Risk

Chapter LXXVIII

The Brothers Cassadine

Stavros glances down at his watch and frowns. This is unacceptable. Ever since Caroline went back to Deception her hours had gotten longer and later. Stavros glances up from the table and catches Kris' eye who nods and leaves his dessert to go make a call.

Michael picks at his dessert knowing something is up but not quite what only he figures that he hasn't messed up lately. "You're mad."

Stavros starts to deny it and than shrugs. "Yes."

"It's probably damn attorneys." Michael nods his head knowingly. He actually feels easier with Stavros' admission rather than Stavros trying to make him feel better and putting on a fake face; Mama did that now and then.

"Close." Stavros says grimly.

Michael lifts his index finger in a eureka moment and half comes out of his chair as he leans forward and across the corner of the table to emphasize his point to Stavros. "It's business." Michael hisses. "It ruins everything."

"I am beginning to come around to that view." Stavros agrees with narrowed eyes.

Kris comes back and is pulling on his coat. "I'm going to go pick up Mrs Corinthos at work now. She's winding up for the day." Kris doesn't mention the part where Carly had lost all track of time and hadn't realized how late it was.

"Bring back that Elton Herbert when you do." Stavros orders. Kris winces but nods as he leaves. "Michael, why don't you prepare yourself for bed. Your mother will be home in time to read to you and hear the accounting of your day."

Michael pulls his linen napkin from the collar of his shirt and sets it by his plate. He slides off the chair and with a nod starts to race up the stairs but then he comes back. "Are you and Mama going to fight? It's not her fault you know. It's business. And she's covering for everybody. She doesn't mean to be late. Maybe you should have bought Mama a watch in Istanbul instead of one for me."

Stavros takes a deep breath and holds it for three and then exhales. "Thank you. Tomorrow you and I will go out and buy your mother a watch."

"Okay." Michael gives Stavros a quick hug and pat on the arm to make him feel better and then goes racing up to his room.

Stavros starts an impatient tattoo of his thumb beating against the edge of the mahogony table as he waits alone for Carly to get home.

Stefan pours himself a small glass of port and refuses to look over to the clock on the mantal. Watching the clock is an affectation. His internal chronometer is at least as accurate. He knew to the minute exactly what time it is. He knew how late Barbara is. He knew she'd called Lucas and Mrs Lansbury to let them know she'd be late but that she had errands that couldn't be postponed. ERRANDS. Barbara had been expected back at the hospital after her so called Lunch with Jerry Jacks in the park but instead had called in and requested personal time. When he'd called her on her cell; he could hear the lie in her voice. Oh she was on errands all right. Errands she couldn't share with him. His hand tightens around the fragile stem of crystal snapping it in half and gouging his hand. Stefan tosses the pieces into the fireplace and looks down at the pooling mess of blood in the palm of his hand.

Bobbie comes into the front room and sees Stefan standing there almost pensively with a tension to his body that she hadn't seen in quite some time. She frowns and then she realizes. "My Gawd! Stefan! What have you done?!" She rushes to his side and calls out to Mrs Lansbury. Mrs Lansbury steps into the room. "Get the firstaid kit."

"It's nothing." Stefan protests pulling his hand away from Bobbie and wrapping it with a handkerchief from his pocket. "And isn't that your line for Caroline... My Gawd Caroline what have you done?!" Stefan puts on a mocking southern accent as he repeats the often said phrase.

"Have you been drinking?" Bobbie wonders aloud. "Where is Lucas?"

Mrs Lansbury comes back with the firstaid kit and hands it to Barbara. "Here you go, Mrs Cassadine. Mr Lucas said he needed to go to the library to work on a project for school. He wanted to be picked up at eight."

"The library." Bobbie laughs but it isn't a happy laugh. "Great."

Mrs Lansbury frowns but retreats. There is something going on and she doesn't quite know what. The only way she will be able to find out is if she gets out of the suspected range of hearing.

Stefan frowns too and studies Bobbie hard. "Why do you have a problem with Lucas going to the library?"

"Let me see your hand." Bobbie doesn't answer the question. "It's bad enough that you are just getting over broken ribs and now this... drinking and breaking things. Should I start calling you Sonny or something?"

Stefan reaches for Bobbie with his good hand twining his hand into the hair at the back of her neck and pulling her close. He forces a long deep kiss on her. Bobbie grabs hold of the front of his shirt for balance dropping the unopened firstaid kit to the floor. Pulling back from the kiss, Stefan closes his eyes and inhales deeply sniffing Bobbie's hair and her clothes.

"What the hell has gotten into you!" Bobbie pushes him away.

"I just wanted to know if I could still smell him on you."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Bobbie steps back and hugs her arms around herself. "And what you are implying is disgusting."

"Did you have you have a pleasant lunch, Barbara? I stopped by to invite you out of the hospital but you'd already left."

"No, I didn't. I wouldn't call it pleasant at all. Is this about me calling in for the afternoon? I had things to do, Stefan. Things I normally would have gotten done when I was working an off shift in surgery. Why am I explaining myself to you?!" Bobbie throws up her hands. "I have no idea what your problem is but it's not mine." Bobbie steps even further back. "I think I'll just go pick Lucas up at the library and go home--to the brownstone. Give me a call when you are making sense!"

"You aren't going anywhere!" Stefan roars and grabs hold of Bobbie's arm in a painful grip. "Not until you explain yourself!"

"Let. Go. Of. Me." Bobbie snarls between gritted teeth.

Stefan drops Bobbie's arm shocked sober by his own action. "Barbara... I..."

"I don't know what the hell your problem is but it's just that. Your problem. You are not going to take it out on me. I'm not married to you anymore, Stefan! I don't have to put up with your bull****!" Bobbie belts her coat in preparation of leaving again and looks around for her purse, spotting it where she'd dropped it in the foyer once she realized that Stefan was injured. She starts walking away.

"Barbara, where did you go for lunch today?" Stefan asks in a low voice. "Please."

"You already know where I went. I told you where I was going." Bobbie isn't ready to give in and keeps on walking.

Stefan comes after her. "Refresh my memory."

Bobbie stops and turns around. "I went to see Lucas' teacher. We talked about it a couple of days ago. About needing a conference."

"But I saw..." Stefan clips off what he is about to say. "A conference... really. And it didn't go well. You said your lunch didn't go well. Is there a problem?" It takes everything in him to keep his tone even and his voice controlled. He maintains a careful distance, not close enough to invade Bobbie's space but carefully angled to stop her if she should continue out the door to the launch.

Whatever he said sets Bobbie off again. Her eyes fill with tears that she brushes impatiently away. "Great. This is just what I didn't want to do. Why I didn't come back to work. I tried to calm down but everytime I start thinking..."

"Barbara! What happened?!" Stefan draws closer and this time Bobbie doesn't retreat from him.

"Lucas' teacher wants him to be evaluated by a specialist. She thinks he has some kind of dyslexia."

"She's an idiot." Stefan dismisses the teacher's opinion. "Lucas is fine."

Bobbie grabs him by the arm. "Don't say that. Don't you ever say that. Yes, Lucas is fine. But I won't let you call someone an idiot because they are concerned about Lucas. Damn it, Stefan! If it's true then I should have caught it years ago! I was so invested in making sure that Lucas could handle his diabetes..."

"Stop that right now! I will not allow you to beat yourself up over unfounded suggestions of a woman who evidently cannot maintain control over her classroom and is looking for a scapegoat."

"Lucas has you check his homework right?"

"Of course."

"What kind of things?"

"His maths, projects he is working on that seem to involve a lot of paper mache and paint." Stefan answers impatiently.

"But not his spelling right... or stories he's written?" Bobbie asks softly. She sees the answer in Stefan's face before he can blank it. "I didn't think so. Me either. I need to talk to Lucas. This specialist that the teacher recommended... I don't think an evaluation would hurt."

"I want the name of this so called specialist. I will investigate their references." Stefan demands.

Bobbie knows he has already accepted the possiblity of the dyslexia and has shifted into normal responsive gear-- a quest for information and control. She nods. "I have the card in my purse." She sighs. "Well now you know what was bothering me. What is bothering you?"

"I should have been at that appointment with you." Stefan reaches up and cups Bobbie's face with his uninjured hand. "I'm sorry that you received such news alone."

Bobbie laughs ruefully. "Oh I have a picture of you in my head duking it out with the teacher. I'm glad I went alone. You would have made things so much more complicated than they already are. You always do. I haven't met a Cassadine yet that was a proponet of the KISS principle."

"And what is this principle?" Stefan quirks an eyebrow.

"Keep. It. Simple." Stupid. Bobbie punctuates each word with a kiss even the last that she doesn't say aloud. "But I am going to take you up on finding out everything you can about this specialist. So... are you going to let me take a look at your hand?"

"Sorry, I'm late! I brought Dinner! I had a great day today. Hired an assistant so I'll be able to concentrate on designing." Kristina says cheerfully as she walks into the gatehouse at the Quartermaine property. She looks up from unlocking the door juggling the plastic bags filled with paper cartons of chinese food and sees that there is a full house. Not only is Ned there but also Jax, Jerry, and Thaao. Which is weird enough but also Skye. "Wow. Didn't know that there was a meeting going on here. Let me guess..." Counting heads again Kristina jumps to the conclusion. "... I'm thinking ELQ vs the Cassadines? How close am I?"

"Been consulting the I Ching again?" Skye snarks. This meeting had not gone well. Too much testosterone and not enough actual brainstorming. And of course everything coming out of Jax's mouth was immediately suspect since he'd already sold ELQ down the river more than once and actually put them in the position of having to hold ELQ meetings in this damn gatehouse rather than at the office where Cassadines' cronies had already started to make their presence felt.

"I think your sugar must be dropping." Kristina says kindly rather than what is running thru her brain. Daaaammmmnnnn! What a bitch!. She digs thru the bags and finds a fortune cookie, tossing it in Skye's direction. "Why don't you start with dessert first? I'm going to call for more food." Kristina grabs the takeout menu from inside the bag and calls the restaurant she just left. Hopefully they'd be able to deliver. "Anyone got any requests?" She calls out what she already brought... which would have been enough for four people but not six. As soon as she is sure that more food is on the way she goes into the kitchen where she is already more comfortable than Ned is and grabs plates, chopsticks and forks bringing them out to the desk. She opens up each of the cartons. They'd be dining family style tonight and everyone could dish their own

Jerry is already at her elbow assisting. He isn't one to turn down dinner. "Smells great."

"Little place I found down in the chinese quarter while I was looking for some great water fountains." A thought occurs to Kristina and she turns around to the others. "Where is Alexis?"

Jax grimaces. "Don't think she would care for the subject matter so I..."

"You didn't tell her you were coming here to help Ned pull ELQ's irons from the fire?! Jax!"

"Alexis wants as much distance between us and the Cassadines as she can get."

"Which makes Mum happy." Jerry reminds. "She'd just as soon you stay out of it as well. Work on giving her some grandbabies instead that they can groom to be president since you've got that dang felony on your record now."

"I was never going to be president." Jax shakes his head with a sigh. "Born in Australia remember. And taking that felony saved your ass. That time."

Skye covers her mouthing faking a large yawn. "This is all so entertaining and I'm sure next we'll start reminiscing about category five rapids you took while rafting the Colorado but I'd just as soon get back to the real issue here. Getting ELQ back? Anyone remember that one?"

"Caroline is the key." Thaao says sagely as he dishes up some spicy prawns over a bed of rice and veggies. He grabs a pair of chopsticks. His well traveled lifestyle has given him skills in all form of dining utensils and an appreciation for foreign cusine that matches that of the Jacks brothers.

"You always think that Caroline is the key." Jax dismisses. "That's because you have a deathwish."

"Carly is the key." Ned disagrees with Jax. "I don't think that Cassadine would have come after ELQ if Carly wasn't in the picture. Cassadines have always been about Spencers not Quartermaines. Now I'm not saying that Carly could make him change his mind about what he's doing."

"She'd just as soon ELQ burned to the ground too. Having the company in pieces minimalizes the Quartermaines and anything they might do about Michael." Skye puts in her addition. "But somehow we need to drive a wedge between Stavros and Carly. He'd be less interested in protecting her interests. No, wait." Skye starts thinking this one thru. "That's not quite it. That's not quite it. How to make it work?"

Carly comes into the house shedding her coat and large leather portfolio handing it to the maid who already has the door open for her. "Where are the boys?"

"Prince Stavros is in the study. Mr Michael is up in his room getting ready for bed." The maid who is a transplant from Greece along with the cook is already familiar with Carly's turn of phrase.

Carly winces. "Right." She turns around to Elton who is right behind her. "Elton..."

"You go on, Honey. And tuck that little sweetie in. I'll be right here."

"Thanks-- you're a saint." Carly gives his arm a squeeze and then goes racing off to Michael's room.

Kris has finished parking the car and comes in as Elton is handing over his coat to the maid. "Did Carly..."

Elton answers the question before it's completed. "She's up checking on Michael."

"Prince Stavros wanted to speak to you." Kris' comment takes on an ominious tone.

Elton's both brows go up. "Well then we best not keep him waiting!"

"Exactly." Kris agrees as he leads the way to the study. As the two men walk away the maid shudders. She's too young to remember the old Stavros but the stories she'd heard.... Prince Stavros has never been anything but civil to the staff but he'd been in the company of Miss Carly or Mr Michael the whole time he's been back. He'd only been really mad once and that had been at the reporters in Gstaad.
The Cassadines don't hire new staff as a rule. All of the family holdings are staffed by people who have been with the Cassadines since birth. The last real new hire on staff had been Kristen Bergman and that experiment hadn't gone over well. Most of the staff are like the Windsors. Kris had been groomed to take the place his father had held before him. The maid's mother is the cook from the island in Greece. Anyway... stories of Stavros' temper are legend, as bad or worse than Helena. Everyone had been waiting for the other shoe to drop but it had always been Miss Carly who'd start throwing things. Hopefully today would be the same.

Inside the study, Stavros looks up at Elton who is standing on the other side of the desk. Elton isn't phased. He's always been one to think on his feet. The first addition he'd made to his turf at Deception had been a cordless headset so he could keep moving and have his hands free. Stavros glances at his watch then again at Elton. "I had Cook set aside meals for you and Caroline."

"How unexpected!" Elton replies cheerfully, knowing that dinner had just gotten better than what he was planning on nuking from the freezer at home.

"Unexpected. Yes. That is exactly what it is." Stavros says grimly. "And it won't happen again. Caroline has dinner with her son at six. There is no excuse for her missing or being late."

"Now-- Mrs Corinthos...." Elton starts to defend Carly.

"Oh I don't blame Mrs Corinthos. I blame you! Mrs Corinthos is in the office from one to five only if you can't handle your job..."

WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!!! Carly snarls from the doorway. She points to Kris and to Elton. "You and you out of here--- NOW!!" Kris looks over to Stavros waiting for his nod before leaving.

The door slams after they leave. "Oh Dear." Elton murmurs.

"This is probably going to take awhile." Kris says wryly. "Dinner?"

"Why not?" Elton shrugs.

Inside the study, Carly stalks over to the desk. "Who the hell do you think you are talking to Elton that way?! He works for Deception! And Deception is MINE! You don't go around threatening my people!!"

"I have not forgotten my place." Stavros puts the emphasis where he thinks it belongs.

"Oh but you think I have?! We don't work that way, Buddy! I don't take orders from you. We aren't partners; we decided that early on. We're suppose to be friends! And I won't have some guy organizing my life! Been there-- done that!"

"DO NOT COMPARE ME TO YOUR HUSBAND!" Stavros rises to his feet.

"Then DON'T ACT LIKE HIM!" Carly screams back slamming both of her hands on the desk.

Stavros' voice goes low and grim as he goes nose to nose with Carly. "Refresh my memory. You told me once you had one place on this earth- just one. Tell me again what it was?"

Carly takes a step back from the desk. "Michael's mother."

Stavros nods in agreement. "And yet you are at the office ten to twelve hours a day and the only way Michael sees you, if he is lucky, is ten minutes before he goes to bed! It is unacceptable."

"You're not being fair!" Carly says defensively and with the guilt never far from a mother's heart where her child is concerned. "It's not my fault that your wife decided to slip town the same time your son is on a business trip? I'm doing the work of three people right now. Well one of them is Laura so two and a half. I'm doing the best I can!"

Stavros shakes his head. "You are allowing Deception to consume you. Nikolas and Laura are just excuses."

"Excuses!"

"Yes, Excuses!" Stavros snaps back. He turns the laptop on the desk around showing Carly the computer Risk game that is actually the Cassadine Estate. "Every one of these markers is a company at least the size of Deception and more likely ten to a hundred times the size of Deception! You are not ruling Deception! You are allowing it to rule you!"

"Nikolas is only going to be gone for another week."

"There will always be something." Stavros counters. "As soon as Nikolas is back you'll be kicking the bathline into high gear."

Carly flushes. Actually she'd already started that. The bathline ads would be hitting the remaining cities on Gia's tour. She'd been able to pick up some great ad space. "What the hell am I supposed to do?" Carly protests.

"What you planned to do from the start..."

"Ha! That was before you stuck me with Nik. I could have had Laura out of there by now if we'd done things my way! And I wouldn't be running every freaking decision by Nikolas."

"... In the office from 1-5. The same hours as Michael is with his tutor." Stavros demands.

"But..."

"Of what use are these computers and call forwarding that you taught me if you do not use them?!" Stavros demands. "There is no reason for you to be in the office! You can work here or France or Switzerland or Singapore!"

Carly takes another step back and crosses her arms defensively. Her lower lip goes out in a pout. "I'd probably need an adapter."

Stavros is about to make another point when he actually hears what Carly just said. He snorts and rolls his eyes. "Little Cat..."

"Just shut up a minute and let me think." Carly demands as she starts to pace.

Of course Stavros doesn't but instead hammers his point home. "Michael already had a poor opinion of business. But up until you returned to Deception his impression of the way we do business was something anticipated rather than dreaded."

"You can't threaten Elton anymore." Carly warns.

"I can and I will. He is taking advantage of your desire to do well. You recalled Elton from Pine Valley to take some of the burden away from you. Not add to it! I was simply reminding him of that fact."

Carly exhales sharply. "You know I have talked to Nikolas about his already."

"And..." Stavros prompts.

"I was waiting for him to get back." Stavros is already shaking his head. "Come On!" Carly protests. "Be reasonable! You want me in the office for only four hours fine! I'm not pulling the long hours for me; I'm doing it for you!! I'd rather be with Michael too! I'll just tell Nikolas that Laura split and he needs to cut his trip short!" Carly trumps triumphantly. She knows Stavros doesn't want that. Stavros just looks at her. Carly shrugs. "It was worth a shot. And it's mostly true."

"You aren't going to call Nikolas back." Stavros says in a low voice, his tone seductive as he comes around the desk and draws closer to Carly.

"I know." Carly sighs. "But you could have at least pretended like it was a real possiblity." Taking both of Stavros' arms at the wrist she wraps them around her waist and then puts her hands up on his shoulders. She looks up at him. "Don't threaten Elton. I'm the one staying late. He's not coming over here and dragging me into the office."

"Forward your calls to the house. Schedule your meetings for the afternoons." Stavros suggests as he nuzzles her neck and below her ear. "Or you could schedule all your meetings here and never go into the office."

"And you think I'll get anything done?" Carly protests with a moan.

"You created the bathline, nailed down the source, called a strike, bought up the essence company, ran a photo shoot..."

"Enough." Carly sighs and then she cups Stavros' face so she can look him straight in the eye without the distraction of his beard tickling the nape of her neck sending shivers down her back. "I'm going to take your advice cause it's good advice... Lucien-- But..."

"Yes, yes yes. What's yours is yours, and what is mine is mine." Stavros presses a kiss into Carly's palm. "And Deception is yours." and you are mine.

"Exactly." Carly agrees with a nod.

Dang!! don't you wish Carly could read minds? Or is it more intesting when she can't? And didn't I tell y'all that Jerry being back was gonna make things interesting?

Deb

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