The Past Returns - Chapter Two

Sonny leaned against one of the massive posts in Wyndemere’s ballroom, nursing his scotch. Jason stood beside him. To a casual observer, they looked like two men forced to be there by their wives. But they were watching everything like a hawk. That unsettling feeling still remained with Sonny two hours into the soiree. Twenty minutes after walking into the gathering, Carly gave up on trying to make him enjoy the festivities and left him to his post.

Jason turned and observed his mentor/brother/best friend/father figure/brother-in-law. He knew something was wrong with Sonny. He had been unusually quiet tonight. Instead of his usual tit for tat with Mike, Sonny just nodded and agreed with whatever Mike was saying.

"What’s up?" he asked, hoping Sonny would tell him.

Sonny shook his head.

"Is it Carly or the boys? Is it work?" he whispered.

"I- -"

The string quartet ceased playing and a bell rang throughout the room, stopping Sonny’s next words dead in their tracks. His attention along with everyone else’s in the room was directed to the regally decorated platform in front of the French doors. Stefan Cassadine stepped up to the microphone with a champagne glass in his hand.

To his right stood his wife, Jessica Griffin, and to her right, his sister, Alexis Davis, holding Kristina. To Stefan’s left was his nephew/son, Nikolas, and to his left, Bonnie McKechnie. The Cassadine family stood en masse and united. Sonny wondered what this was about; that unknown feeling he had increased tenfold as Stefan began to speak.

"Good evening. Thank you for joining my family and me on this momentous occasion. Without further adieu, please help the Cassadine family welcome my daughter, Anastasiya Yekaterina Lasha Brenda Barrett Webber Cassadine Quartermaine and her husband Alan James Quartermaine, Jr."

Brenda dressed like a princess walked through the French doors on the arm of AJ. She wore an aquamarine gown with a fitted bodice that flared at the waist into a princess style ball gown. Only the tips of her matching shoes could be seen from underneath the dress. A diamond and aquamarine necklace lay softly around her neck and identical teardrop earrings dangled from her ears. Her hair was upswept into a perfectly coiled French roll. AJ, the perfect companion, was dressed in a black tuxedo made to show off all of his body’s strengths. Spit shined, polished wing tipped leather shoes and diamond-studded cufflinks completed his wardrobe.

Stefan embraced Brenda and kissed her cheek. Then he turned to AJ and shook his hand. Nikolas and Bonnie moved down to make room for the couple.

The mouths that hadn’t closed yet were all talking at once. Sonny went on full alert, as did Jason when Brenda appeared. Brenda was a Cassadine?!?! He quickly looked to Jason. Jason shook his head. When did this happen? How did this happen? He should have known that feeling was connected to Brenda. The thought crossed his mind when he first got the invitation, but he knew Brenda was safely in London.

"You find Jules and find out what the hell is going on," Sonny demanded of Jason.

Jason nodded and took off. Sonny looked around him at the shocked and stunned faces of all of Port Charles. When he looked closely near the platform, he saw Lois and Justus looking mighty cozy. Next to them, he saw Robin with a petite woman, a tall brown haired gentleman, and a tall young looking black male. He studied their expressions. So it seemed everyone important in Brenda’s life knew this revelation.

He didn’t want to admit it, but that hurt. Had she even thought about him? Although he didn’t call her when Morgan was born or when he found out Kristina wasn’t his daughter, he had thought about her and had wanted to talk to her. Before the night was over, he was going to get to the bottom of this latest development in Brenda’s life. Damn, she looked beautiful. The only other time he had seen her look this beautiful was on their wedding day. Oh and the day she came back from the dead. Both times soaking wet, yet he had never seen anyone look so beautiful.

Stefan tapped on his champagne glass in front of the microphone and once again gathered everyone’s attention. "Please raise your glasses to Anastasiya and Alan James."

All of Port Charles raised their glasses and cheered Brenda and AJ. Sonny kept his glass right where it was; he wasn’t supporting anything until he knew what was going on. And the key to that was getting to Brenda. Sonny saw AJ helping Brenda off the platform; and the way the Quartermaines swooped down on them, it was going to take some ingenuity to get to her.