Okay, this one is for my fellow gutter rat and the birthday girl, PROFESSOR! If the idea of Stefan and Alexis does NOT work for you, you'd be best served to head out on now :)

This picks up the same night that Jax returned to Port Charles with Mikkos' real will, and "history" changes from there.




Alexis stood by the fireplace, her arms wrapped around her body because she couldn't seem to get warm. It had been a day full of emotional extremes--the fear and annoyance Helena always brought in tandem with her, the relief of seeing Jax alive and well, the unimaginable sense of completion at reading her father's words and knowing, finally, that Mikkos had felt something for her. Along with all of that, there was sadness--heartbreaking sadness for Stefan and Nikolas and the truth she now knew would change their futures forever and leave their pasts filled with regret.

So much had changed even if, at the moment, she was one of the only people in the world who knew it. Alexis hadn't yet made any decisions about when or even if she was going to tell Stefan or Nikolas what the documents had proven. It was just too big and too daunting to be decided in one night, not when so much damage would result from her choices no matter which way she went.

"How are you?" Jax asked as he walked up behind his pretend wife and wrapped his arms around her.

"I feel like someone turned the world on its side and left it spinning, and I don't know which way is up."

"I'm sorry this has been so hard on you." Jax' voice was gentle and soothing, and Alexis turned, her arms wrapping around him as she leaned into his body for comfort.

"Don't be sorry. What you gave me by saving those papers... Jax, really, there's no way I can ever..."

Jax put a finger to her lips, stopping her hundredth "thank you" of the night. "I'm just glad I got to do something for you after all you've done for the Jackses. And I know that you're on overload, Alexis, but, um..."

His voice trailed off and Alexis stepped back from him. She could see hesitation in his eyes and a real concern shone on his face.

"Jax, what is it?"

"I... I found something else, something else that belonged to your father."

"W-what?" she asked anxiously, and Jax crossed to his bag, opening the side pocket. He returned to her a moment later with a weathered envelope made of clearly high-quality paper. She noticed that the top edge was jaggedly torn from being opened.

"It's a letter from Mikkos," Jax told her. "A letter to Stefan."

"Stefan?" she parroted back. "And you opened it?"

"Alexis, you might trust him on some level because of some childhood loyalty, but I don't. I couldn't be sure that if what was in the letter had something to do with you that he'd tell you. So, yes, I opened it. I'm sorry, but I felt I had to."

Her hands trembled as Alexis reached for the letter. Jax released it into her hold, and she stared down at her father's handwriting; a strong, dramatic scrawl that had imprinted "Stefan" on the front more than two decades earlier.

"What... what does it say?"

Jax took a deep breath and then moved to put his arm around his wife before he guided her to the sofa. They both sat down, his arm remaining loosely draped over her.

"What's in the letter?" Alexis asked again

"I think I should let you read it on your own," he answered. "But, Alexis, I'm afraid it's only going to make you feel like the world is even more out of control than it already is after what you've learned today."

"I'm not sure I can handle any more," she said, and Jax moved his hands, closing his palms over hers in a gesture of support.

"You can, but you don't have to. There's nothing directly about you in there. I almost didn't even give it to you, but..."

"No, I'm glad you did." Alexis swallowed hard and looked down at the letter again. "I just... will whatever's in here hurt my family?"

"It might, yes," Jax answered truthfully.

Alexis nodded. God, she was tired of Cassadine intrigue, but at the same time, the idea of reading more of her father's words was a strong temptation. Jax must have sensed her struggle and her need for a moment alone because he slid off the sofa and crouched beside her.

"I'll tell you what, I'll go make us some tea, okay?"

"Okay... thank you," she answered back.

Jax gave her hands one last squeeze, then he stood and made his way out of the room. Left alone, Alexis turned the envelope over twice in her hands, contemplating it. Finally, slowly, she reached into the envelope and pulled the folded sheets of paper out and, fingers bracing the pages, she began to read.

[I]"Stefan, it is an odd thing for a man to embark on a journey he expects to bring him great power and unimaginable wealth, and yet pause to write his will and finalize thoughts for those he holds dear in the event he never returns. Yet here I sit, doing just that, and though you may doubt it, and with good reason, you are one of those precious few for whom I have parting words.

"It would be folly for me to try and say that I wish now I had been a better man. I am content with who I became. I made my choices willingly and proudly. Let no one tell you they were not choices. Some man in the Cassadine line may yet choose to rule with humanity and grace. I was not that man.

"The only thing I do regret is that my decision to be the next in the line of dark Cassadine princes so deeply wounded two people who I should have done more to protect, you and our beautiful Natasha. By now, you no doubt know that the young girl I introduced to you as your cousin Alexis is my daughter Natasha Cassadine. Stefan, no words can express what it meant to me that you, who have known so little love and kindness in your life, embraced this dark-haired child and became her protector. You are a better man than all of the rest of us... be certain of that always.

"There is only one way that I can repay that debt to you, and that is to set you free from a life you were condemned to by the tyranny of your mother, the woman I have called wife. Helena's lies stripped you of your chance at a normal life. I do not know why it was that she felt compelled to do this, and I am just as guilty for not exposing her. Perhaps it was my selfishness in knowing that without you, Alexis would be alone... and I could not allow that, not for the sake of anyone.

"The truth you need to know, the truth that will free you to live a better life than you have known, Stefan, is that I am not your father."[/I]

The paper floated to the ground, the pages scattering as Alexis struggled with the words she had just read. Her breathing quickly grew uneven as she silently urged herself to stay calm, and soon her childhood panic returned. Suddenly her world began to grow black as her breathing became more and more shallow and labored. Somewhere around her, she could hear the sound of dishes rattling together and Jax' voice calling out to her, but he seemed to be miles away.

"Alexis... Alexis, it's all right, I'm here."

Unsure of what else to do, Jax pulled Alexis into his arms and held her. He fought to keep his own composure as his mind tried to process what he was witnessing. Never, not even in the Sahara, had he seen Alexis look so lost or so broken.

She could feel the warmth of Jax' body pressed to hers and hear his urgent and reassuring whispers, but Alexis couldn't respond. His statement that what she read in the letter would further upset the world as she knew it was a mammoth understatement, but Alexis couldn't begin to tell him why. Only one other person would understand what she was feeling, would know the intensity with which regret and lost chances had slammed into her. Only one person...

*****

The dorm room at Wellesley was actually smaller than the one she'd shared at boarding school, but Alexis was getting used to it. Her roommate, Georgia, was a really nice girl from California who had a brilliant mind, and they chatted easily and were getting along fine. Of course, not everything was perfect, Alexis thought as she turned and surveyed their room. There was no doubt which side belonged to whom. Alexis' was always neat and orderly, her bed made, her books stacked on her nightstand and her desk. Georgia's whole side of the room was covered with clothes. Two hours of putting on every outfit she owned, hating it, and throwing it off had been the reason for today's mess, but the truth was, it was always messy. Still, Alexis liked her, so she was learning to bite her tongue.

Laughter filtered up from the walkways below, and Alexis knew the majority of her dorm mates were headed off to parties or they were armed with fake I.D.'s and headed to the local bars. Twice already since school had begun Alexis had joined in the fun, allowing Georgia to drag her to a frat party and to a pool hall where the beer was only $2 a glass. She had invited Alexis out tonight as well, but tonight she just wasn't in the mood.

"But it's your birthday," her roommate had argued, and for Alexis, that was the point exactly. It was her birthday... her 18th... and again, she would be spending it on the other side of the world from the one person she'd give anything to see again. That left her in no mood to go out and celebrate. Instead, she'd decided to stay home and start work on her first paper for Econ 212, Trade & Migration, one of her core courses for the International Relations degree she knew would get her into Harvard Law.

The knock at the door momentarily surprised her, but then Alexis remembered that Georgia had said her friend Tommy might stop by for her history notes. Alexis stood up from her desk and moved to open the door, but as soon as she saw who was actually on the other side, her mouth fell open and she drew in a shocked and surprised breath.

"You could not have thought I would miss this birthday," Stefan said, his smile beaming, and Alexis forgot about composure and decorum and rushed into her cousin's arms as she wrapped her own around his neck.

"Stefan. Oh, I'm so happy to see you!"

Normally, such a display of affection would have earned a scolding from Stefan and a reminder of proper behavior, but today he would let it go. Today he was just so happy to see her again... their long and forcefully imposed separation finally at an end.

When she finally let him go, Alexis stepped aside so that he could come in. Stefan bent down near the doorway and picked up two large shopping bags, then followed her into the room. He tried hard not to scoff. The dorm room was smaller than the Cassadine wine cellar... but no room in the monolithic estate in Greece had probably ever felt like home to his cousin the way this place had.

In a life filled with difficult moments, putting Alexis on the plane that would bring her to America and away from Greece had been the hardest of his life. Stefan had found a purpose for himself in becoming her guardian when she arrived on the island all those years ago, and as time marched on, she became his best friend, his confidant... truly, even at her tender age, the only person on Earth that he trusted. Letting her go had broken a small piece of his spirit, but he knew that in doing so, he had given freedom to hers. First in New Hampshire and now here in Massachusetts, Alexis could blossom free from Helena's hateful stares and vengeful attacks. Here she had become confident and learn to trust herself... and that made his own sacrifice worthwhile.

"I never expected you to come!" and the truth was, she had not. Her first two years in the States, Alexis had written to Stefan asking him to come and visit her. Finally, he had phoned her while he was in London and told her the truth, that he felt his staying away from her might ensure Helena keeping her distance. Though she'd been heartbroken, Alexis appreciated him finally telling her his reasoning, and since she knew she would not sway him, she had made herself accept letters and gifts as a substitute for seeing him, but nothing ever made the ache to actually have him with her go away.

Stefan placed the bags on what was clearly Alexis' bed due to its tidy appearance and shrugged off his overcoat. Already it was growing brisk here, and he was glad he'd though about the weather when he'd chosen the items he had brought with him.

"So tell me, how is it?"

Alexis' eyes lit up as Stefan sat down on the bed, his posture perfect as he crossed his legs and waited. She plopped down and threw her legs into an Indian-styled pose, then began to tell him all about her courses, her instructors, Georgia... everything that had already made her fall in love with Wellesley. He listened intently, his pride showing when she told him she had tested out of Russian, French and Italian but was studying German anyway in order to make doing business for Cassadine Industries even easier once she became his chief legal counsel.

The two of them rarely discussed the future in terms of dreams. They had a plan. Stefan was working to get control of the Cassadine fortune, and once he had it, Alexis would work for him, her law degree secured and aiding her in building the fortune even more and protecting it from Helena. It had seemed a fancy of childhood, a plot hatched to secure the ultimate revenge dreamed up in a locked closet that Stavros had trapped them in more times than either liked to remember. Now, though, it was possible. Stavros was dead. Mikkos and the uncles were dead. They had a chance, and both of them knew there could be no mistakes if they were to succeed.

"Well," Stefan said after letting Alexis go on for some time, "it sounds as if you are pleased with your choice."

"I am," Alexis confirmed. "And this way, the move to Cambridge won't seem so jarring once I get accepted to Harvard."

Again that confidence jumped out at Stefan, and he realized that even though they'd kept in touch by writing and some phone calls, Alexis had truly grown up in his absence. Gone was the easily shaken little girl she had once been. She was a young woman now, one who had lofty goals and believed herself capable of achieving them. He loved seeing this new quality in her, and it made him even more determined to make this birthday celebration something special.

"Enough talk of school books," Stefan said as he stood and motioned toward the shopping bags from two of the finest shops in the world that sat on Alexis' bed. "It is time for us to celebrate a certain birthday."

A bright smile crossed Alexis' face as she stood and looked at him anxiously. "And how will we do that?"

"We will start by my going down to the lobby to wait for you while you make use of the items I brought you."

"And then?" Alexis' little girl enthusiasm was a treasure to Stefan. He'd seen it so rarely, and though she had matured, it was lovely to see that life with the Cassadines had not beaten this out of her.. at least, not yet.

"And then you will find out. Now get ready."

He moved to the door and opened it, his eye catching her waiting patiently for him to leave before she dove into the packages that were waiting for her. Stefan hoped she enjoyed them as much as he'd enjoyed buying them for her. Now that his power within the family was increased, this was the first time he could truly spoil her as she deserved.

Alexis bit her lip as the door closed and the mysterious bounty in front of her begged to be opened. There were many different boxes inside the two shopping bags, and as she pulled each one free, she seemed to develop a ritual. She'd hold it a moment, almost regretting the revealing of it, then she would lift the lid, feel overwhelmed and stunned at the beauty of the contents, and then she would remind herself that Stefan was waiting. When she was finally finished, Alexis surveyed what she had uncovered-a stunning wine colored silk cocktail dress, a pair of very grown up strappy black high heels, a soft and rich black cashmere coat, a purse to match her elegant new outfit, choices of hair decorations, a new perfume that smelled of roses-everything she needed to feel sophisticated and adult and special on her 18th birthday.

Moving quickly, Alexis stripped off her clothes and began to dress. When she was fully clothed, she sat down at the vanity Georgia practically lived at and tried not to cringe. Alexis hated looking at herself, and she hated trying to do something with her hair, but she was determined not to let that stop her from trying, not tonight. She had two diamond hair clips that had been part of Stefan's loot, each shaped in a simple circle. She decided to sweep her hair up and secure it with the clips. Then she applied her makeup exactly as she'd learned to from Deena Stanton at Briarton-Griggs.

Maybe it was just the dress or the fact that it was her birthday and that, combined with her joy at seeing Stefan was just making her feel extra good, but when she was done, Alexis was actually pleased with how she looked. Long tendrils of her hair had fallen loose and made her hair look very soft yet finished in an odd way, and her makeup had decided to come out just right.

"Just heaven having mercy on you for once," Alexis teased to her image in the mirror, then she stood, transferred her room key and a few items into her evening bag, and then she picked up the exquisite cashmere coat and headed out of the room, her excitement at what else Stefan had in store bubbling.

There was no reason for anyone at Wellesley to know who Stefan Cassadine was, and certainly less for anyone in this particular dormitory to have any idea of what that name signified, yet clearly his aura was working because the young men and women who crossed his path while he stood in the lobby awaiting Alexis seemed to know he was not to be trifled with. Their looks translated to him as "avoid that man," and that made Stefan unexpectedly pleased. With Stavros gone and something far more precious than money to protect, it was important he become like his father... a man regarded with fear unless he wanted you to feel otherwise. Nikolas' life depended upon that.

He hated being away from the boy, but this trip had been long overdue. Stefan knew that Alexis felt cut off from the only connection she had in the world, and even though she'd understood his reasons for staying away, he could make her wait no longer. She deserved this one night, at least, of his undivided attention.

Said attention was grabbed the moment she walked into the lobby, and Stefan turned. He had not been prepared for what he saw. Dear God, when had she gotten that beautiful? Everything he'd chosen for her suited her to perfection, the dress hugging a body that he had not noticed under her baggy college sweatshirt and showing off legs that had been hidden by her equally ill-fitting sweatpants. She looked like a lady... a true, born to the manor lady whose intelligence shone through and only made her more stunning to look at. No, Stefan had not been prepared for this... and his heart tightened as he realized how quickly the world would change... how soon, probably, some man with a charming smile would steal her heart and take her away from him. He would no longer be the man in her life... and even if that was the proper way of things, it was not the way he wished them to be.

"Is it all right?" she asked nervously, and Stefan realized his thoughts had probably brought a scowl to his face. He smiled, extending his hand to her to bring her to him.

"Near perfection. And this should finish it all off quite nicely."

He'd saved this one gift because he wanted to see her face when she opened it. Stefan pulled the velvet-covered box from his coat pocket and held it out to her.

"But you've already given me so much," she said, her words not surprising him at all.

"Alexis, open the box."

Smiling shyly, she reached out and lifted the lid as he supported the underside. Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw what lay within. The piece was clearly antique, the handcrafting beyond anything that you could find in the jewelry marketplace nowadays. The thin band of high quality gold laced together with delicate garnets was simply breathtaking.

"Stefan, it's... it's gorgeous."

He smiled, pleased with her reaction, as he turned the box toward him so he could lift the necklace out. He snapped the box shut, handing it to her as he moved behind her and began to work the clasp so he could place it around her neck.

"Is it a Cassadine piece?" she asked, remembering well the vaults of jewelry that she had never been allowed to look in for very long before Helena snapped them closed, shielding the precious gems from Alexis' "unworthy" eyes.

"No," Stefan said proudly. "This is something I found on a trip to London. I saw it and instantly thought of you."

The necklace secured, Alexis turned, her fingers gently touching the amazing piece of jewelry as she turned to her cousin.

"Why is that?" she asked.

"Because as I walked by, it was beautiful, eye catching, but the longer I looked at it, the more its details, the intricacies and complexities of the design came to light... and then it was even more stunning than when I'd first seen it."

The compliment brought a blush to her cheeks, and Stefan saved her from needing to make a comment by reaching for her coat.

"There is quite a chill outside. Let me help you with this."

Alexis eased into the cashmere masterpiece as Stefan held it out for her. The warmth of the coat almost made her feel overheated, partly because she was still feeling so flushed from his comment. Beautiful? Did Stefan really think that way about her?

"Shall we?"

His voice drew her eyes to him, and Alexis took his offered arm and let him escort her from through the lobby doors. A limousine was waiting for them, and the driver hopped out, opening the passenger door for them as they approached.

"Where are we going?" Alexis asked, and Stefan smiled.

"You'll see," was all he would say as he helped her into the car.

*****

"Mr. Cassadine, Mrs. Davis-Jacks is here to see you."

Mrs. Lansbury's announcement surprised him, not only because of the hour, but because he and Alexis were on anything but good terms as of late. In fact, since he'd discovered that his cousin was in fact his sister Natasha, nothing between them had been the same. Most of that was because of him, because of his reaction to the news. Yes, what Alexis had done involving Katherine was reprehensible, and yet he had blindly lashed out at her without admitting why she had done it, why she had tried to destroy the relationship. It was, in truth, nothing he hadn't done to her before... even if she didn't know it.

"Show her in," he said, a feeling of dread settling over him as he stoked the fire and waited. He was so tired of fighting with her, and some part of Stefan kept willing his better self to step forward and simply embrace her, forgive her mistakes and move on. But he couldn't... every time he saw her, his anger flared, and he couldn't seem to stop it. He'd hear the words coming out of his mouth, feel the venom he was spewing at her and scream inside "don't do this, not to her," but still the words came, still the venom flowed.

"Stefan."

His name was all she said, and he turned, a sarcastic remark already prepared. The insult died on his lips as he saw her face. Stefan saw the Alexis of his youth in the woman that waited for him, a scared, broken, frightened little girl masquerading as the strong-willed attorney she had become. He hadn't seen her since the night she had come to him with papers that ripped his heart out, revealing the truth... that Nikolas was not his son after all, but Stavros'. He'd called her a liar, declared the documents deceit and then cast her out again. But she had not been lying... and it had changed his world forever.

"What is it?" Stefan asked, his voice far softer than it had been with her in months. "Alexis, what's wrong?"

"So much... so many things are wrong."

She drifted further into the room, her purse clutched tightly against her chest. Despite the heavy overcoat she was wearing and the fire in the room, she shivered, and Stefan felt a reflexive need to walk over and hold her, but he couldn't do that... he'd put too much distance between them to try and comfort her now.

"Tell me," he said as she sank down onto the couch, her bag still pressed against her.

Alexis stared at him, unmoving. She had come here once before to tell him the whole truth. She had ended her revelations, however, at the admission of Nikolas' true parentage. She couldn't go on then, not when she'd seen how panicked and devastated he was at the news. Alexis knew that until that moment, Stefan had believed absolutely that he was Nikolas' father, that even then, he had thrown a cloak of denial around himself until the test results proved once and for all that Nikolas was not his child. The pain of it shone on his whole being... his eyes darker, his face angrier, his shoulders not sitting quite so proudly anymore, and Alexis wished every time she saw him that the secrets were done and gone. But they were not, and she knew she could keep this one no more than she could have kept the truth from Nikolas.

"Part of it you know," Alexis began. "It started with Jax and him finding Mikkos' will."

Stefan sighed and stepped closer to her so that he was looming above her, his arms crossed in front of him. "I am in no mood for a rehashing of this tonight. I thought all these matters settled. You insisted on telling Nikolas the truth, and therefore, you've lost all claim on the Cassadine estate..."

"I don't give a damn about the Cassadine estate," Alexis barked out. She stood, throwing her purse on to the sofa as she matched her brother's intense stare. "I am sick of the Cassadines. I am sick of the way they make choices about other people's lives for their own selfish reasons. I'm sick of all of it!"

He was stunned into silence. Alexis had never been prone to tirades, not even as a little girl. Now she was irate, anger pulsating off her as she ranted in front of him.

"Alexis, calm down."

Stefan moved to reach for her, his concern at her state finally overriding the cautious distance he had kept, but she stepped away from his efforts.

"Nikolas had a right to know who he is."

"I am the only real father he ever knew. I had a right to protect him."

"From the truth? What if that's not what he would have wanted?" she asked. "What if by holding onto that truth, you had taken away choices he had a right to make for himself?"

"Well, it was not your choice to make!" he bellowed, his grip on his temper slipping yet again in her presence even though he did not want to yell at her. "You defied my wishes for your precious truth, Alexis, and what did it do? It hurt me, it hurt Nikolas, and it cost you whatever rights you think you have to an inheritance."

Her laugh was bitter, and the sadness in her eyes made him wish that they could simply go back to their first days in Port Charles, back to when they had known their roles with one another. Ever since the rules had changed, rules they had spent years building and abiding by, they had walked a razor's edge with one another. Each time they clashed like this, Stefan feared it would be the moment he said something he could not take back... the day he found the unforgivable and delivered it at her feet. Now he watched and waited as Alexis reached for her purse and retrieved a worn looking envelope.

"You wanted to play God with Nikolas' life because you love him, and you think that's your right," she said as she walked toward him. "Well, my father played God with my life, and it cost me, Stefan... you know how much it cost me. And Mikkos also played God with your life... and it cost you... it cost us."

Stefan hesitated as her hand moved toward him, the letter offered. He felt the bottom drop out of his gut as the paper touched his skin. The envelope shook as he took firm hold of the letter and pulled the pages out, his eyes beginning to scan the words he found.

[I]"Stefan, it is an odd thing for a man to embark on a journey he expects to bring him great power and unimaginable wealth..."[/I]

*****

The Four Seasons Hotel in Boston is a monument to elegance. It suited Stefan's tastes well, and he knew the opulence would be the perfect setting for Alexis' celebration. She had been in homes of such history that kings 300 years past had lived there, yet he knew she had rarely enjoyed the luxury in which they sometimes found themselves. No matter if they were with the servants or a governess or with Mikkos himself, always Alexis' mind had been tormented with Helena's whispers of "don't touch," "don't speak." But tonight, he would banish his mother's evil reprimands by giving Alexis her first real taste of the life he knew she would live now that he was succeeding in his plans to control the Cassadine fortune until Nikolas came of age.

The drive into the city was filled with easy conversation between the two as they caught up in a way that letters and intermittent phone calls do not allow. Stefan gave her pictures of Nikolas to keep with her, and regaled her with stories of the beautiful baby boy. Some part of Alexis couldn't help but feel a sting of resentment at the way Stefan spoke about Laura, even after she'd abandoned Nikolas in favor of her old life. It wasn't that Alexis didn't understand why Laura had done it, she did on some level... yet she was thrown by what she could see was obvious affection on her cousin's part toward the child's mother. Somehow she hadn't expected that, and she found she did not like it... not at all.

When the car finally stopped, it was dark outside, and the driver walked around to open the limousine door. Stefan climbed out, offering his hand back to her, and she smiled at him brightly when she wrapped her fingers in his and made her way out of the car. Then her eyes turned to their location, and though it seemed impossible, the light from her smile increased, pleasing Stefan even more than their time together already had.

"You approve?" he asked, already knowing the answer from her expression.

"I do," she answered, and again Stefan offered her his arm, leading her inside. The doormen bowed courteously and as they made their way through the doors into the beautiful lobby, and it was clear to Alexis that everyone on the staff knew who her escort was. Stefan was becoming known as the head of the Cassadine empire, and it seemed to suit him well. He had always been so mature, so "old soul" in his manner, yet now there was something about him that reminded Alexis not of his father so much as his uncle Victor... a cunning hidden by charm and a handsome face.

When they arrived at the enormous entryway that marked the hotel's award-winning restaurant, Aujourd'hui, the maitre d' immediately moved to take Alexis' coat even as he nodded toward Stefan, who was shrugging off his overcoat as well.

"Good evening, Mr. Cassadine. Everything is as you requested. I'll show you back."

Once the coats were handed off to be checked, the maitre d' led them into the main dining room. It reminded Alexis instantly of a party they had all been to at Monsieur La Rollande's home in Paris. It was one of the few family trips she'd been taken on because the La Rollandes had a daughter near her age, and Mikkos had insisted it would make a good impression on his business associate if Alexis were to be included. Helena had glared at her menacingly throughout the entire trip, but the beautiful surroundings and the chance to play with another little girl had made even Helena bearable in exchange for the few moments of fun.

As Alexis took in her surroundings, Stefan was taking in something else entirely, and a knot in his stomach formed and tightened as they passed table after table. He had purposely chosen Alexis' gifts so she would feel feminine and beautiful tonight, but he had not anticipated the looks of appreciation she would receive from the numerous male patrons in the room, nor had he taken into account how much he would hate seeing it. One man stared so hard at her legs that Stefan had actually glared at him, but Alexis remained unfazed by the audacious looks. Her whole attention was on where she was and whom she was with... and so Stefan choked down his flash of inappropriate jealousy and thanked the heavens he'd had the good sense to decided not to eat in the main dining room.

"Here you are," their guide said as they passed through an entry on the left with a marquee above that read "Le Soir." It was one of two private dining rooms the hotel offered. "Your waiter will be right with you."

Stefan nodded, and once the maitre d' was gone, he moved to pull back Alexis' chair.

"Miss Davis."

Alexis blushed as she stepped toward him, her head swimming a bit from all of the attention he was lavishing on her. She glided down into the chair, and Stefan eased her forward before moving to his own seat.

"Stefan, this is... thank you so much." She knew her dimples must be deep because her smile was nearly hurting it was so big.

"We've missed several birthdays. Think of it as catching up."

The waiter arrived then, a pristine sterling silver bucket with him, a perfectly presented bottle of champagne chilling inside. Stefan nodded his approval, and the man expertly uncorked the bubbly drink, then poured two glasses.

"I'll bring your appetizers in shortly," the waiter assured them, and after he'd left, Stefan raised his glass, tilting the edge toward Alexis. She mimicked his gesture and the fine crystal tinkled just slightly as the rims of the glasses touched.

"To the most radiant young woman in all of Boston." Stefan's offered toast caused Alexis to blush, and she quickly sipped at her champagne before she repositioned her glass to offer one of her one.

"To a birthday better than any I ever dreamed of."

Again, the slight touching of glasses, a small sip of champagne, and then the two settled into pleasant conversation. Alexis told Stefan all about her Sociology course, a study of propaganda and persuasion in the 20th century. He watched as she passionately explained a heated debate that had occurred in just the first week of classes, her center stage of course, and Stefan knew he was seeing a preview of the Alexis Davis who would someday argue a case and leave the courtroom breathless.

Their meal arrived and the two ate, chatting occasionally as they enjoyed their meal. After dinner, the waiter returned with a delectable chocolate mousse for dessert... Alexis' favorite. Stefan sipped at his coffee as he watched her enjoy it, his heart more full and content than he could remember it being in a long while. Laura had wounded him deeply. She was the first woman he'd ever truly allowed himself to care for, and her choice to return to Luke Spencer rather than build a life with he and Nikolas would remain unforgivable to him for all time. Yet as she had so often, Alexis brought light back into his narrow and darkly focused world.

And then he realized the falsehood of his earlier thought. Laura was perhaps the first "woman" he had ever grown to love, but Alexis was his first love. When he'd been a young man, he'd dreamed that Alexis was not really his cousin, but a family friend secreted away with the Cassadines. The secret would be revealed when she came of age, and then he would be able to drop the veil of shame he sometimes felt when he looked at her and thought about how lovely she was or enjoyed the feel of her arms around him too much. But maturity had taught him to rule his emotions better. Some things could not be... and no childish fantasy was going to deliver him from the reality that Alexis was his to love as a cherished cousin, and nothing more.

"Can we take a walk around the grounds?" she asked, her voice hopeful. Despite the fact that it was already growing cold outside, the windows were showing the night was clear and the sky star-studded. A sudden urge to be outside overwhelmed her, and Stefan nodded and stood, pressing a call button that was artfully hidden away near the door. The waiter returned and was instructed to bring their coats. Once they were warmly wrapped, Stefan led Alexis out toward the gardens--this time through the back, less populated exit--and with their arms interlocked, they began to stroll.

"Does Nikolas like the cove?" Alexis asked, referring to she and Stefan's favorite spot on the western beach of the island. She smiled when he nodded.

"He does. I have no doubt he'll become a championship swimmer, just as you did."

"Once you finally convinced me to try to swim. It all seemed so immense and frightening at first."

"Yes," Stefan agreed, "but you overcame that fear, just as you've overcome the other obstacles put in your path."

"Because I had you to help me," Alexis said, but Stefan shook his head.

"You give me too much credit."

"You give yourself too little."

It was an old conversation between them, each knowing that though they probably would have endured alone if they'd had to, sharing the burden had saved them both countless hours of pain and sadness. They had somehow found joy on that miserable island, and they had done it together, shutting out Stavros' taunts, Helena's cruelty and Mikkos' indifference to find happiness in each other.

Alexis stopped walking as she thought about all the times she had run to Stefan for comfort, about the way he had always taken care of her even when it meant suffering for him. She doubted truly that she would ever again know that kind of selfless love. Turning slightly, she came face to face with Stefan. She didn't know that he was thinking nearly identical thoughts himself, that he was lost in those perfect moments when the rest of the family had been gone, the servants all too busy to notice them, and he and Alexis had been the lord and lady of Cassadine Island, just them in a world where no one would say it should not be.

Her lips touched upon his tentatively, and Stefan jumped slightly at the contact. His mind instantly told him no, but his heart... his heart was already finding justification. Just one kiss... just this once...

His sudden movement had made Alexis pull back and their lips were now separated by no more than an inch. Stefan leaned in, closing the distance, his hands cupping her face as her fingers gripped at his shoulders. One kiss... just this once...

Reason snapped hard at Stefan's heels when he felt Alexis' arms wrap around him. He might have decided it could be just this once, but he hadn't considered her, hadn't thought about her feelings or what this would do to her. He pulled free of her hold as gently as he could and put both hands on her shoulders, holding her an arm's length away from him.

"Alexis..."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and Stefan knew the enormity of his mistake instantly. When he tried to embrace her, she stepped back from him, and he heard her trying to stifle a sob as he caught hold of her and turned her back to face him.

"You did nothing you need to be sorry for."

"I thought..." Finally she looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "It felt right, didn't it?"

He had to be honest with her now, totally honest, or he knew this night would scar her. She carried enough pain because of the mistakes of his family. He would not add any more.

"Yes, it did, but we both know the reasons it cannot be right, Alexis."

She nodded, her eyes casting down toward the ground again. This time, when Stefan tried to pull her close, she let him, and her head rested against his chest as he held her.

"I would wish it different if wishing would make it so, Little One."

The childhood endearment undid her. She turned her face against him, hiding her tears from his sight, but Stefan could feel them soaking through to his skin, burning him over the spot where his heart lay.

*****

Stefan turned, shock written on his face. The words in the letter from the man he had called father had torn what was left of his life to shreds. Not Mikkos' son? Not a Cassadine? His eyes shot toward Alexis, and he saw there an emotional storm that mirrored his own: bewilderment, despair and regret.

"It could be another lie," she offered, trying to find some way to console him, but Stefan shook his head, dismissing her attempt.

"No, I... Mikkos could be vile, but he was not Helena. He would never have left this behind if..." He let his words trail off, but they both knew what he'd meant to say. There would be a blood test, of course, to confirm this new revelation as well, but Stefan could feel it in his soul. It made so much sense now... Mikkos' odd detachment with him, Helena's unnatural hatred... he had been punished for being who he was by two people incapable of mustering the basic human decency to know that his birth was not a sin of his own making.

Again, he looked toward the woman who had brought him this news, uncovered this latest secret, but unlike the last time she had done so, Stefan had no accusations to hurl at Alexis. Instead, his chest tightened, and he felt crushed under the weight of his own realization of all that could have been.

"Do you... " His voice failed him, and Stefan cleared his throat. "Do you know what this means?"

She nodded, tears streaming down her face as years of carefully checked thoughts and feelings jumbled up in her mind. Stefan turned from her, his hand clutching and crumpling the letter as he stared into the flames of the fire.

"How could he think I would not protect you? How could he not have known what you meant to me?"

Alexis moved closer to him but refrained from reaching out. Instead, she wrapped her arms tightly around her own body. "Things would have been so different."

"Yes," Stefan agreed, nodding but still not looking at her. "Yes, they would have."

Silence fell between them as the shock of it all began to ebb away, replaced by an unimaginable sense of loss. Alexis stood her ground, not retreating from him even if he would not yet face her.

"Do you know how many times..." he said, his voice filled with strain, "how many times the shame of what I felt for you smothered me? How many times I have taken that shame and turned it on you because... because I could not stop wanting what I could not have?"

"Stefan..." Alexis finally reached for him, her hand lightly touching down on his arm. She felt him tense, but he did not pull away, though he did continue to speak, cutting her off with his pained words.

"There were days I hated you, as if it were your fault that you could not be mine. I was just like them... they hated me for who I was, and they lashed out at me for it, and instead of knowing better, instead of... I did the same thing to you because I could not live with my own sin."

The distance between them disappeared as Alexis stepped closer to him, her chin resting on his shoulder as her fingers wound around his arms, holding him.

"You weren't alone," she whispered. "I kept telling myself I wanted you to be happy, but any time... God, I hated them... Laura, Katherine... I hated them because they could be to you what I could never be."

They stood there quietly, neither sure what else to say in that moment. They didn't need to verbalize all the what ifs because they had lived them, imagined them time and time again only to scold themselves for even having the thoughts. But now, now they weren't wrong... now they weren't bad thoughts or a sin or something evil. Their hearts had known that what they felt was right, but the lies had forced them apart. It had made wrong what had always felt meant to be.

"What do we do now?" Alexis finally asked, turning to him for some direction as she had so often in her life.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "This changes so much." Stefan turned slowly, his hand rising before his fingers gently traced the edge of her jaw line. "But as you've so often wished me to do, we must tell the truth. That I know we have to do."

Alexis shook her head. "But, Stefan, you'll lose everything. You'll have to give up being conservator of the estate, and Nikolas needs you."

"He will have you. You will step in and guide him, and I am hardly disappearing from Nikolas' life simply because of this."

"I don't know," she said, her teeth marking her lower lip.

"You are the only other rightful heir to the Cassadine fortune, Alexis. You must stand by Nikolas' side."

Despite the situation, she smiled slightly. "Still bound to Cassadine duty?"

"Still bound to you and Nikolas," Stefan answered, "to your safety. Your place needs to be made public. It will make it more dangerous for Helena to strike."

"And you? What happens to you now?"

It was a far safer question than 'what happens to us,' though that was really the answer Alexis was seeking.

"I... I go away."

She began to cry the moment the words were in the air, and Stefan pulled her against him.

"No, please, don't go."

"Shh. Alexis, I have to go for now. You know I do."

Stefan held her as the built up tension rained out of her. The past several months... the past several years had taken their toll on both of them. Finally, when she quieted in his arms, he stepped back slightly so he could see her.

"I have spent most of my lifetime wanting what I could not have," he began. "But it was manageable because you were my best friend, my confidant, and I told myself it was enough. When you were revealed as Natasha... Alexis, I reacted from my bitterness and my disappointment. It was the final lock placed on a dream that was now beyond impossible. And now just as suddenly, the lock has been opened and something I thought... something that could never be has a breath of life again."

"Then don't go," she whispered. Stefan smiled and cupped her cheek with his hand.

"We need time, Alexis. We have to find a way to make sense of all of this, to learn what who we are now. I do not... I cannot do that so close to you."

She understood even if she hated it, and after a long moment, Alexis nodded. "Please tell me that I won't lose you forever."

Stefan smiled and reached for her hand, drawing it to his lips. He kissed her palm, then pressed her hand between his own. "You will not lose me. I promise."

Alexis stepped back into him, her arms wrapping tightly around him as her cheek pressed against his shoulder. "How will we know?"

"When it's time?" he asked. She nodded against him. "I don't know. But someday it will be time, Alexis. And wherever you are in this world, I will find you."

*****

Word of the shift in the Cassadine family dynamic had spread quickly throughout Port Charles. The deliciousness of the scandal, coupled with a large helping of people feeling like Stefan had "gotten his" helped fuel the gossip, and within days, with the blood tests back to confirm Stefan was not a Cassadine, Alexis' role as the new head of the family began to take shape. First and foremost, there had been the lawyers, something Stefan had orchestrated quickly so that Helena could not gather support for any attempt to try and wrest control of the estate from Nikolas and his new guardian.

Resolved to this new part she was now required to play, Alexis swallowed her dislike of Wyndemere and moved into the house with her nephew. By the time she arrived, Stefan had taken all of his personal things and made his way to the Port Charles Hotel. She felt his absence in every room of the house, but she understood. They had made it a point since she had finally left his embrace and returned home to see each other only when others were present. It was too hard to find words to say, and even more so to avoid those that wanted to be spoken, when they were alone.

She and Jax had decided to continue their marriage at the time because it offered her additional protection from Helena, and so Jax, too, made the move to the imposing Cassadine fortress for a brief period. Ned, furious over her choice to rejoin her family so completely, had broken off their relationship, and in truth, Alexis felt more free than she had in months. She was tired of having to explain every decision she made only to come up against his unforgiving nature when he disagreed with her position. Sadly, after all the time she'd invested in the relationship, Alexis found she rarely even missed him.

Once the estate matters were settled and Nikolas had begun to adjust to the changes, Stefan arrived at Wyndemere to bid them farewell. It seemed to Alexis she had said good-bye to him so many times in her life already... and she prayed as she held onto him for an extra few seconds that this time was the last time.

And so life went on. Jax remained on Spoon Island for six months before he and Alexis filed for divorce, though the end of their marriage did not end their friendship. She was there for him when he began to feel doubt about his relationship with Chloe, and she understood when he made the decision to go off on a business venture in Australia once he realized the romance was doomed because he was still in love with the woman he'd lost. Brenda haunted him, and it was a feeling Alexis knew all too well as the hole in her own heart ached every day for the one constant in her life that was now gone.

Helena, under threat from Nikolas and with Luke's able coercion, finally revealed the truth about Stefan's true parentage. His father, it turned out, was an enemy of Mikkos' that she had seduced as revenge on her husband when she'd felt unappreciated. Mikkos had killed the man and dismantled what remained of his life, and so what little could be found out about Sebastian Darro had been assembled and sent to Stefan, who at the time was in Paris. Over the following months, using the money Nikolas and Alexis had insisted he keep as his own, Stefan disappeared into Europe, phoning occasionally to touch base with Nikolas, and always sending his best wishes to Alexis even if he would not speak with her.

Her days were more hectic, and Alexis found she had little time to wallow in her loneliness between helping Nikolas begin to exert his power and make business decisions and in helping the prince cope with the loss of Stefan as an immediate, everyday presence in his life. Shockingly, Laura managed to help in this by providing the young man with steady reminders of how much Stefan loved him, and though Alexis still found it hard to be civil to the woman, she was grateful for the sense of comfort his mother was able to bring to Nikolas.

But there were times when she was alone, seated in the study that had once been Stefan's domain, when Alexis would feel drops of moisture begin to trail down her face. She wouldn't even realize she was thinking of him until the tears began. She missed him so terribly... and yet she knew every time he entered her mind that they were not ready to be together again. Often she still caught herself thinking the words "my brother," and she knew it must be similar for him. Years of lies had been heaped upon them, and time was all that could undo that damage. It was hard, though, not to be afraid that it was all too big, too enormous to be overcome. Perhaps their chance to be a part of each other's lives in some way other than the falsehood forced upon them had died the moment the lies were told.

Time... they needed time, she told herself, and she hoped it would be enough.

Weeks and months turned into two and half long, interminable years. Nikolas flew several times to wherever Stefan was to see him, but Alexis kept her distance, not wanting to push him any more than she could handle being pushed. She knew he was back in the States now, his new name, Stefan Darro, allowing him to live a life free of Cassadine attention. Nikolas had just returned from a visit and reported that his uncle, which was how Nikolas continued to refer to him, was doing well and thoroughly enjoying his new enterprise, an auction house that was slowly becoming a rival for the great Christie's when it came to unique pieces from the elite families of the world.

It was late afternoon on the day the waiting finally ended. Alexis was busy working on the legal details of a new acquisition for Cassadine Industries when a knock at the door sounded.

"Yes?"

"Ms. Davis," Mrs. Lansbury called out. When Alexis looked up from the files on her desk, the older woman entered, a letter held in her hand. "This came for you, ma'am."

"Thank you," Alexis said as she took the letter. She immediately recognized the handwriting, and her breath caught as she read "Alexis Davis" in his familiar script on the face of the envelope. It took several minutes of trembling fingers for her to finally free the single sheet of paper that lay inside.

"Alexis, we have a walk to finish, you and I. You remember, don't you, the stars, the cold, that moment that has stayed with us both for so long? Perhaps it's time for us to find out what happens if Alexis Davis and Stefan Darro travel that path together."

After reading the few details of when and where that he had included, Alexis dropped the note and reached for the phone, quickly dialing in the number for the Cassadine hangar.

"Yes, Harold, I'll need the jet to fly to Boston on Saturday. How long will I be there? I'm not sure."

She hung up the phone and picked up the letter again, reading it once more. Alexis Davis and Stefan Darro... was it possible that they could live the life Alexis Davidovich and Stefan Cassadine had once dreamed of?

Two days passed in agonizing slowness, but finally, Alexis climbed from her limousine with a hand of assistance from the driver and walked toward the front doors of the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston. There was something oddly corny and yet terribly endearing about him wanting to meet here, yet Alexis knew the sentimental streak that ran through Stefan even if others never saw it. Here, something between them had shifted and changed forever, and though they had never spoken of it, not since that long ago night, here was as good a place as any to find out if they could leave the past truly in the past.

The doorman opened the entry for her, and Alexis walked toward the front desk as a bellman followed behind with her bag. The manager stepped out and crossed over to meet her before she reached her destination.

"Ms. Davis, welcome. Mr. Darro has booked the two of you into our Presidential Suite. I'll show you up."

Alexis was used to the receptions she received now that she traveled the world as the de facto head of the Cassadine empire. It was still odd, however, to hear Stefan referred to by his new name, even two years after he had changed it, and the shock kept her from following the manager immediately. The man stopped and waited politely for Alexis to gather herself. Slightly embarrassed, she smiled at him in a shy manner she rarely displayed anymore, and then joined him for the walk to the elevator.

She was surprised when they arrived at the suite and the manager simply slipped the key into the lock rather than knocking first. The mystery was solved, however, when he walked her into the room and began to explain the various selling points of the room.

"Mr. Darro said he would be waiting for you in the gardens, and the two of you are booked into one of our private dining rooms for dinner. Your room is here to the left, and I believe the gentleman has already taken care of seeing it is fully stocked with your favorites, however, if you find you need anything else, please, let us know."

Alexis thanked him politely and tipped the bellman who had trailed them silently the whole time. Alone, she crossed to her room and passed through the door the bellhop had left open when he'd taken her bag inside. The opulent bedroom was now one of hundreds she'd stayed in over the years, and it barely registered on her radar, but the single vase of white roses on the nightstand did not. She walked to it, removing the card that sat nestled in the middle of the fragrant buds.

"I've missed you," it read, and Alexis held the card to her heart for a moment before she placed it down on the nightstand. She then turned her attention to her luggage and soon she had the elegant black Armani dress she'd bought on a trip to New York months earlier laid out on the bed, waiting for her. She darted into the bathroom and found that, indeed, Stefan had made certain that her favorite toiletries were there, including the vanilla scented lotion that was shipped to her from a small shop in London twice a year.

After freshening up, Alexis slid the black silk over body and then added the matching shoes. She had decided to leave her hair down, and she fluffed it with her fingers one last time. Finally, she picked up the dark velvet box that sat on the nightstand beside the vase of roses. Lifting the lid, she gazed down at a piece of jewelry that she had not worn in more than a decade. It was still as beautiful as she remembered, and Alexis drew it from the box and carefully fastened it around her neck. Grabbing her shawl and her bag, she then stopped and surveyed herself in the mirror one final time.

"This one time, Alexis," she said softly to herself, "trust your heart."

A short elevator ride and a brief walk later, Alexis stood at the entrance to the gardens.
Dusk was just starting to fall, and the clarity of the sky promised a star-filled night ahead. As a wave of butterflies flew through her stomach, Alexis took a deep breath, released it slowly, and then continued on. She found Stefan standing by a large willow tree, his face melting into a pleased smile when he saw her coming toward him. The sight brought tears to her eyes and a similar expression to her face.

The nerves she was feeling, that she imagined he, too, was feeling, reminded her of being on a first date. It didn't matter that she and Stefan shared years of history together because so much of that history had nothing to do with who they were now... who they had become since the secrets in their lives had faded from view. She felt a little uncertain as to what was all right or expected. Her instinct was to throw her arms around him, but did his sending the note mean he was ready for that or was he simply ready to meet and talk and see where things stood? As she weighed that question in her mind, though, Stefan opened his arms to her, and Alexis moved into him, hers encircling him as she felt his strength wrap around her and welcome her back into his life.

"You look beautiful," he whispered over the top of her head as he held her close.

"You look happy," she said back, and his chuckle sent vibrations through his body into hers.

"I am... now."

Alexis squeezed him even tighter for a moment, then began to ease her embrace. Stefan did the same, and they took a small step back from one another, each looking for the changes they had missed as time passed by. It was during this close appraisal that his eyes fell to the gold and garnet necklace around her neck, and Stefan reached out instinctively, touching it gently with the tips of his fingers.

"I haven't worn it since," Alexis told him, "I couldn't bear to. But it seemed that it was time to rescue it from my jewelry box."

"It looks even more lovely now than it did then," Stefan said, and he lowered his hand from the necklace to capture her left one, his fingers lacing with hers. "Let's walk."

Alexis nodded her approval, and they slowly began to stroll the garden, each steering clear of the reason they were there. Stefan told her about his business, about the friends he had made in Manhattan and his new apartment there. Alexis shared stories of Port Charles with him, especially the rather humorous effect the newest Quartermaine, some redheaded viper named Skye, was having on the family. Stefan seemed especially pleased that she'd managed to snatch control of ELQ away from Ned and Edward, and Alexis laughed, glad to see that some things about this man would never change no matter what name he carried.

Stefan enjoyed the tales of home, and he still thought of Port Charles as home because it was where Alexis and Nikolas were, not so much for the stories themselves but the ease with which Alexis related them. He had been so antsy waiting for her arrival that staying in the suite was an impossibility, and so he had dressed and asked the manager to let her know where to find him. When she had first appeared, resplendent in the curve-hugging black silk dress she had worn, Stefan had worried that the lump in his throat would render him speechless when she approached him. Always when he had seen her, he had noted her beauty, but tonight... tonight she was so much more than that. Tonight he could appreciate everything about her, from her sense of humor to the amazing way her legs seemed to flow on forever and nothing about it felt wrong or awkward. As he had hoped and prayed and wished, Alexis had become a woman to him... a woman without boundaries or borders that he could finally love as he had always wanted to.

She had begun to tell him a story about Nikolas and Elizabeth Webber, who were dating now that Elizabeth's relationship with Lucky was over. Stefan tried to gauge if her own comfort level was a high as his own as she talked, largely missing everything that she said to him as he focused on the sideways glances she threw his way, the way she kept regripping his hand with hers, almost as if she were afraid they might somehow lose hold of one another. She was just telling him about some dinner at Wyndemere when Stefan Darro felt a surge of Stefan Cassadine's impatience. Stopping their walk, he moved so he was facing her, and before Alexis could voice her question of why they had stopped, Stefan drew her to him using the hand he still held and lowered his lips to hers.

Alexis felt the first touch of his mouth, and in it there was no hesitancy. That realization sent any lingering fears or worries evaporating into the ever darkening night, and as the stars began to dance above them, Alexis let herself know this kiss that it seemed she had been waiting her whole life to feel. Her acquiescence prompted Stefan to deepen the kiss, his hand releasing hers so he could lower his to her waist. She responded by encircling his neck with her arms as a lightheaded sensation began to overtake her.

A last rational impulse told Alexis to survey herself, to see if anything felt as if it were not right, but a quick check told her that all that was in her heart and her mind now was a sense of joy. Her soul had known always that this man was hers, that she had been meant to share a true love with him and not just the unsatisfying familial connection they had been told bound them together. Now they were free... and in that freedom, they were tied to one another more than she could imagine any two people on earth ever being.

Slowly, Stefan drew back from that first, seemingly unending kiss, though he let no space come between their bodies as he sought out her eyes with his. When he found only a reflection of his own heart there, he smiled, and her dimples appeared in her cheeks as she did the same. For the first time in his life, Stefan felt complete, and as he had always known, it was Alexis who made that possible... not in the limited way he'd been forced to love her once, but in this way they had been meant always to be together.

"When Nikolas came to see me last," Stefan said, his voice low and quite serious, "I told him that I loved you."

Alexis was slightly thrown that he'd discussed his feelings with Nikolas, though she suspected her nephew knew far more about what was between them than she had ever spoken.

"And what did he say?"

Stefan smiled. "He said that I should tell you."

"Smart young man you raised," Alexis answered as she again marveled at the naturalness of it all. Life was so much easier when the things your heart told you proved to be true.

Lowering his lips to hers again, Stefan reveled a moment in the fact that after all the pain and suffering and sadness, still they had triumphed, still he would say these words to her and she would hear them.

"I love you, Alexis."

The air from his mouth touched her lips as he spoke, and Alexis drew in a shuddering breath. God, it was real... it was real.

"And I love you," she whispered back, and then his lips moved to claim hers again. This kiss was hungrier, even deeper than the first, and Alexis and Stefan both surrendered to it, to the longing and passion and desire between them as one small part of the world done wrong by the Cassadine's legacy of evil clicked back into place and was set right.

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