Nikolas knocked on the door of the brownstone, hoping that Bobbie would be in the house. Her schedule, he knew, was variable, and there was nothing that guaranteed her presence. He stood impatiently, and the door finally opened, though, to his dismay, it wasn't Bobbie, but Lucky who had answered.

"What do you want?" Lucky asked. He eyed his brother warily, noting for the first time that Nikolas was somewhat disheveled. "You all right?"

"I'm fine," Nik answered, his voice even. He barely had any difficulties in speaking now. "I need to speak with Bobbie. Is she in?"

"She's in." Lucky stood in the way as if considering whether or not Nikolas should be allowed entrance.

"Tell her that I'm here, and that I need some answers." For a few seconds, Nikolas studied Lucky's face as if seeing it for the first time. He wondered briefly if he felt sorry for him, for what he knew was coming, the shock and disillusionment. "Maybe you should stay, too."

"Nikolas?" greeted Bobbie, seeing the consternation on his face. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," he answered bluntly. "That is...um, Bobbie, Kathryn told me that I should talk with you, that you'd never lied to her, and that I should trust you."

"Of course you can trust Bobbie," Lucky injected. "It's the Cassadines that aren't to be trusted."

Nikolas looked at Lucky, and laughed softly. "Lucky, you have no idea."

"Come on in, Nikolas," Bobbie told him, frankly curious about what Kat could have said to so bother him. "Tell me what's on your mind."

Lucky stood to one side, watching and wondering what Nikolas had meant by his cryptic remark. "Spit it out, Cassadine."

"Lucky," chided Bobbie. "This is a neutral zone for today. No fighting or sniping allowed." Turning to Nikolas, she asked, "What is it?"

Wondering suddenly if he was doing the right thing, he paused. "Maybe you shouldn't be here, Lucky. Maybe you shouldn't hear this."

"Does it involve me?" Lucky asked. At Nik's nod, he said, "Then I'm staying. Whatever it is, just say it."

Casting about for a way to soften the blow, Nikolas began. "I overheard some things yesterday-things that I hadn't known, that had been kept from me. From you, too, Lucky."

"Get on with it." Lucky instructed. He had the uneasy feeling that he wasn't going to like what his half-brother was about to say, but he couldn't very well bail out now. Besides, he'd seen enough ugly stuff lately that he doubted if anything that Nikolas said could bother him.

"I was in the secret passage outside Stefan's study."

"Sneaking around again?" Lucky jibed.

"Lay off, Lucky," Bobbie ordered tersely, sensing that things were about to take a nasty turn. "What did you hear, Nikolas?"

"That...Lucky....damnit, you shouldn't hear this until I have confirmation on it."

"Don't you mean 'unless'?" Lucky asked. "Or are you going to believe everything that your Uncle says, as usual?"

"Lucky!" Bobbie admonished sharply. "Now, either be quiet, or get out."

"Sorry, Bobbie," Lucky apologized. "Guess I'm just a little on edge lately."

"Go on, Nikolas. What did you hear?" Bobbie asked.

Taking a deep breath, Nikolas plunged ahead. "I overheard my-that is, our mother talking with Stefan. He said that Luke had raped Laura, that she had told him-Stefan.."

"Liar!" shouted Lucky, throwing a punch that struck Nikolas only slightly as he'd been anticipating it. "Dad would never hurt Mom and you know it."

Bobbie was stunned. "Laura is home?"

"She's in Port Charles," Nikolas said, holding Lucky in a choke hold after swiftly overpowering him. He spoke softly into his half-brother's ear. "I told you that you didn't need to hear this, but you didn't have sense enough to listen. Now, are you going to shut up, or do I have to.."

A stream of invectives spewed from Lucky's mouth that shocked even Bobbie. "Lucky! There will be no more of that. This is serious. Nikolas, turn him loose."

"I don't think so, Bobbie," Nikolas said. "It gets worse." Lucky began squirming, but Nikolas held him tightly. "Hold on, little brother," he ordered. "I've had some time to adjust to the things that I heard, and believe me, I didn't like them, either." Turning his attention back to Bobbie, he said, "Is it true? Did Luke rape Laura years ago?"

Bobbie looked at her two nephews, seeing the rage and pain etched on their faces, the torment caused by the sins of their parents. Both boys stared at her eyes, and there was no way that she could hide the truth. Without speaking a word, she nodded.

"Nooooo!" Lucky cried out. "That's a lie."

"Then it's true?" Nikolas asked. "Maybe the rest of it is true, too."

"What 'rest of it'?" Bobbie asked. "There's more?"

"She said that I wasn't Stefan's son, as he'd believed. That means that they were...that she betrayed Stavros-and that I'm not his son, either. She said that I'm not even a Cassadine."

"You filthy son....." Lucky began, but a quick tightening movement of Nikolas cut off his speech.

"You may be right," Nikolas informed him, "but I'd rather not discuss that at the moment. He turned back to Bobbie. "She also said that he, Lucky, is Stefan's son."

Another anguished wail was torn from Lucky's throat, and he struggled in vain to escape Nikolas. "Hold still, Lucky," his half-brother said gently. "I don't want to hurt you, and I don't want you to hurt yourself. Or me, for that matter. Bobbie-is it true?"

Bobbie, still in shock from the first revelation, answered simply, "I don't know about the rest, but the...rape...is true. Only a few people knew the truth. Apparently Luke and Laura came to some understanding as time went by, but yes, that's true." Bobbie sat down and shook her head. "You said that Kathryn sent you to me? Does she know?"

Nikolas nodded. "You know that she's been living on Spoon Island in the cottage in the garden. Apparently, she overheard the same thing yesterday outside the study. She's leaving Port Charles."

"But why? Even if Stefan and Laura had a relationship, it ended...."She paused, seeing Nikolas shake his head. "It isn't over?"

"No," he said softly. "It isn't over. Not as of yesterday afternoon."

Lucky's struggles were weaker, as if the fight had gone out of him with the realization that Nikolas was telling the truth as he'd heard it. Bobbie's confirmation of the rape had nearly broken his heart. Learning that he might not be Luke's son, but the son of his enemy, had done the rest. Bobbie read the complete disillusionment in Lucky's eyes.

"I'm not a Cassadine," Lucky spat, but his words held little confidence. "Nothing you can say can make me believe that." He struggled again. "Damnit, let me go!"

Sensing that it was safe, Nikolas released him standing back. "I'm sorry that you had to learn like this."

"I've got to talk with Dad," Lucky insisted, as if his insistence could make it so. "He'll tell me that you are lying. Aunt Bobbie, how could you say those things?" He backed away from them, his voice breaking, and tears very near the surface.

"Especially after Lizzie was....raped. I saw what happened. I saw her eyes... Oh, God, Aunt Bobbie..." His words were strangled, and he could barely speak. "Say it isn't so!"

"I can't, Lucky," Bobbie whispered, her eyes liquid with tears for Lucky's heartache. "Because it's true. I told Luke yesterday that he needed to tell you the truth before somebody else did."