The men who worked for Sonny Corinthos were fiercely loyal, but they were, for the most part, also very individual men. That was part of the reason they fit into Sonny's organization, at least, it had been when they came in. Sonny was legendary in his dislike of "yes" men back in the beginning. It was part of what had attracted him to Stone and to Jason... the Jason who had first come to work for him, anyway. It was why Johnny and Max and Adam and a host of others had chosen him over men who, at the time, had been more powerful than Sonny.

Now there were few men with more power than him, and though the men who continued to work Corinthos territory remained true to their chosen "family," some of the men, some of those who had once been closest to him, no longer held the fierce respect for Sonny they once had. The main reason for that was simple... the man they had chosen to follow had changed, and none of the changes were for the better. Part of that was evident in the woman he'd chosen to spend his life with, another part in the way he'd become blind to everyone but Jason when it came to advice on the business. But for a small group of men, a clutch that consisted of Johnny, Adam, Warren, who managed the coffee warehouses, and Nick, whose job it was to generally patrol the docks and keep them free of interlopers, it all had to do with one thing... the way Sonny had turned on Alexis Davis.

They didn't discuss it outside the confines of Nick's apartment, where they all got together occasionally for a game of poker and some beer, and even then, the subject rarely came up. But tonight, their game had been joined by Zander Smith. Zander, in their group opinion, was another casualty of "the new Sonny." Sure, the kid had made some truly stupid mistakes, but he'd tried hard and he was a good kid at heart. And the guy loved Ms. Davis, which is what had gained him entrance here tonight after he'd caught up with Nick at the River Rat Bar down on the docks with one question.

"I need to find out if this Ric Lansing guy could get Alexis hurt, Nick. Can you help me?"

The card game had already been in progress when Nick and Zander showed up, but it had been largely forgotten as the men were informed of why Zander was there. Most of what they knew was hearsay, especially Johnny, because his anger over Benny's death had meant he had been "reassigned" away from direct contact with Sonny. But they filled Zander in as much as they could, and they provided him with a stern warning to take back to Alexis.

"Tell her to watch her back, man," Johnny said. "This guy hates Sonny, Zander. He hates him. Yeah, he's smart and definitely slick, but if I were her, I'd steer clear."

Zander nodded and said his goodbyes. He then made a beeline toward the last person he wanted to talk to before he headed back to see Alexis. The walk to Kelly's was a fairly quick one, and the person he needed to see was still there, standing behind the counter, waiting for the last few customers to finish up so she could get ready to leave.

"Hey, Elizabeth." Zander smiled as he spoke, but though she managed to force a faint curve to her lips, he could see that Elizabeth was definitely not in the mood to smile.

"I haven't seen you around here in awhile," she said, pouring him a cup of coffee. "How's Emily?"

Zander shook his head. He didn't want to think about Emily right now, and even if he did, he wasn't sure what to think. Things between them seemed worse than they had when they'd been on two separate coasts, and this time, the only people they could blame were themselves.

"Elizabeth, I need to ask you something," Zander said, avoiding the question, "and I know it's gonna seem like something that isn't any of my business, but I'm asking because someone I care about might be getting into business with him, and I need to know."

"Know what, Zander?" she asked, her arms coming to rest on the counter as she leaned against it.

"Ric Lansing. What's that guy all about?"

Zander had seen Elizabeth upset about a lot of things in the time he'd known her, but the look on her face when he'd said Ric's name...

"Elizabeth, I'm... "

"Who is thinking about doing business with Ric?" Elizabeth questioned, her eyes wide as she stared at him.

"Alexis. She needs a lawyer and she was thinking about hiring him."

"No," Elizabeth exclaimed, "No, Zander, you tell Alexis to stay away from him. He..." her voice trailed off as she fought to get control over herself. Zander could see her trembling, and he reached out and took her hand.

"Are you afraid of him?"

Elizabeth shook her head, and then after taking a deep breath in and slowly releasing it, she gave him a real answer. "He would never hurt me, not physically anyway. And apparently he didn't really hurt Carly or anyone else that I know of, but he... he wants to destroy Sonny, Zander, and he doesn't really care who gets caught in the middle of that."

Zander knew what it was like to love someone and find out they'd lied to you... he was living it. And he knew from the way Elizabeth looked right now that she did love Ric, she just didn't trust him anymore, and it appeared that she felt she never would again.

"I'm sorry you got hurt, Elizabeth. You deserve better than that."

She came around the counter then and hugged him. He and Elizabeth had gone through so many stages of their relationship, but it seemed only now, after everything, that they were really friends.

Zander felt he didn't need any more information before making his report to Alexis. No matter how justified Ric felt in pursuing his vendetta against Sonny, too many innocent people were becoming collateral damage. He was simply a danger Alexis couldn't afford. The irony, though, was that if everything he'd heard was true, Ric was probably perfectly suited to work with every Cassadine but Alexis.

Sighing, he pulled out his cell phone and called to setup a meeting so he could fill her in.

*****

Stefan Cassadine did not at all enjoy having to redo someone else's work, so when it became obvious that the investigators he'd used to prepare a background on Ric Lansing had missed crucial information, he had let them know in no uncertain terms that they had failed, and that there would be no next opportunity to do so. The men had scurried for hours, trying to fill in the holes in their report as some method of appeasement, but Stefan knew even as they handed him the amended report that he would never allow them to do work for him again. Their efforts had not been in vain, however, and one piece of information had led him on his present course.

He had then called on an old friend, one whom he hadn't spoken with in years, but with whom he shared a longstanding agreement that were they to need any favors, all the other had to do was ask. The bond had been formed when Kolya had fled Russia after the fall of the Communists. Kolya had needed employment, and Stefan had needed inside information on the men coming into power in his family's home country. During this time, Helena had made what seemed like her 400th attempt on Stefan's life. Kolya had saved him from the sniper and then hunted the man down and made certain his days of murdering were over. Four months later, Stefan had repaid the debt when he had delivered a large sum of money to the new "civilized" Russian government in exchange for the freedom of Kolya's wife and son, who the man had been forced to leave behind.

Kolya had eventually risen to a high-ranking position in the Russian mafia that worked in the United States, and he knew that one call to his old friend would yield the details he was after. He had not been disappointed. Armed with the pertinent facts, Stefan headed to the Port Charles Hotel, and to the floor where the woman he needed to see was currently residing. A large man in a bad suit who needed to learn how to properly wear a shoulder holster was poised outside her door.

"Can I help you?" the man asked.

"Stefan Cassadine to see Mrs. Roscoe, please."

The man knocked on the door and a thin, attractive blonde answered it.

"Mrs. Roscoe, Stefan Cassadine."

Faith looked Stefan up and down and nearly growled her approval. She nodded, and the man accosted Stefan, who submitted to the ludicrous search because it was the only way he could get his answers.

Minutes later, he was inside the suite and Faith was at the bar, pouring herself a drink.

"May I get you something, Mr. Cassadine?"

"No, thank you," he replied, then he waited for her to finish serving herself. When she turned, she directed him to a chair in the sitting area, and Stefan took the seat as Faith sat opposite him.

"So, let me guess. You're here to scold me about my bad behavior toward your sister."

"Then you know Alexis and I are related?"

"Of course," Faith said. "My late husband was fairly well-informed on everyone who worked for Sonny Corinthos."

"Well," Stefan said, his left eyebrow raising, "I doubt I need to scold you for anything. Were you at all important enough to have really inflicted any wounds against my sister, believe me, Mrs. Roscoe, she'd have let you know it."

He caught Faith rolling her eyes, and with a lightning fast movement, Stefan grabbed her arm and her attention. She looked at him with fear, and then, as he eased his grip, but kept hold of her, she watched as a smile crossed over her visitor's face.

"No one hurts Cassadines and gets away with it, Mrs. Roscoe."

Faith nodded, the message clearly received, and she instantly adopted a more respectful tone and façade.

"What can I do for you then, Mr. Cassadine?"

"I'd like to know about your dealings with Ric Lansing."

She looked over at him curiously. "Why?"
"Why is my business," Stefan admonished. "I simply would like for you to provide me the answer to my inquiry. Do so, and I will give you this."

Stefan reached into his pocket and pulled free a stack of bills that totaled $100,000. Right now, with Cassadine finances the way they were, it was, in fact, a large sum of money to hand over for information, but Kolya had told him that Roscoe's widow was swayed by only two things, sex and money, and money was the only option he was willing to take in this particular negotiation. He'd obviously made the better choice. As much as Faith had appreciated him earlier, he could see her nearly salivating over the funds she was clearly in need of.

"Tell me about Ric Lansing."

And so Faith did... she told him about their partnership and about how, when Ric had panicked, he had shot her on the docks. She also told him about their one-night stand, though Faith made it seem a bit more elaborate than that. One piece of information was held back, however. It was her trump card with Ric, and though she had yet to play it, the day would come eventually. After all, what did it matter that she was the one who had snuck up behind Fowler and hit him with that tire iron? Jason Morgan's prints were on it, and the iron itself was tucked away in Ric's possession. And just how would he explain that if someone came looking for it? Even better, what would he do if she somehow ended up with it? Options, Faith loved options, and she had them. She just wasn't sure what she wanted from Ric in order to keep her from taking action--yet.

"And there you have it, Mr. Cassadine," Faith said, ending her story. Stefan stood up as she did, and he walked over, placing the money on the bar.

"Thank you for your time," he managed politely before turning toward the door. He was reaching for the handle when he heard her voice call out to him. Turning, Stefan found Faith staring at him intently.

"Are you sure that's all you're interested in, Mr. Cassadine?" she asked seductively. Stefan fought back a grin at her audacity and turned the knob.

"Very sure, thank you," he said as he made his exit. Stefan heard the woman throw something at the door after he left, and saw her bodyguard trying to stifle a chuckle at the sound. Somehow, as he walked away, Stefan knew he'd just gotten a glimpse of his mother as a young, sexy and manipulative woman on the prowl. He had a momentary twinge of sympathy for his father at the thought, and then, brushing that oddity aside, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Alexis number.

"Hello?"

"Alexis, we need to talk about this Lansing fellow."

"Well," she said, "perfect timing because Zander and I are doing just that. Why don't you come to my place now?"

Stefan agreed and hung up, then headed back to his car. An hour later, he and Zander had both given Alexis the information they had gathered. Zander left shortly after that, and soon Alexis and Stefan sat alone in her apartment.

"Well, we'll simply withdraw the offer," Stefan said.

Alexis nodded, but it was regretfully. "It's too bad. He really is a very good attorney."

"With a need for vengeance that rivals a Cassadine one," Stefan added.

"Yes," Alexis agreed, "but believe me, part of me understands his need. Not his methods, God knows, but I know what that kind of hate can push you to."

Stefan scooted down on the couch toward her, opening his arms, and Alexis took his cue, moving into his embrace. He held his little sister close, knowing all too well from his own experiences with their brother Stavros what she meant. Yes, it was all understandable on some level, but hatred had already cost them too much. Ric Lansing would have to find his redemption somewhere else.

*****

He'd known the moment he heard Alexis' voice what her decision was even though all she'd said was, "we should talk."

Ric had asked himself over and over again why the hell it mattered so much. It was just a job... a job with no clearly defined duties or an outlined timetable. He could have gotten a job anywhere in Port Charles if all he was really after was a way to look busy at something other than coming after Sonny. So what was it?

Part of him thought maybe he'd wanted the job so much because of Elizabeth. It was one thing to just get a job. It was another entirely to work with someone Elizabeth liked and respected, and Alexis Davis fit that bill. But would it matter now? She would barely look at him let alone speak to him.

What killed Ric was that he knew the thing she really couldn't get past was him bedding Faith. The rest, ridiculous as some of his actions had been, Elizabeth could have probably forgiven him for at some point, but that, she just couldn't see past it, and Ric couldn't honestly blame her. He was repulsed himself that he'd let it happen, not only because of who it had happened with, but because of who it made him like.

Sonny.

He knew all about Sonny and Carly's "start," and Ric shuddered as he realized how closely he had walked that parallel. At least he hadn't been as stupid as his brother, though. He hadn't let one mistake trap him in a life he could never escape from. Still, the cost...

Sighing, Ric pulled into the parking lot and began his walk to the Cassadine launch. He was pleased he'd at last engendered enough good will from Alexis that she was delivering the bad news in person. It might give him a chance to try and allay whatever fears she had, though his guess was the one, central fear was his connection to a life she had done her best to get away from only to see her world crash down around her in spite of the sacrifices she had made.

The launch trip was again silent, and again, he was met at the landing by Henri. Instead of Mrs. Landsbury, however, it was Alexis who met him inside the entryway.

"Thank you for coming back out," she said and offered her his hand. Ric shook it and followed her as she led him back to the same study they had met in previously.

"So you've decided?" Ric asked immediately, cutting to the chase. Alexis was near the desk and she turned, arms crossing in front of her, as she looked at him.

"I think you might have underestimated how connected you and Faith Roscoe are," Alexis replied, and Ric shrugged off his coat and tossed it on the couch.

"We were business partners."

"Do you always shoot your business partners?"

Ric felt himself falter a bit as he started to speak, but he quickly cleared his throat. He was a lawyer, damn it, a good one. He could argue this case... and he could win.

"Ms. Davis, my life was at risk at that moment in time were Faith to have given up the information Sonny and Jason wanted."

"And there was no other way for you to get out of the situation?"

He considered Alexis' question, and then shoulders squared, he answered it.

"No, there wasn't, not at that exact moment. Obviously, there were things I could have done to lessen the danger, like using better judgment than to get involved with Faith at all, but the die was cast at that point."

Alexis nodded, her lower lip gliding between her teeth before she spoke. "So tell me, why, exactly, you then decided to take her on as your lover?"

Ric's eyes narrowed at her use of the word "lover" to describe Faith. "One miserable night does not a lover make, Ms. Davis. It was a mistake and it cost me dearly, believe me. But I am not involved with her in any way now."

"I hope," Alexis paused and walked back toward him a bit. "I hope for your sake that's true, but I just... I can't take that chance. We're going to have to withdraw our offer."

And there it was... and even though he'd known it was coming, Ric felt his gut tighten in rebellion against the words.

"But I want you to know," Alexis continued, "that I'm not judging you, Ric, I'm not. That's not to say that I don't find some of what you've done appalling, most notably you letting Carly think something happened between the two of you when it didn't."

"You..." Ric was stunned, his face showing it clearly. "[i]You[/i] feel sorry for Carly Corinthos?"

"Ric, no woman deserves to think for even a minute that something like that happened to her," Alexis said, though her tone was more explanatory than scolding. "Trust me, I'm no fan of Carly's, but some lines are sacred, no matter who the woman is."

He had felt a twinge of regret over his actions with Carly when Elizabeth had confronted him about it, but somehow Alexis' plainly stated argument struck him more deeply than his girlfriend's emotional accusation. For a moment, he thought about the women in his life... the mother he'd never known, the woman he loved but seemed to have lost now, even the woman standing in front of him. What would he think of a man who had done to one of them what he had done?

"I know the depths that rage against your... against Sonny can push a person to," Alexis said, going on. "I just... I have three things left in my life that are good and that I trust and love, Ric, my brother, my nephew and my daughter. I have to protect them."

"I understand," Ric replied, and he did. Standing before him was a woman who had done and would continue to do whatever she had to for the sake of her family. How could he not respect that given the reason he was in Port Charles in the first place?

The phone rang just as he started to reach for his coat. Alexis politely excused herself and reached for the receiver as he began to pull the garment on.

"Hello?" he heard her say, and then, after a short pause, there came a shaky, fearful statement of, "Mac, what is it? What's wrong?"

Her hands began to shake, and Ric moved toward the desk in time to see her pale as tears sprang from her eyes.

"Oh my God... I'm on my way. Mac, stay with her, please. I'm on my way."
He almost jumped when she slammed the phone down. Alexis, now fully crying, began to search for her purse and keys through the blur of moisture in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Ric asked, a bad feeling washing over at him at he panic he saw so clearly in her.

"My baby... there was... Skye was in an accident, and she has my baby with her. They're at the hospital. I have to..."

Alexis could barely breathe she was so terrified, and when Ric's hands reached out to steady her, she forced herself to draw in a deep gasp of air.

"She's at General Hospital?"

Alexis nodded, her hand covering her eyes in a futile attempt to hold back her tears.

"Then let's get you to her. Come on, I'll take you."

She shook her head even as she pulled her keys from her purse. "No, you don't... thank you, but..."

"Alexis," Ric said, using her name for the first time, "the last thing Kristina needs is for you to get in an accident. Let me drive you, okay?"

The argument made perfect sense, of course, and so Alexis nodded her consent and Ric led her from the room. They raced to the boat landing and as the launch began to churn up the water beneath it, Ric glanced over at Alexis where she was sitting beside him. She was so scared, and he couldn't think of anything to say to her, so he simply stayed by her in silence, mentally willing the boat to move faster.

They reached the dock and the pair set off running toward the parking lot. Ric navigated the streets as quickly as he could without getting Alexis into the very accident he was trying to avoid, and finally, they reached the hospital. He flew into a no parking zone right by the ER, not caring about what happened to his car, as he raced around and took hold of Alexis' arm, guiding her inside. Tony Jones was standing at the counter filling out paperwork, and the moment he saw Alexis, he turned his full attention toward her.

"She's okay, Alexis."

"Are you sure?" the frightened mother asked, and Tony smiled to try and help reassure her.

"She has a few bumps and bruises, and because of her history, I'm gonna be extra careful and keep her overnight, but, yeah, she's all right."

Ric watched as Alexis finally let go of a breathe it seemed she'd been holding since they'd left Wyndemere. He instinctively put his hand on her back in a show of support as he looked at Tony.

"Can Alexis see her?"

"Absolutely," Tony said. "She's right in here."

Alexis started to follow Tony, then stopped just long enough to glance back at Ric.

"Thank you for getting me here."

He smiled, really smiled, not just because he was glad for her that her daughter was okay, but because Ric felt like him being there might have actually mattered today... and for some reason he again couldn't identify, that felt good.

"Just take care of your little girl."

Alexis smiled at him and then headed off after Tony. With her gone, there wasn't much point of Ric staying there, and he was about to head out and retrieve his car when Scott Baldwin walked in. He saw Scott making a beeline toward the ER interior, and so he made it a point to get in his way.

"Scott, what are you doing here?"

"Investigating a potential crime, what are you doing here?"

"What crime?" Ric asked, sidestepping the question.

"Oh," Scott said in his usual whiny tone, "Skye Quartermaine wrapped her car around a light pole or something. She's probably three sheets to the wind, and I'm gonna pop her for it."

"Yeah, well, um, isn't that Commissioner Scorpio's job?" Ric asked, and he watched Scott bristle at the comment.

"Yeah, well, I'm the D.A., I do what I want. Excuse me."

Just then, Tony emerged and walked up to the desk. Unfortunately his orders to the nurse to "help Ms. Davis get her daughter settled" were overheard by Baldwin.

"What was that?" he yelled out, and Tony turned toward him.

"I'm sorry, Scott were you bellowing at me?"

"Yeah," Scott said, moving closer to the doctor, "what's this about Kristina Davis?"

"She was in a car accident and her mother is in with her."

"Her mother's not allowed to be in with her," Scott said, his eyes beginning to sparkle with joy at the idea of one-upping Alexis yet again.

"Look, Scott, just back off, all right?" Ric's statement drew Baldwin's eyes his direction. "Her daughter was in an accident. She's scared. What do you care if Alexis is in there?"

"She got away with murder," Scott began, launching into his overused rant, and Ric let him do so as his mind raced to find a way to get this man away from the ER. Thankfully, when Scott was at mid-rant, Stefan, who had been called from a board meeting with news of the accident, walked in and rushed over toward them.

"Where are Alexis and Kristina?" he demanded, and Tony, who had long-since returned to writing up Kristina's chart, looked up at him.

"Treatment room four. They're getting Kristina's room ready for her up in pediatrics."

"Yeah, well, your nutso sister won't be there for long," Scott said as he started toward the doors again. This time Ric put his hands on Scott, ready to physically restrain him, until he saw Stefan wave at someone. Ric turned to see an armed security guard move into position beside them.

"This man has no authority here. If he tries to go into the treatment area, throw him out of the hospital."

Tony and the nurses managed to hold back their laughs just long enough to for Stefan to make his way through to the treatment area. They had all dealt with Scott's Draconian tactics for long enough, and were glad to see him put in his place. Not that Scott didn't try to take a few steps after Stefan, but the hulking 300-pound guard simply glared down at Scott and then watched as the D.A. scurried backward, blustering about returning with a court order.

Ric moved with him, and once they were outside the building, he finally asked a question he'd been dying to ask.

"What is your deal with Alexis Davis?"

"I don't have a deal with her," Scott said, his tone so defensive it made the lie even less believable.

"Scott, she killed a piece of garbage. Why are you so hell-bent on ruining her? Why do you care?"

Scott hated to have his motives questioned, and he glared at Ric hard before slapping his hand against Ric's chest.

"Why do you?"

Ric stood there, watching as Baldwin strolled away, and realized that he had no idea why, but he actually did care.

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