Bobbie is looking over some baby material when she hears the doorbell ring. She goes to see who it is.

“ Stefan? What are you doing here?”

” May I come in, Barbara?”

” Certainly.”

” I can’t say I know why you are here, Stefan.”

” Barbara, Katya’s left Port Charles.”

” Stefan, that’s impossible. The doctor’s wanted her to stay in the hospital for at least 3 more weeks.”

“ Well, she is gone.”

” Where? Why? How?”

” The how is the easiet question to answer. She left in her jet, earlier today.”

“ I don’t understand. She said nothing to me about leaving, when we talked earlier today.”

” Are you certain? She may have said something to you that you might have overlooked.”

“ No, Stefan. We didn’t discuss her leaving.”

” Fine. You did discuss your leaving. To Seattle. Why, if I may ask?”

“ I just think that it’s time I started a new chapter in my life. There are finally too many memories here for me. Twenty years is a long time in one place.”

“ A lifetime.”

“ Yes. And, I keep on asking myself, ‘what if?’ What if Carly had told me who she was...What if Luke had told me the truth...What if you and I...”

“ What?”

“ Like I said, too many what if’s. Did you sign the divorce papers, Stefan?”

“ Alexis is looking them over, and they should be messengered over to you within the next 48 hours. Alexis assured me that the hearing could be a matter of as little as a week’s time following the completed filing.”

“ My lawyer tells me that too. I just wanted us to end things on a positive note, Stefan. No anger or bitterness. I almost think it’s a miracle that things can end this well.”

“ I completely agree, Barbara. I am glad that our marriage will end like this. It’s been better for all parties concerned. Well, I must be going. If you hear from Katya...”

” I will tell you. I promise.”

“ Thank you, Barbara.”

“ You’re welcome, Stefan.”

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

“ Katherine Bell...WHY have you summoned me?”, Justus asks as he is let into Katherine’s Office at Deception.

“ I didn’t summon you, Justus. I asked nicely for you to come and see me.”

” It must be pretty important.”

“ It is. I have neglected Deception for too long. I let my personal life, preclude on my business one, and Deception paid the price. Well, now, I’m back, and I am planning  on being better than ever.”

” And, why do you need me?”

” Well, what I do at Deception, affects the rest of ELQ, and vice-versa. And, my plans are large enough, so that I will need the Board’s approval.”

” Sounds ambitious. “

“ They are.”

” So, why me?”

” Well...you are a Board Member, and House Counsel, and a bright mind. I wouldn’t want to go forward to the entire board, without research...”

” Research into what?”

” Whether I have an ally that can help me pass my plans through the board.”

” An ally? Why Katherine. What makes you think that we’re allies?”

” Well, unlike the rest of the Quartermaines, I’ve never thought of us as enemies.”

” True. What would I get out of this alliance?”

” Well....if the project is successful, you get the credit for pushing it , when the ELQ profit margins increase. One brownie point that Ned didn’t get?”

“ I see. “

“ And, you get my loyalty, to be called in, at a later date.”

“ I didn’t know loyalty was such a tradeable commodity.”

“ Yes. Most people are under the illusion that it’s this constant thing. But, in reality, it floats from situation to situation. You’re a Quartermaine, Justus. You’re telling me you haven’t learned that lesson?”

” I have. I didn’t think you were a Quartermaine long enough to learn that.”

” I was.”

“ Alright Katherine, what’s the plan?”

“ Well, my chemists have come up with two entirely new product lines: one for women of color, and the other for teens. I have decided to enter both markets. The high end, for women of color, and the low end for teens. “

” Ambitious. Are you certain you know how to market to women of color?”

” Yes. I have researched it throughly. The media to be used, the test markets, the mockup of all the ads. I’ve hired Burrell advertising as the agency.”

” There one of the best.”

“ I’ve been told, the best, for marketing to the ethnic market. There’s a LOT of money to be had, Justus. And, I want for Deception to get some of that money.”

Justus looks over the proposal.

“ So, what do you think, Justus?”

” I think that this a great proposal. And the mockups for the PR campaigns are original and vibrant. I seriously believe that this can work.”

” You think so?”

” You KNOW so, Katherine. But, I will ask again...why me?”

” Well, I have a small problem....I know who I want to be my spokesperson. But, I am afraid that she will turn me down.”

“ Who is she and why would she turn you down?”

” She is a very serious young woman. And, I doubt that she thinks modeling would be a worthwhile profession.”

” And, you think I can help you with her?”

” I hope so.”

“ Well, if I can, I will. This is a fantastic opportunity for a young woman.”

” I couldn’t agree more.”

” So, her name?”

” Keesha Ward.”
 

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

Alexis finds Stefan in the GH Library.

“ Well, today is the day. You’ll be a free man soon.”

“ Isn’t this a bit rushed?”

“ No. The judge had a sudden opening on his caledndar, and could take us. I sent Alicia her check this morning. The papers are all signed and filed. You don’t even need to be there. “

” Well, good. I am going over to Mercy to speak to that attorney that we wanted to hire. In addition, Mercy and General Hospital will be sharing that new equipment. I have to finalize the financial details.”

“ I could handle that for you, if you would like to wait for me.”

“ No, it’s not necessary, Alexis. Occupying my mind with such matters, keeps it distracted....”

“ From thoughts of Sasha.”

” Exactly.”

” Well, when I see you next, there will be one less thing to occupy your mind.”

” Thank you, cousin.” Stefan kisses Alexis and leaves.

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

“ Alicia, will it really be over soon?”

” Yes, Bobbie. By this afternoon, you will be a free woman. I can’t see any complications that can arise. I got the check from Alexis this morning. The papers are all done. It’s a slam dunk. You don’t have to go..”

” I want to. I’ll see it through till the end.”

” Fine. We will have to wait for our turn to be called, but I think we’re pretty early on the judges docket.”

” Great. I can start my new life soon.”

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

Stefan is in an elevator at Mercy. He had just finished the successful discussions with the attorney and the equipment. He mistakenly got on the elevator going up. Two women, doctors, get on.

“ So, Deb, any interesting cases lately?”

“ What....you want some more cases for your med school students..”

” Hey, they can only learn so much by textbooks.”

“ Actually, I had a new case come to me. A woman, late 30’s, who thought she’d had a complete hysterectomy, is now pregnant.”

“ How?”

” Well, it wasn’t complete. There was enough left of the uterus, that, when, in conjunction with the increased estrogen, helped conceive.”

” How’s she doing?”

” Well, fine now. When I saw her, she was still in shock.”

” So, you looking forward to following the case?”

“ I won’t be able to. She’s leaving town. Actually, I was just on my way to fax over the results of my tests to her regular doctor.”

” You weren’t the attending?”

“ No. That honor goes to Newman, over at GH.”

The hairs went up on the back of Stefan’s neck. Things began to click in his mind...Bobbie, the sudden divorce...the move to Seattle. He got off the elevator in a frenzy. He got into the limo, and called Alexis’ cell phone. She wasn’t answering because she had to leave her phone outside of the courtroom, so as to not to disturb the court , while it was in session.

” Pryce. To the courthouse.”

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

Bobbie and Alicia were sitting at one table. Alexis at the other.

The judge spoke.

“ Well, I have reviewed all the papers and motions. And, since both parties clearly seem to be in agreement, I guess that this will be one of the more pleasant moments for me today. If neither party has any objections, then...”

” I HAVE an objection!”

Bobbie, Alicia and Alexis all turn to find Stefan standing there.