Kelly's Diner. Morning breakfast rush.

Sonny took one last sip of coffee before signaling for the check. Mike pulled the waitress aside, and came over to Sonny's table himself.

"On the house," Mike said.

"You're never going to make any money this way, Mike," said Sonny.

"I'll take my chances." Mike sat down across from Sonny. Sonny could tell Mike was aiming for a heart-to-heart, but Sonny was in no mood for one. His business, since Claudia had left, was a mess. Rumors were spreading, and if he thought the Zacchara arm of his organization had been showing signs of unrest before, he'd been underestimating how much further there was to fall. Jason's visit to Spoon Island had made Claudia even more unreachable, if that was possible. His personal life hadn't been mixed up with his business life like this since Lily. And the fact that he didn't know what was going on with it made him unable to make a move. He looked weak.

Sonny stood up and turned away from Mike.

The door to the diner opened, and Rebecca entered. Their eyes met, and Sonny smiled at Rebecca. She smiled back, passing him on her way in. As she passed him, her smile faded. He made his way to the door, and she doubled back in time to stop him.

"Whoa. What's up?," Sonny asked.

"Why is your wife staying with Nikolas Cassadine?," she asked.

Sonny's face darkened. "I don't know," he answered. "But I will tell you this: all his life, that guy has had everything handed to him. He's finally been handed the keys to his destruction. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy."

And with that, Sonny left, brushing against Lucky on his way in.

Lucky stared after Sonny. "What's with him?"

Rebecca momentarily wondered if she should be saying anything, but then plunged right in. "His wife is staying with your brother."

"My brother? Please tell me you mean Ethan."

"No."

"You're kidding. Great. I finally get one sibling out of a Zacchara relationship and now this happens." Lucky checked his watch. "Sorry, I've got to run. I'm just grabbing something on the way to the station. Can I give you a ride somewhere?"

"No," said Rebecca. "I'm going to take a walk. Clear my head."

*******************************

Nikolas, Claudia and Spencer were finishing up breakfast when Alfred showed Elizabeth in.

"I didn't know you were expecting company," Claudia said.

"Good morning, Liz," said Nikolas. "Thanks for coming." He turned to Claudia. "Liz is here --"

"I'm here to see you," Elizabeth said to Claudia.

"Oh?," Claudia said, looking from Elizabeth to Nikolas.

"Yes," Nikolas answered. "Liz is going to give you a basic check-up. She's a nurse at --"

"I know who she is," said Claudia. "Wow. You just line these nurses up for illegal visits to your home, huh? Do you do this for all your guests or am I special?"

Liz quickly looked at Nikolas, but got nothing from him.

"Spencer and I will wait outside," said Nikolas, as he picked up Spencer and headed out of the room.

Claudia sized up Elizabeth, as Elizabeth silently wondered what Nikolas was thinking.

"So? What? Do you want me up on the dining room table?," Claudia asked sweetly.

"Not on our first date," answered Elizabeth, pulling out a blood pressure cuff.

She looks all innocent, but she's got a mouth, Claudia marveled, as she offered up her arm.

************************

Jason's Penthouse.

Spinelli sat at the desk, furiously surfing. He looked very down-hearted.

Jason entered the penthouse, hoping that Spinelli's bad mood wasn't because he'd been unsuccessul at turning up a Cassadine/Zacchara connection.

"What'd you find out?," he asked.

"She is pursuing him on a course most endemic to those of a technological bent more oriented toward trendsetting than alienating." Spinelli recognized that Jason's blank look was not his usual one. He clarified, crying out, "She is following him on Twitter!"

"What? What is that? Some kind of drug? Some kind of Russian thing? What," Jason pressed.

"It is a social implement apparently most suited to those of a nature more casual than that of The Jackal," Spinelli moped.

"So what are you saying? Are they dating?," Jason asked.

"Heaven forfend!," said Spinelli. "My heart would surely break."

Jason deflated. This was not about Nikolas and Claudia at all. This was, of course, about Maxie.

"Spinelli," Jason said in a tired monotone, "What did you find out about Nikolas and Claudia?"

"Oh," said Spinelli, perking up. "Yes. Well, you were correct about their Doctor Most Foul connection. But neither appears connected to the other in that instance; Mrs. Sir and the Dynastic Heir had not yet made the acquaintance of one another when that occurred."

"But..."

"By perusing the video surveillance cameras of the docks, I was able to ascertain a finite period of approximately..." Spinelli checked his figures. "...three days when the Dynastic Heir held court to Mrs. Sir on Spoon Island."

"When?"

"Approximately one year ago. And of course there were various sightings of Mrs. Sir and the Dynastic Heir together during the period when the Blonde One and The Unworthy Mob Prince were consorting, but those encounters were most inadvertent and brief."

Jason walked over to the window and looked outside while Spinelli continued to ramble about Johnny. The Johnny and Lulu part of this, Jason thought, made sense. The three days were odd, but too brief to mean anything. And too long ago.

"There is, however, one anomaly for the three day period," continued Spinelli.

Jason jerked his attention back to Spinelli. "What."

"The first time Vixen -- Mrs. Sir makes a trip on the launch, it is from The Heir's Lair. There is no record or sign of her arriving there in the first place."

Jason didn't know what to make of that, but he figured he'd start with Sam.

***********************

Wyndemere Library

Spencer ran in ahead of Claudia. The check-up had gone fine. Nikolas and Elizabeth wanted to discuss something -- probably Rebecca-related -- so Claudia volunteered to watch the kid while they talked.

Claudia had never been in the library before. The book she'd read while she was recovering during her first "visit" had been one left on her night table. She knew Nikolas must have an impressive collection, since that had been a first edition of "Great Expectations." But this was incredible. And there was not a single book that would entertain a 3 year-old.

Spencer began pulling books out of the lower shelves.

Claudia sat down on the floor. "Spencer." Spencer looked at her. "How about I tell you a story?" Spencer thought about it, and then went back to wreaking havoc.

"Okay," said Claudia. "Then I'll just tell myself a story." She pulled a few pillows down from the couch and made herself comfortable. She also slyly made a comfortable space for Spencer just in case he changed his mind.

"Twonce upon a wine," she began. "There was a gritty little pearl named Prinderella." The kid was still destroying the library. How come this had always worked on her?

"Prinderella had two sisty ugliers and a micked webstubber --" Aha. Here he comes. Claudia continued. "-- who made her flub the scoors, wean the clindows, pine the shots and shans, and do all the other wirty dirk." Spencer had slowly come over and sat on a pillow in front of her. He appeared to be trying to figure out what Claudia was doing. She went on, "Wasn't that a shirty dame?"

Spencer's mouth formed a perfect "O." Claudia mirrored his expression and then went on.

***********************

Wyndemere. The study.

"I promise," Elizabeth said.

Nikolas was satisfied. Elizabeth might not know it, but she held Claudia's life in her hands. Once Sonny or Jason found out about the progress of Claudia's pregnancy, they'd begin a countdown to her death.

"So what is she doing here?," Elizabeth asked. This was not the first time she'd asked this question.

"So you were saying we should have Lucky only look into Ethan," Nikolas said, as if she'd never asked. Nikolas had decided he wouldn't share that aspect of this with Liz -- he didn't want to get into any debates about Jason's morality with her, and he certainly didn't want her meddling in this. It was too dangerous for everyone.

Elizabeth gave up, knowing today was a lost cause. "He's suspicious of him anyway. And if nothing's there, nothing's there. But I think this is one Spencer that Lucky won't cover for," Elizabeth explained.

"I don't want it to bring him too close to Helena."

"Neither do I," Elizabeth said quickly. "The last time he was too close to Helena, I lost him. But this time we both have our eyes wide open. And we're seeing a lot of each other, and confiding in each other again. So I'll be able to keep an eye out for him."

"But you're keeping him away from Rebecca -- investigating her, that is."

"He's gotten pretty protective her. Hot button for him. I don't want to get him involved in that," explained Elizabeth.

"All right," Nikolas agreed.

**********************************

Wyndemere. The Library.

Nikolas and Elizabeth arrived at the library to find Spencer hopping around the room, saying, "A shirty dame!" over and over.

Elizabeth laughed, and then grew wistful. "My mother used to tell that to me," she explained.

"So did mine," said Claudia.

Nikolas was struck by the fact that all four of the people in the room knew what it was like to be without a mother.

"Come on, Spencer," Elizabeth said. "Let me take you to your nanny."

Spencer ran over to Elizabeth. "Bye, Claudia," Elizabeth said. "Nikolas." She kissed Nikolas on the cheek and left the room with Spencer.

Nikolas pulled Claudia up from her pillows. "Thanks," she said.

"Elizabeth will be coming here once a week to check on you." He quickly added, "I feel a lot more comfortable knowing that if something's wrong, we're catching it before a trip on the launch would take too long to help."

"Nikolas, I don't think this is such a hot idea." Claudia was pretty sure he had no idea of what he was about to say. And she wasn't sure how he'd take it. Or take her knowing it. "Wouldn't she run straight to Jason with any information he needs? She is the mother of his only child."

Nikolas seemed taken aback. About the fact that the kid was Jason's or the fact that Claudia knew it, she couldn't tell. Nikolas shook his head. "Liz can be trusted. She gave me her word, and now I'm giving you mine."

"Okay," said Claudia, reluctantly. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure."

"I'd better go," Claudia said, giving in to her fatigue. "I think I need a nap."

"Do you want to sleep here? You're more than welcome."

"No. I can make it back home." Home. Huh. "I tell you what, though. Why don't you and Spencer come over for dinner later and give the staff the night off?"

********************************

The Guest House. Dining Room.

Child on lap, finishing up dinner, it occurred to Claudia that she had made a bad, bad mistake eating with Nikolas so much. The horniness that came with pregnancy was hard enough without having those lips across from you at every meal -- every forkful, every spoonful, every sip drawing attention to them.

But every day that went by, it became increasingly clear that Nikolas was off-limits. First, he put her in the guest house. And when he described his trap for Helena and Rebecca, it was so clinical, he might as well have been discussing cattle futures. Well, cattle futures for a farm that had a psychotic for a matriarch.

Look at the women he was attracted to. Prinderella types, for sure. Women who were pedestal prone. Women who were Not Claudia. Of all the women Nikolas had known, Claudia was most like his grandmother. It was a wonder he didn't run screaming in the opposite direction.

She turned her attention to Spencer, and kissed the top of his head. With any luck, she wouldn't twist the kid for life the way all of the adults in her life had twisted her.

When she looked up, Nikolas was watching her.

"What?," she asked.

"Nothing," he said. When she raised an eyebrow, he conceded, "I like the way you are with him." "Him" meaning Spencer, she thought. Hah.

Well, no time like the present. "Could I...?" Claudia trailed off. Maybe not.

"What?," asked Nikolas.

"Would it be okay with you if I spent some time with Spencer?" Nikolas looked so taken aback, Claudia immediately regretted asking. "I know, I know, completely crazy. Too dangerous. Never mind."

"No, it's not that."

"Good enough for the grandmother, but not good enough for the kid."

"No. Only -- why? I know you like him, but you need your rest, and --"

Claudia nipped that in the bud. "I don't need to be comatose, Nikolas. I need to relax. I'm relaxed with Spencer. And I was just thinking that even though the nanny's good -- a little too uptight for my tastes, but good -- maybe it would be good for Spencer to be spending some of that time with someone who isn't paid to be with him."

Nikolas immediately went somewhere inside of himself.

"I'm not saying he doesn't have a great life. He does. I wish I'd had his life. You know what? Forget it. It was stupid. Classic foot in mouth," Claudia backpedaled.

"No. You're right," Nikolas interrupted. "It's a good idea. I wish I had thought of it."

"Really?"

Nikolas pushed his plate away and drummed the table with his fingers. Then he looked at Claudia. "I spent my whole childhood with people who were paid to be with me, or people who were grooming me for something. It would have been nice to have someone like you there. When do you want to start?"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Tomorrow."

********************************

General Hospital. Fifth floor.

Elizabeth was finally headed home after a long day at General Hospital. She checked the hall carefully, and then ducked into the medical supply room. She grabbed a few saline I.V. bags -- just in case Claudia ever got dehydrated -- and then started checking into needles.

"Wow. I've heard of doctors stealing drugs for profit, but this doesn't seem like it would get you much on the black market. Who are you selling to?" Elizabeth whirled around. Matt Hunter had the broadest smirk of anyone known to man. And this was going to take some fast talking.