"Okay, so here's the deal."

Alexis stood on the side of her bed, hands on her hips, her eyes fixed on Kristina. The baby was sitting up in the middle of the soft, downy comforter with pillows on three sides of her and a bevy of toys in front of her.

"It's just for one day. We fly out at 6:30 a.m., we fly back at 6:30 p.m. Mommy should be home for bath time... story time at the latest."

The little girl picked up two sections of a small wooden train and began to bang them together, laughing at her noisemaking.

"Uncle Stefan said he'd work at home all day, so he'll be here, and Nikolas will be in and out and Mrs. Lansbury's here. So there's nothing for you to worry about."

She could imagine how Cameron would analyze this moment when she told him about it in her next session. 'Who were you trying to comfort, Alexis, yourself or Kristina?' The answer was patently obvious. But she didn't care. It helped to believe that Kristina could understand every word she was saying, and that she knew that her mother wasn't disappearing again or being taken away. It was a business trip. One little trip.

"Now you know mommy wouldn't go unless she had to," Alexis explained. She sank down to her knees and leaned onto her elbows against the bed. "It's just, this is Uncle Ric's first big deal for Cassadine Industries, and one of us has to go, and Nikolas can't because he has to interview with the court social worker, and we don't want to take the chance that the judge might get upset if mommy stays with you all day instead of your uncle."

Kristina smiled and offered the caboose of the wooden train Ric had given her to her mother. Alexis chuckled and grabbed her daughter's hand before pulling it to her mouth for a quick, loud kiss.

"You don't care about any of this, do you?" Alexis pushed herself up and climbed onto the bed. "Okay, mommy won't care either. I mean, it's not like I need to be worried. You'll be here, safe and sound."

The baby keened over, leaning into her mother's chest. Alexis snuggled against her, dropping a light kiss on the top of her child's head.

"I guess mama's just not used to so many things going so well for us. Been a long time since I could say that."

But things were going well, and Alexis had promised Cameron in her session yesterday that she would try to stop waiting for another rug to be pulled out from under her and instead try to relax and enjoy the present. That meant relishing her time with Kristina, savoring dinners alone with her brother as she and Stefan continued to reconnect, and diving into the business of restoring Cassadine Industries with the help of her new ally Ric Lansing.

Whatever had been worrying him seemed to have passed when he'd arrived at Wyndemere the day after his phone message had drawn Alexis to his doorstep. His promise to arrive early that next morning to play with Kristina had held. The look on Stefan's face when he'd walked in and found the new legal counsel for the family business crawling on his hands and knees making barnyard sounds... well, Alexis and Nikolas had been chuckling over it all week when not in the elder Cassadine's presence.

When they weren't playing with Kristina, Alexis and Ric had spent their days up to their elbows in the presentation on Mikkonos Shipping. They developed a complimentary work rapport. Alexis was better at international law than Ric, and so he sketched out those points for her and she filled in the blanks. Ric had dealt previously with the company they were planning to pitch the deal to, and so he fine-tuned different passages with language he knew would appeal to their CEO. They took a full two days assembling the pitch for Stefan. And then it was time.

[I]"Why should they agree to these terms?" Stefan asked, his eyes fixed to the financial sheet. "They could do better trying to acquire the British fleet that's for sale."

"Immediately, yes, because it's a less expensive buyout." Ric agreed. "But they stand to make more money long-term from our proposal, and Daniel Roarke isn't a bottom line, today kind of guy. He likes the bigger picture. I think he'll see things our way."[/I]

Next had come the tense, silent moments in which Stefan kept his eyes focused on the print outs in his hands, his face grim and revealing nothing. Alexis had been tempted to plead Ric's case, but she looked over at him and saw both apprehension and excitement in his expression. She held back whatever argument she might have mounted, leaving him to fight his own battle. But it turned out no further convincing was needed.

[I]"How soon can you set up a meeting?" Stefan finally asked.

Alexis fought back a smile. Glancing to the side again, she saw Ric relax his shoulders just a bit as he casually jotted down a note on his legal pad.

"Forty-eight to seventy-two hours."

Stefan closed the proposal and dropped it on his desk, then he stood, removing his glasses.

"One of us will go with you, of course. Let me know as soon as the date and time are set."

Ric nodded, and Stefan glanced over at Alexis, then made his way to the door. Alexis waited until he was gone before she turned to face Ric.

"Is he always so effusive?" was his first question.

Alexis laughed. "You should see him when he's not being demonstrative."

Now Ric chuckled, and as he began to pack up his files, Alexis reached over and patted him on the arm.

"He was very impressed."

"I'll take your word for it," Ric said, clearly still uncertain.

"That little look he gave me as he walked out," Alexis explained. "That was a 'you were right' look. Trust me, I'm fluent in Cassadine."

This time, she got a full laugh, a real laugh, and Ric stopped packing up and turned so he could lean back, partially sitting on the desk.

"I see. Is this Cassadine language difficult to master?"

"Depends," Alexis teased. "If you're just haphazardly trying to pick it up, it can be a little daunting. But if someone is willing to tutor you, it makes the learning process a bit easier."

"I'll have to keep that in mind," he replied, adding a wink at the end of his statement.[/I]

As it had in that moment, the memory of his playful manner and his devilish wink left Alexis feeling a little unsettled. Something about the small beat of... she wasn't sure what it was, but whatever she'd felt, she hoped it was past and gone. Ric was someone she was coming to view as a real friend. She needed a friend very much. Anything else would just complicate things.

"And the last thing we need are new complications, right, Little One?"

Alexis swept Kristina up and held her daughter in the air. The baby's big, toothless grin warmed her heart.

"All right, enough of that. What do you say we take a walk around the island, and then maybe find a spot in the garden to have lunch and play, huh?"

Since her daughter seemed to have no objection to that plan, Alexis stood with the baby in her arms and headed out into the hall, stopping in Kristina's nursery to grab a sweater and some shoes for the little girl. They had just made it to the landing of the grand staircase when Nikolas called out from a few steps down and raced toward them.

"Alexis, wait, stay up there."

She couldn't miss the look of concern on her nephew's face. Alexis did as he asked and waited for him to join them.

"Nikolas, what is it?"

"Ned's downstairs in the study. He wants to see you. I wasn't sure if you wanted Kristina to see him, so..."

Alexis shook her head. "Not until I find out why he's here. Would you mind playing with her in her room for a few minutes?"

Nikolas eagerly reached for his cousin, and she happily went into his hold. "Not at all. Come on, Kristina, let's go work on our Lego castle some more."

A fit of giggles escaped the baby when Nikolas tickled her belly, and Alexis smiled at them before she headed down the stairs and towards whatever it was Ned had come for.
She found him pacing, looking nervous. He turned toward her as soon as she walked in, and Alexis took the time to place Kristina's shoes and sweater inside her playpen before addressing him.

"Stefan's at the hospital for meetings, so if you wanted to speak to him about seeing Kristina..."

"No," Ned said, adding a shake of his head. "I came to see you. I'm sorry I didn't call, but, honestly, I was afraid you'd refuse to see me."

Even after all the ways he had hurt her this last year, it still amazed Alexis that this man she'd once loved so much had become her bitter enemy. The truth was, had he said he wanted to see her, she probably would have said no.

"What did you want?" she asked.

"I came to..." Ned's voice trailed off, and he looked down at his feet. "I came to tell you I'm leaving for awhile."

That caught her off guard. She'd been expecting him to lick his wounds a few weeks, then pal up with Edward to try and come after Kristina again, or at the very least, to try and make more trouble for Alexis to stall her getting permanent custody back.

"Where are you going?"

"Brooklyn for awhile... and then, uh, I'm not sure yet, but no doubt Lois will have it all set up by then."

Again, Alexis was surprised. The Ned she'd grown used to would have been furious with Lois for her honesty on the stand, not making plans to work with her and let her back in his life.

"She, uh, she came to see me after court," Ned explained. "And some things she said... they stuck. Lois has always been able to say things to me no one else could."

"It's good to have someone like that around... as long as they have your best interests at heart."

The addendum had been purposefully intended and did not go unnoticed by Ned. He nodded and put his hands in his jean pockets.

"I'm not honestly sure when... when I lost sight of why I ever got involved in your... situation with Kristina. But I, uh, I do know that I did. And I'm sorry that I hurt you."

Alexis felt vulnerable suddenly, and she wrapped her arms around her body. 'Hurt' her? Was that an accurate enough description of what had happened?

"I wish I could say that mattered, Ned, but... I can't... I don't think I can let this one go."

"Look, I, uh, I'm heading out of town tomorrow. Why don't we just agree to talk about all this when I get back, and, well, we'll see how we feel then, huh?"

"If..." she hesitated and the realization of her pausing made her feelings crystal clear. This was, she knew, what she wasn't sure she could forgive... that he'd made her afraid of him. "If seeing how we feel means you think I'm going to be okay with you staying in Kristina's life... Ned, that's not going to happen."

He sighed, but unlike he had in many similar situations recently, he did not attack. "I do love her, Alexis."

"But not more than you hate Sonny," she said simply. "And not more than you're angry at me. And I just cannot have that, Ned. She deserves better."

She watched as he thought about what she'd said. He made no effort to refute her statements or to plead his own case.

"What if... and I swear, I'm not saying this to threaten you..." he added cautiously. "But what if Sonny finds out and he comes after her, and I'm not around to say I'm her father?"

"Things have changed. I have my brother. I have two good lawyers. I'll fight him."

He stared at her and said nothing. His silence grated on her nerves. Alexis took in a deep breath and relaxed her arms. She took a few steps closer to him.

"Will you give her up or are you going to make me fight you, too?"

Tears pooled in his eyes, but he didn't let them fall. "I'd like to still see her. Brooke never has gotten to meet her, and maybe, after we get done touring, her and Lois might be coming here to visit."

She kept silent and waited. This was the last time she would ask him for her daughter.

"Why don't you have Dara send the papers to me at the Cerullos? I'll sign them before we leave."

"Hey, any chance I can get someone to play..."

Ric stopped speaking as he stepped through the study door and found Alexis and Ned standing opposite each other. His body tensed immediately.

"Is everything okay here?"

Alexis nodded. "Ned just came to say good-bye. He's going to be out of town for awhile."

"Really?" Ric asked, his voice remaining suspicious as he took two big steps, drawing him closer to Alexis' side. "Alone?"

The implication of potential evildoing was clear, and she couldn't help but smile a bit at Ric's protectiveness.

"I'm putting my band back together... going on the road for awhile," Ned stated. "I just wanted to let Alexis know I was taking off."

"I'll, uh, have those papers in Bensonhurst waiting for you."

She turned, about to explain to Ric what papers she meant, but his voice cut her off.

"Bensonhurst? Are you going to see Mrs. Cer--Gloria?"

"I will, yeah."

"Please, uh, tell her hello for me. And that I'll be in touch... soon."

Ned nodded in response to Ric's request. "I don't, uh, suppose I could..."

Her shoulders tensed. That he had the nerve to even ask to see Kristina after the times he'd denied Alexis access to her own child... after he'd literally thrown her out of the house to keep her away from her baby...

"No," she said, her voice flat. "I don't think so."

He surprised her one last time by not arguing. "I guess I should go then."

There was no missing that Ned wanted some kind of acknowledgment of his leaving... a hug, a handshake... something to send him off with a sense of forgiveness in place. But Alexis found herself unable to offer any of those, at least not yet. Maybe if he kept his word... if he signed the papers, then she could begin to let it go. But as he walked from the study and, she assumed, out of her life, she did little more than look down at the floor and wait for the sound of his footsteps to fade to nothing.

"Are you okay?"

Ric's voice was gentle and she barely felt his hand when he laid it on her shoulder.

"He, uh, he said he'd sign away his rights to her if we send him the papers."

"Well, that's... Alexis, that's great. I'll call Dara and she can get started on them right away."

"Yeah," she said, turning and shaking her hair out of her eyes as she faced him. "It's... it's great."

Alexis could feel Ric's eyes on her, and she knew she wasn't hiding her misgivings about this new development at all. Ned had been full of promises a few months ago, and they'd all evaporated into so much smoke. Until she had those signed papers in her hand, until they were filed at the courthouse, she couldn't let herself believe it. She was grateful when he only offered her a reassuring smile and bypassed doling out any "silver lining" clichés. In an effort to shake herself out of the odd mood she was now in, Alexis eased away from him and headed over to retrieve Kristina's sweater and shoes.

"Were you saying something about playing when you came in?"

Laughter tumbled out of Ric. "Ah, okay, well, I'll accept your change of subject and say, yes, I did. I'm all prepped for tomorrow, and I thought, hey, all work and no play... so what about it? Are you and Kristina up for a little fun?"

"We were just about to go on a walk and scout a nice garden location for some lunch and relaxation. Will that do?"

"Sounds perfect to me."

Alexis went to retrieve Kristina while Ric headed off to the kitchen to grab the bottle and snacks that she told him Mrs. Lansbury had promised to pack. Twenty minutes later, the threesome was moving along the paved pathway that circled the main grounds of the house. Ric chatted away, filling Alexis in on his last encounter with Daniel Roarke, giving her mini bios on the rest of the board members. As he talked, Alexis knew that his confidence wasn't misplaced... he was more than ready for tomorrow.

"I thought maybe we could have dinner at my favorite French place," he said as they rounded the last turn toward the gardens. The idea caught Alexis off guard.

"Wh--I'm sorry?"

"Tomorrow night after the meeting..." Ric clarified. "I just thought it'd be fun to unwind somewhere after all the craziness this week."

She felt her mouth go dry as what could only be called a silly fit of nerves hit her. "Um, you know, I'd love to, it's just... I had planned on flying back right after to..."

Ric nodded and leaned down to where Kristina was busy pushing all the noise-making buttons on her stroller toy. "Right, I'm sorry. Of course you want to get back to put this one to bed. Another time."

"Sure," Alexis replied, relieved she didn't have to respond to the invitation in any other way... a feeling that made her wonder just why she cared so much about how she would have responded. "Another time."

She pushed the stroller up over the slight hitch in the pathway and onto the footpath into the gardens. Ric followed close behind, the diaper bag and what had become a picnic basket instead of a "few snacks" in hand.

"Speaking of this past week," Alexis said, needing an immediate subject change. "I'm assuming since you never brought it up that nothing came of Mac's phone call the other day?"

They'd been right in the middle of retooling the financials for the proposal when Ric's cell phone had demanded his attention. He'd had to head back into town for a few hours, but returned later and gave little away about what had happened.

"Things are fine," came his answer, but their conversation halted when Alexis stopped the stroller under her favorite tree and Ric set down his burden while she quickly pulled a blanket from the bottom storage area of the baby transport and threw it out over the ground. Only when they were all situated on the soft cotton throw, Kristina between them with several favorite toys, did he continue on.

"You know some of those things I'm leaving behind?" Ric asked.

"Your nefarious plans for your brother, you mean."

He nodded. "Yes. I had a few loose ends to tie up there... and Faith Roscoe made a little noise at the police station, but as you can tell from my presence here rather than in the city lockup, all's well that ends well."

"And has it? Ended?"

The concern she'd felt when his message had played returned. Faith Roscoe wasn't exactly a casual enemy to have, and considering the history she knew had passed between them, Alexis couldn't help but still be a bit worried for him.

"It's over for me," he said, reassuring her. "All of it."

"Good."

Kristina, agreeing, let out a loud squeal and crawled over to her uncle. Ric pulled the baby into his lap.

"She sure has a crush on you," Alexis commented.

"Well, we'll have to work on that," Ric teased as he picked the baby up and held her up so they were eye to eye. "No men with shady pasts for you, young lady. We're gonna find you a nice, normal, law-abiding citizen who knows how to treat a princess right."

Alexis couldn't help but chuckle. "I'd like to hope so, but considering her genetic makeup, she may not be able to avoid the dark, brooding types."

"There's gotta be a dark, brooding doctor or professor out there somewhere, don't you think?"

They laughed together, drawing giggles from Kristina. Alexis then glanced at her watch and reached for the picnic basket.

"Time for someone's lunch... and then bottle!"

The baby nearly dove out of Ric's hold to crawl over toward her mother. Alexis situated her daughter into a comfortable position and began doling out baby food.

"So I had an idea I wanted to run by you," Ric said as he laid down on his side so he could watch the girls while he spoke.

"Another deal already?"

"No, but it is business related. Since you guys do most of your business from here at the estate, I'm assuming we'll be spending a fair amount of time here, even once you get Kristina back home, right?"

"I'd say that's accurate," Alexis replied as she raced to scoop up mashed bananas before they dripped from Kristina's chin to her chest.

"Well, I was thinking, it might be nice if we had someone on the payroll to do errands in town for us--running contracts back and forth, picking up research materials, city hall runs, that sort of thing. I thought maybe we could hire Zander Smith."

"Zander?" The surprise in her voice echoed her true reaction. "I didn't even know you and Zander really knew each other."

"We don't, really," Ric answered. "But we've, uh, we've talked a few times. Seems like a smart kid, and he says what he means. I like that."

"He is a great kid... a great young man," Alexis said. "He's come a long way since I first met him."

"He gives you a lot of credit for that, I think."

As Ric reached over and pulled a bottle of water from the picnic basket, Alexis noted Kristina pushing away the baby-food leaden spoon. She sat it aside and grabbed Kristina's bottle from the insulated wrap and handed it to her now very happy daughter.

"Zander likes to shy away from the fact that he's done a lot to help himself," she finally said. "He's the one who made the choices that got him out of the life he was in."

"True enough," Ric agreed. "Which is why I think he's the kind of person we'd want working for us."

Alexis felt Kristina resting back against her so she shifted the little girl into a more reclined position as she drank down more of her bottle. She used the time and the distraction to think about Ric's proposal. It wasn't a bad idea, not at all. In fact, she was a little miffed with herself for not thinking of it on her own. And she also couldn't deny that she was touched that someone else saw in Zander what she did.

"You'd have to offer it to him," she said. "And you'd have to make sure he knows it was your idea. He'll probably just think I'm trying to look out for him again."

His laugh lines appeared as he smiled full force. Alexis pulled Kristina a little tighter against her as a shield of sorts against the ripple that moved through her stomach at the sight of that twinkle in his eye. Along with that, she was moved again by the simple joy he seemed to be finding in this new beginning to his life.

If she let it be, she had a feeling that sense of joy could be contagious.

If she let it be.

*****

Stefan shot a stern look down the table at Amanda Barrington. The woman was trying his patience to no end, and her insistence on this ridiculous "Casino Night" theme was not helping the matter. The pediatrics unit needed more new equipment than the hospital could afford, and so the fundraiser was necessary, and no doubt, would be profitable, but Stefan didn't see why an elegant dinner/dance with an auction wasn't sufficient.

"People like games, and they won't mind funneling extra money into the hospital's pockets if they lose it having fun at the roulette wheel."

With the grand dame's argument finally finished, Stefan was set to again state his objection to the idea, but Edward Quartermaine beat him to the punch.

"What I want to know is who's going to organize this thing? Lila certainly doesn't have time. Are you planning to handle the arrangements personally, Amanda?"

"Actually," Alan interrupted, "I had an idea about that. I thought perhaps Skye could..."

"Absolutely not." The cold edge in Stefan's voice was unmistakable.

"Excuse me?" Alan said. "Why not? Skye is my daughter."

"Adopted..." Edward added quickly. "Don't blame my blood line for that woman."

"Father, shut up. Stefan, I'd like to know what your objection is."

Stefan leaned forward. "I should think that would be obvious. Your daughter and my family are not on speaking terms right now. Her involvement in any project that I will be supervising is simply unacceptable."

"I'd like to remind you, Stefan," Alan began, carefully keeping his voice in control, "that this is a board meeting, and the board has a right to make this decision. It's not yours alone."

"And why would our board want to involve a known drunk who likes to steal children in the fundraising efforts for our pediatrics wing?"

"I'm not sure that's necessary, Stefan," Audrey Hardy said as she stood. "Skye has made some serious mistakes, but if she wants to volunteer her time to help support this hospital, I don't believe any of us have a right to turn her away. Correct me if I'm wrong, but all of us have at one time or another been on the wrong side of public opinion in this town, yes?"

No one said a word, but Lee Baldwin and Edward Quartermaine and Alan and Amanda and even Stefan all exchange reluctantly knowing looks.

"I'm not for a moment trying to excuse the bad decisions my daughter has made." Alan's tone had taken on a far more conciliatory tone than it had possessed a minute earlier. "But she is very anxious to have a chance at turning her life around, and I really do think she'd do a good job with this."

"Well, Lord knows," Lee added, "I've had to plead for more than a few 'second chances' for my son... so, Alan, I think you're right, and we should give Skye an opportunity to show what she can do."

"Amanda, do you have any objection?" Audrey asked.

"Oh, what the hell... just so long as I don't have to plan it."

Edward rolls his eyes and gave a mock gesture of surrender when Audrey looked his way.

"So, Stefan... are you willing to at least try and see if it can work?"

Despite his legendary gruffness, Stefan had a great deal of respect for Audrey Hardy. And though his every instinct was predicting disaster, he sighed and nodded his head.

"Tell her to phone me and setup an appointment to begin preparations. Now, on the matter of the staff problems in physical therapy..."

*****

"I have to say, I'm a little disappointed."

Ric felt a flicker of annoyance with Daniel Roarke as the man closed his copy of the Cassadine proposal. His idea was unorthodox, but it was damn good, and Roarke's seeming dismissal of it was putting him on edge.

"Well, so am I."

The sound of Alexis' voice caught his attention. Ric couldn't deny he was a little impressed with how unafraid she was to show her irritation.

"Excuse me?"

She reclined back in her chair slightly, and Ric picked up on her strategy immediately when she darted her eyes toward him.

"Mr. Lansing assured us you were the sort of CEO who could see past today. Clearly, he overestimated your savvy."

"Ms. Davis," Roarke said, an edge of shock in his voice. "I'm not denying it's an... intriguing proposal, but I had made it clear I was interested in an outright takeover of a large, established shipping line. That's why I agreed to this meeting."

"You agreed to this meeting because Mikkonos Shipping is the finest shipping line in Europe, and acquiring it in any fashion will make Roarco more powerful than it is now."

Her issued challenge was clear, and Ric could see the churning going on in Daniel's mind while he considered her words. He waited a few beats to really let the gauntlet Alexis had thrown down hit their adversary, and then Ric took his cue from the slight turn she made in her chair toward him.

"The one thing you can't lose sight of, Daniel, is that Roarco does not have a strong presence in European shipping. And while simply buying Mikkonos gives you the ships and the lines and the existing contracts, what's going to happen when it's time to bring in new customers or when you need to renew contracts? We're talking about companies that have been doing business with the Cassadines for decades."

"Ric, surely you're not questioning my ability to establish a good working relationship with Mikkonos' clients?"

"No, I'm questioning if you understand exactly how ingrained the ideas of tradition and society are with some of those clients... even when it comes to business."

That seemed to get Daniel's attention, and after a moment of consideration, he gestured toward Ric.

"All right, tell me exactly how you see this playing out."

"By paying the $60 million in cash and the balance of the purchase price for Mikkonos in Roarco stock, you preserve the name Cassadine within the business. Stefan and Nikolas Cassadine and Ms. Davis will remain available to personally negotiate contracts with some of the more conservative Russian, Italian and Chinese merchants who are... well, let's say who are still reluctant to do a lot of business with large American conglomerates."

"And the Cassadines earn a great deal of profit on my company's rather lucrative stock," Daniel observed. "Not to mention the potential windfall after the stock sale embargo is lifted in two years."

"We haven't survived for centuries by making foolish deals, Mr. Roarke," came Alexis' reply. "Surely you realize that Mr. Lansing's point is... in Europe, the Cassadines are shipping. That should increase your profits. If we do that, you can't argue we don't have a right to profit from our stock in your company as well, can you?"

Ric knew the moment Roarke had made his decision. The deal was a go. But the attorney's happiness over that success was tempered by a sudden flare up of an unexpected emotion. And he knew it had everything to do with the way Daniel Roarke was looking across the table at Alexis Davis.

"Send me the contracts," Daniel said as he stood and extended his hand toward Alexis. "You've got yourself a shipping partner."

Her hand came up and she extended it to Daniel to return the gesture. Ric didn't note anything from her to mirror the obvious fascination Roarke was displaying... and he wondered why he should care if he did. Alexis was, after all, a single, attractive woman. Something would be wrong with Roarke if he hadn't noticed, and if she wanted to return that interest...

"Nice working with you again, Daniel," Ric said, his aggressiveness in pushing his own hand toward Roarke--thereby getting Roarke's hand away from Alexis'--something he hoped only he had noticed.

"You too, Ric. And now that business is finished..." Ric watched Roarke's eyes roam down toward Alexis' legs as she moved to begin packing up her briefcase. "Can I interest anyone in some dinner?"

"Oh, thank you," Alexis replied, "but we're flying back to Port Charles tonight."

Her reply was polite but the message in it was clear... even if she wasn't flying back to Port Charles, Alexis Davis wasn't interested.

Ric smiled and began picking up his own files and papers.

"Perhaps another time then."

"I'm sure [I]we'll[/I] be back to handle some Mikkonos deals at some point," Ric said, his extra emphasis hard to miss. "We'll do dinner then."

Daniel had taken the point and graciously walked his two new associates out to the reception area. After bidding him farewell, Ric and Alexis headed to the elevators and downstairs. The moment they got outside, Alexis' relaxed, victorious air was replaced by a sudden sense of upset.

"No. Oh, no."

Ric looked at her a moment before their environment dawned on him. Fog... a lot of it. And if it was this bad here...

"Call the pilot," he suggested. "Maybe if we rush over, he can take off right away before it gets any thicker."

Alexis pulled out her cell phone immediately. While she dialed, Ric waved their driver over to the curb from the limo staging area.

"Mark, it's Ms. Davis."

She was silent for a few moments, but her face told Ric the story. They were grounded until the fog cleared, which probably wasn't going to happen until morning.

"No, I understand. Just call us as soon as you get an idea. Thanks, Mark."

"I can hire the driver to take us all the way back to Port Charles," Ric offered. "Just say the word."

Her lower lip was drawn in between her teeth, showing how tempted she was to accept. But eventually she shook her head and sighed.

"It's... no, it's fine. Kristina's in good hands. I'll just... I'll call. It'll be fine."

The words were exactly what she should be saying, of course, but Ric could see in her eyes that Alexis was anything but okay with the idea of this. But it was a tricky situation, and one he didn't feel he had a right to offer much of an opinion on. She had every reason to be wary of being away from her daughter given what she'd been through... but at the same time, Kristina was in the safest place possible aside from her mother's arms, and if the two of them were ever going to have a normal life, Alexis had to learn to trust again where the baby was concerned.

"I really will hire him for the night if you want, and if not, I suggest we look into a nice, comfy hotel for the evening."

She considered it another moment before stepping toward the open limo door. "I'm partial to the Four Seasons myself."

"Well, then," Ric said as he followed her into the limousine. "The Four Seasons it is."

An hour later, they were being shown to adjoining executive suites. Ric gave her a few minutes to get settled, then headed over to Alexis' door, knocking on it softly. He heard her talking as she walked up to unlock it, and when she quickly turned her face away, he suspected she was crying.

"Of course I know you will," she said as she headed back into the living room of the suite. "Yes, Stefan, I know. No, you're right. I will, I promise. Just... if she's looking for me, just... okay. I won't worry. Of course I'm lying. All right. Good night."

Alexis hung up her cell phone and stared out the window at the view of the City skyline while she composed herself. Ric took several steps toward her, but kept some distance between them.

"Everything all right?"

She nodded. "Fine. Kristina's doing okay, not that Stefan would probably tell me if she was missing me too much. He wouldn't want me to worry."

"I think he knows better than to think you're not worrying," Ric said. That got her to finally look toward him, and he was pleased to see a slight smile on her face.

"True enough. And besides... the courthouse is closed for the day, so it's not like the Quartermaines could pull anything even if they wanted to."

The fact that she was only half kidding left Ric amused and sad. He wished he could magically make the fog disappear so they could fly home, thereby relieving her of feeling "overprotective" by giving into his suggestion they drive home. But short of that, he was determined to do his level best to get her through this night with a minimum of beating herself up and as much distraction as possible.

"Alexis," he said, "just for the record, I do not think you are being silly or that you're ridiculous for having half your mind on what's happening at Wyndemere."

"Well, that would put you in the minority," she said crossing over to the sofa. Ric followed, sitting beside her. He waited patiently for her to continue, and finally, Alexis explained her glib statement.

"Much as I hate to admit that he ever has a point... Cameron said something the other day that... well, it made some small, minute bit of sense."

"That impressive, huh?" Ric teased. It earned him the sweet sound of her laughter.

"I have to be careful not to praise him too much. Goes straight to his head. But he asked me if I'd be so afraid to be away from her if none of this had ever happened. I'd like to hope that I wouldn't have been... at least not when it came to leaving Kristina with Stefan or Nikolas or Jax... you know, her family."

Ric nodded, understanding. "You want her to be able to trust that they'll take care of her when you're gone."

"Yes... and I want her to learn to trust that nothing will ever keep me from coming home again, which she would have started to get by now had our life been the least bit normal. And so here I am, trying to start normal... and lucky you! You get to spend tonight watching my come unspooled."

They laughed together this time, the sounds mingling richly in the room and echoing off the tall ceiling.

"It will be my pleasure, Ms. Davis. Might I suggest we hit a few shops, grab some dress-up clothes and head out for some good food? That way I'll have the energy to properly take in this unspooling event."

"Would you settle for picking up some comfortable clothes and ordering room service?"

Ric stood and offered her his hand. "Jeans and t-shirts coming right up."

Her palm slipped into his, and Ric felt the slight tug of her pulling against him as she stood. Reflexively, he held tightly to her, and when she started to move forward, her fingers still entwined with his, Alexis stumbled into him. Ric reached out to steady her, releasing her hand so that he could put both of his against her arms to keep her upright.

"Everything okay?" he asked, his voice sounding insubstantial to him as her eyes held his.

"Everything's okay," came her reply... and Ric couldn't help but feel that for the first time in a very long time, everything was okay... at least for him.

*****

"Nikolas is having dinner in town with his brother Lucky," Stefan explained to the very sleepy little girl in his arms. "But he wanted me to tell you that his interview went very, very well today. And he thinks that the judge is going to let you go live with your mommy sometime very soon."

Kristina cooed and rubbed her cheeks against his shoulder as she tried to decide which one she wanted to lay on. Normally, Stefan couldn't get close to her before bedtime, those final precious hours reserved for Alexis and her daughter to just be together without anyone else around. But tonight, his niece was all his.

"What does your mother talk to you about, huh, Little One, when she walks you to sleep at night? I bet she tells you about your room. I can't say I think much of the apartment Alexis chose for you two... but she did make a lovely room for you. And I know she has been waiting and waiting to take you there and show you all the wonderful toys and blankets and clothes she has there. But even when you go home, Kristina, you will always have a place here... and I promise that I will never, ever let you or your mother down again."

It was a heartfelt promise and a solemn vow. Stefan would never forgive himself for not coming back sooner and dealing with Luis Alcazar before the man sent Alexis' life into a tailspin. But no one--not the Quartermaines or Scott Baldwin or Sonny Corinthos, the man he suspected was to blame for much of his sister's heartache--was going to hurt his family again. They had endured enough.

"Mr. Cassadine?" Mrs. Lansbury kept her voice hushed as she entered the study, closing the main door behind her. "Ms. Skye Quartermaine is here to see you?"

He felt his mood darken, and when Kristina nearly woke from the change in his being, he eased her into his housekeeper's open arms.

"Please take her upstairs. Use the other exit, please."

"Of course, sir."

Stefan waited until he was sure Mrs. Lansbury was far away from the room before he walked out and opened the door. Skye was waiting in the hallway.

"What are you doing in my home?"

His voice had been enough to scare her; he could see that clearly from the way she stepped back and from the slightly stunned expression on her face.

"I... I wanted to speak to you about the fundraiser."

"Are you in the habit of showing up at someone's home without calling first or without an invitation?"

Stefan turned and headed back into the study. A few seconds later, he heard her heels echoing on the floor behind him, so he spun around and faced her.

"Well, you did say I should get in touch. So I'm getting in touch."

Her flippancy further annoyed him. "Do I strike you as a particularly stupid man, Ms. Quartermaine?"

"Wh--no, not at all."

"Then were I to find it a bit too coincidental, you showing up here unannounced while Alexis is away and her baby is in this house, that would not strike you as a particularly outrageous conclusion?"

She was grasping for words. Seeing it pleased Stefan. He could only imagine the humiliation this woman had doled out to Alexis the past few months. Now it was her turn to feel unwanted.

"I... I did not know that Alexis was away. And whether she was here or not, I... I didn't expect her or you to let me anywhere near..."

"No, you are quite right," Stefan interjected, cutting her off mid-explanation. "You will not get anywhere near my niece. Kristina is off limits to you."

"I know that," Skye snapped back. "If you'd just let me finish what I was saying..."

"Why? So you can detail more of your pathetic excuses about how you were just doing what was best for Kristina by trying to rip her away from her mother?"

Stefan moved to walk away from her and go back behind his desk, but the sudden feel of her hand on his arm stopped him.

"Damn it, you listen to me. I know I was wrong, all right? I admit it. I was wrong. Skye was wrong. Did you get that? Do I need to say it again?"

He was about to reply when her tirade continued.

"But you hear me, okay? I may not have done the right things, but I did love that little girl. I do love her. And the reason I am here, the reason I am willing to put up with what I'm sure is going to be an endless litany of you going on and on and on about my numerous sins is that I'm doing what you suggested I do."

He felt his brow furrow. "Me? What in the world are you ranting about?"

"You told me I was disrespecting what Kristina meant to me by trying to throw my life away again. Well, you... you were right. And I didn't drink that night I ran into you in the Grille... and I haven't had a drink no matter how much I've wanted one. GH helped save Kristina's life... so maybe... just maybe if I do this and I do it well and I can make a difference, then she'll know someday that she really did matter to me."

Stefan Cassadine was not a man easily affected by emotion, especially in women. Helena had taught him how easily false sentiment could be manufactured to manipulate him, and over the years, disastrous love affairs had served to harden his heart even more... to a fault, he knew. So he should not have been remotely moved by the tears he saw glistening in the redheaded woman's eyes or the genuine feeling that had left her shaking after she poured out her heart to him... but some very small part of him was.

"Our meetings will take place at the hospital or at a location in town... but you will not come back to this house again unless I specifically ask you to or unless Alexis extends an invitation. Is that clear?"

Her face brightened. "You have my apologies for tonight, and it will not happen again."

"I will approve every dollar spent on this party," he stated pointedly. "And you will keep me fully updated at every turn."

"Absolutely."

Sighing, Stefan shook his head. "Fine. Draw up an initial proposal and we'll meet on Monday. Call my office and my secretary will give you a time.

"You will not regret this," Skye promised. "You won't."

He watched her rush from the room, her frenetic energy making her resemble a red cyclone. What in the world was he getting himself into?

*****

Jeans and t-shirts acquired, Ric and Alexis had enjoyed an amazing room service feast--him, pot roast and mashed potatoes, her, a lobster club sandwich. Dessert and coffee had followed--warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream.

"Oh, I think I'm too stuff full of food to be frantic anymore," Alexis said as they moved from the table setup back to the sofa.

"What? But I was promised unspooling!" Ric teased, mock outrage showing on his face as he shook his fist in protest.

"You mean I haven't been neurotic enough yet?"

Another easy laugh. He'd found himself counting her laughs early on at dinner, each one feeling like a success. At 12, he'd decided to stop keeping track and just enjoy this rare slice of quiet time with his new friend.

"You have, actually, been quite charming and entertaining for a woman who promised me much drama and crying and hand-wringing."

Alexis looked over at Ric as she considered what he had said. She had to admit, though she had been thinking about Kristina in the back of her mind all night, and despite the two phone calls she had made to check in, tonight had actually been... fun. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had fun that didn't involve bath toys or building blocks.

""Well, I'm glad my company hasn't been too big a strain," she finally said. "Especially considering the utter embarrassment you must be feeling now that you know how much smarter I am than you."

"Just because you got a higher grade than me from Premminger does not make you smarter than me," Ric argued.

"Excuse me? Did we not agree that Premminger was the hardest law professor at
Harvard?"

"We did."

"Okay," Alexis turned her body so she was facing him more on the couch. "And if he is the hardest professor, and I did better than you in his class... my finishing first in my graduating class and you finishing third being beside the fact... then how am I not smarter than you?"

Ric laughed.

He felt free as the sound left his body. God, he couldn't honestly remember the last time someone had made him feel so... normal... so wonderfully engaged in his own life.

She heard the sound and felt that worrisome "thing" that his smile and his chuckles sometimes brought to her consciousness. Alexis wanted to deny it. But she knew quite undeniably that whatever it was, it was there.

"All right," Ric said as he threw his hands up in surrender. "I will admit that you are smarter than me. Are you happy now?"

His feigned chagrin inspired her to bathe him in faux sympathy. Alexis reached over, her hand coming to rest on his in a gesture of comfort.

"Oh, that hurt, didn't it?"

Her skin felt warm against his even though he knew she was teasing him. Ric felt the urge to flip his own palm up and capture her hand... but he held back. This was something. He didn't know what, but he did know it needed to be cherished and handled with the utmost care. Alexis Davis was not someone he wanted to scare out of his life.

His eyes stayed on her despite her mocking tone. The scrutiny made Alexis feel uncomfortable, as careful study by anyone always did. But she also felt appreciated. That was the word. Ric seemed to be looking at her with a sense of appreciation. And again, she found herself enjoying something she hadn't had in a very long time.

He wanted to stay. He wanted to keep her up talking all night. But Ric stood up, regretfully removing his hand from hers.

"I should let you get some sleep. I'm guessing when we do get home, Kristina's not going to want to let you out of her sight for a minute, not even to nap. And if it's still foggy, I will call the driver and hire him immediately."

She gave him one more of those beaming, sparkling-eye smiles. "I sure hope so because I'm going to want to play with her all day long, and yes, please do call that driver. Otherwise, you will definitely get full unspooling tomorrow."

Ric chuckled and nodded. He seemed poised to leave, but lingered to ask one last question. "We, uh, we made a pretty good team today, don't you think?"

A good team was an understatement. They'd worked well together all week long, but today Alexis had noticed that they were able to read each other when it was called for. Perhaps it had been there all along, but only today in the meeting with Roarke had she really seen it. That link could prove invaluable in business. It was what it could be in life that made her hesitant.

"I'm... I'm looking forward to our next project," she said, keeping her answer brief so she could be sure not to give anything away.

Moving toward the door, Ric began to silently list all the other ideas he had for his next Cassadine Industries proposal. He didn't feel the least bit guilty for settling on the one that would require the most help from Alexis.

"I'll see you in the morning," he said. "Dream of fogless skies."

"I will," she promised. "And, Ric, thanks for... for being a good friend tonight."

"Anytime."

*****

Sonny glanced toward the stairs, but the noise he'd though he'd heard had apparently not come from Carly, who had gone to bed early after reading him the riot act for some perceived slight Sonny still wasn't sure had actually happened.

He turned back to the report he had open on the desk and took a sip of the scotch that he had poured an hour earlier. The men assigned to follow his brother were good. They'd kept a solid round-the-clock watch on him since the Faith Roscoe arrest had gone down. Sonny told himself it was just insurance... something to make certain Ric didn't try to double-cross him or Jason and somehow get them implicated in Fowler's murder.

That's what he told himself.

That didn't explain his irritation with knowing that Ric hadn't taken his warning about messing up Alexis' life to heart. He had kept the job she'd given him, and was spending nearly every waking hour out at Wyndemere.

Picking up the phone, Sonny dialed in a number he now knew by heart.

"Yeah?"

"It's me," he said. "Where is he?"

"We're in New York City," came Andrew's response.

"What the hell's he doing there?"

"Business trip. He and Ms. Davis finished their meeting, but the fog socked us in. Can't leave until tomorrow."

"Ric's spending the night in New York with Alexis?" Sonny asked, an edge in his voice that hadn't been there a moment earlier.

"Yeah, Boss. Is, uh, is there a problem?"

Sonny hung up the phone without responding. Then he picked up his drink and downed the rest in a single gulp.

Commentary?

Contact the author