I'm so sorry I took so long to get this out. This past week has just been awful, and midterms had nothing to do with it. I had most of this chapter written before then but I didn't even get to the rest of it until today. As always reviews are most welcome.

Chapter Eighteen

"Oh my God," Luke whispered just seconds before he violently threw everything ontop the desk to the ground.

"Luke, calm down," Alexis spoke through the phone.

"I can't believe I let my guard down like that. Of course Helena would come up with a plan!"

"Believe me, I know. But we need to focus. Sonny says that Helena has some major activity down in Greece. That's probably where she's going."

Luke inhaled deeply and closed his eye, one hand set on his hip and the other holding the phone to his ear. He felt like a fool. Helena was not the type of person to sit in a jail cell and let her life rot away. No, Helena preferred to rot in the fresh air and on her own terms.

"So we need to get down there," he said finally.

Alexis was quick to disagree. "Going to Greece would let her know we're on to her."

Luke wished Alexis could see the incredulous look he was giving her. "Who cares if she knows? We have to stop her!"

"We have to know what she's doing first! Going out there to catch her isn't going to do us any good if we don't know what her plan is. She put a whole chain of events into motion months ago, Luke!"

"What?" Luke gaped. "What chain of events? The car accident?"

Alexis hesitated. "I don't know. Maybe. Sonny doesn't think so. But the timing of her stealing that money is not a coincidence. Stefan never knew it was gone."

"Why would she kill Nikolas? She loved him."

"Helena is as capable of loving as pigs are of flying," Alexis replied dryly. Luke agreed. "When it comes to the Cassadine Estate Helena would do anything to get her hands on it, no matter who she had to kill to get it."

Luke raised his eyebrows. "I thought she might harm Nikolas, but kill him? If she set up that accident then I really did underestimate her."

"So did I."

"So, Natasha, tell me. How are we going to figure out what she's doing and stop her without going to Greece?"

There was a pause at the other end of the line. "Sonny," Alexis finally stated calmly.

Luke sighed. He and Sonny had not been friends since Helena had kidnapped Lucky. Luke had accused Sonny of being responsible for the fire that had supposedly killed Lucky. Even after it was realized that was not what happened the two never became friends again.

Alexis started to defend Sonny but Luke cut her off. "Fine. Let him do it. But I give him 48 hours to come up with something before I go to Greece myself. My entire family is at stake."

"So is mine."

*****

Zander walked into the bikeshop Lucky had told him about, feeling ridiculous that he felt so nervous. He hated meeting new people. Zander had never been a shy guy, but people judged him when they learned of his criminal history, especially when he was looking for a job. He knew he would have to tell this Jamal Woods about it. He wanted everything to be out in the open if he was going to work at this place.

"Hey, are you Zander?" a tall, young African-American man came up to him as soon as Zander stepped foot into the shop.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

The young man smiled. "Lucky told me what you look like." He held out his hand. "Jamal Woods."

Zander took Jamal's hand and they shook. "Zander Smith."

"This is my partner, Jack Ramsey." Jack stepped away from the bike he was working on to shake Zander's hand. "How's it going?"

"Lucky says you're pretty good with a car. You got much experience with bikes?"

Zander nodded. "Yeah, I can hold my own. Look, I'm going to be honest with you here. I have a criminal history. I--"

"We already know," Jamal cut in. "Lucky informed us and we told him it wouldn't be a problem."

"Yeah, but--"

"It doesn't matter. Jack and I have both scrapes with the law as well. That was all in the past. No one here is passing judgment, okay?"

At that moment Zander felt like God himself had given him this job. His criminal history had been one long, painful thorn in his side but things were finally starting to look up.

"So where do you live?" Jack asked Zander after Jack and Jamal had shown Zander around the shop.

"I'm staying at Jake's."

"Jake's? Tough crowd."

Zander shrugged. "Nothig I can't handle."

Two customers came in then and Jamal left to bring the bike into the shop. The customers stood near the door talking to each other and Zander couldn't help but overhear a small bit of their conversation. "Helena Cassadine escaped from jail last night."

Zander nearly dropped the papers he held in his hand. Helena escaped from jail? Shock was a mild term for what he felt. He only wished he could guess the implications this might mean for Emily's friends and their families.

"Everything okay?"Jack asked, catching Zander's attention.

"Yeah, everything is great." Zander silently cursed himself. He couldn't afford to blow this job. This was perhaps his very last chance. There was no way he could screw this up.

*****

"We are going furniture shopping," Emily told Elizabeth when Elizabeth came in from watching Lulu's riding lessons.

Elizabeth couldn't repress a grin. "Sick of the furniture already?"

"It's so--dark. I'm telling you, I have tried to get used to it. Not happening."

"You want to go today?"

Emily shook her head. "I'm having lunch with my mom. She's still upset that I moved out."

Elizabeth nodded. "Well, I have a double-shift tomorrow so it'll have to wait a few days." The grin returned to her face. "You could always take Lucky with you."

The comment was met with a pillow to Elizabeth's face. "Fair enough," she chuckled.

"That boy is awful to go shopping with, he takes out all the fun!"

"I think all three of us should go, so we can get furniture we all like."

"Well with you there, I think I can handle shopping with Lucky."

"I'll remember you said that."

Just then the phone rang. Emily leaned over the couch and stretched her arm to reach the phone. "Hello?"

"Gia?" came a whisper so soft Emily almost didn't catch it.

"No, she moved back to New York."

"Gia, help me, please!" the voice was a little louder now, and if she hadn't known better Emily would have sworn she was talking to Nikolas.

"Who is this? Hello?"

TBC