PI Office, Port Charles
Sean walks into his office and heads straight for the ringing phone. "Donely." He answers. "Yes, yes, I have been expecting your call. What do you have for me? Why? Yes, I can meet you, but.. Yes I know where that is, in an hour. I'll be there." He hangs up.
He did not like the evasive tone his contact had plus the fact that he could not tell him over the phone. He picks up the phone and dials.
"Hi princess, how are you, yes I'm fine. Is Frisco there?"
"Hey, listen. My contact just called, I have to meet him in the park in an hour. He has something for us. Meet me here at the PI Office about 5pm, I'll fill you in. No, if someone else shows up with me, it might spook him. Ok, see you then." As he hangs up the phone, Tiffany walks in.
"Hi, I got your message." He says giving her a quick kiss. "How did it go today?" He asks.
"She's involved Sean. One way or another, she is involved with what happened. You need to find out soon, because if she was capable of taking part in what happened then I think maybe Anna might be in danger again." She says.
"What? Why?" Sean asks instantly concerned.
"I don't know Sean, just call it intuition or whatever but trust me when I say this. Holly is still very much in love with Robert, she is definitely using Mac to stay close to him and I think she has an enormous amount of either resentment or hatred for Anna building inside her." Tiffany says.
"So then I gather our little plan worked. Well that's great news on all counts. Those two knuckleheads actually put their ridiculous prides aside and resolved their problems in record time. Will wonders never cease?" Sean says very pleased.
"This is not funny Sean. I am absolutely thrilled they resolved their problems, but I hope that what I did today didn't add fuel to another problem that's ready to explode." Tiffany says very concerned.
"Okay, relax. I'm actually meeting with an informant in about 45 minutes. I think he has the information we have been waiting for, one way or the other." He says.
"Good, I want this over with. I don't want to see anymore hurt happen to this family Sean, including Mac." She says.
Port Charles Park, Port Charles
"This can NOT be true. Where did you get this information from? Are you absolutely certain?" Sean asks looking at the documents the man has handed to him.
"Sean, you know better than anyone that I can't reveal that information. It took a lot of digging and it has taken a lot of favors to lay my hands on this. But rest assured, these documents are genuine. In fact, I made the copies of the originals myself. I think it's safe to say, that Miss Sutton has fooled many people for many years. Her family has been able to maintain their lifestyle for obvious reasons. They have also left quite a few casualties in their wake, both figuratively and literally. What baffles me is how this was never discovered before or it appears never even looked into. Knowing Scorpio as long as we both have and we know he was one of the best the agents we ever had. So how did this information not surface years ago?"
Sean is still shaking his head not believing what he is reading.
"I don't know, love is blind, I guess. There is another possibility though. He may in fact know all about this, which is even more unsettling." Sean says.
"There is more. A will has surfaced recently." He says as he hands Sean another document which Sean takes.
"It was revised last year removing the original beneficiaries and replacing them with just one." Sean stares at the document and then looks up at the man. "Who knows about this? Have any of these people been notified that this exists?"
"I'm guessing not, since this just surfaced three days ago. It seems they were waiting for the death certificate to be filed. Once the agency tied up all loose ends, they registered the certificate. This was filed last week in New York Superior Court for execution by his lawyer. It all seems to be legitimate and there is no room to contest. I assume the notifications will begin very soon."
Sean is in shock. He knows what the implications are for all involved. "Thanks Dan for everything you have done here. You may have prevented a tragic occurrence, which is why I hesitate in asking for another favor. I need 48 hours to deal with this. Can you give me that? Can you prevent this information from getting out until then? I mean all of it" Sean asks with desperation.
"I will do whatever I can. 48 hours, Sean, that's all I can promise." He says knowing his friend has a lot to deal with.
"It will have to be enough." Sean says with dread.
PI Office, Port Charles
"We are going to have to break this news tomorrow Sean. We're out of time here. We have to let Robert and Anna know everything we know at this point. Knowing Robert, like I do, he will not take it well and more specifically the fact that we kept our suspicions from him for so long." Frisco says.
"Tell me something I don't know. Look we knew this from the beginning that if our suspicions were proven true, that it would not turn out well. It was a choice we made and a choice I would make again. Considering the alternative of telling him his ex-wife had a part in Anna's abduction not to mention Robin and then it turning out not to be true, I think would have been worse. Now we have the proof and the evidence to back it up. Unfortunately, in the process, we found out things that are more devastating. Our biggest concern here is what WILL his reaction be toward Holly. Add to that Faison's will and the danger that puts them in at this point from all involved. Let's see if they're home, I would rather get this over with tonight. It will give us more time to deal with their reactions and then hopefully come up with a plan together in how to bring them down." Sean says getting up and going to the phone.
"Hi Anna, its Sean. How are you? Good, good, she's fine. Haven't seen you guys in a while are you up for a visit tonight. I see, sounds like fun. No, no I understand." Sean shakes his head no toward Frisco. Frisco gestures back to press on.
"Look Anna, I need to see both you and Robert tonight, its important. No it can't wait, it won't take long. No, not over the phone. Fine, see you in an hour." He hangs up. "She's not happy. Robert's out with Robin right now, but he'll be back within the hour" He says to Frisco.
Scorpio House, Port Charles
Robert and Robin walk through the door laughing.
"It's definitely better than what you picked out after 45 minutes of reading every movie cover in the boring, I'm mean classics section. What the heck are The Avengers anyway? Even the cover looked boring, I can only imagine what the movie's like." Robin says to her father.
"It is a classic, wise guy. It has action, adventure, romance, all the good stuff. Ask your mother she knows." He says looking at Anna who is smiling faintly so as not to alarm her daughter. He immediately knows something is wrong.
"So, is the popcorn popped are we ready to go?" He asks.
"Um, no actually William kind of diverted me. Robin would you mind? Everything is setup in the kitchen, I just didn't get a chance to start it." Anna says to her daughter.
"Sure. It's probably for the best anyway, right Dad?" she winks at him while walking toward the kitchen. "Very funny." Anna says after her.
"What's wrong, what happened?" He says as soon as Robin's out of earshot.
"Sean called. He needs to talk to us tonight. He says it's important and that it can't wait. He'll be here in about 10 minutes." She says looking at her watch.
"Did he say what it's about?" He asks.
"No, he didn't want to discuss it over the phone. God Robert, this scares the hell out of me. What could it be? Do you think its Faison or maybe it's the WSB?" Anna says walking up to him with a stricken look on her face.
"No. I would have heard something by now on either point. I have my own contacts remember. Plus, if it was either of those things, Sean would have clued you in somehow over the phone considering the immediate danger we would be in. No this is something else entirely, but let's not panic until we hear what he has to say." She nods.
Robin comes back into the living room. "Listen Love, looks like we are going to have a little bit of delay in movie night. Uncle Sean is coming over for a bit, so can you put the popcorn on hold for a little while." He says trying to keep it light.
"Okay, is there something wrong?" Robin asks.
"No, not at all. It's probably just something to do with your Dad's work and he just has to tie up some loose ends on a case, that's all. Would you mind keeping an eye on your brother upstairs while Uncle Sean is here?" Anna asks.
"Yeah, sure." Robin responds a little disappointed.
"Thank you sweetheart. I promise we will have movie night, no matter how late it is okay?" Anna says putting her arm around her daughter.
There is a soft knock at the door and Robert walks over to answer it. He is surprised to see that Tiffany is also with Sean but does not let on. It's maybe a sign that the news is not as bad as they are thinking if Tiffany is here. "Hey buddy." "Hello darling. Two times in one day, this is a treat." Tiffany says giving him a kiss.
"Yeah, I'm blessed." He says sarcastically as she hits his arm.
They all say their hellos and Robin proceeds upstairs as the four of them gather in the living room. Robert stands next to Anna, who is sitting in a chair while Sean and Tiffany sit on the couch.
"Okay, Sean what's this all about?" Robert asks.
"Actually Robert, I'd like to wait a few more minutes until Frisco gets here?" Sean responds.
"Frisco? What does Frisco have to do with this?" Robert asks now very worried that this is something very bad.
"Do you know what this is about?" Robert looks at Tiffany.
"Yes, I do. That's why I'm here. Robert, we will tell you both everything as soon as Frisco arrives." She says as there is a soft knock at the door.
Sean gets up to answer the door. Sean comes out the foyer area with both Frisco and Felicia behind him. Robert and Anna are both surprised to see Felicia as well. This is not good they both immediately realize but say nothing except hello to both of them.
For the next hour, Robert and Anna listen in detail to what the foursome has known for the last six months. They are told of the initial suspicions discovered after they returned from Venezuela, the investigation since and the plan they executed in trying to get Holly to incriminate herself. Robert has not said a word since it all began. He has been pacing the floor listening but not looking at anyone including Anna. Anna is in a state of shock and is also trying to control her emotions because she is afraid, she will lose it. She has been watching Robert's reaction and is utterly shocked that he has said nothing, nor has he even registered an emotion on his face.
"Now this brings us to today. I have received documents that clearly indicate the connections, the timeline of the plan or plans and evidence that points to a consolidated effort among Faison, Holly's family and Holly herself. They are authentic Robert and they go back several years before we even knew Holly. And brace yourself for what I am about to say next." Sean says standing. With that declaration Robert stops pacing and stares directly at Sean.
"We have documented proof right here that says Cesar Faison was Holly Sutton's half-brother. They both have the same father and this father."Sean pauses and looks down first before looking up.
"This father, was a Cassadine. Khristos Cassadine to be exact, Mikos' older brother. Both Faison and Holly were the products of affairs. We don't know exactly when this was revealed to both families, but it appears it was known very early on." Sean finishes.
Robert is immobile. All the color has drained from his face. Anna is also frozen with shock. She knows the name Cassadine, has seen and heard many things about this family, mostly from Robert. However, the bigger shock is that Holly is Faison's sister. It is unfathomable to her that this could be true. As she tries to process the information she hears, "That's impossible. That can't be true." Robert declares. It's the first words he has said in almost an hour.
"I'm sorry Robert, but it is true." Frisco says standing up as well.
"NO. Your sources are wrong. Do you know what this means? Don't you think I would have known after all these years? I was married to the woman for three years damn it, don't you think I would have known?" Robert says walking straight up to Sean.
"It was not a hard-kept secret. You would have known Robert if you had looked harder or if had bothered to even look at all." Sean says. At that Robert wields back as if to strike Sean.
"Robert, No!" Anna shouts leaping out of her chair, grabbing his outstretched arm and preventing his forward motion. Frisco has also stepped in front of Robert. He knows he would have regretted it the instance his fist connected with Sean's face.
"Robert, listen to me. It's the truth, all of it. She fooled everyone for so long. It was all part of a master plan from day one. But that doesn't mean that your marriage was a lie, she loved you man, that I know for sure and you know it too." Frisco says quietly.
"Of course, it was a lie. Don't you see that? If this is true, it was all a lie, all of it, from the very beginning." Robert says to his friend. He swallows the lump in his throat and continues, "If this is true, that's not even the worst part. She has knowingly and deliberately put my family in danger, my wife, my daughter and my son." He says walking away from all of them holding his head. He whips around quickly, "Mac, what about Mac?" What does he know about this?" Robert asks in desperation.
"Nothing, he knows nothing Robert. It appears she is using him as well." Sean says.
"For what?" Anna asks, now seething.
"As we have told you, we believe that she is using him solely to get closer to Robert. Sean and Frisco have not found evidence that it is more than that at this point." Tiffany says. As she finishes, they hear the baby crying hysterically and see Robin coming down the stairs with him in her arms.
"Mom, I'm sorry, but he won't stop crying, I've tried everything." Robin says.
"It's ok, I'll take him." She goes to take William from her. The interruption has dulled the tension in the room slightly. William begins to quiet down immediately after being transferred to his mother's arms. The sight makes Robert smile. Tiffany and Felicia quickly go to William, as Robert stands near the foyer still trying to compose himself and process the information. Sean sees that he is a little unsteady and takes the opportunity to approach him.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Listen, I'm sorry for before, I am." Robert says.
"Forget it. Look, you have to know that the four of us have been working, hoping and praying that our suspicions were wrong. The last thing we wanted was for both of you to have to deal with this after what you have been through this year and especially right now. Know this, we wouldn't bring this to you now if we weren't absolutely certain on all counts." Sean says.
"You still should have told me Sean, the minute you suspected something. I would have handled it." Robert says with a little anger.
"Really? Like you handled it just now when I presented it to you with documented evidence? I'm still not convinced you're buying any of it." Sean says with equal anger.
"Maybe you're right I don't know. It doesn't matter now anyway. I do believe what you're telling me, but a part of me still hopes there could be some mistake." He pauses as he looks at his family.
"If this is true, I could kill her you know, for what she's done, for what she's been a part of all these years. It's a feeling I never thought could be possible as far is she is concerned. But looking at them and knowing I almost lost all of them because of her, it's all I'm feeling right now." Robert says for only Sean to hear.
"I know, I know. But that feeling is not all you are feeling and you know it. The love for your family is a hell of a lot stronger and they would lose you forever if you gave in to your anger. Don't ever lose sight of that, ever." Sean says with conviction.
"I know." Robert states knowing Sean is 100% correct.
"So what do we do now?" Robert asks.
"Well that's for another day and we can talk about that tomorrow. We came here tonight because you had to be told that you and your family are in danger again. There is one more thing I need to tell both you and Anna." Sean says hesitantly.
"Good God, what now?" Robert exclaims.
"I'll tell you but I'll leave it for you to tell Anna. It's already been a long night." Sean says.
"Fine, what is it?" Robert asks with intensity.
"There's a will that was filed three days ago in Manhattan. Its Cesar Faison's last will and testament and it was updated this year to change the beneficiaries. Obviously he was an extremely wealthy man and his estate is valued at over $100 million dollars." Sean says.
"So, now I guess Holly is the wealthy beneficiary, is that what you're telling me?" Robert asks.
"Actually up until early this year, she would have been one of the beneficiaries. However, Faison changed it to remove all the Sutton's and the Cassadines. The new and sole beneficiary is listed as Anna Devane. The timeline indicates, he did this immediately after she was taken. Robert, I don't need to tell you this adds tremendously to our problems and increases the danger once again for both you and your family. The Cassadines and the Sutton's are not going to take this lying down, that I can assure you." Sean whispers fiercely.
Robert just hangs his head and starts shaking it. Then unexpectedly he starts laughing slightly. "I swear, this has got to be the biggest cosmic joke yet. Will this man ever be out of my life?" He says looking up directly at Sean.
Its 10:15pm and all four of them have said their good-byes leaving Robert and Anna to deal with the aftermath by themselves. They have all agreed to meet at the penthouse tomorrow to discuss a game plan and to decide what the next steps will be. For tonight they plan to put all this aside because they made a promise to Robin, one they intend to keep.
Robert is clearing away the coffee cups and is setting up the tape in the VCR. Robin is in the kitchen getting all the snacks ready. She was thrilled when her father said he was ready to start movie night. After hearing all the shouting coming from the living room while she was upstairs and seeing Frisco and Felicia also there, she thought something was terribly wrong. She knows something is still not right despite her mother's insistence, but she will not press the issue.
Anna comes down the stairs holding William after having changed him and herself into pajamas. "Hey" He says when he sees her. She smiles at him, knowing that right now his emotions are in turmoil.
She walks up to him and grabs his hand. "How are you? Are you Ok?" She asks gently.
"I would like to say yes, but I can't." He says honestly. "Right now though I would just like to enjoy being together. It's been a hellish 24 hours." He says but quickly corrects, "With a minor exception of course." He says with a wink.
"Only minor?" She says. "Never minor."He says. They stand looking at each other for a beat. "I love you." She says still holding his hand. "And I love you."He replies squeezing her hand.
"So what movie did she wind up picking?" She asks. "Ghost, believe or not. She said you would approve." Robert says sitting on the couch with the remote in hand.
"She's right, I do. Patrick Swayze's hot." She says sitting close to him with William, preparing to feed him.
"Swell. It should be a fun night for me." he says wrapping his arm around her. "How's he doing, he was a little cranky tonight, huh?" Robert says caressing his son's head as he nurses.
"Yeah, it was a long day for him. It was his first real day being out and about. I guess we over did it a little." She says.
Robin comes into the living room with a tray of snacks and drinks. She sets them on the coffee table and sits close to Robert on the couch.
"Okay, Dad, hit it." Robin says grabbing the bowl of popcorn and nestling under his other arm.
"After this one, you guys owe me big time." He says as he starts the movie.
"Ok tomorrow we can watch something that you want. Just out of curiosity what would that be?" Anna asks.
"Something that doesn't involve a guy who can't say the words I love you for the entire movie unless of course he's been shot in the face." He says.
Anna tries not to laugh and disturb William but is unsuccessful. He starts to cry. "Stop making me laugh." She says as William calms and continues nursing. He smiles at her.
In reality, he can't think of anywhere else in the world he would rather be, no matter what the movie is. The three people he loves more than anything in the entire world are right here in his arms and nothing else matters. He knows he can't lose sight of that so he vows to himself that after tonight he will put his emotions on a shelf. He must face this problem not as a victim but as the trained agent he is with no pride or prejudice. He owes it to his family because their lives depend on it. He made a promise to Anna, all those months ago, that he wouldn't let anything or anyone take this away from them. Now it's time to keep that promise. He looks down at her face at the same moment she looks up. It's an unspoken declaration that he feels she can sense as he looks into her eyes. She smiles at him and he kisses her lips gently. He then lays his head on top of hers and holds her more tightly.