"YOU BITCH!"

It takes everything in Sam to hold Kristina back while Alexis rushes to Molly's side. She gently grabs her youngest's arm and pulls her further away.

"You did this!" Kristina screams, "You put my family in danger!"

"No, I didn't. You did that all by yourself," Molly huffs.

"I wasn't the one complaining about my niece's father to a megalomaniac!"

"Okay, let's take a deep breath-" Alexis attempts to step between them.

"All of this could've been avoided if you just-"

"If I just what, Molly? If I just gave you my daughter? If I just told you the truth? Is that what you wanna hear?"

Molly doesn't reply, shooting her elder sister a glare.

"Molly," Alexis says, "why did you go to Victor?"

"I…" the woman pauses for a second, "I didn't go on purpose-"

"But you still went to him."

"You're going to believe Victor over me? You really think I'd do something as heinous as demand my niece and her father be kidnapped?"

"You told me that eternal suffering is the least of what I deserve. Is this your way of getting back at me?"

"I would never want Dex or Ciara to get hurt!"

"You went to Uncle Victor and ran your mouth! And look what happened: Dex had his skull bashed in and Ciara's stuck with a monster!"

"You don't know that that's the injury-"

"Oh my God!" Kristina growls through her teeth, "You screwed up here, Molly! Own it for once!"

"I didn't tell Victor to go after Dex and Ciara!"

"Then what did you tell him?" Alexis crosses her arms.

"I…I just…I was frustrated at what Kristina did-"

"And you thought he was worth confiding in?"

"Uncle Victor said you complained about Dex, not about me," Kristina huffs as Sam lets her go.

"Molly, what did you say to him that made him go after Dex and Ciara?" Sam asks.

"I didn't say anything! And even if I did, Victor going after them was his own decision!"

"You grilled me because I lied, because I didn't get the timing right on telling the truth. But once I was caught, I took responsibility. I admitted that I messed up and I apologized."

"Because you actually did something wrong," Molly replies.

"And you putting Dex and Ciara in the line of fire isn't doing something wrong?"

"I don't know how many times I have to say it: I did not tell Victor to go after them!"

"Did you complain about Dex to him? Yes or no?"

"Answer the question," Alexis shoots her a glare.

"...Yes! Okay, yes, I did!" Molly cries, "I talked about Dex with Victor!"

"Why?" Sam's eyes widen in frustration.

"I was angry and I needed an outlet, okay? TJ started tuning me out and Victor kept stopping by and I just…I unloaded on him. He listened to me, yes, but I didn't think he was listening the way that he did."

"What did you say about Dex?"

"I…I told him that I was upset over the trial. That's all."

"Molly."

She gulps as she looks between her sisters and mother, "…I said that Dex wasn't fit to be a parent. Ciara has a liar for a mother and a thug for a father; how does that benefit her wellbeing? Her growth? And I…I told him that Dex didn't deserve to have custody…and Victor agreed with me."

"You are sick," Kristina responds, "Dex has been nothing but good to you, even when you haven't been good to him, and this is how you repay him? With an attitude and a head injury?"

"We don't know that it's a head injury-"

"Oh come on, Molly-"

"Look, I'm sorry that what I said turned into…this," the youngest sister gestures all around, "but I didn't send Victor after Dex! I didn't do anything wrong!"

The sound of skin slapping skin echoes throughout the living room, Alexis and Sam recoiling in horror as they watch Kristina smack Molly across her face with a swift, strong force. Molly cups her cheek as she crouches down, feeling it throb against her fingers.

"My baby," Kristina's voice is sharp, "is trapped somewhere with a madman. The man I love is injured and helpless, and all of that is your fault. This. Is. On. You."

"I…ah!" Molly flinches at the pain.

"Do you hate me that much? Do you hate him that much?!"

"N-No!" the woman finally stands straight up.

"Well, clearly you do, because you thought it was appropriate to tell Uncle Victor, a literal psychopath, that you thought Dex was an unfit parent and should be put down!"

"I didn't say that-"

"I just…wow," Kristina lets out an exasperated laugh, hands on her hips, "you have some nerve telling me that I'm dead to you for lying about Ciara when you ran your mouth and jeopardized my family's well-being. What I did was awful, but I didn't put anyone in harm's way. You did."

"Kristina…" Sam mumbles, casting her eyes at the floor. Alexis does the same.

"It would've been one thing if you put a target on my back to punish me, but no, no, you thought it was better to do this to punish Dex. You thought it was more worthwhile to leave Ciara without both of her parents, and for what? So you and TJ can raise her and act like she's yours? Is that what this is all about?"

Molly bites her bottom lip, forcing the anger in her face while her eyes brim with tears. Kristina shakes her head and scoffs, "I spent so much time thinking about how I can make up for what I did, how we can fix our relationship, but now? After what you did to my family? You're as dead to me as I am to you."

Silence looms over the women as Kristina proceeds to walk off, her cutting glare following Molly until she's out of sight. She marches up to the guest room, slamming the door. Her back lands against the wood, hands on her cheeks as she tries to calm herself, her thoughts racing a mile a minute.

I'm setting sail on this voyage, and I'll be seeing it through to the other side.

Victor's remark chills her to the bone as much as it ignites her. She immediately goes to the closet, pulling out a black sweater as well as a matching pair of leggings and knee-high leather boots.

Find them, she thinks to herself, repeating it ad nauseum, Get them out of there.

"Spencer? No. Spencer? No."

Trina speedwalks through the halls of the Haunted Star with ease, passing behind each and every guard. She's not entirely sure what possessed her back at Laura's penthouse, when she felt the presence of Spencer's arm around her disappear. Staying in the shadows proved useful, watching Victor Cassadine take both Spencer and his baby brother prisoner. She trailed them at a long enough distance, and as they grew closer to the pier, the Haunted Star ever-so-slowly emerging from the fog, she let her intuition guide her further.

"Come on…" Trina mumbles to herself, glancing down every hallway she passes and opening every door, "Where are you, Spencer?"

Hope begins to dwindle with each and every place she checks, all yielding no results. She stops at a door close to the end of the furthest hallway, the lights fairly dim. She takes a deep breath and unlatches the lock, her heart skipping a beat when she sees who stands on the other side.

His words are music to her ears: "I can't believe you're here."

Spencer's delivery comes though with air and awe as his focus fixates on the young woman in front of him. Trina's smile of relief disarms him instantly, and he envelopes her in a tight hug.

"Oh my God," he sighs blissfully, kissing the top of her head, "you're here, you're really here. You followed us."

"Of course I did," Trina giggles, "Did you really think I'd let you and Ace disappear like that?"

"How did you sneak past all the guards on the pier?"

"I had great camouflage," she gestures up and down her torso, highlighting her black leggings and long-sleeved shirt.

"That you do, and it looks great on you too."

"Yeah, yeah," she playfully rolls her eyes, "we can banter later. Right now, let's find Ace and get the hell out of here."

"Yeah…yeah," Spencer gets to his feet, looking around the room before following her outside, latching the door closed. They take a few steps to the left, standing in front of the door at the end of the hall, almost completely shrouded in darkness.

"I've checked almost every single cabin," Trina begins, undoing the latch, "and I haven't seen Ace at all. If he's anywhere, he has to be here."

"Hopefully," Spencer nods. He tries to take a step forward, Trina's still body stopping him. He looks down at her with concern before following her gaze, eyebrows shooting up at the figure in the bed.

The young man's hands are bound together at the wrists, with similar binding on his ankles. His navy T-shirt and gray-plaid pajama pants fit on his body with ease, and as Trina approaches, she flinches when she catches a glimpse of his face.

"What?" Spencer asks, "Do you know who this is?"

"We both do," she turns his way, "It's Dex."

"No way-" Spencer walks up to the man, studying his face. Dex's eyelids are free from creases, his dirty blonde hair a disheveled mess and a clean white bandana secure against, and in, his mouth. Trina makes her way to Dex's back just as Spencer lays a hand on him.

"Don't!" she stretches a hand out. Spencer watches her lean down close to Dex, hands gently cupping the back of his head, "He might have a concussion!"

"So?" Spencer shrugs, moving to be next to her. He observes the blow at the bottom curve of the young man's head, partly open and bloody. A part of him recoils internally at the wound as Trina further examines him.

"Sheesh," she hisses, "he was hit pretty hard."

"Why is he even here? What could Victor want with him?"

As if to answer his question, the couple hears guards approaching the hallway, footsteps echoing as they walk. Spencer slams the door shut and drags Trina around the corner, hiding in the darkness of the hallway to the bathroom.

"Okay, we're here," one guard moans, an edge in his voice, "You can stop crying now."

Spencer and Trina watch in shock as the guard turns, revealing a distraught infant. Her face is red as she sobs, her head against the guard's shoulder as he approaches Dex. Spencer avert his eyes while Trina watches on in sadness.

"Oh my God," she whispers sharply as the baby tries to calm herself, grabbing onto Dex's face, "that's…that's Ciara…"

"What a fussy little brat," a second guard sighs, "I get that she's part of the boss's family, but he should reconsider keeping this one around."

"At least he agreed to bring this guy aboard," the first guard replies, pointing at Dex's still form, "If not for that, I'd be throwing her overboard just to shut her up."

"And then the boss would throw you overboard."

"Can't he just keep her locked away with the other baby in the control station until we make it to Greenland? Why does he need them anyway?"

"Something something 'new world' or whatever the plan is. He's got the older one to take charge, and then once he croaks, those two will step up."

"Take charge?" Trina looks up at Spencer, who shakes his head. His attention goes from the goons to Ciara, a small tug at his heart when he sees her drop her head against Dex's cheek, her coo coming out as a whimper. She smacks her hands against his head, giving up when he doesn't move.

"Alright, that's enough. You're calm now," the first goon yanks her off of him, "Let's get out of here."

Both Trina and Spencer emerge once the door formally locks. They approach Dex again, gazing down at his still form. They stare in a somber silence for a beat before taking a step back, Spencer's hand on the small of Trina's back when they see him move.

"Dex?!" Trina rushes to his side, untying and pulling the white gag out of his mouth. He groans as he buries his face in the comforter, blinking rapidly before Trina's face ceases to be blurry.

"Tr…" his voice cracks, "Tri…na…?"

"Don't move," she says, tugging on the ropes around his wrists. She turns to Spencer, using her head to point at Dex's ankles. Spencer takes a deep, heavy breath before dropping to his knees, undoing the ropes with ease.

"Wh…Where am I…?" Dex asks slowly as Trina helps him sit up. His head spins both figuratively and literally, trying to take in Spencer's presence, "And why is…Spencer…here…?"

"You're on the Haunted Star. It's a club that doubles as a cruise ship."

"Victor kidnapped you and Ciara," Spencer chimes in, his tone flat, "He kidnapped Ace and I as well. Trina followed us onto the boat, and now we're here."

"What happened to you? Do you remember?"

"I…" Dex shuts his eyes tightly, wincing at the presence of an intense migraine, "ugh…"

"You were hit pretty hard in the back of the head," Spencer crosses his arms, "I'd be shocked if you remembered any of it."

"I just…remember…getting in a fight," Dex rubs his eyes with his palms, "with some…guys in black clothing."

"Where were you when this happened?" Trina questions.

"I was…at home. It was…late, and Ciara and I…w-we were asleep. I wake up, and there's…a big guy in all-black h-hovering over Ciara's crib."

"And you fought him?"

"Him and…the other guys who were downstairs. At some point," Dex's fingers gently graze the head wound, and he hisses in pain when he touches it, "I felt these huge…sparks of pain, and I passed out. That must've been when I was hit in the head."

"You didn't see who did it?"

"No, I don't think so. I don't remember."

"Why would Victor hold you hostage?" Spencer frowns, "What about you matters to him? You're not a Cassadine."

"My daughter is," Dex scowls, "and for the record, Victor's been sniffing around us for months, ever since Kristina's baby shower."

"Okay, now answer my question: why does Victor want you?"

"I don't know. Why does Victor want you?"

"Why should I tell you that?"

"Spencer," Trina snaps, "come on."

"...Fine," he huffs, "He has some insane idea about changing the world. He went on and on about it while dragging my brother and I down here. He thinks he can 'purge' half of the world population to combat climate change."

"Why does he need you, your brother, and my daughter?" Dex raises an eyebrow.

"Well, we're supposed to take over once the purging ends. It's insane. I'd never sign on for something so ridiculous, and I certainly wouldn't want to live in a world without my loved ones," Spencer looks at Trina, offering her a warm smile. She reciprocates.

"Does anyone know where we are?"

"I don't think so. I doubt my grandmother does."

"...And I didn't send a message to my family. Crap," Trina pinches the bridge of her nose.

"We have to get out of here-" Dex slowly gets to his feet. The room spins for a second, and suddenly, he feels himself being thrown against the edge of the bed. Spencer and Trina fall along with him as the boat begins to move, slowly turning and lurching internally as it creeps away from the pier. Trina is the first to get her bearings, running to the porthole window and watching the ocean waves pass by.

"Damn," Spencer swears as she walks back to the men, "Now what?"

"We still try and find a way out of here," Dex struggles to stand up. His hand hovers over the injury as it stings him, "If we can get a signal out before we reach wherever we're going, help will be on the shore."

"Greenland," Trina remarks, "We're supposed to be going to Greenland."

"How do you know that?"

"We ended up in your room while we were looking for my brother," Spencer replies, "Some guys were in here and we overheard them."

"Why were they in the room?"

"For Ciara," Trina answers sadly. Dex immediately turns her way, a sparkle in his eyes, "She was with them."

"Is she okay?!" the question rushes out of his mouth.

"Physically, yes. Emotionally…no."

"She was crying when they came in, and they had her sit with you until she calmed down. She tried to wake you up and get your attention, but you didn't budge," Spencer continues, his tone surprisingly soft, "She knew you weren't okay."

Dex doesn't respond, staring at the closed door with a sorrow that he lets swallow him whole. His eyes are wet with tears that don't fall and a massive lump sits in his throat. He tries to clear it, "Did, uh, these guys say or do anything else while they were here?"

"They said that Ace and Ciara are in the control station," Trina says.

"Good."

"Good?"

"There's all kinds of navigation tools there, and there's a radio phone that can get us in touch with anyone. The sooner we get there and get those two, the sooner we let authorities know where we are, and the sooner we'll be rescued."

"You sound pretty logical and practical for a guy who probably has a concussion," Spencer remarks.

"It's not the first time I've had one."

"Is that so? You must've gotten a bunch from all the guys who decked you when you stole their girlfriends from them, huh?"

"Spencer!" Trina scowls at him. Dex holds up a hand.

"It's fine," he says, meeting Spencer's intense glare, "I think it's time we settle this."

"You got in between Joss and Cam, didn't you?"

"I did. I'm not proud of it."

"Yeah, you shouldn't be. What did Cam do to you that you had to hurt him?"

"Nothing."

"So, what, you decided to interfere just because you felt like it?"

"Honestly, Spencer, after everything I've been through, I can say that I had no good reason to do what I did."

"Hmph," Spencer crosses his arms, "I figured you'd be more defensive than this, but then again, maybe you're a habitual cheater. Is that how you got with Kristina?"

Dex doesn't reply, averting his eyes. Spencer nods, registering the confirmation.

"You cheated on Joss?" Trina asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course he did. If they cheat with you, they'll also cheat on you. I guess remorse really isn't in your lexicon, is it? How long until you cheat on Kristina with someone else?"

"That'll never happen."

"I'll believe it when I see it," the young man proceeds to turn his back.

"I'm sorry, Spencer."

Spencer immediately relaxes, facing Dex, eyebrows raised in complete surprise, "What?"

"I'm sorry I hurt your friend. I did something incredibly stupid and got with someone I shouldn't have, and I found out pretty quickly that she wasn't worth the trouble."

"Was Kristina worth the trouble?"

"She was," Dex nods, "and even with what happened at the trial and everything that stemmed from it…she still is."

"You love Kristina the way Spencer loves me," Trina grins, blushing as she eyes her boyfriend, "I could stab him through the heart, and he'd still adore me."

"I would," Spencer beams at her before looking to Dex, "You mean that about my cousin? You're not just saying that because you have a kid together?"

"Yes. I…I love her. I still love her," Dex admits, taking a breath, "and I still figuring everything out. But in this moment, all I'm focused on is finding Ciara and getting the hell out of here, and I can't do that without you and Trina. I don't expect you to forgive me, especially not right now, but maybe we can be civil to each other, work together and find a way home?"

"Well…" Spencer glances between Dex and Trina, who gives him an expectant look, "I appreciate the apology, but the only person who should hear it is Cameron…and you can give it to him after we find Ace and Ciara and go back to Port Charles," he offers Dex a hand, "Truce?"

"Truce," Dex shakes it firmly, a smile on his face.

"Great!" Trina dons a wide, toothy smile, "Now that we've made amends, let's focus on the escape plan."

"Right," Dex nods, looking her way, "How were you able to find me and Spencer?"

"I looked through a ton of the cabins."

"Did you happen to pass by the control station?"

"Maybe? I know there was a gray door that was darker and taller than the other ones, it was closer to the top of the boat."

"Then that has to be it."

"What are we doing, exactly?" Spencer asks.

"I'll tell you. We're going to leave this room and do our best to sneak into the control station. You and I will fend off any guards giving us trouble while Trina uses the radio phone to call for help. If what the goons said was true, and Ace and Ciara really are in the room, we find them. We'll then hide in one of the more secluded cabins on this ship, and once we make it to Greenland, assuming someone contacts the authorities, Victor and his men will be arrested, and this plan he has fails. One way or another, we'll be saved."