When Everything Changes 16

Chapter 16: Difficulties...

"W-what are you doing here?" Karen asked, confused and flustered.

"I work here." He answered simply.

"You're back. You moved back to Port Charles?"

He nodded. "Yeah." He paused. "So? This is akward, huh?" He sighed and smiled
wryly. "How have you been?"

~~

"You want me to let that....that tramp stay in *my* house?" Monica asked AJ,
outraged.

"The court won't let her stay with Jason. He's agreed to allow Michael to come
live here with her if that's what she wants." AJ reminded her. "It'd mean
Michael will be here."

"Good job, AJ." Edwards said, with satisfaction. "I'll finally have my great-
grandson under my roof."

"It's *my* roof." Monica shot back. "And we'll also have a back-stabbing,
trampy nutcase here too."

"Thank you, for that warn welcome." Carly drolled sarcastically entering. To
AJ, "I think this is a bad idea. I'll just go ask Bobbie if I can stay with
her."

~~

At Windemere. Stefan was sitting at the table, going over some paperwork. He
set his glasses down, rubbed the bridge of his nose and remembered...

[["You heard me." Katherine said, narrowing her eyes into a glare. "I won't
keep silent. Nothing you say or do will change that. Nikolas *will* know what
I know."]]

[["You wouldn't...."]]

[["I would, could and will!" She exclaimed. "Helena already knows." She added
maliciously.]]

"Stefan!" Alexis repeated for the third time, placing her purse on the table.
"Earth to Stefan." She sat. "Are you there?"

"Yes." He said quickly. "I'm sorry...I was just thinking. When did you get
here? I didn't hear you come in."

"Obviously." She commented. "Just a few minutes ago. Waht were you so lost in
thought about?"

"Katherine." He answered.

"Do you think she's really Katherine?" Alexis asked him. "Or didn't you get
enough to go on."

"Oh, I got more than you'd think." Stefan said under his breath.

But she heard him. "What do you mean? Did you speak to her? After the scene in
the courtroom? Did you catch up to her?"

"Yes." Stefan answered.

"Is she Katherine? Or not?" Alexis asked, leaning forward.

"Most definitely not." Stefan said with clarity.

~~

Katherine found Nikolas, on his way back to Spoon Island. "Nikolas!" She
called.

He paused. He looked her over, as if trying to decide if she was Katherine.
"Yes?" He said finally.

"I've been waiting for you. I wanted to speak to you, but I don't really want
to see Stefan right now." She said, with a small smile.

Nikolas no longer was left wondering, for the moment. "Why?"

"We had a fight just before I fell." she said with a little shrug. "But even
if we hadn't, after everything...I'm a different person. I dob't know how to
tell him that." She explained with a small, sad smile.

"Oh." Was all Nikolas said.

"But I need to talk to you. Why don't we sit down." She gestured to a bench,
nearby. He nodded and they sat down.

"What do we need to talk about?" He asked her, with his eyebrows raised.
"Besides, the fact that you and Uncle aren't getting married, what is there
left to say?"

"A lot." Katherine said simply.

~~

Ned paced in the waiting room. He glanced at Lois, who was jsut sitting there,
motionless. He sighed.

"Do you want a cup of coffee?" He asked Lois. "I'm going to get myself one.
I'll bring you back one if you want."

"W-what?" She looked up and then it clicked in her head. "Oh, coffee. No, no."
She shook her head. "I'm fine."

"OK." He said simply. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

~~

There was a long pause before Karen answered his question. "I've been...good."
She said finally. "And you?"

"Oh. Fine." He said finally. "Except it's awful busy around here, it seems.
There was a huge shock today."

"What?" Karen asked, quizically.

"I went to a crime scene. A murder scene." He said softly. "And the woman, who
was dead, lying on the floor was Brenda Barret."

"Brenda?" Karen gasped. She almost lost her footing, but Jagger reached out
quickly, to steady her.

"Yeah."

"That's horrible." Karen sad softly. "And it was a day since Robin's
funeral..."

"Did you go?" Jagger asked and she nodded. "You'll be okay?" He asked her
softly, looking at her.

"Yeah." She nodded. "Well... See you." She forced a smile before leaving. He
watched her go with wistful eyes.

~~

Eve was making some notes on a patient's chart. "Good thing I found you, Dr.
Lambert." Detective Garcia.

She sighed. "What do you want, Garcia?"

"I hear your alibi is a fake." He said simply. "If you tell me it'll be a lot
easier than if you don't."

"There's nothing to tell. I was with Chris."

"Oh. Really?" Garcia said. "Because that's not what he said."

~~

"I'm sorry." AJ apologized to Carly.

"You shouldn't be. She had every right to say those things. I treated you
horribly." Carly said simply. "Thank you for getting them to release me. I'll
be at Bobbie's. Jason promised to bring Michael by this afternoon." She smiled
softly.

He nodded. "Carly?"

"Yeah?" She asked softly.

"Can...I know this is a big thing, since Jason doesn't want it, but can I see
him? My nephew, I mean?" AJ asked, her gently.

"I--I...I guess so. Sure." She paused. "Tomorrow. Call first."

"Great. Thanks." He smiled.

"One good turn deserves another." She said, with a shrug. "Or so they say."

~~

"She's not Katherine?" Alexis leaned forward, interested. "How do you know
that? She didn't tell you."

"No. But if she *is* Katherine, she isn't the one I knew. She's malicious, and
is coming up with horrible lies. She is no longer Katherine, she is one of
Helena's cronies now. Not the woman I loved." Stefan said simply. "She wants
to hurt me. To bring us all down." He sighed. "But after months with Helena,
what is to be expected?"

She sighed and shrugged. "I don't know." She shook her head and sighed. Just
then, her phone rang. "Hello?"

~~

"Hi." Ned said softly. He was in the hall, a cup of coffee in his hand, a
cellphone in the other.

"Ned?" Alexis' voice came through. A soft, sympathetic voice: "How are you?
How's your daughter doing?"

"She's..." His voice cracked and he struggled to regain it. "She's in
surgery." He said softly.
 
 

On the other end, at Windemere, she held up a hand to Stefan, mouthed a
goodbye and left the room. Her heart broke as she heard his lost voice, "I'm
sorry." She said softly. "But I'm glad you called."

"Yeah?" His voice was obviously vulnerable.

"Yes. Of course." She said softly.

"How is Port Charles?" He asked.

"Everything is a mess here, but it's allright." She added quickly, not wanting
him to have to worry about anything other than Brooke. {{Note: Good God, why
couldn't Lois just name her Brooke? It sounds odd if I say "Brooke" and worse
if I say "Brooke Lynn".}}

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yeah." She said, and then added softly: "But I'll miss you tonight."

He almost smiled, but not really. "I'll call again when I can. I have been
gone too long already. There might be news."

Softly, "OK."

"Goodbye."

"Bye." She hung up and sighed.

~~

"What do you mean by that?" Nikolas asked Katherine, with narrowed eyes. "What
is it you want to tell me."

"I might as well come right out and say it." Katherine said with a shrug.
"Stefan Cassadine isn't your uncle."

Taken aback, "What?"

"He's not your uncle." Katherine said in a cool, matter-of-fact voice. "Stefan
is your father."


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