I'm back and the juices have been flowing. This is the next part in my Cassadine family saga. It takes place some time after the events of "Mate and Checkmate." It's more of an ensemble piece, with other PC residents involved. Primary couples include Nexis, Jaxis (friendship), Mick'n'Ang, SpinMel, Liason, Lusam, LnL, DilLu, Scrubs, Nem and a surprise pairing for Mikkos.
The Prolgoue is one long author's note. At some point, I may craft stories of the events mentioned in the prologue. It will also be a faster paced story (I hope). I will be concluding this story with a grand wedding, but their may be others along the way. I will also be solving some of the mysteries from "Mate and Checkmate."
This may be a looong story. Hope you enjoy. Please, Read and Reply.
Prologue
It has been five months since the hostage situation on Spoon Island. In that time, much has happened in the city of Port Charles.
Mikkos Cassadine recovered quickly from his injuries and returned to his daughter's home. He had finally reached the happiness he had always struggled to gain. His daughter and granddaughters were at last safe from Helena Cassadine's machinations. Alexis would at last be acknowledged as Princess Cassadine and would one day rule in his place.
Ric Lansing was given a touching funeral, which was attended by most of the town. Alexis and Sonny, two people who, in the end, he butted heads with the most, gave touching eulogizes. Sonny even broke down in the middle of his.
By comparison, Helena's was very small. Buried in a crypt in Paris with her parents, only Sergei, Mickey, Nikolas, Emily and little Spencer were in attendance. She had made so many enemies in her life that no one but her family was there to bury her. Despite all this, Sergei stayed in Europe for many weeks, mourning his sister. Mickey, Nikolas and Spencer stayed with him for most of the time, only leaving him when the Cassadines arrived in London to visit Mikkos' Aunt Eugenia and her family.
The happy reunion of the Cassadines was everything that Angela and Mikkos had hoped for. Eugenia was crying tears of joy when she first saw Alexis and became further enchanted by Kristina and Molly. They spent a week together before returning home to Port Charles.
Once back, Mikkos was able to gain access to the full estate. He had much of it hidden during his exile and now he guided Alexis and Angela in the working of the estate. Nikolas also helped, happy to finally be rid of a responsibility he had since he was a child. Mikkos insisted that he stay onboard, as a token of gratitude.
The happiness of the Cassadines continued when Lorenzo and Skye were married. It was a small ceremony, attended by all the Quartermaines and Cassadines. Afterwards the Alcazars left Port Charles with their children, Diego and Lila Rae and Lorenzo's father, Victor. Currently, according to the e-mails they had sent out, they had taken up residence in the Cassadine's Spanish villa on the Costa del Sol, managing some of the Cassadine assets in Europe and promising to visit.
Outside of the Cassadine family, there were other shocks in town. Elizabeth Webber had revealed a one-night stand with Jason Morgan and he was the father of the child she was carrying. Her former husband, Lucky, and Jason's girlfriend Sam McCall were upset, but realized that they could not keep Jason and Liz apart. Sam moved out of the penthouse she shared with Jason and into a room over Kelly's. Lucky had a hard time handling the news at first, but came to accept it and seemed to be seeing Sam, either out of commiseration or caring. The rest of the town were coming down hard on Liz and Jason, except Edward Quartermaine who was pleased with the thought of his grandson becoming a father and Audrey Hardy's granddaughter as the mother. Angela, though, stood by her friend Elizabeth and Mickey was standing by Jason. Since they lived on the same floor in the Harborview towers, the two couples had become close friends.
The next few months, though, would see the residents of Port Charles turned even further upside down as other members of the Cassadine and Villianov families came forward. They would shock the families and those around them.
Chapter 1
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Sergei Villianov held the small picture in his hands. The woman was smiling, holding her newborn daughter, the small child's dark hair visible underneath her pink cap. He remembered the events leading up to that picture.
Anya came into Sergei's office. The soft-spoken girl was afraid, but knew she must tell the Count her news. She was a little less afraid when she saw the Countess in the room as well. Sergei and Marya noticed Anya enter and Sergei beckoned her further in.
"Sire, there is news I must tell you. I beg you, please, do not be angry with me," she said in barely a whisper of Russian.
Marya looked at the girl with compassion. "You may tell us, Anya," Marya replied.
"When your nephew, Prince Cassadine, was here, we...well, we..." She could not finish the sentence, but all understood what she meant. She continued. "Sire, I have learned that I am with child. I know not what to do."
Sergei opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. Marya took the young girl, barely out of her teens, in her arms. Sergei knew all the possibilities of what could happen. Stavros was to be a father. If it was a boy, it could be the Prince and Stavros would want to possess it, even if it was illegitimate and the child of a servant. If it was a girl, her life would be in jeopardy from Helena, for he knew his sister would not accept a girl. He would not wish a daughter to be raised around his sister, remembering how Alexis was raised in fear in her home. Sergei and Marya knew all the consequences and outlined them to Anya.
After a few days, she had decided to give the child up for adoption in the United States. She was brought to Boston, then a small house in New Hampshire where Marya and Sergei posed as her aunt and uncle. When she gave birth to a girl the child was handed over to a nurse the next day. All Anya Darov ever had of her daughter was a lock of hair and the photograph Sergei now held. The Villianovs eventually settled Anya into a job in San Francisco. The child's papers were processed through a long series of lawyers, to throw off any trail that could be picked up.
Sergei now sat, looking at the picture. He did not even hear his son Mikhail enter.
"Father. Father?" Mikhail asked. Sergei looked up and Mikhail pointed to the picture. "You seemed far away."
Sergei smiled. "I was just remembering someone. What did you need?" he asked.
"Father, I know you are still depressed over Helena's death, but I can't put my life indefinitely on hold. I have to get back to Port Charles and Angela," he explained.
Sergei nodded as he fixed them a drink. "Of course, I would not expect you to do so. I feel it is time I returned home to New York as well."
"There's another thing. I think that, when I get back, I will ask Angela to marry me." He held his breath, waiting for his father's response. "I was wondering if I could give her Mother's ring." Mikhail knew the history of the piece. It had been his mother's and his father's mother's before that. The ring had been in the Villianov family for decades, taken out of Russia in hidden boxes, with people fearing for their lives. Mikhail knew Angela would appreciate the history of the piece.
Sergei paused for a moment, Helena's last words, her final curse coming back to him. He pushed any concerns aside and smiled. He embraced his son and left for a moment. Sergei returned with Marya's jewelry box, which contained the ring and a Cassadine medallion. He gave the ring to his son and then held the medallion. He could tell Mikhail was curious about it and he merely smiled, eager to unveil his secret to his son and start his quest.
PORT CHARLES, NEW YORK
Angela Davis Cassadine walked through the plastic tarp that hung over the entrance to Wyndemere. In the background she could hear power saws and hammers at work. Angela just shook her head. Her grandfather was determined to do this project. She made her way into the conservatory to find him and her mother going over some plans with the contractor and architect. He was eager to redo the Spoon Island manse and rid it of its gothic appearances.
As she was about to approach the meeting Nikolas came up behind her, holding his son Spencer. The little boy was sound asleep, despite all the noise. Angela smiled at the two.
"So, how does it feel to have your house gutted and totally rebuilt?" she asked her cousin. Even though there were absolutely no ties of blood between the two, Angela would always consider Nikolas to be her cousin.
Nikolas had to laugh. "As long as he doesn't wake up in the middle of this chaos, I don't care." He went over to pick up a diaper bag. "I'm heading over to the Harborview Towers to see Elizabeth, just to check up on her." He gave Angela a peck on the cheek.
Angela accepted it, saying, "I'll see you over there in a little bit. I think the girls may enjoy a sleepover tonight, away from the mess." Since the family had returned home from their European sojourn, Alexis had moved out of the lake house with Kristina and Molly and into Wyndemere. This was another reason for Mikkos' grand renovations. He didn't want the little children living here to be afraid of their own house.
Angela approached her mother and grandfather as the meeting was breaking up and gave her grandfather a hug. He embraced her as she approached her mother. "So, how goes Mad King Ludwig?" Angela asked, referring to the Bavarian king and his penchant for crazy architectural projects. Mikkos didn't like it, but Alexis found it amusing.
Alexis smirked. "He's having a hard time convincing the architect that the wall would look better over there than over there," Alexis explained.
"Ah, but does the good architect understand he is arguing with a prince, a man who could make him disappear easily? Besides, is wall placement that important?" Angela asked.
"It is important, my dear granddaughter, because it effects the ballroom and my plans for that." Mikkos came back to her and was about to explain in detail what those were when Angela's cell phone rang.
She quickly answered it. "Mickey, you're a lifesaver. Grandfather has gone insane over this project. He's torn the whole place apart," Angela began to babble over the phone as to Mikkos Cassadine's plans for Wyndemere. When she ended her monologue she asked, "When are you coming home?"
Mickey had to laugh. With all the tension of the last few months, worsened by long separations of him in Switzerland and her in New York, it was good to hear that things were getting back to normal. Or, at least, as normal as they could be for their respective families. "That was why I called. Father and I will be flying to Boston tomorrow for a meeting, then we should be back by early morning the next day. And I have a surprise for you."
Mickey knew what her response to that would be, and he was rewarded with what he expected. "What is it?" she asked giddily. Then she sighed. "I know, it wouldn't be a surprise if you told me. Fine, I'll be on pins and needles for a day and a half."
Mickey laughed. "Listen, I have dinner plans for us in two nights. Just put on your best dress and be ready for me at seven-thirty, alright?"
Angela nodded. "T-minus forty-eight hours and counting. See you then." With that, she disconnected the call. Mickey waited two minutes, then hit another speed dial number. "Hey how are you? Good, listen; I need your help with a project. I also need it pulled together in a little under forty-eight hours. Yeah, I know you're busy, but please. Thank you, and listen, there are others who can help you. Talk to them and see if you can do it." With that, Mickey began to detail his plans over the phone.
Later in the evening Angela opened the door to the penthouse and let Kristina and Molly in, Kristina holding her little sister's hand. Melanie came in from the kitchen and was surprised to see the little ones there.
"Uh, Ang, what are they doing here? Also, what are you doing here?" Melanie asked.
Angela smiled at her sister. "Why, hello Angela, Kristina, Molly. Oh, are we having a night of sisterly bonding. You know, movies, nail painting, hair braiding. Oh, and of course, that's right! You live here Angela," she said mockingly.
Kristina laughed and Molly imitated her sister. Melanie looked contrite, but also embarrassed. The reason for the embarrament ambled his way down the stairs.
"Oh Grecian Goddess, I think I may have found something your grandfather..." Spinelli's voice faded as he saw that he and Melanie were not alone. "...might like for the castle."
Angela did her best parental look at the two and Kristina laughed some more. "So, what were your plans tonight, sis?" Angela asked, her arms folded. Kristina looked at up at Angela and folded her arms too.
"Why, hello Angela, Kristina, Molly. Oh, are we having a night of sisterly bonding? You know, movies, nail painting, hair braiding?" Melanie mimicked. She looked at Spinelli as he slunk down the stairs, grabbed his messenger bag and made his way out the door.
"Bye Spinelli!" Kristina called after him. Molly waved at the now-closed door.
Angela turned back to Melanie, who merely shrugged, then parroted, "Oh, that's right! You live here Angela."
Angela shook her head. Ever since the hostage crisis, whenever her sister was in town she was hanging around with Damian Spinelli, the resident computer hacker. They seemed to speak the same language, one that Angela was still trying to translate. He was a good guy and great with the computer. Mikkos had even hired him to rework the Cassadine Industries computer network and upgrade the security systems on Spoon Island. But he seemed a little goofy and not at all what Angela had thought of as boyfriend material for her sister. But he was respectful and even their grandfather seemed to like him...when he understood him. She decided to let the matter drop and they began their sisterly sleepover.
Alexis walked into the MetroCourt. She was having dinner with Ned, the third this week. He had been supportive of her in the last five months and they seemed to be working out their relationship. She was taking it slow but it was nice, she admitted, to have an old love back in her life. She sat at the bar and ordered a double martini.
A voice came up behind her. "Pour the gin and visualize the vermouth," it instructed the bartender.
Alexis turned around and there was Ned. "You do remember that line, right?"
Alexis nodded. "I told that to the bartender at the Grille the first night we met, Christmas Eve, 1996."
"Then we bitched about the holidays together," he added.
"As you shot stirrers at the Christmas tree and avoided your family, while not trying to pick me up," Alexis concluded, kissing Ned.
"And look how far we've come." Ned stared at her in awe, those ten plus years passing by in a blink of an eye.
"A few marriages, on both our parts, lost loves, children."
"And yet, we still can come back to that night."
Alexis smiled. They continued their talk over dinner when her phone rang. She looked at the ID with a puzzled expression. "Alexis Davis. Hi, Mickey. Sure, ask your question. Oh, well, I, I don't know what to say. Of course, but you may want to ask her grandfather as well. Oh, you made an appointment with him for tomorrow afternoon. Sure, I'll be there but I don't think he'll have a problem. Thank you, though, for asking me. I'll see you then. Safe journey." With that Alexis hung up the phone, a grin on her face.
Ned noticed and guessed what was asked. "I see we may be able to add children's marriages to our list of events over the past decade."
Alexis nodded. "He just asked my permission for her hand. I told him that I thought he should ask Father as well." She had a mischievous look on her face. "Ned, what are you doing for lunch tomorrow?"
Ned grinned back. "I can change any plans. Besides, this may give me practice for when Brooke starts seriously dating."
Alexis laughed as she saw Jax come in. She waved him over and explained what was happening. She extended an invitation to him, which he accepted. This would be wonderful, she thought. The Cassadine family would at last have something to celebrate.
