A DARK AND TWISTED LOVE


CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX


Luke drove towards the docks, anxious to get to Spoon Island, determined to see Lucky, set on telling him the truth. Not that it would do any real good, he reflected. It couldn't change the paternity issue, but the boy needed to know the truth, to know that Luke wasn't quite the villain that he'd been told.

As he climbed out of the car, he pulled his jacket collar up, finding the winds from the mid-spring storm a bit chilly. With any luck, he could beat the storm to Spoon Island, and spend a few minutes trying to sort out his relationship with Lucky. Not that this was the best place to do it, a Cassadine stronghold, but considering the events of the past few days, he'd take whatever he could get and make do.

Moments later, he was aboard a skiff, heading out across the increasingly choppy waters.


"I really hate to ask this on such short notice," Laura said to Felicia as she handed Lulu to her. "But this is an emergency, and Betty is out of town."

"It's okay," Felicia smiled, wondering what the heck was going on. "Lulu and I are getting pretty well acquainted." She held out her arms and the little dark haired child went willingly to her. "Come on, Lulu. Georgie will be happy to see you."

Laura set Lulu's bag just inside the door. "Here are her things, Felicia. I'll try to be back as early as possible."

"Take your time," Felicia told her. "In fact, why don't you just let her spend the night? It's getting dark already, and there won't be that much time to play tonight. She can play with Georgie in the morning, too."

"You're sure that you won't mind?"

"We're fine. Now, take care of your emergency. Lulu will be safe here with me and the girls."


Alexis smiled as she headed towards the docks, getting ready to leave Spoon Island. It was a fine night for changes-windy with a storm rising-perfect for her mood. Not so long ago, she'd been banished from the place, from all that being a Cassadine entailed. Now, she was The Cassadine, for all intents and purposes, and, she reflected, boy did she have intents and purposes! Getting rid of Helena was near the top of her list, and that would be accomplished through fair means, or foul. Whatever worked. Taking care of her nephew and niece would be first, however. Nikolas had to know the truth as it had the most direct impact upon him. That being decided, Alexis turned back up the path to the mansion. Hearing someone coming up the path from the docks, she quietly melted into the bushes, hoping that their branches would shield her from the rain that was beginning, as well as from the view of whoever was coming.


"I don't care about the water being choppy," Laura told the man with the boat. "I must get to Spoon Island right away."

"It'll cost you."

"Doesn't everything?" she snapped impatiently. She opened her purse and counted out the amount advertised, with a sizable tip included. "Is that enough?"

"It's double on a night like this."

Angrily, Laura added more and then said, "Let's go."


"She's where?" Helena queried as she held the phone closely. "Priceless. They're all there? How delicious! Yes, dear boy. You know what to do...and precise timing really doesn't matter. Just make certain that it happens on Spoon Island tonight."

Helena clicked off the receiver, then abruptly changed her mind, entering a few numbers. "Hello? Yes, I know who is there...I also know who is coming......I couldn't have planned this better myself. He's calm?" She chuckled softly. "Not for long....."


Lucy slogged up the walkway towards Windemere, cursing steadily as she tried to wring the water out of her coat. Of all nights to have a storm, and of all nights to get soaked. She sneezed and cursed a little more. Still, she was going to talk with Bobbie and fill her in on what she'd learned. Granted, Luke probably wouldn't approve, but that had never stopped Lucy from doing anything before. Besides, Bobbie was involved, albeit in a peripheral manner. She'd told the boys what she knew, and since what she knew was what she'd been told, she'd just have to be told the truth.

Lucy knocked on the door, sneezing as it was opened. "I'm here to see Bobbie Spencer."

The housekeeper gave Lucy a look that was at once disdainful and condescending, but Lucy didn't let that stop her. She walked into the house and deliberately dripped water on what was probably a priceless Persian carpet, and smiled back at the woman. "Tell Ms. Spencer that I'm here to see her."

"Old harridan," Lucy grumbled as the housekeeper walked away.

"Yeah, but she makes good cookies," Bobbie commented as she approached a different direction. "Lucy-what brings you here?"

"We need to talk, Bobbie," Lucy began. "This is about Luke and Lucky and Laura. The whole rape thing."

"Are you sure that this is the time or the place? And, are you sure that you're the one to be doing it?"

"Don't get proper on me, Bobbie," Lucy started. "I know that you told Lucky and Nikolas what you knew, but the trouble is that you didn't know what I know, which is the truth."

Bobbie led Lucy into a private room where the two sat down. "Lucy," Bobbie chided, "This is a family thing, and I don't think that you should be intruding."

"Bobbie," Lucy mocked, "it's because I care about your brother that I am intruding-that is, that this really isn't an intrusion. That is, Luke and I are-together-and that gives me the right to say a few things to you that I think will put the two of us on the same side."

"I'm not taking sides," Bobbie told her. "Unless it's to come down on the side of the boys. They're the innocent pawns in all of this."

"Not completely," Lucy told her. "Your brother has been wronged-horribly wronged, and I'm going to help right that wrong as quickly as possible."

"I'm not understanding you."

"You might if you let me say what I came to say."

Bobbie sighed. "Just say it and leave."

"Barbara Jean?" Stefan entered the room, and seeing Lucy, looked only slightly irritated. "Mrs. Lansbury said that we had a guest."

"Mr. Cassadine."

"Ms. Coe, I believe?"

"Yes. I came to bring Bobbie some information that I think she'll find helpful in dealing with her nephews."

"In that case, perhaps I should hear it as well."

"Maybe you should," Lucy nodded, thoughtfully. "As it should have some impact upon you, too."

"Get on with it, Lucy," Bobbie nudged.

"Well," Lucy began. "Luke and I were talking about the past-about things that had happened to him, and he told me about...about the rape. About his memories of it-cloudy and incomplete that they were."

"And?"

"And, well, let me just cut to the chase. Luke didn't rape Laura, and I can prove it. I'm not saying that she wasn't raped, but it wasn't by him. He knows this, and he went to Laura to talk with her a little while ago. I thought that I should let you know about this-because Lucky needs to know the truth. He needs to know that the man he idolized for most of his life isn't a rapist." Lucy turned to Stefan. "I'm guessing that much of your hatred of Luke is based on believing that he abused Laura. He didn't do that. I'm also guessing that he doesn't give a damn what you think, and he probably wouldn't even bother to tell you, but since your actions have directly impacted upon his life, you need to know the truth."

Stefan looked mildly amused. "So, I'm supposed to welcome him with open arms because he's not a rapist? The man is responsible for the deaths of my father and my brother. Are you going to tell me that he didn't do that, too?"

Lucy shook her head, growing angrier by the moment. "I came here to see Bobbie, and I was polite enough to talk with you. From what I know about your family, Luke probably did the world a favor by disposing of them. Lord knows that we'd all be better off if he'd done in your mother back when he was a teenager before she took advantage of his inexperience."

Lucy paused, her eyes wide with the knowledge that she'd said too much. "Back when he met her as a teenager. That is, he was the teenager and she wasn't."

Bobbie was stunned. "Lucy, are you saying what I think that you're saying?"

"I'm not saying anything," Lucy stammered. "That is, I think that it's time for me to return to the mainland." With that, she grabbed her wet coat and headed for the door.

Bobbie looked at Stefan who was no longer smiling. "My God, Stefan. Helena and Luke when he was a teenager?" Suddenly, she gasped, "You don't think...it couldn't be....but Lucky is so like him...this can't be!"

"I think that I am about to be violently ill," Stefan muttered, rising quickly. He exited the room, leaving Bobbie in shock.

"My God," Bobbie murmured. "Could Luke be Stefan's father?"