Chapter 1

June 30, 2002

-

Robert Scorpio watched his younger brother. This was their day. Their day to remember the sister lost. The sister that had died more than twenty years before.

Robert had never told Mac what really happened that day. He didn't tell Mac about Faison being behind the fire, or Anna's betrayal. None of it really seemed important. It was, he supposed because it was the sole reason that he blamed himself for Erica's death. If he hadn't been such a fool to trust Anna and to let her manipulate them all than his little sister would still be alive.

"She'd probably be at the top by now," Mac said suddenly.

"Probably," Robert replied.

"Were you really going to let her join the bureau?" Mac asked, downing another shot of the pungent liquid he had been drinking since the night before.

"I couldn't have stopped her. She wanted to join. She wanted the everlasting adventure."

"She was a lot like you that way."

"She was a lot like both of us that way," Robert replied sullenly.

Zander Smith was walking along the docks when he ran into someone. He had been thinking about his shaky relationship with Emily and the current climate of the Cassidine internal wars.

"I'm sorry," he said immediately. He bent down to help the woman with her things.

"It's okay," she said. They both stood up. She looked familiar to him, but he couldn't immediately place her face or her name. Brown hair surrounded a round face with brown eyes. Non-descript, but she had a striking presence that reminded him of a person he had known long ago.

"Are you new in town?" he asked.

"Yes."

Zander smiled. "I'm Zander Smith." He stuck out his hand.

"Robin Devane," she replied shaking his hand and smiling.

Anna Devane paced her hotel room to keep from crying. Twenty-three years since the night of the fire. Twenty-three years since Robert had thrown her out of his life.

It was still hard for her. She had accepted Robert's decision with a heart of steel, understanding what he could not. He had lost his sister and it was her fault, but it had also been Sean's Anna had later discovered. He had always had a meddling personality.

Anna hoped that this time, he'd leave things alone and leave Faison to the people who needed to see him dead, not just those who wanted to see him dead.

A phone rang, startling Anna out of her thoughts. She stood frozen, her hand on her gun, for several long seconds before she relaxed and grabbed the cell phone on the desk.

"Devane. Hi, Sis."

The sandy blond haired woman walked into Kelly's and sat down at the counter. Bobbie came out of the kitchen and walked over to her. Port Charles often had visitors with less than reputable pasts, but this woman who looked barely out of school looked nothing like the other people usually running from something.

"What can I get you?"

"Coffee and some information." Bobbie looked at her curiously. She didn't seem dangerous, but then again, wolves tended to dress in sheep's clothing in Port Charles. Bobbie nodded and poured the coffee.

"What do you need?"

"I'm looking for several people and I was told that I could find most of them in this town."

Cesar Faison smiled triumphantly at his plan. Twenty-three years in the making, it was going perfectly. He looked over to his companion and smiled. She would be his ultimate revenge against the Scorpios, and of course Anna. He could never forget Anna. She would be his prize.

Forever.

Faison and his companion stepped off of the jet when it landed in Port Charles. He smiled to himself. Soon, everything would be his and the Scorpios and Spencers would be dead.

"Michelle."

His companion turned to look at him. Her oval face was framed by brown hair and her green eyes sparkled with wonder and love. "Yes, papa?"

"Well first I need to know your name," Bobbie said. "I'm Bobbie Spencer." Bobbie knew full well that by knowing the woman's name she would know who needed to know she was in town, if anyone.

The woman looked at her. Bobbie could tell that she was scared, apparently running from someone or something. She seemed nervous but his her feelings well behind her blue eyes

"My name is Erica and I'm looking for Zander Smith."