Mr. Immigration Man II, Chapter 24





Nikolas and Alexis came into the conservatory and found Bobbie and the TV crew.

" Bobbie? What's going on here?"

" Nikolas! You should stick around for this. You too, Alexis."

" What's going on?"

" It will be self-explanatory as soon as Stefan comes down. Ah, here he is, now."

Stefan comes down the stairs.

" Good Morning, Stefan. Did you sleep well?"

" Like a baby, Barbara. Nikolas, Alexis. Good morning."

" Stefan. Would you like to tell me what this is all about?"

" Not now, Alexis. Ah, I see that Edward has arrived." Edward walks into the conservatory.

" Would someone like to tell me what the hell is going on that I would have to come to this infernal island?"

Bobbie goes over to Edward, and leads him by linking her arm with his. "Welcome to Wyndermere, Edward. Why are you here? It's a surprise. So, spiffy up and get ready to go on TV."

" TV? Whatever the dickens for?"

" You'll find out."

" So, Mr. & Mrs. Cassadine, are you ready?", speaks up Veronica Bowles.

" Absolutely, Ms. Bowles.", Stefan answers.

" Then let's start. (the camera starts to roll) Good morning. This is Veronica Bowles, and I am reporting to you from the home of Mr. & Mrs. Stefan Cassadine. Mr. Cassadine requested that I come because he has news for the people of Port Charles. Is that correct, Mr. Cassadine?"

" That is correct, Ms. Bowles. I am here to announce the formulation and full funding of an independent endowment for General Hospital."

" An endowment, Mr. Cassadine? What kind of endowment?"

" I will be making possible an endowment of $30 million dollars for General Hospital."

" Fifty Million?"

" Yes. I have an initial check for $15 million right here. That I fully intend to present to the Chairman of the GH Board, Edward Quartermaine. Edward."

Stefan gives the check to Edward.

" Mr. Quartermaine. What do you have to say?"

" Well, this is indeed a surprise. And a pleasant one at that. General Hospital of course accepts Mr. Cassadine's generosity. It will be a blessing for the hospital to be well on its way to financial independence. This is truly a good day for General Hospital. And on behalf of the Board, I thank you."

" You're welcome, Edward."

" Mr. Cassadine, may I ask what brought this on."

" I must say that the credit for this goes to my wife, who is such an inspiration. Her devotion to General Hospital was one of the very qualities that attracted me to her initially. You might say that General Hospital brought us together."

" And Mrs. Cassadine? How do you feel?"

" I think that Stefan has truly done good with his money. And that, it heartens the soul, to know that the institution to which I have given almost 20 years of my life, will live on, independently, of anyone's influence."

" Well, I would like to thank both of you. You are truly a couple who puts the interests of Port Charles first. And we are lucky to have you. Well, this is Veronica Bowles, and I am signing off after giving you this exclusive. Good morning."

The cameraman turns off the lights, and Veronica thanks Bobbie, Edward and Stefan.

Edward goes over to Stefan. " Well, Cassadine. I don't know what you're up to. And I don't care. Gotta go make sure that this check clears. Good day." Edward leaves.

Nikolas goes over to Bobbie. " There's a lot more to this than meets the eye. Isn't there?"

" Nikolas, your Uncle had a generous impulse. Just let him have it, and go congratulate him."

Nikolas goes over to his Uncle and hugs him. " I am very proud of you, Uncle. Thank you." Nikolas goes upstairs.

Alexis leans over to Stefan and whispers, " I don't know why you did this, but we have to go soon. A certain appointment.."

Just then, Bobbie comes over and says, " So, shall we take this act on the road? Mr. Danforth is waiting." Bobbie walks towards the door, leaving Stefan and a dumbfounded Alexis. Stefan walks towards the door. " Alexis, are you coming?"

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

Dudley Danforth is in his office when his secretary buzzes him that the Cassadines are here. Bobbie, Stefan and Alexis walk into his office.

" Mrs. Cassadine, I presume?"

" Your assumptions are correct. (extends her hand) I'm Bobbie Cassadine."

" Nice to meet you. Dudley Danforth. Well, shall we all be seated."

They all sit down, and Alexis speaks up.

" If you see, Mr. Danforth, all the paperwork needed to be done is completed. And accurate."

" Yes, Ms. Davis, I can see that. We didn't need Mrs. Cassadine here, but since she decided to join her husband, I would like to ask her some questions, if you don't mind."

Alexis glances at Bobbie. " No, Mr. Danforth. Bomb away at your questions."

" You know the purpose of this meeting?"

" Well, yes. My husband is trying to attain citizenship. If our marriage were in anyway fraudulent, then you would have no choice but to ship him, and his nephew, back to Greece. Am I doing OK?"

" Yes, you have a perfect comprehension on the situation. So, about your marriage...."

" I can honestly say that it is as real as anything else in this world. Stefan and I are man and wife in every since of the word. And I came down here personally, because I wanted you to know that."

" Well, I guess that concludes my business with you, Mr. Cassadine. Your wife was an insurance policy that you didn't need. For, I had already done your paperwork before your appointment. All I need is for you to sign some papers, and you will be free to go."

" All you need is my signature?"

" Yes, sir. On these papers." He gives them to Alexis, who looks over them. She approves them and Stefan signs them.

" Well, if you all will excuse me, I will go and have my secretary make you up a copy of these right now, so that you can take them with you."
Danforth leaves the room.

Bobbie gets up.

Stefan asks her, " Barbara, where are you going?"

" I am going back to Wyndermere. Our deal is done." Bobbie leaves.

Stefan turns to Alexis and, " Well, I accomplished what I set out to do."

" That you did. And I am pleased. I am surprised about the endowment that you set up for GH."

" Well, Barbara found out about Danforth. HOW, I do not know. But, she did. In exchange for her coming here, the endowment."

" I see. Well, when did these revelations occur?"

" Last night. And that was not all."

" What more could there be?"

" I found out why Barbara betrayed me."

" She did it for Luke."

" No. She did it because she knows that I was the one who caused the power outage the night Audrey Hardy almost died."

" But, in order for her to know that...she..."

" She knew about the virus. Luke told her of it."

" HOW did Luke find out about it?"

" I don't know. Don't you see the point of it all, Alexis? Barbara DID love me. And then she got mad at me, after I attacked one of her nerve centers, and she felt that I had to be punished. I may not like it, but I respect that. But what makes it even more incredible is that the night of the birthday party, she told me that she loved me."

" And you believe her?"

" Yes. And as I sat up all night, thinking about what had transpired, I came to a conclusion Alexis."

" Which is?"

" That I WANT my marriage. Barbara has seen me at my worst. And still takes me as I am. I enjoy her company, and I haven't related to anyone like I do her in a long time."

" Well, if you want to stay married, no one is stopping you."

" Yes, someone is...."

" Oh, Katherine."

" Yes. Alexis, may I be frank."

" Always."

" The more time that I spend with Katherine, the more she annoys me. She has no life outside of me. She harasses me with phone calls. She won't leave me alone. And as a mistress, she leaves a great deal to be desired. She is not worth the effort. But, she has me over a barrel. I shot her, and...."

" Stefan. Are you telling me that you want to sever all connections with Katherine Bell?"

" That's exactly what I am telling you."

" Well, I am glad that you finally see the light. You were disappointing me cousin, disregarding a good woman like Bobbie, for someone so unsuitable as Katherine."

" Alexis, if you felt this way, why didn't you speak up?"

" I did speak up, you didn't want to listen. And I was going to be damned if SHE was going to come between us."

" Fine. I was slow. That does not erase the fundamental problem of Katherine."

" There is no Katherine problem. You leave it to me."

" YOU have a plan."

" Yes. And when it is complete, you will know. But, rest assured, from this moment on, you don't have to spend anytime with Katherine ever again."

" Thank goodness for small miracles."

" Well, now that that's settled, may I suggest that you go back to Wyndermere and talk to Bobbie."

" I will see Barbara later on, Alexis. We do have matters at the hospital."

" Stefan, for such a smart man, you can be dumb sometimes. Bobbie just said goodbye to you. I would not be surprised, in fact, I would take bets that she is at Wyndermere right now, packing to leave."

" But, she can't!"

" She thinks that, with the acquisition of your Green Card, all is gone between the two of you. And that the business deal that you have is over."

" But, it is not a business deal any longer. I want her as my wife. Permanently."

" I'm not the one to tell. Bobbie is."

Stefan kisses Alexis. " Goodbye, cousin. I have to go find my wife."

Stefan leaves and Alexis takes out her cellphone.

" Hello, Leo. It's a go for the Katherine Bell project. You can go full throttle, and destroy that Baklava Bimbo." Alexis has a huge smile on her face when Danforth and his secretary come in.

" You look content, Ms. Davis."

" I am very content. My cousin will be able to stay, and the final travel arrangements for someone just came through."

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

Stefan returns to Wyndermere, to see that Bobbie is packing.

" Barbara. What are you doing?"

" What does it look like I am doing, Stefan? You got what you wanted from me. You got your Green Card, and I got what I wanted: financial independence for both me and GH. I'd say that this was a mutually beneficial partnership whose time has come to dissolve."

" Why are you leaving?"

" Stefan, after what I told you last night, I know that we are over. I fully accept that. I am only taking this one suitcase. I'll make sure that you're not here when I pick up the others." Bobbie heads for the door. Stefan slams it and stands in front of it.

" Where do you think you're going, Barbara?"

" Back to the Brownstone."

" Why would you give up on our marriage?"

" WHAT MARRIAGE? I mean, COME ON, Stefan. Give me a break."

" Alright. I will concede that ours is not a conventional one, but it does work on many levels."

" Just one, Stefan. Just one. We have great sex. Oodles of it. But, I was right. That's all we ever were."

" And I told you, it was NEVER just sex. For sex means something completely different to the two of us. From the first moment that we made love, we connected Barbara. The deeper recesses of our souls found something in one another."

" Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yadda, Yadda, Yadda. Sorry, Stefan. Not enough to base a marriage on."

" Then, what about Lucas? Nikolas?"

" Are we really doing them a favor by pretending to be a family?"

" None of what we do with the boys is pretend, and you know it. Cheap shot, Barbara."

" OK, then I'm just a selfish bitch and want something for myself. Is THAT good enough for you?"

" You're going to Jerry, aren't you?"

" Jerry Jacks is NOT the problem. He never was. YOU are the problem."

" What do you expect for me to do?"

" I don't know what I expect. I only know what I WANT. And you aren't giving it to me. Goodbye."

Bobbie gets to the door. Stefan takes the suitcase from her hand and throws it down.

" I told you that you were not going anywhere."

" WHY? WHY? You have not given me ONE reason to even think of staying. I know the bombs that I dropped on you. I would have to be INSANE, not to think that your desire for me to hang around is nothing but a ploy of revenge against my brother."

" LEAVE LUKE OUT OF THIS! THIS is between the two of us. I don't want you to leave, Barbara. You are my WIFE."

" And what does that exactly mean?"

" It means that I want you."

" Not good enough."

" It means that I NEED you."

" Not good enough."

" For God's sake, what do you want from me?"

" Your soul."

" I thought you knew. Somewhere along the line, like a thief in the night, you robbed me of it, and I was the last to know. I don't care about the virus, or the endowment, or my Green Card. The only thing that I care or want, at this moment, is for you to stay. No one has ever challenged me the way that you do. No one has ever taken my game and turned it on me as you have. What started out as a game of chess for me playing you as the ultimate pawn, has turned out to be the biggest joke of them all. The Master Chessman has checkmated himself, and fallen for his Pawn."

" Excuse you, but I am a Queen."

" That you are. So, are you staying, my Queen?"

" Yes."

Stefan comes over to Bobbie and begins to kiss her. Slowly, then more passionately. They both proceed to rip one another's clothes off in a complete frenzy. As they make their way to the bed...

" You were right about one thing, Barbara."

" And what is that?"

" I do have a lot of pentup frustration."

" Aw, poor boy. What can I do to help?"

Stefan brings out the scarves.

"Well, you could finish what you started."

" You know, I'm merciless."

" That's what I'm counting on."