Secrets, Lies, and Deception

Prologue - Part Two

Prologue

Anyone who passes her grave remarks how young she was, how tragic the death; all assuming it was a drunk driver or a shoot-out or something equally romantically sad. If only they knew.
Occasionally, an observant person comes along and notices two other graves near hers with the same date of death; each grave bearing a single black rose, placed every week by the same three people. You can't tell from looking here, that thousands of miles away, there stands an untended grave with the same date of death. Once a year, the three gravetenders here make a pilgrammage to the untended grave. They each take one dead, blood red rose, crumple the petals in their hands, and toss them into the wind; then they leave.
Seldom do I allow myself to remember. The pain of loss, the pain of triumph, the pain of what could have been, the memories overwhelm me. Why, you ask, am I even bringing up a subject I cannot bear to remember? I have found that what you don't know can, and will, hurt you; thus I must record what truly happened, else all hell may decend upon us once more.
Natalia Berkon appeared one day. I don't know for certain where she had been; the chief rumor was the city of Lyon in France, although I have heard everything from Canada to Japan to Mexico. Wherever she had been, she was here now, without a warning, without a word.
Natalia had no career, she really had no means of income, and how she maintained her lifestyle and still left a legacy baffles everyone today. Personally, I'm not sure I want to know where the money came from, considering the questionable contacts Natalia had made over the years of her life.
I spoke to Marcus the other day, and the slight variations between our memories of Natalia and what happened worried me enough to make me start opon this. I immediately went for my telephone and called everyone involved and their children and anyone who might remember anything about this, to get their version, for this is not only my story, but also Natalia's, Luke's, Marcus', Kristina's, Anya's, Elana's, and Stefan's, and I do not want anything to be forgotten. I realize that, of course, that a great deal of this will be me and how well I know Natalia and know what she would have done, how she would have done it, what she would have said, and how she would have said it. This is for Natalia, so she shall not be soon forgotten.
One
"Her body lays in Capel's monument.
And her immortal part with angels lives."
This simple, harmless, normally insignificant quote from Romeo and Juliet started everything. Natalia saw the simple words on the plain white sheet of paper and knew that the time had come.
This unsigned, unaddressed message meant the inevitable was occurring.
Natalia had managed to keep a low, anonomyus profile for her entire life, but she had somehow been discovered. Her life depended on her actions the next few weeks. She knew it was time. It was time to leave herself behind.
It was time to reveal herself before anyone else could.

It was time to prepare herself. It was time to go to Port Charles. Two
Natalia pulled the hood of her jacket down a little closer to her face against the harsh rain. She spotted exactly what she was looking for an crossed the street, walking into the brightly lit room. Natalia glanced up causally and burst out laughing.
"Find something amusing, darlin'?" A man's voice asked flirtaseously.
"It's not everyday I come into a club and find an intresting portrait of a nearly nude Helena Cassadine hanging on the wall," Natalia replied.
"Well, it is a collector's piece. Most people don't recognize the fair lady. How do you know her?" Natalia laughed.
"Oh, I've never met her. You can just say I have an eye for art."
"If that's what you can call it." He stuck out his hand. "Luke Spencer." Natalia shook his hand.
"Lia Berkon."
"Have we met before or something? You seem familiar."
"I don't think so, but I do know of you." Luke grinned.
"Uh oh," He said. "What'd I do?"
"Unwittingly avenged dozens of murders within your family." Luke stared at her. Natalia glanced at her watch. "Well, look at the time. I've gotta run. See you 'round, Spencer."
Luke watched her saunter out the door; he wondered what the hell she was talking about.

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