Mr. Immigration Man II, Chapter 6




At "LUKE'S", Luke is on the floor where Tony's punch had placed him.

" You've finally met Caroline...That is ALL you're gonna say? Get up so I can punch you again.."

" Doc..please....you can punch me until you mess up those Neurosurgeon hands and rearrange my face, but that ain't gonna erase the fact that you knocked up your stepdaughter. Now..why don't we take whatever this is between us into my office. Yo, Roy, bring me a bag of ice for the Doc and a steak for my eye."

Once they get to Luke's office:

" Wanna drink?"

" No, I want the bottle so I can hit you on top of the head with it."

" Tony..come on. Violence doesn't suit you. Besides, you and I both know it's misdirected."

" How?"

" Well, you hit me, but I bet you really want to whallop my dear niecey..but you're not that kind of man."

" I almost became 'that kind of man' tonight."

" But you didn't?"

" No. I wouldn't strike a pregnant woman Luke. Even if she played me for the Sucker of the Century."

" You've got that right. Dear sweet Caroline played everyone for a fool."

" How COULD you not tell me?"

" I was trying to protect my sister. It was a split second decision. I come back from finding out about Carly, Bobbie tells me she caught YOU in bed with Carly, and I could not hurt her that way."

" And all these months? As you saw us getting deeper and deeper?"

" Hey, Tony. I thought that this was a fling for you. That eventually you would stop thinking below the waist and dump her. Preferably before you got her pregnant. But none of that happened. You got in deeper with the newest Spencer."

" When did you ever plan to reveal the truth, Luke? When this new kid graduated from college? "

" I had other priorities.."

" I know. But you rescued Bobbie from Stefan ...BEFORE you left for Switzerland. Come on Luke? What were you thinking?"

" I don't know. I had just gotten my sister back from Stefan. And I did not want to give her any reason to doubt me."

" Heavens no. Cause you're Luke-the Hero of Port Charles. So, Hero, do you know that Bobbie has effectively cut me out of Lucas' life?"

" No..I didn't know that. Sorry, man."

" Yes. She laid the law down. I can see Lucas about once a month, under her control, of course. Otherwise she'll split and I won't see him again."

" Tony, I doubt she'd leave Port Charles."

" I looked into Bobbie's eyes as she said it Luke. She meant every word. She'd do it in a heartbeat. And then there's Carly..."

" With a bun in the oven..."

" Exactly. I can't leave that baby with her. She is completely unsuitable for parenthood."

" Ain't that the truth. Well, looks like you're stuck behind the 8-ball and running out of luck. What are you gonna do?"

" I have no idea. Bobbie said she had dealt with you. What did she mean by that?"

" She cut me out. I mean really cut me out. I've never seen Bobbie so furious with me. I mean, even when we were maddest at one another, there was still fire between us. But the past couple of days, I don't feel any fire. All I feel is a frost from Bobbie. One that continues to get colder and colder as time goes by. I don't know what I'm gonna do. I have taken to staking out her place, waiting for her to hear me out, but she won't. I'll be back there after work. What are you gonna do, Tony?"

" Honestly, I have no idea. But, I can't sit around here any longer. I think I'd still take a bottle to you, and then bash myself with one, if I stay. I gotta go think and evaluate the situation. See ya later, Luke."

" Bye Tony."

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

Bobbie is in her living room at the Brownstone laughing at Stefan.

(tears almost in her eyes) " Maybe I heard you incorrectly."

" No, Barbara, I want to remarry you."

" Oh, so someone dropped something on your head on the way over here."

" Not at all. I am in complete control of my faculties."

" Ok, Stefan. You want to marry me...I guess the only question would be WHY? I bet there's one hell of an explanation about to roll off that smooth tongue of yours."

" Barbara. It's quite simple. I've missed you. Terribly. I've been doing some soul searching, and thinking that I was indeed hasty at my response to the 'incident'.We have been getting closer lately. I have been sensing a reconnection between us. We're both passionate people Barbara, and in the heat of the moment, both of us did and said things that bare mutual culpability. I want you back Barbara, you and Lucas. I desire our family to be whole once again...Barbara?

During this, Bobbie has been doing about as much eye rolling action as Luke usually does.

" Are you going to tell me that after you threw me out in the middle of the night that you had some epiphany and you discovered that in the middle of Beach Blanket Snuggles with Blondie that you loved me?"

" Barbara, I am not going to insult you with talk of love. We both know better. But I want you back."

" Gee, isn't it great to be wanted. Let's go through your little speech bit by bit, shall we? 1. Miss me? The sheets were barely clean at Wyndermere when you were sniffing the sex kitten.
2. Soul searching. Small problem...you need a SOUL in order to do that.
3. 'Incident?' I tried to DRUG you Stefan. And if that wasn't bad enough, you were paranoid enough to think that I was trying to KILL you. REMEMBER?
4. Our family? You did not care about 'our' family when I was trying to keep my friendship with Nikolas."

" That was soon after the incident. And my passions were running high."

" Oh...I forgot..there was the little matter of...and I QUOTE: " I don't forgive, and I don't forget."

" It would be ridiculous of me to say that I have forgotten the incident."

" Ridiculous indeed."

" But I have accepted my culpability in what you did."

" YOUR culpability?"

" Yes. My behavior with Katherine is what drove you to do such a thing. I know that if your passions had not been inflamed by what you obviously considered my betrayal of you, that you would not have been vulnerable to Luke's influence. I knew that you are a passionate person, Barbara. And I knew that I was playing with fire."

" Uh-huh. But I thought that I was this Slut-Mata-Hari that Luke planted behind enemy lines in the Cassadine Camp."

" It was easier to think that of you, and blame you all for what had happened, instead of taking responsibility that I had failed you as a husband."

" You almost sound introspective, Stefan. What have you been doing? Listening to Talk Shows?"

" No, hopefully the wisdom of distance from a situation. There are always two sides of a story Barbara, and I have tried to think of your side in all of this. "

" YOU....looking at something from other than your own point of view? Yeah, right, whatever."

" Alright, If you don't believe from my point of view. Then how about Nikolas?"

" Nikolas?"

" Yes. He has missed you terribly. At first, I did the Cassadine thing, and told myself, that it was best that he be rid of you. But, as time has progressed, I see what affect you and Lucas had on his life. What the family that we made meant to him. I know and remember the difference in Nikolas when we were married as compared to now. And I want that back for him."

" For him?"

" I told you that I want you back, but that does not seem to convince you. Do you think that I would use Nikolas?"

" Is water wet?"

" Barbara..."

" Ok, ok. I know your limits, and if you have a speck of humanity, it begins and ends with Nikolas."

" Have you such a grim view of me? Do you see me as Satan?"

" For a while, yes. Now, you're just his representative in Port Charles."

" I see."

" I don't get it Stefan. I am trying to see what you would get out of this marriage. And what I would get. I guess, it's negotiation time. You do do this part so well. So....what's the offer this time?"

" I believe for both of us..wiser this time. Going into it with our eyes open, that it can be different. I would offer a wedding present of $24 million, with a monthly allowance of $50,000. At the end of the first year, I would purchase a home, of your choice, anywhere. At the end of the second year, there would be a deposit of another $5 million and a home. All of this would be in an account that I could not touch. The boys would get their family back. I would think that you would want Lucas to be surrounded by a supportive family at this."

" Lucas HAS a supportive family....me."

" But surely you don't think that he will miss the presence of his father in his life. I would promise that Nikolas and I would be as involved in his life as possible. And if Tony were ever desirous of challenging you for custody of Lucas, you would have a family and all my resources behind you. And if the Carly Roberts situation does become public knowledge, it would salve some of the public embarrassment if you were my wife."

" Oh, really. So...let's review your offer. 4 times the intial offer. You said that it was under my control LAST time.. But I remember forking over the dough anway."

" We can make it completely non-negotiable."

" I see. And I get it..."

" On the day that we remarry."

" Well...now that the financials are out of the way..what about 'Marital Relations?'"

" I had assumed..."

" Well, you know what they say about assuming Stefan? Makes an ass out of YOU And ME. No, I think that Marital Relations are negotiable and not automatic. You don't exactly set my world on fire at this point, Stefan. Not that, after time , I might not see something appealing. I think that it would be best if we had seperate bedrooms."

" I must post my objection to that, Barbara."

" And why is that?"

" Because how would it look to Lucas and Nikolas to see us in separate bedrooms. It would undermine the security that I think we would be trying to establish. And because I do not want for our living situation to become grist for the help."

" I see. Well, we can get back to that...if necessary."

" Do you have any other concerns?"

" Besides a loss of my sanity? Yes...What about everyone's favorite shooting victim? What happens to the Baklava Babe?"

" I have told Katherine of my intentions where you are concerned. She knows that I intended to propose marriage to you."

" And she was ALRIGHT with this? That doesn't sound like Katherine. She never "just let things go". Never been in her nature."

" It did indeed take some convincing her that I wanted to remarry you. But, she was an adult and accepted what I want."

" Uh-huh. Well, Stefan....you have certainly made an interesting offer. And I will consider it, on two conditions."

" Name them."

" First...I want a fidelity clause placed into this new contract of ours. IF, I find proof of infidelity on your part, I will receive control of General Hospital."

" YOU would control General Hospital?"

" Yes...Is there a problem with that?"

" Not at all, because I have no intentions of being unfaithful to you, Barbara."

" Yeah....like you didn't cheat the last time we were together."

" I didn't cheat."

" Sure, Stefan, whatever."

" You said first...is there a second?"

" Yes. I want a check for a million dollars. Right here. Right now. Non-negotiable. And even if I tell you to go shove it, I still keep the money. Well?"

Stefan pulls out his checkbook and makes out the check. He gives it to Bobbie.

" Thank you. Now, I think you ought to leave. I will get back to you IF I make a decision."

" I understand Barbara. I know that you must give this serious thought. I will give you room to think about this. But know that I am serious and committed to this Barbara. I know what I want. And it is you and Lucas back at Wynderemere."

" Goodbye, Stefan."

" Goodbye, Barbara."

Stefan leaves. Bobbie sits on the couch looking at the check.

" Well. This is enough money for Lucas and I to relocate if necessary. And I can pay Alicia her top dollar. What do you want from me Stefan that you're willing to fork over a million bucks at the drop of a hat? Things do get more and more curious. Well, I gotta get this check to the bank and into my account as soon as possible. "

Bobbie gets up and leaves for the bank.