walked toward Luke until they were only a foot or so apart. "You say you want to talk to me, but you only talk at me, or about me. Now it's my turn to talk. You obviously think that I am too stupid to make decisions for myself, or that Stefan controls my thinking. Well, you won't believe this, but I have decided for myself that I don't want to hear what you have to say about who is my real family and who isn't."
"You've been manipulated so long, kid, that you honestly believe you're thinking for yourself." Luke shook his head in apparent sympathy. "I am giving you the chance to see how wrong you've been about the bloodsucker you call your father."
"Don't you understand? There is nothing you can say that will change my mind. Stefan is my father - in every way. Whether I succeed or fail, he will always be the one I look to. And when I'm lucky enough to have a family of my own, Stefan is the man I want my children to know and love. The way I do."
Clap, clap, clap
"Beautiful speech, boy. How much of it do you really believe? You can only fool yourself for so long, you know. Then truth has a way of opening your eyes, whether you want it to or not."
"I hope that you are correct, Mr. Spencer. The sooner your eyes are opened, the better for us all." Andresj' paused, then stepped forward until he and Luke were eye-to-eye. "And for the record, my name isn't boy. It is Andresj' Mikhail Stefanovich Cassadine."
*********************
"You know, Cassadine," Luke said as he watched the two young men leave, "you can change his name and teach him your phony European royalty act. But the time will come when he has to admit who he really is."
Stefan threw his head back and laughed. "Ah, Luke, you are a true delight to me! You attribute my vigilance where Andresj' is concerned to some fear of your influence on him. In truth, your every encounter with him only serves to reinforce the already considerable bond we share. So, I thank you. And now I must return home to comfort my son concerning your unwanted disruption of his life."
*********************
"You're awfully quiet, 'Dre. Am I going to have to cheer you up again?"
"Is this how my life in Port Charles will be, Nik? Unable to go anywhere without expecting to see Luke Spencer lurking in the bushes? Or having you or Papa defending my place in the family?"
"It is going to get better. Luke will have to accept that he cannot destroy us."
"I wish I could believe you . . . I'm tired. Will you say 'goodnight' to Papa for me?"
"Of course. Goodnight, little brother."
*********************
"Are you snacking alone, Nikolas?"
"Yes. Andresj' asked me to wish you 'goodnight'. He has gone to bed."
"I see. So, how was your outing?"
"It was really nice. I think Andresj' wanted to spend more time around Lulu, but he was really uncomfortable in Laura's house."
"Did Spencer follow you from the house to the Outback?" Stefan asked.
Nikolas put down the cluster of grapes he held. "No, he wasn't there while we were, but it was obvious that Andresj' kept waiting for him to show up. I think I did, too. 'Dre was so quiet I could tell that he wanted to leave Laura's. So we took the long way to the Outback." Nikolas suddenly smiled. "By the time we got there, he had finally relaxed. You should have seen him, Father. He was so funny, imitating our tutors, and Alexis. And you." Stefan's eyebrow rose. "That's exactly what he did!"
"I must remember to ask for a repeat performance tomorrow."
"I wish you could have been there. It was the first time in a while that 'Dre seemed like his old self. Too bad Luke had to ruin everything."