When Cassadines Fall

Nik holds the door open for Lucky who carries a sleeping Lulu into the house. Nik with one hand on the back of his grandmother and the other carrying an overnight bag escorts her into the kitchen of his house. Cinnamon comes running from the other room her nails clacking on the floor. She gives a little bounce in greeting when she sees Nik.

"Oh my word!" Lesley exclaims taken aback. She steps back into Nikolas nervously.

"This is Cinnamon, Grandmother." Nik says reassuringly.

Liz follows the dog into the kitchen. "Luc.." She brings her voice down when she sees Lulu is asleep. "Come on, I'll show you the room Maddy and I put together. Nik, Maddy made up the back bedroom. Nik nods. Liz leaves with Lucky taking Lulu's pink Barbie overnight case. Liz can't resist reaching out to brush back Lulu's fine dark hair.

"Maddy?" Lesley asks.

"My roommate." Nik replies. He goes over to the basement and calls down. There is no answer. "She must be in the study with Stefan."

Stefan strides from the study to the kitchen dressed in his steel grey silk pajamas covered with a brocade robe in shades of granite. "Madeliene?! Oh Nikolas. Dr. Webber."

"Mr. Cassadine." Lesley replies coolly.

"Where is Maddy?"

Stefan frowns. "Unknown."

"And she didn't take Cinnamon? Damnit!" Nik pulls out his cellphone and hits the speeddial. There is no answer. "What the hell happened? She was fine when I talked to her this morning! Did you say something? Grandmother? I'll kill her.. Oh Gees. Larkin."

"Whoa, honey, slow down." Lesley insists. She turns to Stefan. "What do you know?"

"She came back to the house. With attitude. Refused to discuss anything and then left after changing into a rather abbreviated red costume."

"Damn!" Nik starts looking for his keys. "I have to go get her."

"Do you even know where to look?" Stefan quizzes.

"I do." Lucky replies from the door having put Lulu down in her new room. "She went dancing. Check the club on Grove. They seem to know her there. Tell you what. I'll drive you. If you see her van, I'll drop you off."

"She said she'd be here." Nik mutters.

"Yeah, she did." Lucky agrees. "So what the hell spooked her?" Lucky follows Nik out leaving Lesley there in the kitchen with Stefan.

She looks at her grandsons' backs ruefully. "Roommate?" She says again. "Right."

"May I escort you to your accommodations, Dr. Webber?"

"You don't live here, do you?" Lesley asks. Life is too short for tact.

"No, this is Nikolas' house. I'm merely staying here while the situation in Carolina is... sorted out."

"It's sorted. You can go."

"In the morning." Stefan agrees. He hesitates before asking. "How is Laura?"

Lesley is quiet for a long time. She might have no use for Stefan Cassadine but Laura seemed to have spells of liking him. So she picks her words carefully. "Time will tell."

"Dr. Webber.." Liz comes back into the kitchen.

"Call me Lesley or Grandma since you're my granddaughter in-law now." Lesley jokes.

Liz looks at her blankly. Stefan answers. "Madeliene is the one who called Carolina to check on your condition while your grandsonS were making arrangements to get down there."

"Madeleine again. Why haven't I met her?" Lesley looks to Liz.

"If you'd had Thanksgiving here..." Liz decides to not go there. "Maddy came to town after you already moved to Carolina. She planned and put on Thanksgiving here."

"Not quite true, Elizabeth." Stefan corrects. 'If I recall correctly you were also quite instrumental in the preparations."

"It was a house thing." Liz shrugs. "Dr. Lesley, can I get you something: coffee, tea, juice? You want to see your room? Gram is going to have an aide for you tomorrow morning."

Lesley groans. "Just so long as it isn't Amy. Getting the last twenty years of gossip would put me into a coma." Lesley grimaces. Stefan and Liz pretend as if nothing is amiss. Ever since her recovery from the drugs given to simulate her death all those years ago Lesley struggles with her thought/speech process. "I need a Pepsi."

"Lucky let me know to stock up when he helped pack some of your things. You want some Earl Grey, Mr. C?" Liz puts the kettle on. Then moves to the fridge and pours Lesley a glass of Pepsi.

Lesley maneuvers into the seat glad to have even a single free hand. Lesley sips and then closes her eyes. "Yeah, that's just the thing."

Liz leans up against the counter. "You know, Mr. C. You better not be up when Maddy gets back. Between her being ticked about goodness knows what before and then Nik tracking her down rather than waiting until morning..."

Stefan grimaces. "Ambush."

Liz nods. "And she'll shut down harder than a clam. I wish Em were here."

"Where is Emily?" Lesley asks. "I thought she and Nikolas..."

"In Italy with Dr. Monica." Liz replies. "They don't get back until Tuesday."

Lesley laughs. "So they finally figured out how to beat the Thanksgiving Pizza Curse. They go to the land of Pizza."

As the kettle starts whistling, Liz pours the near boiling water over the loose Earl Grey. Stefan takes the tray from her. "I'll be in the study if..."

"Right." Liz nods. "So you want me to call you if there is blood? Not just words? And if it's Maddy's or Nik's?"

"I think I'll just go to my room." Stefan says wryly. "Please insure all traces of blood are cleaned up before morning."

"You got it, Mr. C."

Lesley watches Stefan retreat and then as Liz pours hot water over her double packet of hot chocolate. "Am I going nuts again or has he... mellowed?"

"He's had to. Maddy normally catches him on his stuff."

"I though Nikolas and Emily were..." Lesley questions.

"You know about when she got kidnapped right? Well before the kidnapping Em and Maddy got tight. Doing Business together and such. Then when she was kidnapped with Johnny Cook's sister, Rita... Em got tight with Johnny pretty fast. It's the same with Nik and Maddy. They were working together to figure out who was doing what. Maddy started helping Nik furnish this place, get it ready for the housewarming on Halloween. Laura and Lulu were here that night." Liz remembers.

Lesley yawns. "Even the Pepsi isn't working." She yawns again.

"Come on. Let me show you to your room." Liz offers. She assists Lesley up then grabs her bags.

"Nik didn't stay anything about Maddy though." Lesley protests.

"You remember all the times he was on the phone since he's been down with you in Carolina?"

"Yes." Lesley recalls. Never before had Nik been so attached to his cellphone. Even when he wasn't on it he always had it with him.

"He was on the phone to Maddy." Liz laughs. After getting Lesley settled, Liz comes back to the kitchen and her rapidly cooling hot chocolate. She gives it a quick zap in the microwave. Lucky comes back in from outside not even bothering to take off his heavy coat. "What are you doing back so fast?" Liz questions.

"Saw Maddy's van and just dropped Nik off." Lucky answers leaving the next unsaid...and Ricky's car too. "What about here?"

"Everyone crashed. Mr. C too. He didn't want to be in the middle of whatever Nik and Maddy start." Lucky is torn between wanting to stay if Gram or Lulu wake and getting the heck out of Dodge. Liz takes his hand. "They'll sleep through. I think you should take Lulu ice fishing tomorrow."

"I hate ice fishing." Lucky mutters. He picks up Liz's hot chocolate and grabs the back door with a free finger.

"Sure, but Lulu loves it. And you're such a good big brother." Liz coos.

"You could come with us." Lucky suggests.

"Sorry, babe. I have brunch with Gram tomorrow. We're doing a Thanksgiving rehash. Although you know I am seriously getting sick of holidays. First Halloween with Maddy's mom and now this."

"Let's keep it low key for Christmas." Lucky suggests. "Stuff for Lulu and the GH Christmas party. That's it!"

"GH Christmas Party gets me off the hook with Gram." Liz agrees.

Club on Grove

Nik walks in the pulsing beat is about thirty years retro. The club has been taken over by the new soul classics radio station in town for a promotion. Nik doesn't recognize a single song. "Just when I was getting used to hiphop." He mutters. Nik looks around for familiar faces but the dance floor is too crowded. He heads up to the second floor. First person he runs into is Johnny. "What are you doing here?" He demands.

"Hoping Frank isn't driving me out of business." Johnny mutters to himself more than to Nik. "I can't believe Ma talked me into this."

"Your mother?"

"Yeah, she's down there." Johnny indicates to the dance floor. Sure enough Cookie and JD are tearing up the dance floor. While both preferred early Stones or Aerosmith, they'd done a little time on the floor with Marvin Gaye and Barry White. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Carolina. Sorry about your mom by the way."

"My mother is still down there. As is Luke. But Lucky and I returned with my grandmother and sister." Nik stiffens as he finally spots Maddy dancing with Ricky.

"She's been here awhile." Johnny says quietly. "He showed up later. She was dancing the same thing as before. Dancing solo." Johnny indicates with a finger to the raised areas along the walls of the main dance floor.

Nik who'd heard about the time before from Lucky and Liz mutters. "What I wouldn't give to see Taggart or Luke right now."

"Careful what you wish for!" Johnny warns. "But yeah, I see your point." Johnny's skills in observation are well honed. Even from a distance he can see the history between Ricky and Maddy. It screams messy and maybe unfinished. If it were Em he'd much rather her dancing with Taggart or Luke too rather than say, Nikolas. "Something hit the fan today?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Nik replies grimly. It sounds as if the song is coming to an end so he makes his way back downstairs to the edge of the dance floor trying to eye Ricky and Maddy the whole time. Positioning himself carefully, he catches Maddy's arm as she is exiting. 'May I?" He doesn't even look at Ricky.

"Niknik?!" Maddy is surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"May I?" Nik asks again. Maddy shrugs and goes back on the floor with him. Nik stares hard at Ricky who just grins at him.

"If you make him disappear, I'll have to tell Poppi." Maddy warns. Nik brings Maddy in close tucking her under his arm and resting his hand at the base of her waist. Right below where the back of that damn red dress ends. "What's up, Madeliene? You said you'd be home or on the cell. You were neither."

"How was your trip? Everyone settle in okay?"

"Fine. Quit dodging."

"I think I'm about sick of this town. I should pick a college and go set up there before school starts. Larkin would back off Aunt Dara everything would be cool."

"Did Larkin hassle you? Do something to your Aunt?"

"I just think it's time to split."

"Did my grandmother." Nik presses.

"Your grandmother? No. Not yours."

"Did something happen to Granny Sophia?" Nik demands. "I can have the plane refueled..."

Maddy covers his lips with her hand. "You are so sweet, Candy. Sophia is fine. Worried about you with all that's going on with your mom and granny. But she's fine."

"I'll call her. But if it's not my grandmother and Sophia is fine then I'm really not getting it."

"You know that woman that was asking questions about me?"

"Jane Jacks. I was going to ask Bobbie what her deal was and then we found out about Laura."

"Well she showed up at one of the kiosks so I asked a few questions of my own. She tried to duck but I was having no part of it. Told her if she had questions about me to bring them to me. Cause I don't like people minding my business."

"And?" Nik notices the music is stopping. "Lets go upstairs and talk." He leads Maddy off the floor and up to the quietest corner. "What did Mrs. Jacks have to say?"

"After hmming and ha'ing a whole hell of a lot. She claims she's my granny-Literally. Blood granny."

"But that is impossible. Your grandmother is dead! She died when you were a small child."

"Yeah, on Lisette's side."

"Which one?! Jax or Jerry?" Nik demands.

"You kidding?! I told her she was freaking nuts and split! I swear there must be something in the water here."

"And Ricky? What is he doing here? Did you call him?" There is a hint of green in Nik's tones that Maddy doesn't pick up on.

Maddy looks at him and laughs. "Niknik-it's Saturday night! Where else would he be? Here or Luke's, and it he wanted to dance.."

"Here." Nik admits grudgingly looking around at the crowded club.

"See he's already started." Maddy watches as Ricky starts hitting on a blonde. "Think I should warn her?"

"Warn her about what?"

"That the guy is more twisted than a roller coaster at Six Flags."

Nik recognizes who Ricky is talking to. "It's Vicki Porter. Let Johnny warn her if he feels the need."

"Oh look! Carly's here." Maddy rises to her feet and heads downstairs weaving through the crowd. Once down there, Nik watches as Maddy points him out to AJ and Carly. The duo follows Maddy upstairs and settles in at the table.

"Well that was a quick trip." Carly tells Nik. AJ flags down a barmaid to get a round of beverages. "Cheese fries too, hon." Carly leans in and adds in a low voice. "Got to check out the competition."

"Oh Luke's already done that." Maddy waves off. "I met him here. But this is new the radio station picking the music I mean."

"I know." Carly agrees. "I feel like I've fallen into an episode of Soul Train or something without the color. No offense."

"None taken."

"I used to watch Don Cornelius every Saturday morning instead of that nasty Dick Clark." Carly shudders.

"Mama too." Maddy laughs. "As soon as she moved out of Grandmother's house."

The Barmaid arrives with the drinks and a plate of appetizers. Carly picks up a stuffed mushroom. "So what are you doing back already, Nikolas?"

"Carly!" AJ protests.

Nik has grown used to Carly's sharp edges from spending time with her out at the stables doesn't take offense. "Lucky and I brought Lesley and Lulu back. Luke is staying down there with Laura."

Carly grimaces. "So you drop them at Laura's place?"

"No. They're at mine. Lucky is right there and with grandmother's injuries."

"Right. So who flew you back ? One of your flunkies or Jax?"

"Jax. His girlfriend gets back into town tomorrow." Nik answers.

"Well dang. It was too much to hope that you'd dumped the Blonde Wonder from Down Under in the ocean." Carly grumbles.

"Carly!" AJ protests again.

"Damn it, AJ! You know I hate that guy. Jerry is the only one worth keeping. And don't shush me." Carly protests.

AJ plants a liplock on his wife only coming up for air long enough to excuse themselves to go down to the dance floor.

Nik slides a hand along the back of Maddy's chair and studies her face. "What are you thinking?"

"Carly's up to something."

"Carly is always up to something." Nik shrugs. "It's what defines her. Carly equals up to something."

"Yeah, but I think what ever Jane Jacks has is catching. I ran into Carly at Wyndhams Friday morning and Mr. C says that Jerry and Bobbie stopped by the house too. Something is up."

"You want to get out of here?"

"Kay." Maddy tosses Nik her keys and starts making her way downstairs. Nik catches up with her at the coatcheck. He helps her on with her coat.

"You're going to freeze your ass-ets off." Nik tells her.

"The van heater works."

On the dance floor Carly looks over AJ's shoulder to see Maddy and Nik leaving. "Damn."

"What?" AJ turns Carly so he can see what is concerning her.

"She's figured something is up."

"What did you say to her yesterday?"

"Nothing-- just what I told Jerry. Something else happened. I need to call Jerry."

"No." AJ shakes his head. "It's already 1am. No way are you calling him. It can wait until tomorrow."

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