{At Wyndemere}

Stefan:  "I always knew--in fact, as he'll tell you himself, I was determined that I would be proud of my nephew's accomplishments. But what I could never have guessed is how much I would come to admire the man that he has become. Ladies and gentlemen, to Nikolas Cassadine."

All: {Holding up the glasses} "Speech! Speech!"

Nikolas:  "All right, all right. In the words of another well-known royal, 'let them eat cake.' " {Everyone laughs}

Laura:  {To Nikolas} "Very nice.  {She goes over to Stefan} That was a very nice toast." {Katherine, standing nearby, looks at them and then turns and leaves}

Stefan:  "Not too long?"

Laura:  "No, no, not at all. Usually when you make a speech, by the time it's over, I need a manicure, but this one was just right."

Stefan:  "Well, had Lesley Lu been listening, we could be sure that she was still asleep. {Laura laughs} But perhaps if she's finished her nap in the study, she would like some cake?"

Laura:  "I was thinking the same thing. Stefan, this is a wonderful party. Thank you for talking me into it." {She leaves}
 

Alexis:  {Approaching} "Well, everything seems to be going along swimmingly."

Stefan:  {Looking at her} "Yes, I’d say so." {On the docks, Luke looks out towards Wyndemere and then walks off}
 

Laura:  {She looks in the study and finds Helena beside LuLu} "What are you doing? Come here. Come on. Come to mama." {She picks her up}

Helena:  "What a pretty little girl. How fortunate that she seems to take after neither of her parents."

Laura:  "Are you ok, honey? {LuLu nods} Yeah? All right. Well, you remember Mrs. Lansbury? Yeah? She'll be here in just a minute, and she'll take you for a nice piece of cake, ok?"

Helena:  "Well, why don't we all go."

Laura:  "Don't take another step."
 
 
 
 

Alexis:   {Approaching Stefan who is holding two plates of cake} "If I were you, I’d put one of those down. Don't they say vampires love sweets?"

Stefan:  {Looking at her strangely} "They're for Laura and Lesley Lu. You know, for an educated woman, you certainly are a storehouse of trivial information. Katherine seems to be in a good humor tonight."

Alexis:  "At least she's certainly determined to make us all think so."
 

Lucky:  "Did your family calm down any yet?"

Emily:  "Actually, I have to stay in the house, it seems like, for the rest of my life. But they let me come here because they approve of Nikolas."

Lizzie:  "Do they think it's your fault Tom picked you to blackmail?"

Emily:  "Well, I’ll probably just be grounded for the next two weeks and have to be a good little girl, but then after that they don't remember anything."

Lucky:  "Why can't your grandmother think more like that?"

Lizzie:  "Gram remembers exactly every minute and every time Lucky brings me home late. Speaking of which, we really should--"

Emily:  "Oh, we can't go yet. Not yet. He has to make a speech."

Nikolas:  "Oh, this speech is the last thing on anyone's mind right now."

Emily:  "Oh, come on."

Lucky:  "Come on, now. Speech."

Lizzie:  "Speech, speech."

Lucky:  "Come on. Let's go."

Nikolas:  {Standing up} "All right, all right. Ok, ok. Well, first of all, I just want to thank everyone for being here. Thank you. I was thinking that my first official act as an adult should be to have my brother beheaded, {He gestures to Lucky who nods back} but I guess maybe I should thank him instead, because really it's a lot easier to say this to you as a crowd rather than one on one. Aside from my uncle and Alexis, and Mrs. Lansbury, of course, there's really no one in this room that I’ve known longer than a couple of years. But you've all changed my life--all of you--for the better. I admit that didn't always seem that way. I mean, I’ve given some of you a hard time. I've given some of you worse than that. But, hey, what can I say? I was a brat. But I’m older and wiser now, and I know how to say thank you and mean it. So thank you." {Everyone claps}

Alexis:  "You are so--"

Nikolas:  "Long-winded, like my uncle over there?"

Alexis:  {She hugs him} "Handsome, I could cry."

Nikolas:  "Thank you."

Alexis:  "And don't open up my present in front of Stefan. He'll kill me."

Nikolas:  "What, you got me the roller--"

Alexis:  "Shh."

Nikolas:  "Ok, ok, ok."

Alexis:  "I will see you."

Stefan: {Hugging Alexis} "Good night."

Alexis:  "Night." {She has a run-in with Katherine on the way out who makes veiled accusations about Alexis and Luke}
 

Robin:  {Mrs. Lansbury leads LuLu into the room and over to Nikolas} "Hi."

Nikolas:  "Yes." {Stefan notices Laura is missing and looks towards the study in concern}
 

Laura:  "What are you doing here?"

Helena:  "Well, it's my grandson's birthday."

Laura:  "You weren't invited."

Helena:  "Well, if I waited for invitations, I’d never go anywhere."

Laura:  "I’m not going to let you spoil this evening. I want you out of this house before Nikolas sees you."

Helena:  "Well, so proprietary. Is there something Luke and I should know? Does Wyndemere finally have a mistress?"

Laura:  "And I’m warning you--if I ever see you within 100 feet of my daughter ever again--"

Helena:  "You will what? Hurt me? Tell Luke on me? Oh, tell Stefan? My, so brave, aren't you, now that you have so many protectors. You order me out of my son's home? You, who used to tremble and weep when I so much as walked into a room back home?"

Laura:  "Oh, believe me, those days are long gone."

Helena:  "Do you think I’ve forgotten who's responsible for leaving me so alone in this world? No, I had one son who was brilliant, fearless, and strong, vibrant--a son who adored me--and because of you, he's dead. An eye for an eye, my dear."

Laura:  {Furious} "Oh, you touch one of my children and I’ll make you sorry you ever left that island, you bitch!"

Helena:  "Well, such confidence, such braggadocio. You'd think the little tart had everything she wanted in this world--Spencers, Cassadines--all one happy family under Laura’s beneficent care. Enjoy the dream, my dear. It will not last."

Stefan:  {Coming into the room} "That's enough."

Stefan:  "I’m surprised at you, Mother, at your lack of caution. This is the sort of behavior that invariably causes you pain and hardship."

Helena:  "Well, I can't think what you mean. Birthdays are hardly injurious to my health--even my own."

Stefan:  "I’m referring to your obsessive need to interfere. The last time you allowed it to rule your judgment, you came perilously close to death--months in a sickbed, barely able to speak or raise your head. How you must dread the thought of it ever happening again."

Helena:  "Well, I’ve done nothing very dire. I simply came to give my grandson a gift on his birthday."

Stefan:  "I think not. When you leave this room, it will be to leave this house."

Helena:  "Then perhaps you would be kind enough to give it to him for me? {She gets her gift and tries to hand it to Laura} I--I abstained from gift-wrap. It seemed the easier way to check for unauthorized content. It's really quite innocent."

Nikolas:  {Entering the room} "Step back from her."

Helena:  "Nikolas, I was only--"

Nikolas:  "I don't care to hear what you think you were doing. You just keep your distance from my mother. Why wasn't I informed of this?"

Laura:  "I told Mrs. Lansbury not to tell you. I didn't think it was necessary. I didn't want to spoil your evening."

Nikolas:  "Well, Lesley Lu woke up and told me that she saw a beautiful lady with many teeth."

Helena:  "Well, she's such a little angel. I only wanted a closer look."

Nikolas:  "You are completely dependent on me for every cent you spend and every meal you eat. Disturb my mother, my sister, or my brother again, and I will tell Alexis to go to the courts and revoke the income that my father settled on you, out of the goodness of his heart, no less. You understand me?"

Helena:  "Well, I deeply regret having offended you on this, the anniversary of your birth, dear Prince."

Nikolas:  "Is that why you chose today to terrorize us?"

Helena:  "I brought you a gift."

Nikolas:  "I won't accept it."

Helena:  "Oh, but if you would only look at it--"

Nikolas:  "No, I won't."

Helena:  "Nikolas, please?"

Nikolas:  {He takes the gift and walks past her, preparing to throw it away} "And if you continue to do this, then I will--"

Helena:  "No, don't. It was your father's. {Nikolas stops and opens the case} It was his medallion. If Stavros had lived, he would've had one made to place around your neck today. I miss him every day. It--no one ever loved life as much as he did. It seems such a cruel trick that he would be outlasted by so many who do nothing but breathe and scowl. Good night, then." {She leaves the room}

Nikolas:  {Following her} "I’ll make sure the guards don't let her out of their sight."

Laura:  "Are you all right?"

Stefan:  "Yes."

Laura:  "I never knew she was afraid of him."

Stefan:  {Proudly} "Of his power. As well she should be."

Laura:  "What's the matter?"

Stefan:  "She managed to draw all three of us away from the party. Perhaps that was her real intention."

Laura:  "Where's Katherine?"

Stefan:  "No, no. Don't worry. Katherine's movements are being monitored." {Mrs. Lansbury distracts Katherine, who is trying to eavesdrop}
 
 
 
 

Lucky:  "You sure you don't want any more cake?"

LuLu:  {Slapping his hand} "No."

Lucky:  "No? Ok. Well, all right, listen--you just keep having a good time, all right? Keep smiling. And if you see any money or priceless jewels, steal them."

Lizzie:  "Lucky!" {The girls laugh}

Lucky:  "Where's your coat, Emily? Aren't you coming with us?"

Emily:  "Oh--actually, I think I’m going to stay and keep LuLu company."

Lucky:  "You don't have to do that. I mean, even if my mom falls through a trap door, they have servants around here by the dozens."

Lizzie:  "Well, maybe Lesley Lu would like Emily to help her find Nikolas or something."

Lucky:  "Right."

Emily:  {Picking up LuLu} "Careful."

LuLu:  "You scratched me."

Emily:  "Sorry. Hey, you know what? Why don't we go down on the docks and watch your brother and Liz go on the boat? Want to do that? Oh, come on, it'll be fun. Come on. Here we go. There we go. Come on. We'll go." {They go out the door}
 
 
 
 

Nikolas:  "Excuse me. Has either of you seen my sister?"

Katherine:  "No."

Robin:  "She was with Emily a little while ago."

Stefan:  "Have you been in this room since Nikolas and I left it?"

Nikolas:  "If she says she hasn't seen her, then she hasn't seen her." {Emily returns with LuLu and Stefan and Nikolas look relieved}

Laura:  {Picking her up} "There you are. There's my girl. Hello, baby. How are you?"

Robin:  "There she is."

Laura:  "Yeah."

Robin:  "Hi."

Laura:  "There you are."
 
 
 
 

Stefan:  {Bringing more presents} "Here we are."

Nikolas:  "Come on, there can't possibly be any more."

Stefan:  "Well, everyone back home wanted to pay their respects as well."

Nikolas:  "Wow, that phrase sounds stranger every time I hear it or say it--'back home.' I mean, this kind of feels like home to me now.  {Turning to Laura} Which reminds me, I never got a chance to thank you for something. Thank you for giving me a sister and a brother."

Laura:  "Oh, Nikolas." {Stefan watches them}

Katherine:  {Watching them as well} "They've become a little family of sorts, haven't they?"

Robin:  "It's so funny. The Cassadines are so aloof with other people, but they're so fiercely attached to each other. When Nikolas mentions his uncle, I have to stop and think. It's like my Uncle Mac and me. They just seem so much closer than uncle and nephew."