Chapter 23
"What?" Avery demanded.
"Actually two people, maybe three when Sonny Corinthos figures out who I am," Maria said.
"What are you involved in here?"
"We can't talk here, too many ears. Let's go back to the hotel, I need to check in anyway."
The two sisters walked out of the restaurant.
~~~
Mikkos walked into Sarah's apartment. She was in the kitchen fixing coffee.
"Danielle is sending men to the island. Do you still want to go?"
She sighed. "I don't know. I want to, but at the same time..."
He walked over to her. "It is okay, malenkaya. They will be fine."
"I hope so."
~~~
Lucky and Liz walked into Laura's hospital room. Laura was sitting up in bed and Luke was by the window.
"What's going on?" Lucky asked.
"I'm being released tomorrow," Laura said.
"That's great," Liz said. "Isn't it?"
"Not according to Luke," Laura said glancing at him.
"Dad?"
"Luke?"
"Helena's on the prowl. Robert's guards can't do anything to stop her..."
"Then may I make a suggestion?" Victor said from the doorway.
~~~
Robin Scorpio watched Rayna and Cayla play. She desperately wanted to go home, but she knew that it was out of the question. She jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around.
"Danielle."
~~~
Maria led Avery into the PC Hotel and they went up to the penthouse that Maria was renting. Maria went through a standard sweep of the room for intruders and listening devices before she began to speak.
"I have one phone call to make then I'll explain as much as I can." She took her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed a number. "Hey Anna, it's me. When? Okay, see ya then." She hung up and turned to her sister. "Mom has hidden a lot of things from us over the years. She'll tell you most of it when she gets here tomorrow night."
~~~
"What, you and your brother finally die?" Luke asked.
Laura sighed. Luke had filled her in on Robert and Sean's little secret, so she knew all about Mikkos and Victor. "Is there something you want?"
"Only to help," Victor said glancing at Lucky and Liz. "You need protection for your family from Helena, I know someone who can provide it."
"Why should we trust you?" Luke asked.
"Because, Spencer, you have no one else to trust. We all have a common goal and that is to destroy Helena. You want that so your family will be safe, Mikkos and I want that for the same reason."
~~~
Robin stood up. "What are you doing here?"
Danielle smiled. "I have my reasons. I brought Gino to get onto the island to get Aiden."
"Oh."
"And, I came to get you, and all your wonderful new friends."
"What's going on in Port Charles?"
"Helena's on her way back there now, most likely. Robert and I are going to continue our little hate/hate relationship."
"Anything else?" Zander asked walking into the room.
"Helena's trying to start a war between me and Corinthos."
"That's nothing new," he said.
"Never is," Robin muttered. "So dad sent you here to take us back, why now?"
"Frisco's going with Gino. Robert thought that it'd be safer for all of you if you came with me. Mikkos has made arrangements and I can get you all into town without Helena finding out."
"Where will we be staying?"
"Rayna and Cayla will stay with Maria at the PC Hotel. The rest of you will be staying in Sarah's apartment, while Sarah will be at Wyndemere."
"You and Isaiah will be at Wyndemere?"
Danielle smiled. "No, we'll be at the hotel."
"What are you plotting, Danielle?" Zander asked.
"You'll see," she answered as Isaiah walked in. "You'll see."
~~~
After his visit with Sarah, Mikkos went to the hospital to meet his brother. He kept his face hidden from anyone who might know who he really was as he made his way up to Laura's room. He stood outside for a minute and listened to the ongoing argument.
"You really expect me to place my trust in your little 'source' for protection?" Luke asked. "How do I know that you're not really working with Helena?"
"You don't," Mikkos said walking into the room. "But you're just going to have to trust us, or trust your best friend."
"I trust Robert with my life."
"Then you should trust his little sister. She is providing all the protection now since we can't trust the WSB."
"Robert doesn't have a sister."
"He does, her name is Danielle."
~~~
Stefan walked into the PC Grille. He was supposed to meet a woman. He didn't know whom it was but she had said that it would be in his best interests to show up, so he had.
After taking his seat at the bar he watched the entrance. A woman with dark brown, almost black, hair and deep blue eyes walked in. She saw him and sat down next to him. After ordering a brandy she began to talk in quiet, soft tones.
"Do you know who I am?"
He looked at her for a minute. "Danielle?"
"Danielle is my mother. I'm Maria."
"Please, explain."
~~~
"I don't think I want to know," Zander muttered.
Danielle glanced at her son then looked at Zander and Robin. "Let's just say that it involves Sydney."
"How?" Robin asked.
"You'll see, or you'll get Robert to tell you."
"How is dad involved in this?"
"Long story." Zander smiled.
"When do we leave?"
~~~
Robert sighed and looked at his wife. "No luck?" she asked.
"Nothing. We're going to have to wait for Danielle. She's the only one who can get it to work."
"But we can't wait that long," Anna said with a sigh. "I told you that you should have actually *worked* on that computer at the house instead of playing games."
"Hey, this isn't kid's stuff."
"What about Luke's son?"
"Lucky?"
"Yeah, didn't Luke say that he was really into computers?"
Robert smiled and picked up his cell phone. "You're a genius, Luv." He packed up his laptop and left the room.
~~~
"You're lying, he'd have said something," Luke said.
"He wouldn't have, because he was trying to keep her safe from Helena," Victor said as his cell phone rang, he left the room to answer it.
"Why?" Laura asked.
"Helena is her mother," Mikkos replied as Victor walked back into the room. He whispered something to Mikkos. "Then I guess the decision has already been made, hasn't it?" he asked, looking at Victor.
Victor shook his head. "Three days, maximum."
"We'll handle it."
"What the hell are you two talking about?" Luke demanded,
"Helena's plans for you," Mikkos said. "Get everyone ready. I want to talk to Maria before Danielle arrives."
~~~
Helena sat on her yacht sipping port when Ari walked in. "Madame, I think you should listen to this," he said handing her a small tape recorder. She pushed play and listened to the conversation.
"'Danielle, Sydney is safe here. Helena can't get to her. She knows how to defend herself.'"
Helena's eyes widened. "Ari, get Mr. Lieman on the phone, now. Tell him I have something that I need him to take care of."
"Madame?"
"I want Sydney Cortez dead by morning." Helena sat back in her seat. "Oh, Danielle, you thought that you could hide her from me, that if I saw her dead I'd leave it alone. Well, darling, you will see how I leave things alone."
~~~
Robert walked into Laura's hospital room in time to see Victor leaving. They nodded silently to each other.
"So what's going on in here?" he asked setting the laptop on the bedside tray. No one spoke. "Okay, so Mikkos, do you know the codes to this bloody program?"
Mikkos took one look at the screen and shook his head. "You'd have to ask her."
"And she's not going to be here until tomorrow."
"Where are Maria and Avery?"
"At the hotel. Anna's going up to talk to them about the living arrangements for the next two days."
"Did Maria..."
"Yes, everything there is set up. I just got to get into this program." Then he saw Lucky standing there. "You know a little about computers, don't you?"
"Some," Lucky answered.
"Can ya help me with this?" Lucky nodded and looked at the screen.
"What is this?"
"A program my sister created."
"What? You mean he was telling the truth?" Luke asked from the window.
"Yes," Robert answered.
"What's it for?" Lucky asked.
"Numerous things," Mikkos answered. "Danielle set it up to be used for destroying Helena."
"Well," Lucky said, "it's amazing."
"What the hell is going on here?" Luke demanded.
Robert sighed as Lucky went to work on breaking into Danielle's program. "Luke," he glanced at Mikkos who nodded, "I have a younger sister named Danielle. She's my dad's daughter with Helena."
~~~
Danielle sat at her laptop. She pulled up one of her many self created programs to work on. She needed something to keep her busy until it was safe to travel and she was too wired to sleep. She saw that someone was trying to access one of her other programs and looked to see who it was and smiled to see that it was her brother.
She really didn't know what he was going to do with the program but she had an idea that it was going to be interesting to watch.
That particular program, which she had named Sydney, after her late daughter, was one of the most complex computer viruses that had been created. At the time, she had wanted something to throw off Helena's computers if she tried to begin where Tony had left off. Then, as the years passed, she added onto it, but she had never used it. She had a feeling that her older brother was about to. With a small smile, she sent a message to Robert's computer.
HELLSANGEL: Well, well, well, are you doing what I think you're doing?
HIDDENRAGE: Possibly. Where are you?
HELLSANGEL: At the safe house. You?
HIDDENRAGE: At the hospital getting help to get into this program.
HELLSANGEL: You could have asked.
HIDDENRAGE: How?
HELLSANGEL: You know. We'll be there soon. I'm changing the passwords for Sydney. They should be a little easier for you to figure out now. When you're done call and I'll change them back.
HIDDENRAGE: Will do.
She exited out of the screen and sighed. She knew why Robert wanted to get into Sydney so badly now. He was planning on taking down the WSB's computers. His tracks would have to be covered. She smiled and began to work.
~~~
Helena spoke with fury in her voice. She knew that Sydney had to be alive. Why else would Robert Scorpio have even mentioned her name? She just had to find out where her daughter was hiding, and then she would get the answers.
"Find her by tomorrow."
~~~
Robert passed the computer to Lucky again and turned back to Luke and Laura. He and Mikkos had told them how his father, Jack, had had an affair with Helena that resulted in a daughter neither wanted. Mikkos, seeing as how Danielle was going to be treated had a little talk with Jack.
Jack agreed to take Danielle and raise her but Helena found out and two years later Danielle was back in Greece. She was eight by this time and already interested in science. Mikkos again tried to save her by faking her death and sending her to London to stay with an old friend. Helena had been completely unfazed by her daughter's death. Mikkos had arranged for Danielle to go to a good school. She'd studied various sciences over the course of twelve years and was going to go to college in the states when Mikkos sent for her. She went down to an island that very few people knew existed where she met his only son Antonio. He was four years her senior and she fell in love with him. He followed her to the states and stayed for a year before he went to South America to take over his grandfather's business dealings.
She joined him after college with their two-year-old son, Aiden Cassadine-Cortez.
"What?" Avery demanded.
"Actually two people, maybe three when Sonny Corinthos figures out who I am," Maria said.
"What are you involved in here?"
"We can't talk here, too many ears. Let's go back to the hotel, I need to check in anyway."
The two sisters walked out of the restaurant.
~~~
Mikkos walked into Sarah's apartment. She was in the kitchen fixing coffee.
"Danielle is sending men to the island. Do you still want to go?"
She sighed. "I don't know. I want to, but at the same time..."
He walked over to her. "It is okay, malenkaya. They will be fine."
"I hope so."
~~~
Lucky and Liz walked into Laura's hospital room. Laura was sitting up in bed and Luke was by the window.
"What's going on?" Lucky asked.
"I'm being released tomorrow," Laura said.
"That's great," Liz said. "Isn't it?"
"Not according to Luke," Laura said glancing at him.
"Dad?"
"Luke?"
"Helena's on the prowl. Robert's guards can't do anything to stop her..."
"Then may I make a suggestion?" Victor said from the doorway.
~~~
Robin Scorpio watched Rayna and Cayla play. She desperately wanted to go home, but she knew that it was out of the question. She jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around.
"Danielle."
~~~
Maria led Avery into the PC Hotel and they went up to the penthouse that Maria was renting. Maria went through a standard sweep of the room for intruders and listening devices before she began to speak.
"I have one phone call to make then I'll explain as much as I can." She took her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed a number. "Hey Anna, it's me. When? Okay, see ya then." She hung up and turned to her sister. "Mom has hidden a lot of things from us over the years. She'll tell you most of it when she gets here tomorrow night."
~~~
"What, you and your brother finally die?" Luke asked.
Laura sighed. Luke had filled her in on Robert and Sean's little secret, so she knew all about Mikkos and Victor. "Is there something you want?"
"Only to help," Victor said glancing at Lucky and Liz. "You need protection for your family from Helena, I know someone who can provide it."
"Why should we trust you?" Luke asked.
"Because, Spencer, you have no one else to trust. We all have a common goal and that is to destroy Helena. You want that so your family will be safe, Mikkos and I want that for the same reason."
~~~
Robin stood up. "What are you doing here?"
Danielle smiled. "I have my reasons. I brought Gino to get onto the island to get Aiden."
"Oh."
"And, I came to get you, and all your wonderful new friends."
"What's going on in Port Charles?"
"Helena's on her way back there now, most likely. Robert and I are going to continue our little hate/hate relationship."
"Anything else?" Zander asked walking into the room.
"Helena's trying to start a war between me and Corinthos."
"That's nothing new," he said.
"Never is," Robin muttered. "So dad sent you here to take us back, why now?"
"Frisco's going with Gino. Robert thought that it'd be safer for all of you if you came with me. Mikkos has made arrangements and I can get you all into town without Helena finding out."
"Where will we be staying?"
"Rayna and Cayla will stay with Maria at the PC Hotel. The rest of you will be staying in Sarah's apartment, while Sarah will be at Wyndemere."
"You and Isaiah will be at Wyndemere?"
Danielle smiled. "No, we'll be at the hotel."
"What are you plotting, Danielle?" Zander asked.
"You'll see," she answered as Isaiah walked in. "You'll see."
~~~
After his visit with Sarah, Mikkos went to the hospital to meet his brother. He kept his face hidden from anyone who might know who he really was as he made his way up to Laura's room. He stood outside for a minute and listened to the ongoing argument.
"You really expect me to place my trust in your little 'source' for protection?" Luke asked. "How do I know that you're not really working with Helena?"
"You don't," Mikkos said walking into the room. "But you're just going to have to trust us, or trust your best friend."
"I trust Robert with my life."
"Then you should trust his little sister. She is providing all the protection now since we can't trust the WSB."
"Robert doesn't have a sister."
"He does, her name is Danielle."
~~~
Stefan walked into the PC Grille. He was supposed to meet a woman. He didn't know whom it was but she had said that it would be in his best interests to show up, so he had.
After taking his seat at the bar he watched the entrance. A woman with dark brown, almost black, hair and deep blue eyes walked in. She saw him and sat down next to him. After ordering a brandy she began to talk in quiet, soft tones.
"Do you know who I am?"
He looked at her for a minute. "Danielle?"
"Danielle is my mother. I'm Maria."
"Please, explain."
~~~
"I don't think I want to know," Zander muttered.
Danielle glanced at her son then looked at Zander and Robin. "Let's just say that it involves Sydney."
"How?" Robin asked.
"You'll see, or you'll get Robert to tell you."
"How is dad involved in this?"
"Long story." Zander smiled.
"When do we leave?"
~~~
Robert sighed and looked at his wife. "No luck?" she asked.
"Nothing. We're going to have to wait for Danielle. She's the only one who can get it to work."
"But we can't wait that long," Anna said with a sigh. "I told you that you should have actually *worked* on that computer at the house instead of playing games."
"Hey, this isn't kid's stuff."
"What about Luke's son?"
"Lucky?"
"Yeah, didn't Luke say that he was really into computers?"
Robert smiled and picked up his cell phone. "You're a genius, Luv." He packed up his laptop and left the room.
~~~
"You're lying, he'd have said something," Luke said.
"He wouldn't have, because he was trying to keep her safe from Helena," Victor said as his cell phone rang, he left the room to answer it.
"Why?" Laura asked.
"Helena is her mother," Mikkos replied as Victor walked back into the room. He whispered something to Mikkos. "Then I guess the decision has already been made, hasn't it?" he asked, looking at Victor.
Victor shook his head. "Three days, maximum."
"We'll handle it."
"What the hell are you two talking about?" Luke demanded,
"Helena's plans for you," Mikkos said. "Get everyone ready. I want to talk to Maria before Danielle arrives."
~~~
Helena sat on her yacht sipping port when Ari walked in. "Madame, I think you should listen to this," he said handing her a small tape recorder. She pushed play and listened to the conversation.
"'Danielle, Sydney is safe here. Helena can't get to her. She knows how to defend herself.'"
Helena's eyes widened. "Ari, get Mr. Lieman on the phone, now. Tell him I have something that I need him to take care of."
"Madame?"
"I want Sydney Cortez dead by morning." Helena sat back in her seat. "Oh, Danielle, you thought that you could hide her from me, that if I saw her dead I'd leave it alone. Well, darling, you will see how I leave things alone."
~~~
Robert walked into Laura's hospital room in time to see Victor leaving. They nodded silently to each other.
"So what's going on in here?" he asked setting the laptop on the bedside tray. No one spoke. "Okay, so Mikkos, do you know the codes to this bloody program?"
Mikkos took one look at the screen and shook his head. "You'd have to ask her."
"And she's not going to be here until tomorrow."
"Where are Maria and Avery?"
"At the hotel. Anna's going up to talk to them about the living arrangements for the next two days."
"Did Maria..."
"Yes, everything there is set up. I just got to get into this program." Then he saw Lucky standing there. "You know a little about computers, don't you?"
"Some," Lucky answered.
"Can ya help me with this?" Lucky nodded and looked at the screen.
"What is this?"
"A program my sister created."
"What? You mean he was telling the truth?" Luke asked from the window.
"Yes," Robert answered.
"What's it for?" Lucky asked.
"Numerous things," Mikkos answered. "Danielle set it up to be used for destroying Helena."
"Well," Lucky said, "it's amazing."
"What the hell is going on here?" Luke demanded.
Robert sighed as Lucky went to work on breaking into Danielle's program. "Luke," he glanced at Mikkos who nodded, "I have a younger sister named Danielle. She's my dad's daughter with Helena."
~~~
Danielle sat at her laptop. She pulled up one of her many self created programs to work on. She needed something to keep her busy until it was safe to travel and she was too wired to sleep. She saw that someone was trying to access one of her other programs and looked to see who it was and smiled to see that it was her brother.
She really didn't know what he was going to do with the program but she had an idea that it was going to be interesting to watch.
That particular program, which she had named Sydney, after her late daughter, was one of the most complex computer viruses that had been created. At the time, she had wanted something to throw off Helena's computers if she tried to begin where Tony had left off. Then, as the years passed, she added onto it, but she had never used it. She had a feeling that her older brother was about to. With a small smile, she sent a message to Robert's computer.
HELLSANGEL: Well, well, well, are you doing what I think you're doing?
HIDDENRAGE: Possibly. Where are you?
HELLSANGEL: At the safe house. You?
HIDDENRAGE: At the hospital getting help to get into this program.
HELLSANGEL: You could have asked.
HIDDENRAGE: How?
HELLSANGEL: You know. We'll be there soon. I'm changing the passwords for Sydney. They should be a little easier for you to figure out now. When you're done call and I'll change them back.
HIDDENRAGE: Will do.
She exited out of the screen and sighed. She knew why Robert wanted to get into Sydney so badly now. He was planning on taking down the WSB's computers. His tracks would have to be covered. She smiled and began to work.
~~~
Helena spoke with fury in her voice. She knew that Sydney had to be alive. Why else would Robert Scorpio have even mentioned her name? She just had to find out where her daughter was hiding, and then she would get the answers.
"Find her by tomorrow."
~~~
Robert passed the computer to Lucky again and turned back to Luke and Laura. He and Mikkos had told them how his father, Jack, had had an affair with Helena that resulted in a daughter neither wanted. Mikkos, seeing as how Danielle was going to be treated had a little talk with Jack.
Jack agreed to take Danielle and raise her but Helena found out and two years later Danielle was back in Greece. She was eight by this time and already interested in science. Mikkos again tried to save her by faking her death and sending her to London to stay with an old friend. Helena had been completely unfazed by her daughter's death. Mikkos had arranged for Danielle to go to a good school. She'd studied various sciences over the course of twelve years and was going to go to college in the states when Mikkos sent for her. She went down to an island that very few people knew existed where she met his only son Antonio. He was four years her senior and she fell in love with him. He followed her to the states and stayed for a year before he went to South America to take over his grandfather's business dealings.
She joined him after college with their two-year-old son, Aiden Cassadine-Cortez.