Time: Next Morning
Hannah enters the cottage, to see Stefan sitting on the couch reading.
"Good morning, Mr. Cassadine", she says.
"And good morning to you, Ms. Scott", replies Stefan, placing the book on the coffee table and removing his reading glasses. "I've made coffee, if you're interested."
"I'm always interested in coffee. Can't get too much coffee."
Hannah steps into the kitchen and pours a cup of coffee; it occurs to Stefan that it has been a very long time since he has had the pleasure of talking to a woman other than his wicked mother. Hannah's pleasant demeanor is a breath of fresh air for the newly-liberated prince.
"So, are you getting used to freedom, yet?" she asks, sitting beside him.
"I had forgotten how beautful the countryside is. I took such things for granted when I was back in Port Charles battling it out with Spencer. But then, after I moved back to Greece, I was starting to really enjoy life and the beauty of God's creation."
"Until Helena came along…" interjects Hannah.
"I held on to the mental images as long as I could, but it didn't take long until the only picures I could form in my mind were the concrete and bars that imprisoned me. Take my advice, Ms. Scott; don't let it happen to you."
" I'll keep that in mind."
"Ms. Scott, I've been pondering something ever since AJ told me that Corinthos is a target. I hope you don't think it too bold to ask; what is your role in all of this? What is your motivation?"
" Well, as you may know, Corinthos and I go way back – to the time when I was in the FBI. I made 2 big mistakes: I fell in love with the heartless creep and I let my cover be blown."
" So, a little revenge is in the cards?"
"Not for that; that was a long time I ago. I've healed, and moved on. What he's going to pay for is a more recent development. It involves my father."
"Roy DeLuca", says Stefan.
"Right. My father had been managing Sonny's coffee operation in Miami. It was strictly legit; Dad dealt in coffee and coffee alone. But Sonny decided to run a shipment through one of Dad's docks and the Feds intercepted it."
"And let me guess; your father was the one caught holding the can – the coffee can, as it were."
"Exactly. I had quit working for the FBI before that, but I had a good friend who was in on the investigation. He discovered that Sonny and Jason had actually taken an active role in framing Dad after the fact. One of Dad's friends discovered the plot, but not in time to warn him about it. The man's scared out of his mind of Sonny and won't testify, so it's all unprovable."
Stefan sighs.
"As is always the case with Corinthos", he says.
"And my dad was hung out to dry. Shortly after he was convicted, AJ contacted me and offered an alliance. AJ has hinted around about some "surprise guests" he's invited to the party, so this has the makings of a very powerful alliance."
"This could become interesting", muses Stefan.
"What about you?" asks Hannah. "Do you feel indebted to AJ for the rescue? Is that why you've agreed to help?"
"I am grateful that AJ rescued me, but it's more than that. I'm thinking about Natasha and her child."
"Natasha?"
"You may know her as Alexis. AJ and my mother both told me that Natasha is not thrilled with the idea of Corinthos spending any amount of time with Kristina. In fact, Natasha has unsuccessfully sued for full custody. I love my sister; if I can get Corinthos locked away, full custody will be granted."
AJ enters the cottage, along with 5 guards and another unknown man. Three of the guards stops and sits at the kitchen table, while AJ and the other men take seats in the living room.
"Good morning, Stefan. How did you sleep?", inquires AJ.
"Very well, thank you. It's amazing how restful a night of sleep can be without armed guards waking you up every 2 hours just for the fun of it."
"My brief stay at the meat locker, courtesy Sonny Corinthos, drove that same point home", replies AJ, who then turns his attention to the entire group.
"Joining us today is Dr. Louis Stevens. He is the "secret weapon" I've been going on about these last few days. In a little bit, he's going to summarize his part in our war on Corinthos."
They all greet Dr. Stevens.
"But first, I'd like for Stefan to give us a little background. Stefan, the floor is yours."
"Thank you AJ", begins Stefan. "First, I would like to express my since appreciation toward all of you who were involved in my rescue, especially those who placed their own lives at risk by engaging in gun battle with my captors. Thank God none of you were injured."
"I would like to share with you the events that led me to this place", he continues. "As most of you know, I have been at life-long odds with my mother, Helena. A few years ago, my battles with her finally took their toll, and I was fed up with any and all things Cassadine. After making peace with another old enemy, Luke Spencer, I left Port Charles to find peace with myself and with God. I moved back to Greece and was starting to really enjoy life and the absence of all things Helena.
"Not long after, I received word that Helena had avoided prison by employing a cancer-ridden double to take her place, and had subsequently gone into hiding. But knowing my mother, I had no doubt that she would soon begin another campaign of terror. I had been enjoying my stress-free life, but knew that my knowledge of Helena would be of the utmost importance in any effort to track her down and so I prepared myself for a return to Port Charles.
"However, as I was about to phone Spencer to inform him of my plans, I was incapacitated and taken to the chapel, where you all found and freed me."
"Well, we're excited to have you on the team, Stefan", says AJ. "We've got big plans for you."
"Thank you, AJ."
AJ addresses the group. "Stefan has quite an axe to grind concerning his sweet mother Helena. He's also motivated by his love for his niece and a desire to keep her away from Corinthos. Yesterday, we searched the chapel prison and learned some interesting things that actually link Corinthos and Helena together. What we found is that Stefan's kidnapping wasn't just a case of Helena wanting her beloved son near her; it appears that because of her history with and contacts within Greece, Helena has been in Sonny's employ, setting up connections for his racketeering and money-laundering business. Prior to his association with Helena, Greece was one of the few markets that Corinthos had been unable to penetrate, but now he's rolling in the dough. Helena feared that none of that would have been possible if Stefan were to remain in Greece; she figured he'd see her and investigate and uncover the operation."
"She was correct with that assumption", adds Stefan. "So, I was kidnapped and imprisoned in Prague. That's when she decided to kill two birds with one stone. Since I was out of sight, she could think of no better opportunity to seize control of the Cassadine assets and turn Nikolas to the dark side to carry on the evil traditions of my evil father, Mikos, and brother Stavros."
"And she would have succeeded, if not for Spencer", says AJ. "But now everyone thinks that Stefan died a twisted and wicked man. Armed with the documents and testimony of Helena's men we have captured, Stefan will soon establish his innocence when he makes his glorious return to Port Charles. While we're all working behind the scenes, we need someone in the public eye to help distract Corinthos; that will be Stefan's role."
"A role I will relish", says Stefan. "He'll be so concerned with me that he won't be alert to what the team is doing in the background."
"I'm sure Dr. Stevens is ready to fill us in on his mission, but one last things remains", says AJ. "Say hello to our most un-expected ally."
He holds up a photo of Jason Morgan.