Chapter 22
"May I have a moment of your time, Barbara?"
Against her will her body reacted to the low, masculine voice. Bobbie Spencer pasted a neutral expression onto her face and looked up from the chart she was marking.
"What is it, Stefan?"
"I have need of your tenderness," he responded.
Bobbie's chin dropped. Was this Stefan Cassadine standing before her?
Stefan felt a moment of male satisfaction at her reaction. He'd purposely phrased his request to get a response from her. Despite the gravity of what was to come, Stefan felt strangely exhilarated. "I have always admired your gentle demeanor where your patients are concerned," he explained. "And since I have brought Andresj' here to have tests performed, I would ask that you see to his care personally."
"Of course!" she exclaimed. "Is something wrong with Andresj?"
"No-" Stefan was prevented from responding further by the arrival of the doctor he had been awaiting. "Excuse me, Barbara. I must speak with Doctor DeLane." He took several steps before turning back. "Barbara, thank you. Your assistance is appreciated."
"You're welcome, Stefan."
The last few days were strange but wonderful. The initial excitement Diane felt at possibly meeting Alyse's son vibrated quietly in the back of her mind. And while she waited for Stefan Cassadine to give the okay, Diane was content to be entertained by Justus Ward. He was handsome and witty, fit and well-off. And he seemed to genuinely enjoy her company.
Even as she thought about Justus, a knock came upon her hotel door. "Room service!"
"I think I like this place," Diane greeted Justus as he came through the door pushing a cart full of food. "The food is wonderful and the waiters are cute."
"That's what all our guests say. How was your morning?"
"It seemed to creep by. Do you realize that by the time this day is over Andresj' will know that he is Alyse's son?"
"Yes. I am happy about that." Justus made himself comfortable next to Diane on the couch. "He'll finally be able to speak to someone who can give him some details about his mother. According to my cousin Keesha, Andresj' has always wanted to know more about the woman he thought was his mother. This should help fill the void he has."
"But?"
"But I wonder how he'll feel when the tests show that he's truly Stefan's son."
"Why? Even I can see that he adores his father."
"He adores his adoptive father. I'm not sure how he'll feel when things change."
Bobbie Spencer walked into room number five where Andresj' sat quietly upon the examination table. She was followed by Stefan and the doctor.
"Andresj', how are you?" Bobbie gave him an affectionate kiss on the forehead. "Happy belated birthday!"
"Thank you. I am sorry you weren't able to attend last night's celebration."
"I was on call." She consulted her notes. "It says here that I am supposed to draw blood. Well, don't you worry," she smiled, "I am pretty good at what I do."
"Indeed," Stefan added, moving to stand beside them, "I personally cannot think of more talented hands in which to be."
Bobbie's eyes widened momentarily. Another comment. It was possible that Stefan's earlier remark - however leading - was an innocent one. But this, this one she understood clearly. Stefan's double entendre' was a reminder of something she had said several months earlier.
~flashback~
Bobbie lay quietly, her head resting on the solid wall that was Stefan's chest. Too weary to move, she listened contentedly as his heartbeat slowed to a normal rate. Neither one spoke, unwilling to dispel the magic of the moment. Stefan's arm tightened about her, drawing Bobbie even closer to his naked form. His other hand covered hers where it lay on his chest, and he loosely laced their fingers together. After many minutes had passed Bobbie said, "We always did get the sex right."
"Come, Barbara. You and I were so much more than mere sex," Stefan protested.
Bobbie quickly silenced Stefan with a kiss. The last thing she wanted was a conversation about their failed marriage. Surprisingly, it still hurt. "Mere sex?" she asked as her hand drifted slowly down his torso toward his reawakening arousal.
"A poor choice, ahhh, of words on my part," he replied in a strained voice as her hand found its target. "Perhaps I should have said -"
"No more talk, Stefan." Bobbie gave him a gentle squeeze. "Lie back. You're in my hands now."
~end flashback~
Stefan was displeased. With himself. At a time when his entire concentration should have been focused on the matter at hand, he was again unable to resist engaging in flirtation with Barbara. Worse yet, he could feel his own body begin to react to memories of intimate moments with his former wife.
"Barbara?" Stefan's voice cut through her thoughts. "Have you finished?"
Bobbie started and looked down at the vial of blood in her hand. "Y-yes," she nodded quickly and handed the blood sample to the waiting physician.
"Andresj'," Stefan requested, "wait outside for me, please. I must confer with Doctor DeLane for several moments."
"Could I just have the driver take me home?" ‘Dre pleaded.
"Perhaps that would be best. I shall see you at home." Stefan kissed Andresj's brow and spoke so softly that only his son could hear, "Trust me."
Mac Scorpio checked his watch for what seemed like the tenth time in the last minute. Any moment now, she would walk into the ‘bullpen'. That was the name the officers had given their shared work area. Mac had his door opened just enough to watch her entrance unobserved.
As if on cue, Assistant District Attorney Dara Jensen turned the corner into the squad room. Three days a week she had set aside a block of time to review pending cases with him. Those scheduled visits had become the highlight of his day lately. They were a legitimate excuse to spend time in her presence.
Clad in a ‘powersuit', Dara looked every inch the professional. But to Mac, the tailored jacket and fitted skirt only emphasized a figure he had given a lot of thought to lately. And those legs . . . Uh-oh. He'd almost gotten too distracted by his thoughts. Adopting a casual pose, Mac pretended to be engrossed in the paperwork spread across his desk.
"Hello, Mac!" Dara's cheerful voice rang out as she pushed the door open. "I am glad to see that you're all ready for me."
The commissioner smiled at the irony of her statement. If only she knew the type of thoughts he had been having these past few months. "Hello, Counselor. Ready to tackle these cases?"
As frightened as he was about how his life could soon change, Andresj' was glad he'd had a chance to see Bobbie. Almost from the moment they met, he had formed an attachment to his father's ex-wife. She willingly accepted him into her life just as she had done Nikolas, and promised him that she would always care for him even though she and Papa were not together.
Bobbie was so much more compatible with Papa than Nikolas' mother seemed to be. She wasn't afraid to match his father's fire and determination, nor was she intimidated by him. Heck, even Luke Spencer was less irritating when Bobbie was around.
As usual, when seeing Papa and Bobbie together, Andresj' wished that he had been allowed to visit Port Charles during the time of their marriage. A couple of times at the hospital Andresj had been present when they'd clashed over some policy. Electricity seemed to arc from one to the other. If there was that much friction between them while they were apart, what must it have been like when they were married?
Ring. Ring.
He picked up the limousine's phone. "Yes, hello?"
"Hello, my darling."
"Grandmother?" Andresj' was surprised. He could count the number of times Helena had called by phone to speak to him. "Is something wrong?"
"What could be wrong on such a wonderful occasion?" Her voice was unusually upbeat. "I won't keep you, my dear. I know that you are awaiting the results of your paternity test."
"You know about that?"
"Certainly. And no one could be happier. This is something your father should have done years ago. But no matter. When this is all over, there will finally be indisputable scientific proof that you are Stefan's biological son."
"His son?" In shock, Andresj' tried desperately to comprehend what he had just heard. "Grandmother,-" he began, only to be cut off by her.
"I must go, my dear. Goodbye."
*General Hospital and its characters are not mine. I make no profit from this. The characters Andresj' Cassadine, and Diane Jennings are my creation.*
