Chapter 11

It was barely dawn when Alexis reached Spoon Island.  The torches were still lit 
in order to lead the way to the main house. When she reached Wyndemere, Alexis 
found Mrs. Lansbury waiting outside the front door anxiously awaiting her 
arrival.  "Ms. Davis, I am so relieved that you are finally here.  I called and 
I called your cell phone number last night, and I was unable to reach you. I 
hope that it was all right that I sent a member of the security staff to find 
you.  I just didn't know what else to do."  Mrs. Lansbury was more than just 
anxious.  Her voice betrayed the fact that she was truly upset.  Something was 
terribly wrong.

Alexis explained that her cell phone was broken. She did not elaborate on the 
fact that she had dropped it during a phone call. The phone call which had 
revealed that someone else knew about her involvement in Katherine's parapet 
accident.  "What is it Mrs. Lansbury?  What is the matter?"  A feeling of dread 
was sweeping over Alexis.  

"It is Mr. Cassadine," she answered.  "He came home last night in such a rage.  
He locked himself in his study, and I haven't seen him since.  I just kept 
hearing noises coming from the study all night long."

"What kind of noises?"

Mrs. Lansbury began to describe the night of destruction that had occurred at 
Wyndemere.  "I kept hearing the breaking of glass and the throwing of books.  
Mr. Cassadine has only been like this once before, right after Christmas.  He 
was in such a terrible state after the holidays, but this is even worse.  I 
thought maybe you could talk to him Ms. Davis."

As Alexis walked towards the study, thoughts were running through her mind as to 
what could be causing Stefan's behavior. Perhaps, he had discovered her 
connection to Katherine's accident. Part of her told her that she should turn 
and leave.  However, it was time for her to face her day of reckoning.  If this 
was the case, Alexis realized that she was going to have to prepare to beg for 
his forgiveness and even beg for her life.

Turning the doorknob revealed that the study was still locked. Alexis briefly 
knocked on the door.  "Stefan, its Alexis.  I know that you are in there. 
Please, open the door. Whatever is wrong, maybe I can help."  There was no 
response.  So, Alexis repeated those same words again.  Still, no sound came 
from the study. Alexis was about to knock once again when she heard the door 
being unlocked.  She put her hand on the doorknob and hesitated for a moment 
before entering the room.

Alexis was stunned by what she saw.  The room was in total shambles.  Not a book 
was left on the shelves that covered one entire side of the study.  There must 
have been hundred of books scattered across the room.  Obviously, they had been 
thrown by the way they laid on the floor.  Every breakable object was also in 
ruins, except for the liquor decanter. It was the only object left unbroken.  
Alexis walked over the broken glass to her brother who was standing in front of 
the fireplace.  She seated herself in a chair not far from him.  His clothes and 
hair were disheveled, and his hand shook as he took a drink of vodka.

Alexis was almost afraid to speak for fear of what she would hear.  "Mrs. 
Lansbury asked me to talk to you.  She is very worried.  What is wrong?  What 
has happened?"

There was only silence as a response.  Then, when Alexis was about to speak 
again, Stefan answered angrily, "She knows."

"What are you talking about?"  Alexis was confused by his statement.  "Who knows 
what?"

Stefan turned around to face her.  Looking straight into her eyes, he continued.  
"Katherine knows about our past together… Thanks to you."  He said those last 
three words with pure contempt.

Alexis was speechless.  She really didn't know what he was talking about.  "I 
still don't know what you are referring to. What do you think that I have done?"

"Some anonymous person sent Katherine newspaper articles about our past: the 
shooting, her dismissal from General Hospital, and my arrest for her murder."  
Stefan reached into his coat pocket and removed the articles.  He dropped the 
now crumpled pieces of paper onto Alexis' lap.  "Do they look familiar?  They 
should since you are the one who sent them."

Alexis began to shake her head in denial.  Screaming at his sister he shouted, 
"Don't lie to me Alexis and say that you didn't do this because I know you did.  
You hate Katherine, and you would do anything to destroy my family… 
Congratulations, you have succeeded."  With that accusation, Stefan threw his 
glass of vodka into the fireplace in order to release the anger he felt inside.

Straightening the newspaper articles, Alexis read the contents. They revealed 
Katherine's past with the Cassadine family.  She was uncertain as to how to 
prove her innocence.  "I swear Stefan.  I never sent these articles to 
Katherine.  I would never hurt you like that."

Stefan acted as though he had not heard her denial.  "You have tried to destroy 
my relationship with Katherine in the past.  Now, you have done it again.  Why?  
Why do you hate Katherine?  Why do you hate me?  All that I have ever wanted my 
entire life was a family of my own.  Finally, after all of these years, I was so 
close to having my own wife, my own child, and my own family.  But, you had to 
destroy everything.  I could kill you for what you have done."  Stefan's eyes 
showed anger and hatred.  For the first time in her life, Alexis was truly 
afraid of her brother.

"Stefan, you have to believe me.  I never sent Katherine these newspaper 
articles."  Alexis' voice was full of desperation.  She had to make Stefan 
believe in her innocence.  "I am not responsible for Katherine learning about 
your past together.  You have to believe me."

Stefan did not answer.  He just continued to look at his sister with pure 
contempt.

"I swear Stefan.  I swear on a stack of bibles.  I swear on the Cassadine name.  
I am telling you the truth.  I never sent her these articles."  By now, Alexis 
was pleading with her brother.

"I don't know whether to trust you or not Alexis.  We both seem to lie so 
easily.  It is almost second nature to us."  Stefan thought back to the time 
when she had tried to convince him that Katherine was his sister.  "I would like 
to think that you wouldn't betray me again like you did once before."

"I am telling the truth," Alexis said simply in her own defense.

"For your own sake, you had better not be lying to me," he threatened.

Alexis was almost afraid to speak, but she had to ask.  She had to know.  "How 
upset is Katherine?"

Stefan sat down in a chair next to Alexis.  With his elbows on his knees, he 
leaned over and covered his face with his hands. "She hates me.  She despises 
me.  The look that she had on her face, I have only seen once before.  It was 
the same expression of fear and anger that she had… before… before she fell from 
the parapet.  She threw a vase of roses that I had given to her on Valentine's 
Day at me because she was so furious.  Katherine kept on telling me to stay away 
from her and not to touch her.  She actually thinks I tried to murder her.  I 
can deal with her anger, but how do I deal with her fear?  She is totally afraid 
of me."

"Maybe this is all for the best Stefan.  Now, the past is out in the open, and 
the two of you can deal with it."  In her own way, Alexis was trying to offer 
some comfort.

Stefan shot his head back up and looked at her.  "I don't see how this can be 
for the best.  If only, I had had a little more time.  If only, I had been able 
to take Katherine and Samantha back to Greece and away from here.  I would still 
have my family."

"Katherine would have eventually learned the truth whether she was here or in 
Greece.  Please, stop berating yourself over this," Alexis pleaded.  She hated 
to see the emotional state that Stefan was in.  "If you are this upset over 
Katherine now, how are you going to react when the paternity results come back, 
and they show that Katherine's baby isn't even yours?"

Stefan closed his eyes out of disgust.  He was so sick of hearing Alexis 
insinuate that Samantha wasn't his daughter.  He arose from his chair and walked 
over to his desk.  Stefan picked up an envelope and then walked back over to 
Alexis and dropped it into her lap.  "Open it," he ordered.  "It is the 
paternity results. Read them for yourself.  It states that the probability that 
I am Samantha's father is at the 99.87% range."

Alexis read the test results in disbelief.  She had sincerely believed that 
Katherine's baby did not belong to Stefan and was not a true Cassadine.  
However, there was now undeniable truth right in her hands.  Samantha was a 
Cassadine.  Alexis looked into Stefan's face.  "I am so sorry for all of the 
things that I have said.  I really did not think that Samantha was your 
daughter."

Snatching the test results away from Alexis, he walked back over to his desk and 
locked the papers in the top desk drawer.  "I had the test performed in secret 
at General Hospital.  I instructed Dr. Hamilton not to make any record of the 
test being performed.  The last thing I need is for Katherine to learn that I 
had a paternity test performed on our baby.  Besides the doctor, only you and I 
know about the test.  I hope Alexis that I can trust that you will continue to 
keep your mouth shut."

"I promise Stefan.  I will never tell anyone."  However, she had already told 
someone.  Alexis had told Luke Spencer.  "What do you plan to do now?  Do you 
think Katherine will try and seek custody of Samantha?  If she does, I want you 
to know that I want to be your lawyer.  I won't let her take your daughter away 
from you."

Stefan ran his hands through his hair.  He wondered to himself how things had 
come to this.  How could they have been prevented? "There is not going to be any 
custody fight over Samantha."

"Just how do you plan on preventing that?"  Alexis asked.  "I can begin working 
on a custody strategy right away.  It is obvious that Katherine is unstable.  If 
we present our case properly, no judge would ever grant her custody."  Alexis 
stood up and walked over to Stefan's desk.  "Let me do this for you.  You may 
have lost Katherine, but you don't have to lose your daughter as well."

"Like I said.  There is not going to be any custody fight."  He was not going to 
allow the family name to be dragged through the newspapers again.  "I have not 
lost Katherine forever.  I know what I have to do.  I am going to do something 
that I have never done before.  I am going to go to her and beg her for 
forgiveness."

"Do you honestly think that is going to work?  After what Katherine now knows, 
how can you possibly think that you can win her back?"  Thinking to herself, 
Alexis wondered why he would want to.  Alexis was a true Cassadine through and 
through.  She truly saw Katherine as nothing more than a gold digger and a 
social climber.  In her mind, Katherine was not worthy of her brother or to 
carry the Cassadine name.

"I am not going to stand here and argue with you Alexis."  He looked at his 
watch and realized that it was early morning.  The heavy drapes in the study had 
kept out any hint of light.  He had had no idea as to the time of day.  "I am 
going to go upstairs and see my daughter, and then I am going to General 
Hospital to see Katherine."

Stefan walked over to the door in order to leave.  He turned around and spoke 
these final words.  "I hope you were telling me the truth Alexis that you had no 
part in sending those newspaper articles to Katherine.  I don't know what I 
would do if I learned otherwise."  Then, Stefan was gone.  Alexis continued 
standing while holding onto the desk for support.  Her heart was pounding 
because Stefan was still not totally convinced of her innocence. She really had 
had no part in revealing the past to Katherine. However, Alexis knew who had.  
It was obviously the same person who had given her the anonymous phone call and 
had said, "I know what you did at the Bacchanalian Ball.  I know what you did, 
and I know who you are."  Alexis walked slowly over to the fireplace and threw 
the newspaper articles that she had still been holding in her hands into the 
flames.  She had to find out who this nameless person was before the entire 
Cassadine family was destroyed.

--------------------

Katherine was in her hospital bed looking at a picture of Samantha as the day 
turned from late morning to early afternoon. She simply longed to hold her baby.  
Every moment that she was away from her daughter, Katherine felt as though a 
piece of herself was missing.  At the same time, however, Katherine was filled 
with anger every time she thought about how Stefan had lied to her over and over 
again.  She had every right to know about her past no matter what the 
circumstances.  Katherine thought to herself how close she had come to leaving 
Port Charles with that man.  The man who had tried to murder her.

As Katherine continued to gaze at the picture of her baby, she wished that Gail 
Baldwin were here.  She really needed someone to talk to.  Gail had left the 
previous day for a psychiatric conference in California.  Several messages had 
been left at Gail's hotel, but so far, Gail had not returned any of the 
messages.  They had said their good-byes the day before, and Katherine recalled 
how concerned Gail had been on her decision to leave with Stefan for Greece.

"Katherine, are you really sure that this is what you want to do?"  Gail's voice 
had been filled with an urgency to tell Katherine all about the past.  "There is 
no hurry.  You don't have to go.  Don't you think it would be better for you to 
recover here in Port Charles.  You need to learn about your past."

"Don't worry.  Everything will be fine."  Katherine was trying to reassure Gail 
as well as herself that she was making the right decision.  "I realize that I 
have only known Stefan for a week. Logic would say that it is crazy for me to 
marry him and leave Port Charles with our daughter, but that is exactly what I 
am going to do."

"I just wish that you would stay.  Have you asked Stefan about your past 
together?  What does he say?"  Gail wanted nothing more than to tell Katherine 
all about the years that her mind could no longer remember.

Katherine shrugged her shoulders.  "He usually just answers with some vague 
answer or not at all."

"Doesn't that concern?"  Gail asked.  "I can hear the uncertainty in your voice.  
You can change your mind at anytime.  You don't have to leave."

"No," Katherine said as she shook her head.  "I am going to marry Stefan, and we 
are going to live on his island in Greece."

"Why Katherine?  Why are you doing this?  It is obvious that you have doubts."  
Gail wanted desperately to understand why Katherine was willing to leave the 
country with a virtual stranger.

"It is simple.  I am doing this for my baby.  I am doing this for Samantha."  
Katherine looked at her engagement ring and then back towards Gail.  "I grew up 
on an estate called Serenity where my other was the cook.  I loved my mother 
dearly, but I simply hated my childhood.  Oftentimes friends of Mr. Stanton, the 
owner of the estate, would come to stay at Serenity.  Whenever anyone asked, I 
was always referred to as the cook's illegitimate daughter."  For a moment, 
Katherine paused.  When she continued, her voice became softer and softer until 
it was a mere whisper.  "I will not have my baby called a bastard.  She deserves 
better, and I intend to make whatever sacrifices that are necessary.  If that 
means that I have to marry a stranger, then so be it.  I am determined to give 
Samantha a family."

"I understand your motivation, but I really think it would be best for you to 
continue your recovery here at General Hospital." However, Katherine was not 
thinking about what was best for herself, but what was best for her baby.

"I will be fine.  Please, don't worry Gail.  Stefan has already told me how much 
he loves me, and I know that he loves our daughter.  With time, I just hope that 
I will be able to love him as well."  Those were some of the final words that 
she had spoken to Gail.  Katherine now realized why Gail had wanted her to stay 
in Port Charles.  Gail had known what a mistake she was making. However, Gail 
had allowed her to make her own decisions.  Katherine knew that it was no one 
else’s fault for what had happened but her own.  She should have pressed Stefan 
for answers about the past, and she should have listened to Gail's pleas.  Those 
pleas should have been enough of a warning that something was very wrong.

Katherine's concentration was broken when the door to her room opened, and 
Bobbie Spencer entered.  She was carrying a hospital chart and a blood pressure 
cuff.  "Hello, Katherine," Bobbie began. "It has been a long time since we have 
seen each other.  I am sure that you are tired of everyone asking you this, but 
how are you feeling today?"

"Physically, I feel fine," Katherine answered with a deep sigh.

Bobbie put the blood pressure cuff on Katherine's arm and began to take her 
blood pressure.  Then, she took Katherine's other vital signs.  When she was 
done, Bobbie noted the results in Katherine's chart.  "You are correct.  
Physically, you seem to be just fine. How are you emotionally?"

"I really don't want to talk about my emotional state.  Unless things have 
changed so much in the past few years, I remember that we were never friends.  
In fact, we could barely tolerate each other."  Katherine was not in the mood 
for insincere concern.

"You are right.  We never were nor became friends.  However, does that mean that 
I can't be concerned about you?  You have been through a terrible ordeal.  
Despite our past feelings towards each other, I would like to try and help you 
if I can."

Katherine bit down on her lower lip and wondered if Bobbie was being genuine 
with her concern.  "When you refer to my ordeal, do you mean my accident or my 
confrontation with Stefan last night?  I suppose everyone in the hospital knows 
I threw a vase at him."

"There might be a few people who don't know, but the vast majority have heard 
about the incident.  Knowing Stefan, he probably deserved having a vase thrown 
at him."  Bobbie just laughed in order to lighten the tension in the room.

"Saying that I was furious is putting it mildly," Katherine replied.  She 
realized that this was her opportunity to ask someone else questions about 
Stefan Cassadine.  "I know so little about that man.  It sounds like you know 
him… How well do you know Stefan?"

Bobbie was shocked by the question.  She had read Katherine's medical reports 
that said Katherine had suffered a partial and a permanent memory loss.  
However, hearing Katherine ask that question made everything seem more real.  
"Yes, I know Stefan.  The Cassadine family owns General Hospital.  They bought 
the hospital over two years ago."

"I knew the Cassadines were a wealthy family, but I had no idea that they owned 
the hospital."  Katherine wondered how many other things she didn't know, but 
Bobbie was her opportunity to find out. "So, you must know him." 

For a moment, Bobbie hesitated before speaking.  It was obvious that Katherine 
didn't know.  "Katherine, I more than just know Stefan Cassadine, I was once 
married to him."

Bobbie's words echoed through Katherine's mind.  "Married?  Aren't you still 
married to Tony?"

"My marriage to Tony ended some time ago.  He had an affair, and I divorced him.  
On the rebound, I married Stefan.  The marriage didn't last long.  Within six 
months, we divorced."  Bobbie realized that that was a short synopsis of that 
time in her life, but basically everything she said was the truth.

Pulling her hair away from her face, Katherine continued with her questions.  
"May I ask what broke up your marriage to Stefan?"

"Well, the fact is my brother Luke and Stefan hate each other with a passion.  
It all stems from the fact that Laura was once married to Stefan's brother, 
Stavros.  I got caught up in the war between the Spencers and the Cassadines.  
Finally, I had to choose sides, and I picked my brother."  Bobbie paused and 
then made one more statement.  "However, that is not all the broke up my 
marriage."

"What else was there?"  Katherine was desperate to know everything she could 
about Stefan Cassadine.

Bobbie simply replied, "There was you."

"What do you mean, me?"  Katherine asked.

"Stefan did not marry me because he loved me.  He married me to get at Luke.  It 
was a sort of revenge.  Practically throughout our whole marriage, he was in 
love with someone else… He was in love with you."

Katherine had not been prepared to hear those words.  Ever since reading those 
newspaper articles she had convinced herself that all of Stefan's declarations 
of love were a lie.  However, Bobbie was confirming what Stefan had been telling 
all along, that he loved her.  "You must hate me Bobbie."  

Bobbie shook her head no.  "Not really.  My marriage to Stefan was a mistake 
from the beginning.  I think we were both relieved when it was over… I harbor no 
ill will towards you.  Everything that happened is done and buried in the past.  
Life is too short to hold grudges over things that don't even matter anymore."

Katherine looked down at the picture of her baby that she was still holding in 
her hands.  She began to wonder to herself if she had jumped to the wrong 
conclusions about Stefan. Katherine knew better than anyone else that there were 
two sides to every story. How many times in her life had she been wrongly 
judged?  Stefan had begged her last night to let him explain, and she had 
refused to listen to him.  She now regretted that decision.

"I really have to be going," Bobbie announced.  "However, I want you to know 
that I was present the night that Samantha was born. Stefan was by far the most 
anxious of expectant fathers that I have ever seen.  He spent the entire night 
in the nursery because he didn't want to leave Samantha out of his sight.  He 
also kept a constant vigil by your bedside until you awoke from your coma. 
Personally, I don't like Stefan, but then who does like their ex-husbands?  
However, he does have one redeeming quality.  He does seem to sincerely care 
about you and Samantha."

"Thank you for saying that Bobbie.  You don't know how much better I feel."  
Katherine took several deep breaths.  Maybe everything was going to be all right

"I have only spoken the truth Katherine.  I know we were never friends in the 
past, but maybe we can change that fact in the future."

"I think I would like that," Katherine said while giving a brief smile.  "Who 
knows, maybe you and Lucy Coe will become my new best friends."

-------------------

It was late afternoon when Stefan entered Katherine's hospital room.  He felt as 
though he was experiencing deja vu as the afternoon winter light was receding 
from the room.  Evening was approaching.  Katherine was in the almost exact same 
position as she had been the day before when he had come to visit.  She was 
sitting in a chair and looking out the window.  Stefan wished that the last 24 
hours had never happened.  By all rights, at this very moment they should be in 
Greece with their daughter.  Katherine should be planning their wedding and 
Samantha's baptism.  Instead, they were still in Port Charles all because 
someone had taken it into their own hands to reveal the past to Katherine.  
Stefan vowed to himself that he would find that person one day soon, and he 
would show no mercy.  He had to make Katherine realize that he had never tried 
to murder her.

As he walked towards her chair, Katherine turned her face to look at him.  Her 
eyes followed him as he sat down across from her. Stefan could tell that she had 
been crying.  There were tearstains on her face.  Neither one said a word as 
they both stared at each other.  Then, Katherine broke the silence with one 
question, "Did you try to murder me?"

Stefan reached out and took hold of both her hands and simply spoke one word, 
"No."

For the first time since her awakening, Katherine reached out to Stefan.  She 
laid her head on his shoulder.  Her voice cracked as she said the words that 
Stefan had been longing to here, "I believe you."  Relief filled him as he put 
his arms around Katherine.  He just wanted to hold her.