Hello, I'm back with another chapter. Please, read and reply. Let me know what you think. That's the best way for me to continue.
Chapter 4
Mikkos Cassadine sat in his daughter's living room sipping his morning coffee. At the table sat his daughter, feeding his two youngest granddaughters. Molly was gobbling up her breakfast, but Kristina was dawdling. Alexis noticed this and asked Kristina what was wrong.
"Nothing, Mommy, but daddy will probably make me an omelet when I go to his house. I don't want to eat this," she said as she got up to go to her room.
Mikkos laughed. Alexis looked up, glaring at him. "What's so funny?"
"Kristina sounds just like you," he said. "When you were that age, you knew when we would go visit my parents. Their cook, Mrs. Dillingham, was as good of a cook as anyone and you loved her blintzes. You wouldn't eat a thing the day before the visit because you wouldn't want to spoil your appetite."
Alexis looked away for a moment, smiling at Molly. "I remember now. Mrs. Dillingham would cook all my favorite foods."
"Do you remember my parents?" Mikkos asked, moving to the table.
Alexis thought for a minute. "I remember grandmother's rings. She would tell me that they were from her mother and grandmother, and were over one hundred years old. Wasn't one of them a ruby?"
Mikkos nodded. "Yes, I believe that it was a gift to her grandmother from Tsar Alexander II. She told your mother and I when we were expecting you that she would keep it for you." He took her hand. "They both loved you and your sister so much. Your mother's death, it broke her heart, but I believe it killed my father. He died a month later."
Alexis looked at him curiously. "They knew about your mistress?"
Mikkos looked down. "They never liked Helena. They felt she was cold and controlling. It may have been an arranged marriage, but one they never truly approved of. They were always more concerned with the happiness of their sons. And they saw how happy your mother made me and that, in turn, made them happy." He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Never think that because you were illegitimate you were unwanted or unloved by your family. If anything, it was the opposite." With that, he got up from the table. "Now, we should get ready to leave for Wyndemere."
Kristina came back out with her jacket and backpack, ready to go to her daddy's. Sonny had agreed to watch her while the Cassadines had their meeting. He even convinced Alexis to let Molly stay as well, if nothing else than to tick off Ric. Mikkos and Alexis dropped the girls off at Greystone, where Michael was showing Kristina a new video game. Alexis pulled Sonny over to the side to talk with him.
"How are things between you and Carly?" she asked.
Sonny was surprised. "You butting in on my love life?" he asked, flashing his dimples.
"I'm just worried for the stability of our daughter. Carly has been in and out of your life so many times that I get worried that Kristina will get confused," Alexis explained.
Sonny nodded. "We are back together and working through our past problems."
Alexis smiled. "Good. Look, I think that the problem I have had in the past with Carly was more how Helena interacted with me and I was worried that the same would happen with Kristina and..." She was beginning to ramble.
"Alexis, Carly may be a lot of things, but I don't think that she's anywhere near Helena's league. By the way, the night of the party, she had a little chat with Ric at the Metrocourt. She's willing to testify on your behalf," Sonny told her.
"Ah, a multitude of character witnesses on my behalf. The world has turned itself upside down," she commented. "Kristina, you keep an eye on Molly. Behave for Daddy." With that she and Mikkos left, heading for Spoon Island.
They arrived there a half an hour later, where Nikolas was attempting to feed Spencer his breakfast. Alfred poured each a cup of tea when there was a ringing of the front door. Two minutes later, Alfred returned, announcing Mr. Lansing.
Mikkos got up immediately. "Lansing, what are you doing here?" he asked angrily.
Ric took a deep breath, looking at Alexis. "I wish to speak to you and Alexis regarding the upcoming custody case."
"Lansing, neither I nor my daughter has anything to say to you about that," Mikkos told him harshly.
"Listen, I'm willing to compromise," he said.
Alexis walked towards him. "What changed?" she asked.
Ric looked at the floor. "I've been re-evaluating my case and, with your recovery, I see that I don't have as strong of a case as I once had."
Alexis nodded. "Meaning you don't want to destroy your reputation."
"That is not the reason," he began when he was interrupted by a strange noise. From behind a bookcase stepped Helena Cassadine and several armed, masked individuals. She smiled sinisterly.
"You won't have to worry about handing over custody of your daughter to the little mouse, Mr. Lansing, because she will simply not be around much longer to take care of either of her daughters," Helena said.
From the hallway outside, Alfred heard Helena's words and made his way down to the dock and the small rowboat tethered there in case of emergencies, making his way across the river to town.
Angela Davis was lying in bed, not wanting to get up. Today was the day all her secrets would be laid bare and she wanted to ignore the whole thing. She rolled over to wake up Mickey, only to find him up, showered, dressed and holding a breakfast tray.
"Damn, you're already up?" she asked dumbly.
He smiled, kissing her passionately. "Remember, you have your meeting and I have mine. Besides, Father already called. He arrived early in the morning and is waiting for both the Alcazars and I. So, please get up and get ready so we can leave together."
It took her a few moments but she was up and moving. After eating a little of the delicious looking breakfast, she took a long shower and got dressed. By time she was done, between the process of getting up and showering, it was 9:45. She knew she was running late but for once she was alright with that. They finally left the penthouse at five after ten. At the parking deck they kissed again and headed their separate ways. She decided to stop in at Kelly's for another cup of coffee. Mike greeted her from behind the counter.
"What can I get you?" he asked.
"A cup of coffee, Mike. And please, take your time. I am really not in a rush," Angela told him.
"Oh, why the no hurry?" he asked.
Angela sat at the counter. "We're having a family meeting. I don't know what it's about but it can't be good." Mike handed her the cup and she paid him, then went walking down to the Elm Street Pier. As she waited for the launch, she heard a man panting. Then she saw Alfred as he came up to her.
"Ms. Davis, you can't go over to the island!" he called. "Helena...just arrived with...armed men."
Angela knew something was wrong because she so rarely saw Alfred away from Wyndemere. A pit began to form in her stomach, concern rising for her mother and grandfather.
Mickey Villianov arrived at the Metrocourt and was seated at a large table. There were four other chairs there. A minute later, Lorenzo and Diego Alcazar were seated.
"I see our other companions are not here yet," Lorenzo commented.
"My father is in town. He called me early this morning," Mickey replied. "Too early."
Lorenzo smiled as he saw two men walking towards them. "He seems to have arrived." Lorenzo got up as Mickey greeted his father. He was about to hold out his hand to his father's companion when he noticed who he was.
"My god!" Mickey exclaimed.
Diego looked the other man up and down. He was a tall man, with dark features. A stately posture, he could not take his eyes off Lorenzo. The man murmured something in a foreign tongue which neither Lorenzo nor Diego could understand. But Sergei and Mikhail Villianov understood it and the father and son watched the reuniting of another father and son. For it was a minute before Victor Cassadine could move, approaching his son and embracing him, saying over and over in Spanish, Greek and Russian, "My son."
Sergei nodded to his boy and Diego Alcazar. "Yes, it is true. Victor Cassadine is indeed alive."
Diego blinked his eyes. "My grandfather?" he asked.
Sergei nodded as Victor turned towards the younger man. "I have been told you are my grandson," he said as he embraced him. He turned back to Lorenzo. "And Sergei tells me I have a granddaughter."
Lorenzo had noticeably softened as Victor and Diego embraced. "Yes, her name is Lila Rae. She is home with her mother. I'm afraid Skye is quite protective of her, but you will meet her soon."
Victor nodded, turning towards Mickey. "Count Mikhail, you have truly grown since I last saw you. But then again, you were a mere baby."
It took a minute for Mickey to speak. "Yes, it has been a long time." He would have continued, but his phone rang. "Excuse me, but I must take this call." With that, he stepped away to answer his cell phone.
"Angela, I am so glad you called. I am about to have breakfast with..." he began, but Angela cut him off.
"Mickey, we have bigger problems then your mysterious breakfast with your father and my cousins. I'm at the Elm Street Pier with Alfred. He just came from Spoon Island where Helena just stormed the place," Angela's words came tumbling out.
"What?!" Mickey shouted. At that, his father stood up next to him, concern on his face. Mickey saw it and told him Helena took hostages at Spoon Island.
Sergei was stunned. "Has she gone mad?" he asked, more to himself than to him. Victor also heard Mickey and was awaiting the end of the conversation between Angela and Mickey.
Mickey turned his attention back to the phone. "Angela, stay there. I'll be there shortly. Whatever you do, don't go over there." With that, he hung up the phone. He turned to look at his breakfast companions. "I'm so sorry."
Lorenzo spoke first. "What assistance you need, I, and those who work for me, can supply."
"Mr. Alcazar, I don't even know what is happening. All I know is that my aunt, Helena, stormed Wyndemere." Mickey looked at his watch. "By now, Alexis and Mikkos should be over there, as well as Nikolas and his son. Emily Quartermaine is possibly over there as well."
Victor looked towards Mickey. "My brother and Natasha?"
Sergei turned to Mickey. "What about the little girls?" he asked, meaning Kristina and Molly.
Mickey shook his head. "Unless there was a change of plans, they were staying at Greystone until after the meeting."
Victor understood. "I suspected it would happen soon, but not today."
Diego looked confused. "What do you mean? What meeting?"
Mickey was heading for the elevator. "A meeting that would change the Cassadine family. Today, Mikkos was to reveal his true heiress..." The elevator arrived and Mickey stepped on it, not finishing the thought.
Diego looked at Sergei and Victor. It was Victor who answered. "Natasha Cassadine is the true heiress of the title, Princess Cassadine."
"Natasha Cassadine?" Diego still asked.
It was Lorenzo who answered. "We know her as Alexis Davis."
