“ Were you just calling the hospital?”, Alexis asked Stefan as she walked into the Conservatory.

” Yes. They said that Barbara was in stable condition.”

” That’s great.”

” Yes, it is. Have you done any more research on the problem at hand?”

“ If you mean about you, Bobbie, custody and Greece, the answer is yes. As I suspected, once Bobbie is on Greek soil, the odds change overwhelmingly in your favor. Any dissolution of the marriage will look ill on her behalf, and you would almost be certain to retain custody of the child. The Greek courts will not honor an American custody arrangement.”

“ Good. So, I have to get Barbara to Greece.”

” That’s how it looks.”

” I have already secured her agreement to return to Wyndemere. And, Spencer is working right into my plans. His obstinence concerning this pregnancy will only upset Barbara more, and, a few more sessions with Luke, and Barbara will agree to go to Greece, if only for the baby’s sake.”

“ You are sure of this?”

“ Yes. The most important thing to Barbara right now, is to carry that child to term. Nothing else remotely matters to her. So, while she is focused on that objective, I will be focused on the securing of custody of my child. Once I get Barbara to Greece, all will fall into place. No one will keep me from my child. And, when I am in that position of power, Barbara will have no choice but to acquiesce.”

” I think you underestimate Bobbie, Papa.”

Stefan and Alexis turn to find Sasha standing there.

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

Dara was sitting reading legal briefs on her couch when the doorbell rang. She opened the door to....

“ Jax.”

“ Hello, Dara. May I come in?”

“ I don’t know why. I thought we said all that could be said for us.”

” No, Dara, YOU said what you had to say. And, I won’t have this conversation in a hallway.”

” Fine. Come in, then.”

Jax goes into the living room. Dara sits on the couch. Jax takes a seat on the table sitting directly in front of her, staring her in the eye.

” Well?”

” Dara, I think you are wrong.”

“ Wrong? About what, Jax? About you getting into that fight? Wrong about your motivations, arrogance, ignorance? Wrong that you see this as a fling, and I’m just a pitstop..”

” Just wait a bloody minute! You are right about all the rest that you said, but you are NO pitstop for me.”

“ Then, what am I  to you, Jax? I asked you that, and your silence was resounding.”

” My silence was resounding because I was taken aback at the question. “

“ Which means that you haven’t given me much thought, other than a tumble in the hay.”

“ That’s not true. What I hadn’t thought about was the seriousness of my feelings. I told you, Dara, that I loved you.”

” Just words.”

” That I agree. I thought that I could see them separately. Like we could have some enjoyable relationship, but, that other things, deeper attachments wouldn’t be there, until I told them to be. It’s only when you walked away from me, that I realized that you just didn’t take away my heart with you, but, my soul. “

” Whatever, Jax.” Dara gets up off the couch and begins to walk away. Jax grabs her arm, “ No.”

“ Let me go, Jax.”

“ No. Not before I say what I came to say. You want to know how I feel about you, Dara? I love you. I’ve only said those words to two other women in my life. When I said them to Miranda, I was a foolish, naive , arrogant young man. When I said it to Brenda, I was in love with love. My heart had been dead for so long, that I was unaccustomed to how it felt. So, when the traditional response didn’t work, I used what did work: I treated it like a business acquisition. I had accurately assessed, in my mind, that, I was the healthiest and most capable CEO for the company of Brenda. And, as with any company that I acquired, once I put my full attention into it, I knew that it would blossom and become profitable, i.e., Brenda would love me. But, I realize now, that’s not how love works. That it’s random, a gift, a seed, that needs to be nurtured and grown. That it takes random encounters at airports, and listening to the things deep down inside that you thought were silent forever. You want to know the moment when I knew, at least in my subconscious , that I wanted to spend my life with you?”

“ When?”, Dara asks sheepishly.

” We were sitting on this couch, watching ‘Dark Shadows’. I looked down and saw our hands together. I couldn’t see where mine ended and yours began. It was a connection of souls, Dara.”

” Yeah, well, souls are fine. But, people have to live in the real world, Jax. And, that’s not something that you do very well. We have deep problems Jax. Problems, that quite frankly, I don’t have the energy to handle.”

“ That’s such a crock, Dara. You’re one of the strongest people I know.”

” See, how much you don’t know, Jax? I fight, from the time I go out there in the morning, until I come home at night. I fight ignorance, dismissal, rudeness, everyday. Some days are more benign than others, and I am thankful when that happens. But, when I come home, Jax, to whatever home I have, I have to have peace. A place for peace in my life. I don’t want to spend my life teaching someone that I consider my partner. That’s an expense of energy that can be put to better use. “

“ I never asked you to teach me.”

” Well then, how are you going to learn?”

” I’ll find a way. “

“ Jax, I don’t have to one of your projects that you feel you have to succeed at finishing. It’s OK. It’s not your fault. Things like this just happen.”

” Not to me, they don’t.”

“ Do you hear yourself? I do. I don’t want you to be a martyr. And, I sure in hell don’t want to be something that you use to prove a point. To yourself or anyone else. Let it go, Jax. Let me go. It’s OK. I don’t blame you. We were just naive. “

” Dara...”

Dara puts her fingers up to his lips. “ Sshhh. No. Jax, please.....just go. It was great while it lasted.”

Jax gets up and goes to the door. He takes one last look at Dara and leaves the apartment. When he gets outside the door,

“ It’s not over, Dara. I know I have work to do. But, I was just letting you know how I feel. This is only the beginning.”

Dara is inside, holding the picture of her and Jax from Martha’s Vineyard, and staring at it with tears in her eyes.

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

“ Katya? You’ve returned.”

” And, not a moment to soon. Hello, Papa. Alexis.”

“ You should know better than to eavesdrop, Katya.”

“ But then how would I learn the more interesting happenings, Papa? And, I’m glad I did. I just left the hospital. I saw Bobbie. That you could know how delicate her condition is, and be plotting on how to take her baby away...”

” This is none of your concern, Anastasia.”

” I disagree, Papa. May I remind you that Bobbie is your WIFE. And, what did you always say about Cassadine’s never divorcing?”

” If I do recall, you have a former husband.”

” True. And, it’s only because you were in a benevolent mood that that occurred. I know more than anyone that my next choice of a husband will be a permanent condition. Also, have you forgotten that you are the Regent?”

” How could you ask such a question?”

” Good. Now, you know that Alexis, Niko and I would never challenge your authority as Regent, Papa. But, there are others....”

“ You know about Helena.”

“ Yes. And, she would use your marital status, or lack of it, in a minute, if it suited her purpose.”

“ She will never get that close again.”

” You don’t know that. So, before you begin to plot against Bobbie, please note, that, in this case, your mutual distrust is a benefit to the both of you. It serves both your selfish purposes. I wouldn’t be so quick to want to rid myself of a wife at this point.”

“ Is there anything else, Katya?”

“ Yes. This.” Sasha goes over to Stefan and kisses him. “ I missed you.”

“ As I you. Would you care to inform us of your whereabouts ?”

” No. I am tired and I want to go and get some rest. I’ll see you at dinner Papa. Alexis.”

“ Goodbye Sasha.”

Sasha leaves. Alexis is in front of the fireplace, looking worried.

“ Alexis?”

” Stefan, Sasha is right. Your marriage to Bobbie is more important than ever. With Helena on the loose, and her obviously wanting to challenge you as Nikolas’ Regent, everything from your end, MUST be in order. And, that is a married, and not divorced Regent. But, you know, I don’t believe Helena’s first line of attack will be directly for Nikolas.”

” I don’t either. Obviously, she wants her share of the Pegasus Group.”

” That was my opinion also. Do you think Sasha will give it to her?”

” No. Katya mentioning Helena had several purposes. One, that Helena knew where Katya was when I didn’t means that she IS getting ready for battle. Two, Katya disapproves of my plans for Barbara, and also is concerned for the child. I have to keep Barbara close, in order to protect the baby. Three, she was showing support to me. That she hasn’t lost faith in me, and will fight Helena with me.”

” I know that you have always been concerned about the bond between Sasha and Helena.”

” Bond, yes. But nothing so strong that she would turn her back on Nikolas and I. There is nothing that Helena could do that would make Katya betray us.”