Dance with the Devil: Chapter 43

Alexis had instructed Molly to stay with Jack and Sam while they were in the house and they had stuck to that for the most part.  But, as Molly was telling the teenage boy of the various balls and weddings that had taken place in the ballroom, Sam, ever curious, wandered off.  He made his way through the maze of rooms and found himself in the library.  As he looked around, he became so enthralled with  portrait that hung over the mantle, he did not notice someone enter the room.

“Nikolas was so distraught over Emily’s death, it nearly destroyed him and Mom says he’s never really recovered from it.  He finally left Port Charles last year wit his son Spencer and splits his time between Zurich and the island in Greece,” Molly explained.

Jack hadn’t really been paying all that much attention to what Molly had been saying, but he was amused by the romantic way she told it.  Then he realized something.  Looking around, he called out, “Sam!”

Molly’s eyes went wild and she starting running around the room looking for Jack’s little brother.  When they both realized he wasn’t in there, they expanded the search to other rooms on the ground floor. 

As they were looking for him, Sam finally noticed he was not alone.  Seemingly out of magic, an older lady stood in from the side.  There was something about her that almost reminded him of his Aunt Viki.  She was very well-dressed and had blonde hair, but she didn’t seem as warm as his aunt.  Then she spoke.  “How did you get here?” she asked in a nasty tone of voice.

“I came over with my big brother and his friend,” Sam said simply.  “Where did you come from?”

Something about what he said made the lady laugh.  “And who is your brother and his friend?” she asked without answering his question.

Before he had a chance to respond, he heard Jack  “What are you doing in here?  I told you to stay with us,” Jack admonished him.  Then he noticed the woman.  “Oh, we didn’t think anyone else was here.  Sorry if her disturbed you, Ma’am.” 

As Jack was about to take Sam’s hand, Molly came in.  “Oh, thank God you found him.  If my mother knew…” her voice trailed off.  “What are you doing here?” she asked in astonishment.

“Is that anyway to treat your grandmother, dear?” the woman asked.

“You’re no grandmother of mine,” Molly cried back.

Her daughter’s voice brought Alexis into the study.  She saw who was in the room with them.  “Molly, take Jack and Sam down to the dock,” Alexis stated coldly.  When nobody moved, she shouted, “Now!”  The children left, making their way to the foyer of the house. 

Jack looked back at their path.  “Who was that?” he asked in bewilderment. 

“You don’t want to know,” Molly said in a worried tone.

Jack could see her concern.  “Molly, keep an eye on him.  I’ll go make sure your mom is okay.  Sam, stay here with Molly.  Do not move!”  Before Molly could say anything, Jack made his way back to the study.

“What’s brought you back to town, Helena?  Need a new boy toy?” he heard Alexis ask. 

“My dear Natasha, I have been away far too long from this humble burg.  I saw your daughter’s attempt at notoriety.  Her grandmother had much more of a presence on the stage.  I read about the tragic death yet triumphant return to life of your grandson and  can see the Cassadine blood has managed to make it evident.  It was just that I  realized how much I missed it here,” the woman said.

“Your presence is not nor has ever been needed here.  Go back to whatever pit you crawled out of and never come near my children or my grandchild.  Do you understand me?” Alexis threatened.

“Look at Natasha, threatening a poor old woman,” Helena sneered.  “I will be staying in town and there is nothing you can do to stop me.  And if I should want to happen by and see your precocious daughters or grandson, I will.”

“You stay away from them,”  Jack said in a firm tone.  “Leave Molly and her family alone.”

“And who are you to stop me?” the woman asked, amused by his tone.

“John Cramer Manning,” Jack said.  There was something very unsettling about this woman.  She reminded him too much of Irene Manning.  But he was able to keep his voice strong.

Helena walked over to him and ran an elegant finger on his chin.  “Well, John Cramer Manning, I see you have stepped in as a white night for my poor bastard stepdaughter and her even more unfortunate offspring.”  She walked away heading out of the room.  “Till meet again,” she smiled sinisterly as she left.

Alexis visibly deflated after the woman laws out of sight.  She gave Jack a look halfway between annoyed and thankful.  “That is why I don’t like coming over here,” she said as she pointed in the direction of the exiting figure. 

Molly and Sam stuck their heads around the doorframe.  “Is Helena gone?” Molly asked timidly.

Alexis nodded and the two joined her and Jack.  “Gone for now, but sadly, not for good.”

“Who was she?” Sam asked, more in wonderment than anything else.  “She kind of reminded me of my Aunt Viki.”

“Trust me, buddy, she’s nothing like Aunt Viki,” Jack said.  “She’s your stepmother, Ms. Davis?”

“I prefer to think of her as my father’s wife.  Look, let’s get out of here.  I need to go talk to some people,” Alexis told them as they made their way out of the house and back to town. 

Alexis finally dropped the boys off at the house and sped away.  Jack and Sam made their way in and when Sam saw his grandmother, he threw himself into her arms.  Addie also greeted Jack but he signaled his sister.  They moved off into the kitchen as he was telling her about their encounter on Spoon Island.  “It was scary how much this woman reminded me of our grandmother.  Except for the way she dressed, she was almost a blonde haired clone of the woman.”

“Who was?” came his mother’s voice.  Blair appeared and hugged her son.

“Ah, Molly gave me that tour of the house in the harbor and we met this woman who I think is her step-grandmother.  But Alexis told us to get out when she saw her.  I went back, though, because I didn’t like the vibe I was getting from her.  She was threatening Molly and her family,”  Jack said. 

Blair was alarmed.  “Jack!”

“Don’t worry, Mom, I’m staying as far away from her as possible,” he assured his mother.  To change the subject, he asked about dinner.  Blair narrowed her eyes but though it best to drop it for now, making a note to question him further about it at a later time.  By time they walked back into the study, Tina and Sarah had left and Todd had rejoined them, with Sam telling his uncle and grandmother about the lady at Wyndemere.

“She sounds really scary,” Todd agreed as the rest of his family returned.  He gave Jack a look and his son just rolled his eyes, knowing that he and Todd would be having a long talk later.  The family decided to order pizza and fill in Addie about the goings on in Port Charles. 

When the food was delivered, they moved into the kitchen as Starr filled in her brother and grandmother about her visit with Edward Quartermaine.  She ran and retrieved the pictures she had been given and Addie smiled at the image of baby Todd.  Eventually, Starr went back to the gatehouse, Jack headed to his room to check in with Molly and Blair went to help Sam with a thank you note for Molly and her mother.  That left Todd alone with his once and future mother-on-law.  She put the picture down and stared at him.  He could tell what she was going to say to him by her look.

“You are not going to hurt my precious girl again, are you Todd?”  She asked with a surprising amount of sweetness.  “Because your brother made me that promise and he did nothing but break her heart.”

Todd bit his bottom lip.  “Addie, I will do everything in my power to not hurt Blair or the kids.  She’s the only woman I’ve ever loved, the only one I ever wanted to have kids with.  The eight years away from her, she was my constant thought when I was awake.”  He wheeled over to her and took her hand.  “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but the one good thing I’ve done was love Blair.”

“I know you love her and I know how much she loves you.  Please don’t hurt her again.  That’s all I ask,” she told him.  She got up and kissed the top of his head.  “And if you do hurt her, I will give you the ass kicking I was never able to give Victor.” 

When he looked back up, he saw Blair there.  He gave her a lopsided smile.  “Ah, Addie was just asking me how I was doing,” he tried to cover.  When he saw Blair wasn’t buying it, he let out a sigh.  “She may have also threatened me with violence if I hurt you.  And for some reason, she actually scares me.”

“Well, since they changed her medication, she become much more aware.  And she does like you, she told me on the way up.  It’s just she worries about me,” Blair said.

“You’re her little girl.  She should be worried about you.  I still worry about Starr, even when she doesn’t think I need to be,” Todd assured her.  “And with me, I understand Addie’s concern.”

“Momma has always like you, from the first moment she met you.  But after everything that went down with Victor, she’s gotten much more protective,” Blair explained.  “She’s afraid you’ll turn into him and want to throw me off to the side.”

“Well, from what you have all told me about what happened with Victor, I don’t blame her.  But I am not my brother.  I would never have chosen any woman, let alone Marty or Tea, over you.  And I certainly would never have pulled any of his crap with the kids,” Todd expressed with vehemence. 

“I know that,” she said as she kissed him.  When she pulled back, she gave him a concerned look.  “What do you know about Molly’s mother, Alexis Davis and this woman Sam was talking about?”

“Well, besides the fact that she barreled in here today with a list of dos and do nots for Jack and Molly and the fact that she sounded like Delgado when she gets up on her high horse, not much.  But, I can assure you, first thing in the morning, I’m get some information,” Todd told her.  “I didn’t like what Sam was saying.”

“Me neither.  Jack almost compared her to Irene when I heard him talking to Starr,” came Blair’s response.

A chill ran down his spine.  It was never a good thing when anyone in the family drew a comparison with his bitch of a mother.

As they were discussing her, at the Metrocourt, Helena Cassadine was finishing up a call.  When it ended, she opened a file on her desk.  Inside were articles and pictures  She read through a few and then came upon pictures of Todd and Victor.  Placing them side by side, she tapped an elegant finger on each one.  “Well, it seems I have missed quite a bit since I’ve been away.  Quite a bit indeed.”