Sascha wrinkled her nose in disgust with herself. She couldn't
believe what she was about to do. But she had to find out why there were no
baby pictures of her. She'd completely scoured the attic, and found nothing
more. This was her last resort.
She stood in her parents' closet, staring up at the top shelf. She stood on the small stepladder that she'd found in the laundry room closet, and began rooting around. The top shelf was where Karen and Frank "hid" everything. She and Ana had been snooping there for Christmas and birthday presents for as long as they could remember. Karen and Frank had never been the wiser. Sascha poked and prodded, shoving items out of her way, until she came to a tiny pine lockbox, shoved furthest back in the corner, and covered by numerous shoe boxes. As soon as she'd picked it up, she'd noticed a dusty manila envelope that had been concealed beneath the box. It was unlabeled. She snatched that up, too, and stepped off the ladder and out of the closet.
She smuggled the box and the envelope back to her bedroom, and sat down on the floor. She sat the two things out in front of her, not sure if she wanted to see what was inside. What if there are adoption papers in the envelope? she thought. Would confirming her suspicision really make her feel any better? She didn't know, and she really didn't care. She had to find out what her parents were hiding.
Since the box was locked with a Padlock and Sascha had no key, she decided to start with the envelope. Just as she was twisting the brass fastener open, she heard footsteps approaching. Startled, she hurriedly crammed the box and envelope under her bed, and swiped a magazine from her nightstand. Lo and behold, someone knocked on her door.
"Who is it?" she called, trying to hide the annoyance in her voice. "Me!" cried a small, familiar voice. Ana. "What do you want?" "I was wondering if you wanted to go to movies with me," she called through the door hopefully. Sascha felt a twinge of guilt. Ana was about the best little sister anybody could ask for. She was polite and sweet. But Sascha really had more important things to concern herself with right now than watching any movies.
"I'm actually sort of busy right now, Ana. Could we do it next week?" she asked, opening the door and looking at her younger sister.
"But camp starts next week," Ana said sorrowfully. Sascha had forgotten. Ana was attending a 3 month long orchestral camp. Her life's ambition was to one day be the best cellist in the New York Philharmonic, and she was well on her way.
"That's right....." Sascha mumbled, tapping her fingertips on the doorframe. Ana stood in front of her, waiting. "All right, fine. Let's go," she said, swiping her purse. She just hoped she got home before her mother.
*
"You want to help me find Julie?" Chris repeated. It was now his turn to raise his eyebrows. Frank nodded.
"I don't know, Scanlon....." Chris began to protest. "Wait, wait, wait," Frank began, holding up his hand. " I cared about her too, you know." Chris laughed sarcastically and rolled his eyes. "You cared about her? Frank, Julie was my wife. And I just think this is something 'I need to do alone," Chris retorted.
"Yes, Chris, I know that. But she was the mother of my daughter," Frank added. Chris nodded, using sarcasm again. "Oh, that's right, your daughter. You mean the one that Kevin and Lucy have raised for the past 15 years? That daughter? Your little drunken mistake with my wife?" he said viciously. Frank's eyes burned with fury.
"Hey, it wasn't my decision to give her away, it was Julie's. And I supported her, unlike someone who wanted to kidnap her and Julie," he shot back.
Chris began to stand up, but then he caught himself and sat back down. "Look, Frank. It's obvious that we both loved Julie. But if we can't even sit down and have a mature discussion for five minutes without being at each other's throats, how are we going to stand one another for however long it may take to find Julie?"
"I'm wiling to try, for Julie's sake. That is, if you are," Frank said.
*
Lucy had just gotten back from breakfast with her daughter, Serena, and Serena's boyfriend, JR. Or rather, fiancee, now! Serena and JR had invited the Collins' specifically to inform them of their engagment, and had been disappointed to see that Christina had canceled. Lucy had found it strange, but she understood - sort of. Christina was a very true friend to Raven, and Raven to Christina. Lucy had always wished she'd had a friend like that when she was Christina's age.
Kevin bounded down the stairs, tying his tie as he went. He had his briefcase at the bottom of the staircase, and he swiped it up as he approached Lucy. "Bye, Lucy, I've got a patient to see. I should be home for dinner, though. Love you," he said, kissing her before rushing out the door.
"Bye Doc!" Lucy called after him. She closed the door, and was about to go into the kitchen when she heard a knock on the door. "Alison! Hello!" she chirped after finding that her friend Alison was on her doorstep. Alison didn't reply. She looked upset.
"What's wrong?" Lucy inquired as she led Alison into the living room. "Lucy, I need your help with something," she said. The two women sat down on the couch. "Okay, what?" Lucy asked, searching Alison's eyes for some sort of clue as to what was up. Alison sat in silence for a moment, unsure how to proceed.
"Look, Lucy, see, the thing is......" she began. "Alison! Just spit it out already, hon!" Lucy encouraged. "Okay. Caleb's back." Alison waited for a reaction from Lucy. Her face was a mask of disbelief. "Caleb Morley? The vampire? Is back here? In Port Charles?" she asked. Alison nodded.
Lucy laughed and shook her head. "No, no, no! Alison, you must be mistaken. Caleb is dead, he died a long time ago! How could he be back in Port Charles, after all this time?" she said, her voice softening with each phrase. "I don't know, Lucy, I don't know, but what I do know is that he is back, and Livvie is scared to death," Alison said.
"Oh!" Lucy cried, bringing her hand to her mouth. "Livvie! I hadn't even thought of her! Oh, the poor girl! But what are we going to do?" Alison clasped her hand on Lucy's knee. "That's what I cam here to find out," she said. "Hmm...let me think for just a minute," Lucy said. She stood up, and walked around, massaging her temples.
"Let's see....we obviously need a slayer. Who's a slayer? Well, I am, but I'm way too old and underpracticed to take Caleb on. So I'm out. And Rafe....." her voice trailed off as she looked at Alison. "No, it's fine," Alison assured her. "Rafe is dead, so he can't save her. So that leaves nobody......." she said quietly. "Lucy! I'm sure there's got to be somebody-" Alison interrupted. She wouldn't accept that. She had to help Livvie.
"Wait! Unless......" Lucy cried, suddenly excited. "What? What unless?" Alison demanded. " I think I know who can stop Caleb."
She stood in her parents' closet, staring up at the top shelf. She stood on the small stepladder that she'd found in the laundry room closet, and began rooting around. The top shelf was where Karen and Frank "hid" everything. She and Ana had been snooping there for Christmas and birthday presents for as long as they could remember. Karen and Frank had never been the wiser. Sascha poked and prodded, shoving items out of her way, until she came to a tiny pine lockbox, shoved furthest back in the corner, and covered by numerous shoe boxes. As soon as she'd picked it up, she'd noticed a dusty manila envelope that had been concealed beneath the box. It was unlabeled. She snatched that up, too, and stepped off the ladder and out of the closet.
She smuggled the box and the envelope back to her bedroom, and sat down on the floor. She sat the two things out in front of her, not sure if she wanted to see what was inside. What if there are adoption papers in the envelope? she thought. Would confirming her suspicision really make her feel any better? She didn't know, and she really didn't care. She had to find out what her parents were hiding.
Since the box was locked with a Padlock and Sascha had no key, she decided to start with the envelope. Just as she was twisting the brass fastener open, she heard footsteps approaching. Startled, she hurriedly crammed the box and envelope under her bed, and swiped a magazine from her nightstand. Lo and behold, someone knocked on her door.
"Who is it?" she called, trying to hide the annoyance in her voice. "Me!" cried a small, familiar voice. Ana. "What do you want?" "I was wondering if you wanted to go to movies with me," she called through the door hopefully. Sascha felt a twinge of guilt. Ana was about the best little sister anybody could ask for. She was polite and sweet. But Sascha really had more important things to concern herself with right now than watching any movies.
"I'm actually sort of busy right now, Ana. Could we do it next week?" she asked, opening the door and looking at her younger sister.
"But camp starts next week," Ana said sorrowfully. Sascha had forgotten. Ana was attending a 3 month long orchestral camp. Her life's ambition was to one day be the best cellist in the New York Philharmonic, and she was well on her way.
"That's right....." Sascha mumbled, tapping her fingertips on the doorframe. Ana stood in front of her, waiting. "All right, fine. Let's go," she said, swiping her purse. She just hoped she got home before her mother.
*
"You want to help me find Julie?" Chris repeated. It was now his turn to raise his eyebrows. Frank nodded.
"I don't know, Scanlon....." Chris began to protest. "Wait, wait, wait," Frank began, holding up his hand. " I cared about her too, you know." Chris laughed sarcastically and rolled his eyes. "You cared about her? Frank, Julie was my wife. And I just think this is something 'I need to do alone," Chris retorted.
"Yes, Chris, I know that. But she was the mother of my daughter," Frank added. Chris nodded, using sarcasm again. "Oh, that's right, your daughter. You mean the one that Kevin and Lucy have raised for the past 15 years? That daughter? Your little drunken mistake with my wife?" he said viciously. Frank's eyes burned with fury.
"Hey, it wasn't my decision to give her away, it was Julie's. And I supported her, unlike someone who wanted to kidnap her and Julie," he shot back.
Chris began to stand up, but then he caught himself and sat back down. "Look, Frank. It's obvious that we both loved Julie. But if we can't even sit down and have a mature discussion for five minutes without being at each other's throats, how are we going to stand one another for however long it may take to find Julie?"
"I'm wiling to try, for Julie's sake. That is, if you are," Frank said.
*
Lucy had just gotten back from breakfast with her daughter, Serena, and Serena's boyfriend, JR. Or rather, fiancee, now! Serena and JR had invited the Collins' specifically to inform them of their engagment, and had been disappointed to see that Christina had canceled. Lucy had found it strange, but she understood - sort of. Christina was a very true friend to Raven, and Raven to Christina. Lucy had always wished she'd had a friend like that when she was Christina's age.
Kevin bounded down the stairs, tying his tie as he went. He had his briefcase at the bottom of the staircase, and he swiped it up as he approached Lucy. "Bye, Lucy, I've got a patient to see. I should be home for dinner, though. Love you," he said, kissing her before rushing out the door.
"Bye Doc!" Lucy called after him. She closed the door, and was about to go into the kitchen when she heard a knock on the door. "Alison! Hello!" she chirped after finding that her friend Alison was on her doorstep. Alison didn't reply. She looked upset.
"What's wrong?" Lucy inquired as she led Alison into the living room. "Lucy, I need your help with something," she said. The two women sat down on the couch. "Okay, what?" Lucy asked, searching Alison's eyes for some sort of clue as to what was up. Alison sat in silence for a moment, unsure how to proceed.
"Look, Lucy, see, the thing is......" she began. "Alison! Just spit it out already, hon!" Lucy encouraged. "Okay. Caleb's back." Alison waited for a reaction from Lucy. Her face was a mask of disbelief. "Caleb Morley? The vampire? Is back here? In Port Charles?" she asked. Alison nodded.
Lucy laughed and shook her head. "No, no, no! Alison, you must be mistaken. Caleb is dead, he died a long time ago! How could he be back in Port Charles, after all this time?" she said, her voice softening with each phrase. "I don't know, Lucy, I don't know, but what I do know is that he is back, and Livvie is scared to death," Alison said.
"Oh!" Lucy cried, bringing her hand to her mouth. "Livvie! I hadn't even thought of her! Oh, the poor girl! But what are we going to do?" Alison clasped her hand on Lucy's knee. "That's what I cam here to find out," she said. "Hmm...let me think for just a minute," Lucy said. She stood up, and walked around, massaging her temples.
"Let's see....we obviously need a slayer. Who's a slayer? Well, I am, but I'm way too old and underpracticed to take Caleb on. So I'm out. And Rafe....." her voice trailed off as she looked at Alison. "No, it's fine," Alison assured her. "Rafe is dead, so he can't save her. So that leaves nobody......." she said quietly. "Lucy! I'm sure there's got to be somebody-" Alison interrupted. She wouldn't accept that. She had to help Livvie.
"Wait! Unless......" Lucy cried, suddenly excited. "What? What unless?" Alison demanded. " I think I know who can stop Caleb."