A young man is in pain. Nikolas Cassadine is still reeling from the news he's just heard, more bad news in a world already replete with it. Gina Williams, the lovely young woman he'd just met had been murdered only a few hours earlier. Nik stares at the ceiling wondering at the pain, and acknowledging the anger building within him. There is a deepening rage, fueled by the helplessness he feels, and there is the awakening of a need to do something, to strike aback against the anguish that is encroaching upon his soul. "A Cassadine," he whispers harshly. "I'm a Cassadine and we act." But, how? He wonders. He'd always had wealth, privilege was his due, but lately, his world had been shaken to its core.

"No, I am Nikolas," he whispers. "Just Nikolas." No more would he accept the lies of his mother, or guardian. He wanted truth, and he wanted justice. He wanted purity and hope. Suddenly, Lesley Lu's image danced before his eyes, and he realizes that she would be denied to him forever. A single tear courses down his face as he considers the deep ache of loneliness that permeates his heart. The thought of endlessly lonely years looms before him and he closes his eyes to shut out the world. Hmmmmm

Mac is talking to Garcia in his office at PCPD. "This is a nightmare!! Gina Williams-that sweet kid who worked for Kevin for a while is dead, and I've just had a call from Jagger Cates-her older brother-you remember him?" At Garcia's nod, Mac continues, as he runs his fingers through his already tousled hair in frustration. "He's coming back to Port Charles."

"We need all the help we can get," Garcia mutters. His jaw is still swollen from the blow Felicia had dealt him only a few days ago. "But I hate for him to come back to PC for this."

"Me, too."

"But, maybe he can appreciate what's happened. He was the victim of neglect, and probably abuse, too. If Kevin-god, Garcia!! I just can't believe that this has happened!"

"Believe it!" Tom says as he walks into Mac's office. "And this whole thing may well bring down General Hospital!"

"What?" Mac asks, incredulously.

"Lawsuits, bad publicity, a court trial with all that entails, if he's taken alive and is sane enough to stand trial, or an insanity trial, regardless. General Hospital can't take any more, and it's just beginning."

"I'm sorry," Mac says, stunned by the implications of what Tom has just revealed.

Tom continues angrily. "You should have acted when you had the chance! You had him in your sights, and you let him go! Now, he's missing, and Gina is dead." Hmmmmm

As the conversation between Mac, Tom and Garcia continues, there is a knock on the door, and in walks Jagger Cates, along with his wife Karen, and incredibly enough, Scotty Baldwin. "Gentlemen, Karen. Welcome back to Port Charles."

Brushing aside the formalities, and the friendly greetings, Jagger speaks. "I want to know what happened." We can see tears lurking beneath his solemn expression, but he continues doggedly. "Stone said that this guy was all right, that Dr. Collins helped him. That he was a friend. Now, I hear that.....that you're looking for him in connection with Gina's murder."

Mac is decidedly uncomfortable, but he's first and foremost an officer of the law when he is in the PCPD's top office. "Kevin is missing, but at this time, we have no concrete evidence linking him to the murder."

"What?" Tom says, outraged. "You know about the arguments, the way Kevin verbally abused Gina, you know about the knife, and you know about the jasmine. That's pretty concrete, if you ask me."

All eyes are on Mac, as he searches for answers, for reasons. Hmmmmmmm

Stay tuned!!! What action will Nik take regarding his life??? Can he bear the loneliness and pain that seem to be enveloping him?? And, what will Mac do? Faced with the current disaster both in the PCPD for what might appear to be lapses in judgment, and the financial ruin of General Hospital, how will he deal with the fate of the man he's grown to love as a brother? In whose hands does Kevin's fate really rest? Hmmmmmm

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