"Don't give me that!"

"What?!" Lucky asked, responding to Dawn's sudden irritation with him.

"That 'I believe that you believe' psycho-babble crap! Either you believe me or you don't." Her brown eyes flashed, challenging him to answer her.

"I-I…" Lucky pushed himself off the bed. He swept trembling hands through his dark blonde hair. His back was to her, but he knew that she watched him. Her eyes bored into his back with alarming intensity, demanding that he be honest with her. But, how could he be, he wondered, when he wasn't certain as to what the honest truth was?

Beginning to pace, he remembered his earlier conversation with his father. Luke hadn't actually said that Nikolas was dead, but the look in his eyes… The cold, distance in Luke's blue eyes had been just as revealing as anything he could have said. But Dawn's eyes… Aside from her initial reaction to Lucky's presence, her eyes told him his brother was alive. Very much alive-

"Either you do, or you don't," she said again. Dawn tried to keep her tone even. She wanted to remain calm, but his stalling agitated her. Shifting uncomfortably on the bed, she said, "Lucky—"

"I don't know what to believe, alright?" he ground out. He spun around to face her. The fury in her eyes didn't prevent him from going back to her. He stood beside the bed and looked down at her. He cupped her face, raising her head until their eyes met. "I want to believe that he's alive, but what if he's not?"

"He is." Her voice was firm with conviction.

"Well," he said, releasing a long breath. His hands fell from her face and he shoved them into his pockets. His eyes remained on her, but no words were spoken. As the silence grew, he became uncomfortable. Unable to hold her stare, his eyes wandered until they settled on the spot on the wall just a little to the right of her head.

"Lucky?" Dawn asked, her voice soft as she interrupted the stillness of the room

Sapphire blue eyes darkened as they connected with her dark chocolate orbs. "Yeah?" he asked.

Dawn's eyes had clouded over. Her bottom lip quivered slightly and she chewed on it nervously. Hoarsely, she asked him, "What aren't you telling me? Where's Mama and Stefan? Dara and Alex? Something's happened to them. Tell me."

Lucky shook his head. "Your mom is…Carrie's okay. I mean, I think she's okay, and for the others, they should be fine, too."

"What do you mean 'they should be'?" Dawn grabbed Lucky's hand, forcing him to look at her when he had turned away. "Why are you the only one here? My mom would be here with me. The others would be, too. What's going on?"

Lucky drew a long, hard breath. Sweeping his hand through his hair, he paused before answering her. He nervously moistened his lips as he lowered himself to sit beside her on the bed again. "This isn't GH. We're on an island somewhere-"

"We?" she repeated with a frown. "Just you and me? Why? I don't understand."

"The bombing was no accident-"

"Lucky, I realize that-"

"Will you be quiet a minute and let me finish?!" he asked. His tone was one mixed with agitation and humor. He knew that she understood as she offered him a faint smile and slight nod of her head. "Helena was behind it all-"

Her hands clutched his as fear gripped her. "She kidnapped us?!"

"No," Lucky said, shaking his head. "She probably would have taken you, but my dad… He got to you and had you brought here."

"Oh," she said, confused. "Why would he do that? I don't even know him."

"Because he hates Helena just as much as you and I do. He knows what she's capable of, and he won't let her hurt you." His voice became whispery soft and he gently cupped her cheek. He lightly ran his thumb along her jaw line. "You're safe here."

"Yeah, but where is here?" Dawn found herself comforted by Lucky's touch, but in a way, it made her feel uncomfortable, too. His fingertips were too gentle and too soothing. His dark blue eyes were too potent and she became of afraid of losing herself in them. She coughed to mask her confusion. She coughed again and backed away from his hand. Her eyes moved down to her wedding band and solitaire diamond ring. She remembered when Nikolas placed the rings on her finger. She looked back at Lucky. "Where are we, Lucky? I want to go to Nikolas. I want to let everyone know that I'm okay. The paper said that I was missing. They need to know that I'm safe."

Lucky felt her response and withdrawal from him. Mentally, he scolded himself. That was what he had been afraid of…going one step too far. He shouldn't have gone to her so soon, but he had to. Watching her cry…he couldn't just stand on the other side of a mirror and watch her grieve. He wanted to comfort her, but-

"Lucky?" Dawn repeated.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. Rising from the bed, he answered her, "Like I said, we're on an island. I'm not sure where we are exactly. I didn't ask, but I will. I'm not sure if contacting your family would be safe though. Phones can be bugged…that kinda of thing."

"I can call Tommy and have him tell them that I'm okay. Tell your dad to get me a phone, okay."

"Sure thing." Lucky went to the door. The crumpled up newspaper waited for him there. He picked it up and held it. "Is there anything else you need?" he asked, turning to face her.

"Just the phone." She smiled at him. "Thanks, Lucky. Tell your dad thanks for me, too."

Lucky grinned. "I bet you never thought you'd say that."

She laughed softly. "Never in a million years." Lucky's grin grew and he turned to leave. Her voice stopped him just as he was about to step through the door. "Lucky, hurry back, okay?"

He swallowed back the lump in his throat that had formed just as soon as the softly spoken request was made. "Okay."

"Hurry back, okay?" Helena repeated in disgust. She lowered the volume and rose from her reclining position on her sofa. There was only so much whimpering she could take at one time she thought with a shake of her head. She slipped her feet back into her three-inch sandals and headed for the door. The fresh air beckoned to her and she intended to obey.

A floppy hat and a pair of Ray Bans protected her from the sun's rays. A tall glass of ice cold lemonade soothed her throat and her sea green eyes flitted across the beach. A light footstep sounded just behind her to her right and a sensual smile spread across her rosy lips. "Aw, you came."

Luke stiffened. Her uncanny ability to sense his presence unnerved him. Either he was slipping or she really was a witch. The former wasn't a possibility that he cared to consider which left the latter. Pursing his lips, Luke glared at her from behind. A small trace of his old sense of humor returned to him as he wondered if a pail of water would have the same effect on her as it had on Dorothy's witch. One could only hope.

"Don't sulk like a little boy," Helena grinned. She took a sip of her lemonade and patted to the tiny space beside on her on the lounge. "Come, Luke. Sit down and tell Helena all about it."

"I have nothing to tell," he said. He stepped onto the patio. Sidestepping her and her offering of a seat, he went to the railing and looked across the beach.

Helena smiled as she admired the view he presented her. Gone were the ridiculous curls and now his hair was shorn close to his head. She preferred the close cropped look. Her eyes wandered down his broad back and on down to his backside. The dark, baggy clothing he favored hid his finer assets from her, but her imagination more than made up for it. She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. She wondered how soon it would be before she discovered if her imagination was even close to the reality.

"Lucky is with her now."

Luke's rigid back and brusque tone only heightened Helena's interest further. Her voice was as warm as a kitten's purring as she answered him. "I know. I saw them. Lucky appeared…rather…ah pleased to be with her. Wouldn't you say?"

"I didn't stick around to watch." Luke dug his hands into his pockets. His eyes stared sightlessly across the beach. He knew the area was well guarded. Even if he planned to renege on the deal he'd made with Satan's princess, he doubted if he would make it out alive. It was just as well, he thought. He'd made his bed and he intended to lie in it. His son would be the better for it. He was certain of it. "What's now?"

Helena set her glass of lemonade down on the nearby table. Barefoot, she padded across the wooden patio floor to stand beside her partner. Her blonde hair stirred as a cool breeze blew in. She shivered accordingly and in a low voice, she said, "We let nature take its course…naturally."

Luke grunted. Her pale hand rested on his forearm and gave him a light squeeze. When he didn't object, her hand moved sensuously up and down his arm. The tiny hairs on his arm stood on end, and Luke didn't know whether it was from excitement or revulsion. It was more than likely a mixture of both. He took a step back away from her. "I didn't mean us."

She smiled triumphantly. "Neither did I." He rolled his eyes and moved further away from her. Helena laughed and followed him. "Oh, Luke, don't take it personally. Our time will come, I'm sure, but first, we must concentrate on the children. Your Lucky and Dawn are such an adorable pair, are they not?"

"They'll do," Luke commented. Inwardly, he agreed, but he refused to reveal that to her. His and Helena's pairing resulted from extenuating circumstances. She had a plan, and he wanted to see his boy happy. Luke still hated Helena and all things Cassadine, but for this, he could put his feelings aside. Lucky was worth it. "What about the kid?"

"Luke, Luke, Luke," she gently chided, "why do you persist on asking me this? I've told you before that I intend no harm to come to the child. It will be my great-grandchild, after all."

With an eyebrow raised in disbelief, Luke almost laughed aloud. "That's reassuring."

"Well, good-"

"What are your intentions?"

"Oh, my word," she said with a hint of sarcasm, "have we obtained a conscious? Luke, it's so unlike you."

"Helena," he bit out, "what's the plan?"

"Your Lucky gets the girl and I get the baby. That was the deal and that, my dear, is all you need to know." She took his hand and gave it a hard squeeze before she released it. She glided back to her lounge and sat back down. "Lucky's happiness will be with the girl, and mine will be with the child. Believe me, Luke, her infatuation with my grandson will fade much quicker without the child being a constant reminder. Her feelings for Lucky will rise to the surface, and their happily ever after will be guaranteed."

"It had better be," Luke told her as he stormed past her.

"Oh, but it will be," Helena whispered softly once she was alone. "A happily ever after awaits for us all."

"And, they all lived happily ever after. The End."

"What was that?" Tommy frowned as he looked towards Nikolas.

The two young men sat side by side on the private Cassadine jet. The other four adults—Stefan, Carrie, Dara and Alex—occupied the middle section of the plane, while Tommy and Nikolas sat in the rear. Jordan, Sly and the rest of Dawn and Nikolas' friends had been told that their help was appreciated, but that it would be better if only a small number of people traveled to Greece. There was disappointment, but everyone understood. In the meantime, they would continue to look in and around Port Charles…just in case.

"Sleeping Beauty." Nikolas closed the book and handed it to Tommy. "It's one of Dawn's favorites. She likes to read it to the baby. The heroine becomes a brunette with mocha skin when Dawn reads it. I had this one specially illustrated for her. I plan to give it to her when the baby is born."

Tommy opened the book. He smiled as he leafed through the pages. The princess bore a strong resemblance to Dawn and the prince looked amazingly a lot like Nikolas. "Very nice," he said, handing the book back to his friend. "She'll love it."

"I think so." Nikolas lightly ran his fingertips over the cover. He smiled as he imagined Dawn's face as she leafed through the book. He knew she would love it almost as much as he would love giving it to her. He placed the book back inside its box and set the box on the table beside him. He turned towards Tommy. "You know, it's still not too late."

"Too late for what?" Tommy asked. "If you're trying to get rid of me, you can forget it. I helped you find her once. I'll do it again."

Nikolas swallowed hard. The memory of her abduction by Wayne and Angel still haunted him. He had promised her then that he'd never let her be taken away from him again. "So much for promises," he whispered softly.

"Look, Nikolas, I'm sorry about that," Tommy said. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded. What happened last summer isn't any more your fault than what happened last night is. It's all some kind of sick, twisted fluke. We will get her back."

Nikolas nodded. He offered Tommy a faint smile. "I know we will. I just wish… Aw, never mind."

"Nah, what?" Tommy leaned forward in his seat. "What do you wish?"

"I don't know, Tommy," Nikolas said, shaking his head. "Sometimes, I wonder if she would have been better off without me, you know. So much has happened to her because of me and my family. Maybe if we hadn't met…"

"Listen to yourself. If you hadn't met, who knows what would have happened to her. A rapist was out there, right? She was a young woman all alone walking down a deserted road in the dark of night. If you hadn't met her, she could have suffered the same as Lizabeth." Tommy gave his friend's shoulder a hard, brief squeeze. "Trust me on this. You were supposed to meet her. She told me how you helped her…gave her a place to stay and food to eat. She doesn't regret a moment of being with you-"

"I don't regret a moment of being with her either," Nikolas interrupted, indignantly. "I know what you mean about her being out there all alone. I don't even want to think about her walking out there. I get chills when I remember it, but this is so much worse. She's pregnant, and I know that she's scared. She puts on a brave face and it's genuine, you know. She is brave, but… I'm afraid for her. With Helena behind this, anything could happen. And, the more time passes… My grandmother is not kind and gentle like yours. Helena can be cruel and hateful, and Dawn is afraid of her. I-I…"

Nikolas' voice lowered to a harsh whisper and Tommy spoke slowly and softly as he gave his friend time to recover. "There's nothing wrong with being afraid for her, but it's not your fault that your grandmother did this. Things happen for reasons that none of us can understand. My mom and I were waiting for a tow truck on the side of the road when we were taken to Juan's little underground camp. It wasn't Mama's fault that our tire blew out and the spare was flat. Things happen and we have no control over them-"

"-and what?" Nikolas asked with a tinge of bitterness. "There's nothing we can do about it? Is that what you were gonna say?"

"I guess." Tommy shrugged.

"Well, that may be true, now, but mark my words. When I get Dawn back, I'm making damn sure that nothing like this ever happens again. She said that I make her feel safe, and I intend to live up to that."

Determination darkened Nikolas' brown eyes to almost black. Tommy understood the sentiment and nodded in response. "Here's to happily ever after."

A smile appeared on Nikolas' face for a brief moment. "Here, here," he whispered softly before he closed his eyes and rested his head on the back on his chair. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought of Dawn and their unborn child. Helena's treachery would not prevail, and he would get his family back. He would accept nothing less.

Chapter 130