Subj: blp-42
Date: 8/27/2001 5:58:58 PM Central Daylight Time
From: SIPort27
To: SIPort27
 
 
 

Subj:  The Best Laid Plans, Chapter 42
 
 

Nikolas is in Sasha's room when Stefan returns.

" Is there any change, Nikolas?"

" No, Uncle. She's been still. So still. "

" Nikolas, I believe that it might help Katya, if she were to be surrounded by some of her favorite belongings. You need to get some air, so why don't you..."

" Go back to Wyndemere and get them? That sounds good. I'll be back as soon as possible."

" Nikolas, where is Alexis?"

" Arranging for dinner for the two of you."

" I'm not hungry."

" She said you'd say that, but that she would do it anyway. I'll return soon. " Nikolas kisses Sasha and then leaves.

Stefan was in the room when Alexis came in.

" Stefan? I ordered dinner for the both of us. It will be here soon."

" Alexis. Aren't those the same clothes since Sasha entered the hospital?"

" Yes."

" Alexis, I want to be alone with her. Go home, shower and change. Maybe even take a nap."

" Stefan, I don't want to leave you."

" You aren't leaving me if I ask you to go. I need for one of us to be thinking clearly. And that won't be me."

" Alright. But, if anything is wrong,..."

" I will make sure to get in touch with you immediately."

" Fine." Alexis kisses Stefan. " Your dinner will be here soon. Please try and eat some of it. You need to keep your strength also."

" I'll try."

" Bye."

Alexis leaves. Soon after, the dinner does come, and Stefan has it places in a corner of the room. Bobbie comes by and checks all of Sasha's vitals. She is about to leave when...

" Barbara."

" Yes, Stefan?"

" Is she any better?"

" No. No improvement. But, she is holding her own. And that's everything right now."

" I was thinking..."

" About?.....Sorry, none of my business."

" No. I don't mind. I was thinking about our last conversation. We had an argument."

" Stefan. None of that matters."

" Barbara, the last thoughts that my daughter had of me, was one of me being angry with her. Tell me again how that couldn't matter."

" Because, it doesn't. She'll remember all the good times that the two of you shared. I know she will. She knows how much you love her."

" Does she?"

" Yes."

" I didn't know that you knew Katya that well."

" Well, I know her well enough. When we spoke, as strangers, on vacation, she told me of the father that she deeply loved, and the little brother that she adored. And of the regrets she had about the distance between you."

" She said that to you, a total stranger?"

" Yes."

" That is quite odd. Katya doesn't usually have such a rapport with people she's just met."

" She pointed that out herself to me. I took it as a compliment."

" I'm sure she meant it as one. Don't you wonder why I never mentioned her while we were married?"

" At first, yes. But, now, no, it doesn't suprise me that you never mentioned her. I realize that it probably pained you too much to speak of her. Because, you missed her so."

" I did. It was like a constant dull ache in my heart. Do you understand?"

" Yes. The difference is, that you have a cure for the one in your heart. Mine just stays there."

" BJ and Caroline."

" Exactly."

" I apologize Barbara, if I am bringing up a subject that upsets you."

" No. Not at all. May I ask you something?"

" Surely."

" You must have been awfully young when Sasha came into your life."

" I was a teenager. With no direction. No goals in life. And then, I saw Katya. And I knew that I would spend my life protecting her."

" It was love at first sight?"

" Complete, absolute, overwhelming. I did not know what direction my life would take, but I knew that I would never leave her. That she would be a part of my life, always. It had to be that way."

" And you just brought her home?"

" Yes. And Helena was none too pleased. It was the first instance in my life that I ever stood up to her. And had no intention of ever backing down. After a short while, she arranged for the adoption. And I tackled trying to be a parent."

Bobbie laughs.

" You find that, humorous, Barbara."

" Yes. I can see your influence on Nikolas and Sasha. Especially Sasha. She is very much like you, and even after seeing you with Lucas, I can see you with younger children. But, it's the infant stage that is a little unbelievable."

Stefan laughs. " I must admit, that I don't quite comprehend how I made it through, either. When Katya came to live with me, I was but a few years older than Nikolas. It must have been complete arrogance on my part to believe that I could handle the responsibility."

" But, you had a lot of help."

" My family, aside from Alexis, was completely against it. But, yes, I had more than the basic support structure. I'm sorry, Barbara, is this bringing up bad memories for you?"

" Not really bad ones. Just an unpleasant time. I suppose I realize it now, that I associated Sasha with my daughter, Caroline. They are around the same age. At least, they would be, if Caroline had lived. Maybe that's why I had such a connection to her. Do I wish that I had been in a position to keep Caroline? Yes. Was I? Hello, no. Maybe what you're sensing is possibly some envy on my part, that you were able to go with your heart, without reality crashing in. That's all. Well, I'll leave you two alone. I won't be far, if you need anything."

" Thank you, Barbara."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jax and Dara get off the elevator at GH.

" Dara, you didn't have to come with me."

" There was no sense in you taking me home. Why waste the time, when you wanted to come to the hospital."

" Thanks."

Jax sees Nikolas.

" Nikolas! I just heard about your cousin. Is there any news?"

" No. She's still in a coma. Why do you care, Mr. Jacks?"

" Actually, I am inquiring for my brother."

" Jerry? I've heard things about your brother from my cousin. May I say that your concern is neither wanted, nor needed."

Nikolas turns and walks away from Jax and Dara.

" Ouch. I take it that your brother's marriage to Sasha didn't go well."

" Not at all. "

" But, not as bad as Nikolas thinks, considering your brother called you concerned."

" Oh, it was as bad as Nikolas believes. But, that doesn't mean Jerry wanted her dead. Why don't we go back to the Penthouse. I'll call Jerry, we can have some dinner, and then I will drop you off, at home."

" Sounds like a good plan."

As Dara and Jax are going to get on the elevator, Justus is getting off the elevator.

" Dara, Jax."

" Hello, Justus. Are you here about Anastasia Cassadine?", Dara asks.

" Yes."

" I see. Well, I hope thet she gets well."

" Thank you, Dara." Justus stares daggers at Jax.

The doors to the elevator finally close.

" Did that make you uncomfortable?", Jax asks.

" A bit. But, not enough to make me doubt what I feel for you."
Dara gives Jax a kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Justus comes up to Bobbie at the Nurses Desk.

"Bobbie, how is she?"

" There's no change, Justus. It's basically going hour by hour."

" I see. Bobbie, I don't know if you can do this for me...."

" Justus, only family members are allowed in."

" I know. I just wanted to give her this." It was a Black Angel. " This was a favorite of Grannie Mae's, and I thought that Sasha could use it. Would you put it in her room?"

" Sure."

" Thank you." Justus leaves. Justus is about to get on the elevator when he sees Keesha and AJ. Justus notices Keesha's worried face.

" 'Lil Bit. What's up?"

" Justus, we've been trying to get in touch with you. Haven't you been picking up your messages?"

" No. I've been preoccupied."

" Well, David was in an accident."

" Your brother?"

" Yes."

" How is he?"

" He's going to be fine. Only a few cracked ribs and a broken leg. It could have been so much worse. He has a lot of bruises and scratches. Mother and Daddy were completely terrified."

" I can imagine. Hey, why don't we go to Kelly's and you can tell me all about it."

" Fine. If AJ hadn't been with me, I think I would've gone to pieces."

"Don't say that, Keesha. You would have been fine."

They all leave for Kelly's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dara and Jax are back in the penthouse. They are waiting for some food when Jax makes another call.

" Jax here. You've heard about the situation with A.E. Cassadine? Good. You know which deals to move on, now that she's incapacitated."

Jax hangs up the phone and looks ar Dara, who is stunned.

" That sounded cold and ruthless."

" That WAS cold and ruthless."

" I don't wish her any illwill, Dara. But, I would be a fool not to take advantage of a position like this. Sasha won't ever give me another. Be sure, that when my father had his heart attack, that the Cassadines pounced."

" It's not that I am surprised about your ruthless side, I've heard of it. I just never saw it up close, that's all."

" And your verdict, now that you have seen it?"

" I honestly don't know, Jax. I mean, when I saw it in Justus, it disgusted me. You want my gut feelings. Well, they are that you just sounded like someone not only that I'm glad I don't know, but  don't want to know."

" I'm not Justus, Dara."

" I know that. I definitely know that."

" Well, I have different sides to me, Dara. And a major part of me, is the corporate raider. And that, at its core, isn't nice."

" But, it's your job. And you like the hunt....and kill."

" Yes. It's primal, but I enjoy it."

" I just have to think about it, that's all. Well, enough about your business, we're going to spend a little more time together, before the real world sets in."

" And what do you have in mind?"

" I was wondering how that pinball machine was?", Dara smiles devilishly.