Chapter Nine
"Lucky!" Lulu exclaimed excitedly as she ran into her big brother's arms, nearly knocking him over.
"Hey!" he laughed. "I'm getting too old for this."
"Hi," Laura greeted much more somberly. "Sorry we're late, we couldn't find Lulu's shoes."
"No problem," Elizabeth replied. "Mrs. Lansbury is still finishing up on lunch anyway."
"Lucky will you take me to see Sheba?" Lulu asked.
"Well lunch will be ready soon. I'll take you out afterwards, how does that sound?"
"Great!" Lulu grinned.
Laura looked around. "Is Gia here?"
Elizabeth and Lucky exchanged a glance. "She's upstairs, in her room," Elizabeth replied, looking worried. "She came down briefly this morning. She's been really down and irritable. She just doesn't seem to be coping well."
"I think I'm going to go talk to her." Laura excused herself and headed upstairs to the master bedroom. She knocked softly before letting herself in. "Gia?" Gia was lying on her stomach on the neatly made king-sized bed, her arms folded under the pillow her head was resting on. She was staring into space her eyes dead-locked. "Gia, sweetie?"
Gia moved her head up and looked at Laura. She moved her legs so her feet were planted on the floor. She pulled herself up and gave Laura a small smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in."
"That's all right. How are you?"
Gia shrugged. "I'm fine."
Laura gave Gia a skeptic look. "I don't think you are."
"If you already had your answer then why did you ask?" Gia retorted.
Laura patiently sat down next to Gia. "Are you joining us for lunch?"
Gia shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I'm not really hungry."
"I wish you would. It would mean a lot to me and I know Lulu would love to see you."
"Thank you for trying, Laura."
"You should not be sitting up here alone moping. I think at least you should come down and say hi to Lulu. You don't have to eat. Just get yourself out of this room." Laura looked around and her gaze fell on a picture of Nikolas that sat on the end table next to the bed. She smiled sadly before pulling Gia up and pushing her out of the room. They walked into the dining room as Mrs. Lansbury finished setting the table.
"Hi, Gia!" Lulu exclaimed and rushed to hug her. Gia returned the hug but her smile was forced. She was happy to see Lulu but she was not in the mood for company of any sort. Lulu took her hand and led her to the seat next to where Lulu was going to sit. Gia sat down to eat with everyone. She looked around and saw that they were all smiling at her. It made her very uncomfortable.
Gia listened to Laura talk about getting back together with Luke, and she listened to Lulu talk about the birthday party she was going to have in a few weeks. She listened to Lucky and Elizabeth explain to Laura why they hadn't gotten engaged yet. It all made her very angry. They had all moved on as if Nikolas had never touched their lives. Deep down she knew that wasn't true, but listening to them talk so normally today made her feel that way. Mostly hearing them talk made her feel Nikolas' absence all the more. She missed him so much it felt like a knife had been plunged directly into her heart. Sometimes she could barely breathe.
When lunch was over, Lucky took Lulu to see Sheba. Elizabeth headed to her studio to paint. Laura sat Gia down on the couch.
"Your mother is worried about you," Laura began. Gia rolled her eyes. "She was upset that you decided to stay here in Port Charles instead of moving back to Brooklyn."
"Are you upset by my decision?" Gia asked seriously.
Laura smiled. "No. I'm glad you decided to stay. But maybe you should call your mom."
Gia shrugged. "I know what she'll say. Just one more thing I've done to disappoint her. I'm not interested in hearing it."
Laura nodded her understanding and paused for a moment. "You seemed uncomfortable at lunch," she continued.
"I was. I just feel awkward sitting there like that with Nikolas' family when he's not there."
Tears filled Laura's eyes. "Honey, don't you realize? You are a part of Nikolas' family. You were to be his wife. That makes you a part of my family. I hope you see me as part of yours."
"And in twenty years will you feel the same way?" Gia asked. Gia and Laura both sighed simultaneously. Laura just couldn't understand why she felt the way she did.
"It's just hard," she added, her voice cracking. "I miss him so much, and I just."
"Honey, I know how you feel. I really do. But I am not going to push." Laura's kissed Gia's forehead and stood up. "Call me whenever you need to talk. I could use someone to talk to, too." Laura walked out, shutting the door behind her.
*****************
"Ms. Davis."
"Roger. Thanks for coming over. Do you have all the paperwork?" Alexis shut the door as one of the Cassadine lawyers came into her penthouse.
"Yes. I was reviewing your brother's accounts and I noticed some strange activity in the days before his death." Roger held out a file which Alexis quickly snatched.
"What kind of strange activity?" Alexis inquired as she sifted through the paperwork.
"A large sum of money from each of his accounts were withdrawn, but I couldn't figure out where the money went."
"Stefan didn't set up another account and had the money transferred?"
Roger shook his head. "No, all of the accounts he had have been checked into. They are all in that report. I've traced all the types of transactions he made after the withdrawals and none of them account for any of this money."
"Okay, check into Nikolas' and Kristina' accounts and see if Stefan may have transferred any money to them."
Roger shook his head. "I've checked them already, and yours too. I've checked every plausible explanation. The money is gone."
Alexis threw the file down on the coffee table. "Six million dollars doesn't just disappear, Roger! Obviously you haven't looked into every plausible explanation or you would have found the money."
"I'm open to suggestions, Ms. Davis."
Alexis sat down on the couch, lost in though. Finally she jumped up. "What about Helena?"
"Stefan wouldn't give her any of his money."
"I'm not saying he did. What if she has the money?"
"Stefan was the only one with any access to his accounts. No one else could touch them."
"Do not ever underestimate Helena, trust me."
"What would Helena do with so much money behind bars? And since she is behind bars, how on Earth could she have gotten access to the money?"
"She's probably planning an elaborate escape. I do not doubt at all that she could have gotten the money. We had better prepare for something ground shaking."
"Lucky!" Lulu exclaimed excitedly as she ran into her big brother's arms, nearly knocking him over.
"Hey!" he laughed. "I'm getting too old for this."
"Hi," Laura greeted much more somberly. "Sorry we're late, we couldn't find Lulu's shoes."
"No problem," Elizabeth replied. "Mrs. Lansbury is still finishing up on lunch anyway."
"Lucky will you take me to see Sheba?" Lulu asked.
"Well lunch will be ready soon. I'll take you out afterwards, how does that sound?"
"Great!" Lulu grinned.
Laura looked around. "Is Gia here?"
Elizabeth and Lucky exchanged a glance. "She's upstairs, in her room," Elizabeth replied, looking worried. "She came down briefly this morning. She's been really down and irritable. She just doesn't seem to be coping well."
"I think I'm going to go talk to her." Laura excused herself and headed upstairs to the master bedroom. She knocked softly before letting herself in. "Gia?" Gia was lying on her stomach on the neatly made king-sized bed, her arms folded under the pillow her head was resting on. She was staring into space her eyes dead-locked. "Gia, sweetie?"
Gia moved her head up and looked at Laura. She moved her legs so her feet were planted on the floor. She pulled herself up and gave Laura a small smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in."
"That's all right. How are you?"
Gia shrugged. "I'm fine."
Laura gave Gia a skeptic look. "I don't think you are."
"If you already had your answer then why did you ask?" Gia retorted.
Laura patiently sat down next to Gia. "Are you joining us for lunch?"
Gia shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I'm not really hungry."
"I wish you would. It would mean a lot to me and I know Lulu would love to see you."
"Thank you for trying, Laura."
"You should not be sitting up here alone moping. I think at least you should come down and say hi to Lulu. You don't have to eat. Just get yourself out of this room." Laura looked around and her gaze fell on a picture of Nikolas that sat on the end table next to the bed. She smiled sadly before pulling Gia up and pushing her out of the room. They walked into the dining room as Mrs. Lansbury finished setting the table.
"Hi, Gia!" Lulu exclaimed and rushed to hug her. Gia returned the hug but her smile was forced. She was happy to see Lulu but she was not in the mood for company of any sort. Lulu took her hand and led her to the seat next to where Lulu was going to sit. Gia sat down to eat with everyone. She looked around and saw that they were all smiling at her. It made her very uncomfortable.
Gia listened to Laura talk about getting back together with Luke, and she listened to Lulu talk about the birthday party she was going to have in a few weeks. She listened to Lucky and Elizabeth explain to Laura why they hadn't gotten engaged yet. It all made her very angry. They had all moved on as if Nikolas had never touched their lives. Deep down she knew that wasn't true, but listening to them talk so normally today made her feel that way. Mostly hearing them talk made her feel Nikolas' absence all the more. She missed him so much it felt like a knife had been plunged directly into her heart. Sometimes she could barely breathe.
When lunch was over, Lucky took Lulu to see Sheba. Elizabeth headed to her studio to paint. Laura sat Gia down on the couch.
"Your mother is worried about you," Laura began. Gia rolled her eyes. "She was upset that you decided to stay here in Port Charles instead of moving back to Brooklyn."
"Are you upset by my decision?" Gia asked seriously.
Laura smiled. "No. I'm glad you decided to stay. But maybe you should call your mom."
Gia shrugged. "I know what she'll say. Just one more thing I've done to disappoint her. I'm not interested in hearing it."
Laura nodded her understanding and paused for a moment. "You seemed uncomfortable at lunch," she continued.
"I was. I just feel awkward sitting there like that with Nikolas' family when he's not there."
Tears filled Laura's eyes. "Honey, don't you realize? You are a part of Nikolas' family. You were to be his wife. That makes you a part of my family. I hope you see me as part of yours."
"And in twenty years will you feel the same way?" Gia asked. Gia and Laura both sighed simultaneously. Laura just couldn't understand why she felt the way she did.
"It's just hard," she added, her voice cracking. "I miss him so much, and I just."
"Honey, I know how you feel. I really do. But I am not going to push." Laura's kissed Gia's forehead and stood up. "Call me whenever you need to talk. I could use someone to talk to, too." Laura walked out, shutting the door behind her.
*****************
"Ms. Davis."
"Roger. Thanks for coming over. Do you have all the paperwork?" Alexis shut the door as one of the Cassadine lawyers came into her penthouse.
"Yes. I was reviewing your brother's accounts and I noticed some strange activity in the days before his death." Roger held out a file which Alexis quickly snatched.
"What kind of strange activity?" Alexis inquired as she sifted through the paperwork.
"A large sum of money from each of his accounts were withdrawn, but I couldn't figure out where the money went."
"Stefan didn't set up another account and had the money transferred?"
Roger shook his head. "No, all of the accounts he had have been checked into. They are all in that report. I've traced all the types of transactions he made after the withdrawals and none of them account for any of this money."
"Okay, check into Nikolas' and Kristina' accounts and see if Stefan may have transferred any money to them."
Roger shook his head. "I've checked them already, and yours too. I've checked every plausible explanation. The money is gone."
Alexis threw the file down on the coffee table. "Six million dollars doesn't just disappear, Roger! Obviously you haven't looked into every plausible explanation or you would have found the money."
"I'm open to suggestions, Ms. Davis."
Alexis sat down on the couch, lost in though. Finally she jumped up. "What about Helena?"
"Stefan wouldn't give her any of his money."
"I'm not saying he did. What if she has the money?"
"Stefan was the only one with any access to his accounts. No one else could touch them."
"Do not ever underestimate Helena, trust me."
"What would Helena do with so much money behind bars? And since she is behind bars, how on Earth could she have gotten access to the money?"
"She's probably planning an elaborate escape. I do not doubt at all that she could have gotten the money. We had better prepare for something ground shaking."
