The guests were gone, quickly ushered out by the grand grans with a mixture of rage and embarrassment; only fuming family and the Cramers were left standing around the living room in subtly different versions of defensive postures. Each person intent on protecting Evangeline and John from any more insanity masquerading as tough love from her mother and half-brother. As a last resort Evangeline had to use the pregnancy card to keep John from tossing Stefan over a balcony and throttling Dina. Van had clasped her arms protectively around her stomach, bent slightly over and had John’s total attention then John and Dorian helped her to their bedroom to lie down. Van hand-signaled to Eve that she was really just fine. After checking Evangeline over just to be sure Dorian left them alone and reassured everyone that Van was tired but she and the baby were in good health.

"I do believe however, when the hosting couple retires to their bedroom this means the party is over. Kelly, Blair, David I think we’re overdue to leave." Dorian glanced around and spotted Eve and Dinah, "Thank you for inviting us to what was, until moments ago, one of the best parties I’ve ever attended. I hope to see you both again, goodnight. Girls, David, lets go home." The elevator doors barely whispered shut and then it was just family.

"It is not my intent to upset my sister, but this pregnancy is just too perfect a chance for Helena not to make a move on Evangeline. You all know this, she’s completely vulnerable and will only become more so as the baby makes Van’s movements slower and more awkward." Crossing to the portable bar Stefan assesses the offerings and pours himself a port. Bottle held elegantly in hand he looks at the faces glaring at him and silently gestures to the bar to see if anyone will join him. No takers. "Helena will consider getting rid of Evangeline and her child a wonderful two-for-one opportunity. Am I wrong on this, Lieutenant McBain?"

All eyes turned to John as he headed down from the landing outside of their bedroom, "I asked you to think of a strategy that would help me stop anything terrible from happening to Evangeline from the Cassadine side of her family. I did not ask you to destroy our happiness on this of all days, or on any other day for that matter and I CERTAINLY never asked you to have her mother in tow should you ever come to our door. Sorry Dinah," John came to her side and pressed his lips to her hair and continued, "but if I ever had any remorse before I don’t now. I intensely dislike what your daughter, Evangeline’s mother, does to her. And from now on I want Dina kept out of our lives and away from us."

"Don’t speak about me as though I weren’t in the room, John. Evangeline is my child, I raised her and if she can’t handle the truth from her own mother…."

"Don’t you dare speak to my son for any reason whatsoever. Really, Dina, as always you’ve already overstayed your unwelcome. Get out."

Dina’s perfectly done eyebrows arched in amusement as she turned her head slightly in Eve’s direction, "I don’t recall addressing you Eve, or even acknowledging your presence in my daughter’s life, much less her living room."

"That’s enough out of you Dina, come with me we’re going to have a mother/daughter talk you won’t soon forget. To treat Evangeline and John this way, and in their own home! To act out like this among family and friends," Dinah shook her head in disgust "wait until I speak to your father. Oh, he will be so deeply disenchanted but this will be the final disappointment we, any of the family, are made to endure from you."

"Mother, you know…"

"Be silent, I said come with me and do not speak until I’ve said my peace and then some!" Giving Eve and John an apologetic glance Dinah turned to leave the room and realized Dina wasn’t following. "I said come on with me, girl, don’t make me raise my voice!"

"John, is Evangeline sleeping? I’d like to sit with her if you think I won’t disturb her."

"Mom, go ahead, she was awake when I left the room but if she’s asleep a part of her will know you’re there sending reassuring thoughts our way. And she does need a lot of reassurance; Dina has done such a number on her."

"Eve, do you mind if I join you? I’d like Van to know I’m here for her and sort of standing in for her father." Celeste raises her hands and drops them, "Laurence. He needs to know what happened here, I doubt he realizes Dina came without him. John, you’ll have help in shaking her until her teeth rattle and her eyes roll around her head. I’ve never understood….oh, never mind, their marriage is none of my business." Turning back to Eve she adds, "Go ahead, I do have to call my son and alert him to his wife’s latest tirade. Lord, lord, lord help that silly vindictive woman, I no longer have the fortitude or the self-control to put up with her."

"Michael, why don’t you take Shannon on home now?"

"I’ll stay and cover your back while you chat with his royal darkness. Royal insanity is what it is if you ask me, bro."

"Of course, no one did. Still, if even you have picked up on the insanity DNA running through the family I’d say that is all the more reason you shouldn’t want your sister-in-law passing on the dreaded Cassadine crazy genes, they do exist and then some. Assuming Helena can be prevented from harming mother and child." Looking into John’s seething eyes Stefan continues, "I cannot believe you were foolish enough, careless enough to allow this pregnancy to get started. Have you listened to nothing I’ve said about the evilness within my mother and her fixation with destroying all of my father’s illegitimate offspring?"

"I heard you and I believe you. This baby was an accident but a delightful one."

"Really? Delight for you but for Evangeline? I saw her eyes as her mother spoke, Evangeline knows this baby is just in harms way with Helena on the loose. Plus, she does take after her mother; her career and living a certain type of life is of paramount importance to Evangeline. Eventually, she has a duty and responsibility to keep the family bloodlines going, but right now? Yes, I’m quite sure this was an unplanned visit from the stork."

"Beyond Evangeline’s safety, our marital life is off limits to you; actually all aspects of our lives aren’t your concern. Update me on what you know or suspect we’re in for. Then kindly or not so kindly, get the hell out."

For the first time in countless years Dina was truly more than a little afraid of her mother. She saw the anger in Dinah’s eyes spark, catch fire and with each mental replay of Dina’s dramatic, upsetting entrance more kindling was added to the blaze.

"Dina, sit down."

"Mother, I need to go, I haven’t even checked into my suite yet; it’s getting late and I’m quite tired."

"Oh no, don’t you play the exhausted child card with me. Hear me clearly: I know you come by being totally self-absorbed honestly; I’m that way I passed it on to you. Your choice of careers just heightens your self-involvement; your family can accept this. But the way you treat Evangeline, have always treated her in your torment over what happened between you and Mikkos, or more to the point didn’t happen—enough. No one in the family, and this includes your husband, is going to continue to humor your bad spells, tolerate your engineered fits, or look the other way while you turn parenthood into a curse word. Enough. Grow the hell up, and if you can’t be happy for your daughter and the wonderful life and man she’s found for herself, with no help from you, then stay away from them. From now on, unless Evangeline initiates the contact and she won’t, you are not to attempt to communicate with her, John or John’s family in any way shape or form."

"You know you can’t really ban me from my own child’s life even if you’re her grandmother."

"Of course I can," Dinah states calmly. And it’s that level of calm that has been the undercurrent keeping Dina ultra alert and aware of the conviction behind her mother’s words, "Your father and I can, and will, completely cut you off. No contact with the extended family and of course, you still have a significant inheritance earmarked to come your way when your father and I die. I know you want it and that money, land, companies and the rest of the items in our financial portfolio can certainly go elsewhere. After all our first great-grandchild will be making an entrance and should arrive knowing he or she lacks for nothing financially. Alas, the McBain side will have to take all the weight on the grandparent watch; but they’ll make sure that baby knows how truly loved and wanted they are, the joy they’ve brought to so many lives just by breathing and being in this world."

"Evangeline has her own doubts."

"Yes, she’s wracked with doubts and guilts thanks to you. I’m just realizing what a complete mess you’ve made of her when it comes to her personal life. Thank God, she’s clearly told John all of her fears from the beginning and he’s prepared to counter all of Evangeline’s misgivings about being a mother, the type of wonderful mom she’s sure to be. NO thanks to you."

"Okay, everyone’s tired and upset. We’ll get a night’s rest and convene and talk in the morning. I’ll apologize for my rude behavior to John, Evangeline, Celeste, and the rest of the McBains. Then we’ll make proper plans to welcome this child into the family while protecting the baby from Helena. I was only trying to caution my daughter to be wary of how out of sight and mind that Cassadine witch has been."

"You will get a goodnight’s rest on the plane heading home. I will not allow you to put head to pillow in Llanview, the place my granddaughter and her husband call home. The car’s coming around with your luggage loaded as we speak, goodbye Dina. I sincerely hope the break between seeing you is long enough for me to cool off from your latest revolting actions and my greatgran child can be introduced to you as they graduate from, I don’t know, medical school?"