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Chapter Four

The Haunted Star usually was filled with raucous laughter, the stench of Cuban cigars, and fat businessmen with even fatter wallets, and that was the way Luke liked his casino. However, tonight was an entirely different story. He stood behind the bar, arms crossed and mouth pursed at the downright disgrace of Cowboy setting up a playpen in the middle of his damn casino.

He didn't care if little Laura-Lee did need a place to play. She could do it somewhere besides in a damn Fisher-Price playpen right next to his craps table.

Caroline was no help at all either. She just came right in and plopped MJ down beside her cousin and sent Morgan into the backroom with Cameron, Spencer, Robbie, Molly, and Kristina. As an ex-mob moll, she should know the importance of a respectable casino.

No, she just goes over to Barbara Jean with Michael swaggering behind her, looking more like his uncle Jason than any of the Spencers or even his biological father AJ every day. Luke shook his head and slammed down his scotch.

When had he traded in his days as a member of the Rat Pack for the Brat Pack?

"I thought Monica said no more booze," Lesley-Lu Spencer-Spinelli asked as she walked in with her laptop-toting husband latched to her side. Luke snorted before looking to both sides for his wife.

"Don't tell your mother."

"I won't…if you tell me what's going on? I mean, a Spencer/Cassadine meeting?" Lulu incredulously questioned her old man as Spinelli leaned in close to the father/daughter duo.

"My Blonde One has a right to meddle. The Goddess Mother ditched Bench Press and his muscled brother to be in attendance without the Godfather's knowledge. That, alone, alerts me of probable danger for the Spencer/Cassadine familial members." Spinelli rattled off.

Luke looked to his daughter for a brief translation.

"Alexis ditched Max and Milo. She, apparently, doesn't want Sonny in the loop."

"Ah, Natasha ditched her shadows. I'd kill to be a fly on the wall when that stunt blows up in her face."

"There's Lucas and Nadine. Aunt Bobbie, Noah, Carly, Michael, Mom, Lucky, Sam, Alexis, Nikolas and Maxie are all present and accounted for, Dad. Patrick and Robin are even here. Can we get started on why the hell you wanted us all here tonight?" Lulu blurted out, hand on her hip mirroring her mother twenty-five years previous.

Everyone in the crowded room filled to the brim with the extended members of the Spencer/Cassadine family silenced and turned to the Spencer patriarch himself, waiting as patiently as Spencers and Cassadines were capable of for the inevitable explosion of news that could and would rock their worlds.

Of that … they were sure. Spencers and Cassadines didn't plan covert meetings every Saturday night.

Especially Luke who loved to wander between Luke's and The Haunted Star and see the money rolling in.

"Maybe I should start." Nikolas stood up from the table where his pregnant fiancée and other various members of his family sat. Looking around the room, he knew that what he was about to say would change the lives of everyone in this room, and he wasn't happy about it. Selfishly, he thought his plate was full enough without the added threat of his grandmother's return.

"Go ahead," Alexis softly said, and he sent her a grim smile before looking back out into the faces of his nearest and dearest.

"Grandmother's yacht is heading toward Port Charles as we speak."

The sound of voices drowned out Nikolas' thoughts as he was bombarded with questions from the floor. Maxie stood, stomped her foot, and turned to the crowd.

"SHUT UP! Can't you see he isn't finished?" Immediately, the room quietened at the feisty blonde's request, and Nikolas was once again back in the spotlight.

"No one is talking to Luke. He has had no reports whatsoever which is unusual."

"Highly unusual. People like to keep me in the know in the underground world," Luke proudly said, causing several snorts across the room. Carly and Noah nearly fell out of their seats containing their laughter, earning a hard look from Bobbie.

Patrick looked at his estranged wife, and as she met his gaze, he suddenly didn't feel so estranged. She was sharing an amused look with him while they both wondered why the hell they were required at this 'meeting'. They were barely considered members of the Spencer family by the outside world and had nothing to do with the ridiculous feud between the two families.

"Anyway, one of my contacts within Grandmother's staff was finally able to get word to my European second. She's on her way to Port Charles, and Helena returning to Port Charles is never a good thing for either of our families," Nikolas finished explaining.

"What are we here for? What is there even to do?" Lucas asked, feeling the tension radiating from his pregnant best friend at the prospect of danger. He reached over and grabbed Nadine's hand and squeezed gently, showing his support the best way he knew how.

"We could leave," suggested Alexis, withdrawn and quiet. Her jaw was set as she stared at Laura-Lee and MJ playing quietly in the playpen, thinking of her granddaughter and her own three daughters. As much as loved Sonny, she couldn't involve him in this part of her life. And as much as she loved Sonny, she couldn't leave her girls at risk to Helena.

"Leave?" Sam asked, shocked. "Is that really necessary?"

"She kidnapped Lucky, and we believed him to be dead for a long time." Laura told her daughter-in-law and the rest of the room. "I'd hate to see history repeat itself."

"Helena isn't above hurting anyone in this room because of who they are and which family they belong to," Luke said. "She's a vicious old bat, but she's lethal. She doesn't care who's in her crosshairs as long as she gets what she wants in the end."

"Which is my children under her wing," Nikolas gently said, looking at the frightened face of Maxie Jones as her hand crept over her ever-expanding belly.

"And my whole family swimming with the fishes," Luke added.

"Do you think we should go?" Bobbie asked her brother.

"If you think we should, I'll go. We'll go," Lucky said, looking at his dad then at Sam before gazing at their daughter then looking back to his wife. She shook her head in agreement. She had just found her family. She wasn't going to lose anyone of them because of who her mother was or which family she married into.

"Maybe Cam should go back to Liz's in New York. I know we have him until the summer is up, but --" Sam said, looking at Lucky.

"No, he'd be in just as much danger there. I want him with us."

"Forgive me because I have no idea how dangerous Prince Nikolas' granny is, but don't you think you could try talking to her first. Maybe she isn't after death and destruction like My Blonde One's Father has predicted." Spinelli said, stumbling lightly over his words.

"Helena doesn't talk," Carly threw in, looking at her cousin's bumbling husband with sympathy because he really had no idea what he was in for.

"She bites first and asks questions later," Alexis added.

"Well, Dad, answer Lucky. Is Alexis right? Should we skip town?" Lulu asked.

"Before you guys continue your talk about a feud that should have been over with the 80's, can someone please tell me why my wife, our son, and I are involved?" Patrick stood and wondered aloud.

"Sit down, Patty-Boy. You're a Spencer now. Blame it on your old man. In Helena's eyes, you are just as much of a Spencer as the rest of us." Luke answered with a smirk.

"I thought all Helena was concerned with was bloodlines." Robin threw in, suddenly extremely worried for her husband, her son, and herself. Not to mention her friends.

"All except Spencer bloodlines. Carry the name, carry the feud." Lucky told her with a grim expression on his handsome face.

"Luke, do you think we should go?" Laura asked him, and he met the eyes of his angel. He didn't have to verbally respond. She already knew, and so did Bobbie.

"Well?" Carly asked, impatient as ever.

"Pack your bags, Caroline. I think we should get the hell out of dodge until we sort out the exact purpose of Helena's little visit." Her uncle told her.

"Wait! What if we don't want to go?" Noah asked, knowing his wife would be mad for even doubting her brother's judgment on the Cassadines.

"Then its every man for himself. So…who's going?" Luke asked. "Laura and I are, I know. Lulu, you and loony boy, too. No arguments. Cowboy?"

"We're in," Sam answered for her husband.

"The girls and me, too." Alexis added, grabbing her eldest child's hand. The more she thought about Helena coming back to town, the more she thought about the night her own mother was murdered. She refused to let Sam, Kristina, or Molly deal with witnessing their mother's murder at the hands of Helena. History would not be repeating itself.

"I'm with you. Noah?" Bobbie asked, looking at her husband.

"If you go, I go."

"Good," Luke said. "Sweet Caroline?"

Carly looked at Michael then back at her uncle.

"We're going. Lucas, you and Nadine please come. I couldn't stand it if you stayed."

"Your sister's right, Lucas. We should go," Nadine agreed, thinking of the baby boy in her belly that the outside world thought was a Spencer.

"All right. We'll go." He agreed, looking at his paternal cousin. "Maxie, you --"

"No worries. We are with you in leaving." Nikolas cut him off and answered for her.

"Well, Patrick, it's left to you and Robin. In or out?" Noah asked.

"Well, I don't have much of a choice, do I? We're in, right, Robin?"

"We're in." She agree, grabbing his hand, initiating touch between them for the first time since their separation.

"All right. It's settled. Adios, Port Chuck!" Luke grinned, reaching for his glass of scotch only to have his hand smacked away by Laura. "I'll make the calls. You know, Spaghetti, having you as a member of the family may come in handy after all."

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