{In the courtroom, Katherine enters the room and everyone but Helena is shocked}

Stefan: {Walking towards her} "Katherine? Katherine." {She walks by him and to Helena's side}

Katherine:  "Your honor, my name is Katherine Bell. The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

Judge:  "Ms. Jensen, what are we to make of this?"

Dara: {At a loss} "Off the top of my head, your honor, I’d say it shoots the state's case all to hell."

Judge:  "Would you agree to waive procedure long enough for me to put the putative victim on the stand to find out what the blazes is going on here?"

Dara:  "Gladly, your honor."

Judge:  "Ms. Bell. {She walks to the witness stand} Clerk."

Clerk:  "Please raise your right hand and place your left hand on the bible. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you're about to give this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

Katherine: "Yes, I do."

Clerk:  "Please be seated."

Judge: "All right, Ms. Bell--if, indeed, you are Ms. Bell--tell us the story."
 
 
 
 
 
 

Katherine: "The first thing I remember after I 'died'--after the accident, let's say--was waking up in Dominique’s room. Dominique was my half sister who died several years ago. We grew up in a place called serenity. How I got there, I have no idea. But there were machines--life-support machines. And I was aware enough of myself and my condition to know that I would be in excruciating pain if it weren't for something dripping from an I.V. bag into my veins. There were doctors and nurses around the clock, but no one else--not then. That was the first two months. Physical therapy was intensive, grueling, and constant. I had to learn to walk again. But I was determined. And I got through it. And then Helena came to visit."

Judge:  "We're getting ahead of ourselves. Let's go back to the night of may 22, at Mr. Cassadine's home. What can you tell us about the events leading up to your accident, if you like?"

Katherine:  "There are so many things about that night that I will never forget. It was my engagement party. I thought I’d remember it as the happiest night of my life. I left the party to go to my room at the guesthouse. I had a gift that I wanted Stefan to have that night. I don't remember giving it to him or what prevented me."

Judge: "But do you remember being on a section of the roof edged by a parapet?"

Katherine: "Yes, with my fiancée--with Stefan. And Laura Spencer, who was once his {Pausing for a long moment looking at Stefan} sister-in-law. Stefan and I were arguing. What were we arguing about? It's as if I remember the tune but not the lyrics. I was angry. He was pleading. And then I fell." {Stefan is staring back at her}

Judge:  "Ms. Bell, please consider very carefully. There appear to be gaps in your memory. Can you say with certainty that you fell from the parapet and were not pushed?"

Katherine: {Looking at Stefan unwaveringly} "As I said, most of the night I remember vividly. It's just the last few moments that are a bit vague. But more and more is coming back every day. I remember leaning against the railing and the shock of feeling it give way. That's how it happened. No one pushed me."

Judge: "Are you aware that Mr. Cassadine was being tried for murder?"

Katherine:  "No."

Judge:  "But then how do you come to be here at all?"

Katherine: "Helena asked me to be. She saved my life. I owe her everything. However I can help her, I will."

Judge:  "Thank you, Ms. Bell. You may step down. Court will recess for 15 minutes, at which time I will ask you to take the stand, Mrs. Cassadine."

Helena:  "I would be most happy to clear up any confusions, your honor." {Katherine goes to Helena's side where she is welcomed with a smile. They leave the room together. Alexis, Stefan and Nikolas are speechless and just stare in shock}

Helena: {Now on the stand} "My late husband was a visionary--a patron not only of the arts but of laboratory science. And our family holdings include a handful of forward-looking pharmaceutical endeavors and a dozen of the most promising investigational drugs in the world. And there's one in particular, the so-called Romeo and Juliet drug, which will revolutionize surgery in the next century. Well, the treatment--there are two treatments, actually--is not without its risks, as my son knows. And he would never have agreed to its use in Katherine’s case. Well, she was near death, and I was sure if I could transport her to a less hidebound medical facility, I could save her life."

Judge:  "With this drug--two drugs."

Helena:  "That's correct."

Judge: "Which do what, exactly?"

Helena:  "Well, the first injection reduces all metabolic functions to a--well, an almost undetectable level, which made it very easy for us to remove Katherine from the hospital."

Judge:  "Remove? How? Even allowing that Miss Bell was mistakenly declared dead, did anyone report the body missing?"

Helena:  "Well, I left that to the coroner."

Judge:  "Excuse me?"

Helena:  "Oh, not the one you have now. The old one--the one I bribed. I'm certain that he substituted a corpse that no one else was using."

Judge:  "Which was cremated and went to its eternal rest as Ms. Katherine Bell?"

Helena:  "I see your point. But by all accounts, it was a lovely service."

Judge: "Have you any idea how many laws you've already admitted to breaking?"

Helena:  "I’m not a native here. How was I to know? Oh, and you must understand, time was of the essence. Now, the second injection, which counteracts the first injection, must be given within a very narrow window of time or irreversible neurologic damage can be the result. And I’m happy to say we were in time."

Judge: "Did it occur to you at any point in this state-of-the-art science-fiction caper to inform someone that Ms. Bell was alive?"

Helena:  "Well, for the longest time, I wasn't sure that I could help her, and I certainly didn't want to raise my poor son's hopes needlessly."

Judge:  "Your maternal instincts overruled your judgment."

Helena:  "Yes."

Judge: "Wasn't there a way to break it to him gently? For instance, 'son, you know this murder charge you're facing?' "

Helena:  "Oh. Your honor, it was so difficult to take that seriously."

Judge: "Not for the rest of us, madam. If your son had been convicted, would you have mentioned it then?"

Helena:  "Do you think I would let my Stefan suffer needlessly?"

Judge:  "Ms. Jensen, I will entertain a motion from the court to amend the charges to--well, there's so many to choose from. I'll give you till morning to get creative."

Dara:  "Thank you, your honor."

Judge:  "And, Ms. Bell, I hereby demand that you submit yourself to such medical or dental examinations as the state may require for the verification of your identity."

Katherine: {Rising} "Who else could I be, my evil twin? {Looking over at Stefan} All of Stefan’s women come back from the dead, don't they?"

Judge:  "Court will adjourn till 10:00 in the morning."

Stefan: {Going to her side} "Katherine?"

Katherine:  "Not here, not now."

Stefan:  "You can't just walk away."

Katherine:  "I’ll come to you when I’m ready."

Stefan:  "Why are you doing this? {She smiles and turns and walks off} Why?" {Helena starts laughing}
 
 
 
 
 
 

Stefan:  "Why did I ever relent? I should have kept you under lock and key for the rest of your miserable life. Who do you think you are, mother? Hera, Queen of Olympus, dispensing life and death in potions and charms? You could have killed her!"

Helena:  "Yes. But unlike you, I wasn't trying to. {He makes a move to go after her but Nikolas restrains him} Oh, always so jealous. What do you care if I finally have a confidante and a companion? Oh, you have your own true love back again. Enjoy her."

Stefan:  {He grabs her arms, furious while Nikolas and Alexis hold him back} "Don't you--"

Nikolas:  "Uncle!"

Alexis:  "Stefan, let her go. Let the system have her. Body snatching is not a minor offense."

Nikolas:  "Let her go."

Stefan:  "Will she be in prison long enough to rot?"

Helena:  "I’d better find Katherine."

Nikolas:  "Let her go."

Helena:  "I’m sure she's exhausted." {She walks off}

Alexis: {Turning to Dara} "Dara, look--you have to know that we didn't know. And the thing about this--"

Dara: {Approaching them} "Look, why don't you all take experimental drugs and go into comas? Then that way maybe you wouldn't be wasting my time and the taxpayers' money working out your dysfunction in the courtroom." {She walks of leaving them all completely at a loss}