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.

“ Sir, what is the meaning of this?”

” Pardon me, Your Honor, but I have an objection to this divorce.”

“ And who are you?”

” My name is Stefan Cassadine.”

” Mr. Cassadine. I have papers in front of me, that you signed, agreeing to the divorce. Am I now to believe that these papers are a forgery?”

” No, sir. But, I will tell you that I signed those papers under false pretenses. There was information that was concealed from me , that when it came to light, altered my opinion about this divorce.”

” Ms. Davis, do you know what your client is talking about?”

Alicia turns to Bobbie. “ Do YOU know what he’s talking about?....Bobbie?”

“ Unfortunately, yes.”

“ Ms. Davis?”

” No, Your Honor. I do not know why my client as changed his mind. I would like to request the Court’s lenience, about a small recess?”

“ Ms. Lozano?”

” I completely agree with Ms. Davis.”

” Fine. Court is in recess for 20 minutes.”

The judge bangs his gavel, and the bailiff says “ All rise.”

The judge leaves, and Alexis goes to Stefan, who is walking towards Bobbie.

” Barbara, I believe that we are overdue for a discussion. Don’t you agree?”

” Yes, Stefan. Alicia, Alexis, excuse us.” Bobbie and Stefan leave the court room in search of a place to talk.

Alexis and Alicia are bewildered.

” Alexis, do you know what’s going on?”

” Not a clue. You?”

“ Bobbie didn’t seem surprised by Stefan’s burst in here. She knows why he’s doing what he’s doing.”

” Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Stefan and Bobbie find an empty room. They go in and Stefan locks the door.

” So, Barbara, were you ever going to tell me?”

” Honestly, no.”

” WHY? We conceived a child together, and you didn’t believe that it was important for me to know?”

” That is right.”

” What gives you the right to make such a decision?”

” Because, I am the one carrying this child.”

” And, you, unilaterally, believe you know what’s best?”

” In this case, yes. Stefan, what would come of us being together for the sake of the child. A child, conceived out of what? Let’s be honest. Love? That’s a joke. Your love of Katherine, maybe. On my side, I was already in the midst of betraying you. So, this child is one made of complete deceit. Not the fairy tales of conception that every child deserves to hear. I’ve been down this road, with a child under horrible circumstances. If you’ll recall, it came back to bite me in the a$$. “

” What does Caroline have to do with this baby?”

” It’s the same thing, Stefan. An unwanted child, made in not so great circumstances. But, the difference is, this time, I could keep my baby, and hopefully be able to shield it from the bad things. You and I don’t have a marriage Stefan, it was a fraud from the get go. Why bring a child into the middle of it?”

” You don’t mean..”

” Hell no. I would never get an abortion. But, I thought the divorce and the move would be the right things for me to do.”

” And deny your child a father.”

” Yes. “

” I thought, the one redeeming quality you felt about me, was that I was a good father.”

” You are a good father, Stefan. But, look at the war zone this child would enter. One side of the family hates the other. The battle is almost epic proportions. Add in, two parents who aren’t exactly Ozzie and Harriet, and, this kid has the deck stacked against it.”

” Ozzie and Harriet?”

” TV reference.”

“ Nevertheless, Barbara, I will not agree to this divorce, and I believe that it would be in the best interest of the child, that we reconcile.”

” Do you hear yourself? You haven’t heard a word that I’ve said.”

” I heard all that you said, Barbara. But, I do recall something that I said, and I meant it, when I proposed. I told you that my marriage proposal was based on basic human concerns: children, property and security. We have conceived a child, Barbara. And, I plan on being a part of this child’s life, starting now. I have only known about its existence for a short time, but that doesn’t make my desire for it, any less. I won’t pressure you, for now, about moving back into Wyndemere, but, I do expect for you to give it serious consideration. This child deserves two parents, Barbara. Because, this child HAS two parents that love it already. I believe that we should get back to the courtroom.”

Bobbie and Stefan go back into the courtroom.

“ All rise.” The judge comes in.

” Well, Ms. Lozano, Ms. Davis, what do you have to tell me.”

” Your Honor, my client, Barbara Cassadine, would like to withdraw her petition for divorce.”

“ Ms. Davis?”

” My client completely agrees.”

” Well, since both parties have agreed to the withdrawal, I will consider this petition dead in the eyes of the court. Both parties are dismissed.”

Bobbie and Alicia get up and leave first. Bobbie takes a good long look at Stefan before leaving the courtroom. When they get outside the courtroom,

“ Bobbie, would you like to tell me what the hell that was  all about?”

“ Sure, Alicia, you deserve to know the truth. Can we go back to your hotel?”

Alexis looks at Stefan.

” I’ll explain everything in the car, Alexis.”
 

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

“ Our little secret, Grandmother?”

” Yes, my darling. Everyone has them.”

Helena gets up from her chair and goes to sit next to Sasha. She takes Sasha’s hand.

“ I know that things have been estranged between the two of us recently, Anastasia. You know, a lesser person would have taken great offense at your rejection of them. But, I saw it as a necessary phase of your emotional development. You asserting your independence. But, like all phases, it passes, because one eventually realizes that everyone is dependent on someone else. And, that those most dependent upon us, need our protection. It’s so wonderful that we’re not in that position. That we know exactly what to do in order to help those most dependent upon us. Don’t you agree?”

Sasha barely gets the words out. “ You are correct, Grandmother.”

” You see? We’re on our road to reconciliation already. Doesn’t it feel proper?”

” Yes. It does.”

“ Well, I must be going now. I just thought that it would be to both our benefit, that you knew, Grandmother was keeping an eye out for you. A bientot, my darling.” Helena kisses Sasha on the cheek and walks away.

Sasha sits there, stunned, in complete silence and stillness. She does hear it when Mai is calling her. “ Sasha....Sasha...Sasha...” Mai goes up to Sasha and taps her on the shoulder. Sasha jumps because of the shock.

“ MAI! What do you want? Don’t ever do that again!”

” Sasha. What is wrong? Are you not feeling  alright? Do I need to get you back to the hospital?”

” No. What’s wrong with me doesn’t have anything to do with my health. Well, not physical health.”

” What’s going on?”

“ I had a visitor while you were away.”

” Who?”

” My Grandmother.”

Mai fell back into a chair and just stared at Sasha. Sasha began to nod..” Yes.”

“ I thought your Grandmother was ill.”

“ She seems to have recovered.”

“ What does she want?”

” What do you think? Control.”

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

Bobbie and Alicia are eating in her suite. Alicia is staring daggers at Bobbie.

” I’m pregnant, Alicia.”

“ Oh..”

” Yes. The baby was conceived one of the last times that I ever slept with Stefan.”

“ You could have told me. You know that you almost got me to commit fraud, Bobbie?”

” Yes, and I’m sorry. But, I knew that you wouldn’t go along with the divorce if I told you my reasons why.”

” Bobbie, I don’t get it. When Stefan’s daughter was sick, you came to me, and delayed the proceedings because you didn’t think it was right. You said that the best quality about Stefan was that he is a good and devoted father. Why not tell him?”

“ Because I am scared.”

” Of what?”

“ Of Stefan. No matter how good a father I believe him to be, there are certain things that are unavoidable.”

“ Like?”

” Like, neither one of his children have a mother. Mother’s don’t seem to have anyplace in the Cassadine scheme of things. Sasha didn’t have one.”

” Sasha is adopted.”

“ I know that. I’ve never said anything to Sasha, but, that whole adoption thing never made much sense to me, Alicia. Stefan is a man who is deeply concerned about ‘bloodlines’ and what they mean. It is completely out of character, for him, to just go out and find this random child to love. And, I do think that he loves her, deeply. And, there’s Nikolas.”

” Wait. Nikolas’ mother left him.”

” True. But, the Cassadines kept Nikolas from Laura. Now, if they didn’t think enough of the Mother of the Heir, what do you think that they would think of me?”

“ Are you afraid that Stefan will go after the child?”

“ Honestly, yes. And, then, there’s the problem of this child being part Cassadine.”

” You care for Nikolas and Sasha, and they are Cassadines.”

” True. But, I feel like I am going to be in an eternal battle for the soul of this child.”

” Against Stefan?”

“ Not so much Stefan, because he’s done an amazing job protecting what I think is the ‘Laura’ in Nikolas, but the entirety of being ‘a Cassadine’. I can’t put my finger on it, but it bothers me.”

” What did Stefan say to you?”

” That he wants me to move back into Wyndemere. That, because of the baby, I have an obligation to try and work out this marriage under our original terms.”

” And you said?”

” I said nothing. But, I know Stefan well enough to know, now that he knows about the baby, he won’t let me go. I’m certain of that.”

” What are you going to do?”

” I haven’t a clue. Well, I am late for a meeting with my friend, Felicia, at the Outback.”

“ Well, if you need anything, call.”

” Thank you, Alicia, and bye.”

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

“ Bobbie’s PREGNANT?!”, Alexis asks incredulously.

“ Yes, Alexis, she is.”

” And, she wasn’t going to tell you.”

” No. Notifying me of my impending fatherhood, was not on Barbara’s agenda.”

” That’s the reason for the quick divorce, and move.”

“ Yes.”

“ So, how did you find out?”

” By complete chance. I overheard Barbara’s doctor talking about her to a colleague.”

” Well, what did you tell Bobbie?”

“ That the divorce was off. Period. And that, I expected her to fulfill her obligations to me and our marriage vows, by allowing this child to be raised in a two parent home.”

” And, what did she say about this?”

” She said nothing. But, I believe that she will agree to my position.”

“ And, if she doesn’t?”

” That is not an option, Alexis. This is MY child, and I won’t be cut off from him.”

“ You know it’s a boy?”

” No. I don’t know much of anything, except that Barbara has gone for testing, and that these tests came out well.”

“ Stefan, what if Bobbie doesn’t want you in the child’s life?”

” Alexis, this is my child. I will not be separated from it. If need be, I will go to court to secure my rights.”

” Well, I will begin researching possible angles for a custody fight.”

” Thank you.”

” I would try and lay off Bobbie, for awhile. Don’t threaten her, Stefan. It can’t be good for the baby, and it won’t do anygood for threats before the baby is born, anyway. I do have one optimum course of action for you. In an ideal world, I think that this course would be best.”

” And, what is that, Alexis?”

” For you to get Bobbie to give birth in Greece.”

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

Mac is tending bar at the Outback.

” Hi, Bobbie.”

“ Hi, Mac. Felicia around?”

” She called. She said to tell you that she would be a little late.”

“OK. I’ll sit and wait for her.”

Bobbie was barely in her seat when Luke walks in and over to her.

” Barbara.”

” Luke. What are you doing here?”

” Following you. I went by the courthouse to celebrate the end of your marriage to Uncle Fester, but you weren’t there. Called your lawyer to give her my eternal gratitude, and she said you were at the Outback. So, here I am. Here’s some champagne.”

” I don't’ want anything from you, Luke. I thought I had made that perfectly clear. Besides, you wasted your money and time.”

” What are you talking about?”

“ Stefan and I aren’t divorced.”

“ But, it was on the docket, at the court. What, it’s been changed to another day?”

” I mean, I don’t see that we’ll be getting divorced anytime soon.”

” Barbara Jean, please tell me that you haven’t lost your mind...AGAIN!! Engage your brain, woman.”

“ We aren’t getting a divorce. It’s none of your business.”

” The hell it isn’t. We may be on the outs with one another, but I still love you, and want you out of the hell that is the Land of the Cassadines.WHY!?”

“ It doesn’t matter why. You can’t change anything about it. I am married, and I am going to stay married.”

” Is this something to try and get back at me for Carly?”

“ Oh, will you GET OVER YOURSELF! The world does NOT revolve around Luke Spencer. There are plenty of valid reasons why Stefan and I could stay married.”

” Name one.”

“ How about, I’m pregnant.”

Luke stared at Bobbie. “ You can’t get pregnant.”

” Well, I’ve fooled modern science. Because, I am.”

“ You had a hysterectomy.”

” A partial one. I’m going to have a baby.”

“ ARE YOU INSANE?!?! Having a CASSADINE SPAWN??! Barbara, nothing good can come from this.”

” SPAWN? Excuse me. But, this is my baby we’re talking about.”

” No, this is STEFFIN’S baby that we’re talking about. Bobbie, come on, you know that this can’t end in any other way , but bad. This baby isn’t good news. You can’t be seriously thinking about having Count Vlad’s kid.”

” Yes, Luke, I AM going to have this baby.”

“ Bobbie, he’ll have his hooks in you FOREVER!! How do you know that he won’t do the same thing to you that Helena did to Laura.”

“ Luke, I am this baby’s mother. I won’t be leaving it anytime soon.”

” Bobbie, what about your health. I bet this isn’t going to be an easy pregnancy.”

” No. It won’t be easy, but, I’ll handle it.”

” Bobbie, you CANNOT have this man’s child. Nothing good comes from the Cassadines. You would be having a child...well, that you won’t be able to relate to, because it’s a Cassadine.”

” What are you suggesting that I do, Luke?”

“ Bobbie, come on. This is a loser situation. Those people will have their hooks into you, for forever.”

” What are you saying Luke?”

” That this baby is a mistake.”

” Spit it out, Luke.”

” Alright, Barbara, I will. This child is the spawn of a demented, evil clan. They will probably kill you for it. And , if it ever gets here, your life will never be your own. So, yeah, Barbara, I’m saying, get rid of it.”

” You arrogant, selfish, SOB. How DARE YOU suggest this. How could you even  think that I won’t have this baby! Cassadine or not, this baby is coming. And, I am going to do whatever it takes to bring it here. And, for you to to even sugg.......”

Bobbie begins to to double over and scream out..

“ Bobbie! Bobbie!”

“ Oh,...My baby!”

“ Mac, call an ambulance....NOW!!”