She felt the weight of his arm where it draped around her waist... the tickle of his breath against the back of her neck... the heat of his body just behind her.

Lorenzo was home... really home.

Moving carefully, Alexis eased onto her back and then to her opposite side so she could finally see him. She smiled at first sight... his face so relaxed and content in sleep that she was tempted to reach out and touch her fingers down on his beard. She resisted, though. Because Alexis could also see the telltale signs of how hard this trip had been on him... the dark circles under his eyes, the thinness that had crept into his cheeks.

She had hoped so much that the time away--the trip he'd had to take but could not discuss with her--would finally settle whatever it was that was troubling him so deeply. But Alexis could see it had not. Even though he slept soundly beside her, it was obvious that exhaustion and not a real sense of relaxation was behind his rest.

During the hours she had lain here awake and alone over the past few weeks, Alexis had come to realize that there had been a moment when she'd reconciled herself to this as her life... Lorenzo being a man with secrets he needed to keep and her being willing to let him be. She couldn't pinpoint an exact moment... a day or a conversation when she'd said to herself that she'd made that choice, but it was obvious she had. And perhaps it was just as simple as finally giving into the life she'd been fighting for as long as she could remember.

The truth was, Alexis' whole life had been about secrets... her mother's, her father's, Helena's, and later Stefan's and Sonny's, and sometimes, even her own. Though she had always protested about wanting a life free of hidden agendas and half-truths, maybe reality was too complicated for that. Her so-called normal life with Ned had teetered and fallen on secrets... and in the end, Alexis couldn't deny that her instinct to hide the truth from Ned about her real identity had been right at the time. She'd spent years mired in guilt for it and trying to make up for it, of course, but her reasoning had all ultimately been proven true... if she hadn't known that from his reaction after her exposure as Natasha Cassadine, he had proven it now by offering Kristina up to Sonny as payback for her perceived sins.

The more she had thought about it during these past long nights, the more she had come to see that all of her relationships had involved some level of secret-keeping, either on her part or on the part of the loved one in question. And honestly, though she had been injured by some of those hidden confidences, Alexis also knew that her parents and Sonny had both been motivated by a need to protect her as well as to protect themselves.

She understood that now more sincerely than she'd ever wanted to.

The newness of this relationship could have, in times past, made Alexis doubt her firmly held belief that any secret Lorenzo was keeping from her was being kept out of a desire to protect her and for no other reason. But she did not question it. In fact, she knew it with absolute certainty. It was possible that was a result of the part he'd played in helping her keep her own lie covered up for as long as he had, or maybe it was explained by the seemingly magnetic bond between them. She didn't know, and honestly wasn't sure she cared. It was simply a refreshing and magical thing to share this kind of faith with someone again, and though Alexis would continue to hate the affect his "other" life had on Lorenzo's peace of mind, she did not fear that it would come between them. Nor did she doubt that he would, as he had promised, tell her the whole truth when and if he could.

For a woman who had walked away from a man she loved because of his dangerous, secretive life, this was surely an odd place to have ended up. Alexis had mused over that, too, during her sleepless nights. It wasn't that she loved Lorenzo more than she had Sonny; something she could admit to herself now that she'd had to start evaluating who and what Sonny was to her in light of the Kristina revelation. But she did acknowledge after much thought that she loved Lorenzo differently. With Sonny, she had always felt like she was reaching for something almost otherworldly to her. Yes, the two of them had shared some frighteningly similar experiences, and that had paved the way to their strong friendship and, eventually, to more. But their ways of life had been so different... something that had added to the attraction, but that had also always kept Alexis feeling like someone was bound to slap her hand at any moment and say, "No, this is not what's meant for you."

But even when she'd been afraid of Lorenzo, when he'd loomed over her like a dark reminder of his brother, there had been something about him that reminded her very much of the life she had grown up in. In fact, had they exchanged true surnames, Lorenzo could easily have worn the Cassadine mantle, probably more comfortably than her. Though he had grown up happy and content in his family--vastly different from Alexis--they had, in many ways, shared a very similar life. The powerful and dangerous fathers, the controlling and unpredictable brothers who seemed to love and hate them with equal veracity, their worldly educations--that was the common ground upon which she and Lorenzo had begun to forge their connection.

Yes, he was still dangerous... just as if not more so than Sonny. But Lorenzo was a type of dangerous that Alexis understood. It had an odd sense of the familiar that reminded her of Stefan and their Uncle Victor and the little she did remember about Mikkos. Certainly all of them, even her beloved brother, were capable of committing great wrongs... but it was still that same Stefan who had protected her as a child; and the same Uncle Victor who had sought her out with a wink and a kind smile when Helena had not been looking; and the same Mikkos who had tried to keep his daughter close to him despite all the peril involved in doing so. And there was not that edge of unpredictability or volatility that she associated with Sonny.

She wasn't sure it would make sense to anyone else, but to Alexis, the logic fell into a line that helped her to understand why she was able to move forward this time instead of standing still. Whether she was right or just justifying, the result was the same... she was committed to this man and whatever life with him brought her.

Today, she hoped it brought her a leisurely morning in bed welcoming him home, but since he was still asleep, Alexis gave into the pull of motherhood and slipped from the bed to make her way down the hall. Kristina was sitting in the corner of her crib having clearly just awoken. Alexis crept closer to the bed and waited for the little girl to get her bearings. When Kristina locked eyes with her mother, she squinted but her lips curled into a very big smile.

"Mama."

The toddler stood up and walked two steps, bringing her to the railing. Alexis sighed a little sadly at seeing just how tall her daughter was now in comparison to the side of the crib. It was probably time to think about the inevitable conversion of the expensive piece to a toddler bed. Pushing that thought aside, though, she reached in and pulled her baby girl into her embrace before heading to their rocking chair.

"You still look sleepy, Little One. Maybe you woke up too soon, huh?"

"Not sleepy," Kristina answered, her hands rubbing at her eyes. "Not sleepy, Mama."

Definitely still sleepy. Alexis chuckled softly and began to rock them back and forth. She'd had one of her periodic bouts of parenting panic when Kristina suddenly started sleeping longer or wanting to go back to sleep right away in the mornings. But as he usually did, Dr. Navarro had calmed her nerves by pointing out that it was just a normal progression through sleep maturity. Considering how tired she'd been lately, Alexis didn't know why she was even questioning it. The later mornings had definitely been good to her.

"Well, just in case we'll sit here and rock for a little while, okay? And then, when we're sure you're not sleepy anymore, what should we do?"

"Waffles," the little girl answered despite a very big yawn.

"Mmm, waffles sound good." It was no coincidence Alexis had planned those as part of her "perfect day" scenario for Lorenzo's homecoming. She and her daughter were definitely on the same page when it came to breakfast food. "And then what?"

Kristina turned her face toward Alexis and snuggled more against her mother's body. "Play in the sandbox."

Her little voice was muffled from her surrendering to the warmth of Alexis' embrace and the gentle, rocking motion. Another hour or so of sleep was pending, and though Alexis couldn't wait to see how excited Kristina was at finding out Lorenzo was home, she knew if she mentioned it now, her daughter would not only fight sleep herself but no doubt wake her "Zo" as well.

"And maybe there'll be a surprise for you later," she whispered instead, and Kristina sighed and drifted off. After a few minutes, Alexis stood and put her angel back to bed. It seemed far earlier than the 8:15 on the clock, and another bit of sleep felt like just the thing for mama as well. Somehow she knew that wasn't going to happen, though, when she saw Nano standing outside the nursery door waiting for her.

"Ms. Davis, there was a call for you on the office line. I thought you were still asleep, so I took a message, then Alice told me she'd heard you in here."

He offered her a slip of paper and Alexis rubbed at her eyes before looking at it. What she read immediately set her on edge.

"How long ago did he call?"

"About 20 minutes," Nano replied. "But it wasn't Dr. Lewis. It was his secretary. She said he was already on his way to the Grille. Should I get the car ready?"

Alexis nodded. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

Her blissful, quiet morning with Lorenzo and Kristina was clearly not meant to be. Alexis sighed as Nano headed off downstairs, then she made her way to her room, where some of her clothes remained simply due to closet space issues in Lorenzo's, though the majority of her favorite items were now infringing upon his designer suits. But jeans and a t-shirt would do for her to rush over to the Grille and find out what Zander had done to upset Cameron so much. She just hoped it didn't involved breaking any laws.

Twenty-five minutes later, Alexis climbed into the passenger seat of the Mercedes and buckled her seatbelt as Nano scooted in beside her. She'd taken the time to stop and ask Alice to make sure Kristina got her waffles when she woke up and to leave a note for Lorenzo so he would know family day would begin as soon as she got home. Then came the drive to the Port Charles Hotel and the elevator ride to the Grille, the trusted guard at her side every step of the way.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Alexis scanned the room for Cameron. Nano moved to a discreet position near the bar where he could see the entrance and keep his charge in sight without being too obvious, though the staff was certainly used to him or the other guards appearing whenever Alexis or Lorenzo were on the premises. Meanwhile, when she could not find Cameron anywhere, Alexis approached the maître d'.

"Hello, Ms. Davis."

Alexis smiled. "Hi, Paul. I'm looking for Dr. Lewis."

"I'm the one that called."

The familiar female voice rang out from behind her. Eyes rolling, Alexis mouthed "thank you" to the maître d' and then turned around to find Carly's smirking face waiting for her.

"You and I need to talk," the blonde announced. "And I didn't think you'd accept my invitation. You want to do it here, or you want to sit down?"

The audacity of this woman would never cease to amaze Alexis. She turned back to Paul. "Table for two, please."

No doubt the entire staff of the Grille had witnessed enough scenes between Carly and any number of her usual roster of victims over the years. So Alexis was not the least bit surprised when they were led to a table in the far corner of the restaurant, a bit away from everyone else.

"Carly," Alexis said, making no attempt to hide her annoyance, "I don't appreciate you using Zander to manipulate me."

"And I didn't appreciate you screwing my husband, but you did."

Alexis knew she'd be wasting her energy to point all the obvious faults with Carly's juvenile comeback, so she took a deep breath and then focused on getting out of the conversation as quickly as possible.

"Since you felt the need to lie to get me here, what the hell do you want?"

"It's really too bad you didn't trust someone more reliable than Ned, Alexis. It's too bad for all of us."

Well, that told her the topic. Kristina. Despite her trip out of town, Carly was clearly up to speed.

"What happens with Kristina is between Sonny and me," Alexis stated emphatically. "And you and I have nothing to talk about."

Carly's hand flew out and grabbed her arm when Alexis moved to stand. She turned instantly and flashed Nano a look of reassurance, knowing he was now on full alert. The guard stepped back against the wall as Alexis returned to her seat, shaking Carly's hand off of her.

"You are not going to use that brat of yours to steal my husband," Carly spat out. "Sonny and I have a family of our own, and you're not going to ruin it again."

"Let me remind you, it was you who ruined your own damn family," Alexis said, her tone scolding and her anger showing. "You did that when you turned your husband into the FBI."

"Sonny's forgiven me for that, and I'm telling you that now that he has me and the boys, he does not need any problems with you and your..."

"You call my daughter another name," Alexis warned, "and I'm not going to be responsible for my actions."

"Oh, you want to make threats?" Carly slammed her purse onto the table. "Well, you find a way to make Sonny see reason, Alexis, you hear me? You make him see that it's not good for any of us for him to try to bring Kristina into my family. Because I will not be happy if that happens."

She had always known that this moment would come, but Alexis hadn't counted on Carly showing her hand so early. Part of her was relieved because now when she argued her point with Sonny about keeping Kristina away from this witch, she'd be fully justified. But it made her sick that Sonny thought that this woman was someone he should cherish and treasure when she would not hesitate to try and keep him from his child for her own selfish reasons.

At least appearing calm and confident, Alexis sat up straighter and looked her adversary dead in the eye.

"You don't have to worry, Carly, because you will never be near my daughter. As for Sonny, I hope you have someone videotape you delivering him this little ultimatum... I'd pay to see his reaction. Because having seen him with his daughter, there's not a force on Earth that's going to stop him from being a part of her life... not even you. But rest assured, after this little conversation... Kristina won't ever be seeing you."

This time she stood and ripped her arm quickly away so Carly couldn't try to stop her. The swift movement sent Alexis whirling to her right, and she was just taking a step when she realized that everything in front of her was getting very, very black.

A voice inside of her began to scream in alarm, and all the days when she'd felt exhausted or sick to her stomach or when her head had ached, driving her to lay down--they all came back to her and she realized that more than once she'd worried that something was wrong, but ignored it.

She felt someone try to grab her just before her vision went totally black and her mind shut down.

*****

Lorenzo crept toward the kitchen, sure he'd find just the person he was looking for inside. He smiled at how right he was when her voice rang out from the other side of the door.

"More milk, please."

Kristina's sing-songy tone and clearly jovial disposition brought a sense of lightness into his otherwise heavy heart. He had been determined to wake up today and leave his worries behind for a few hours while he reconnected with his loved ones. There was no denying he'd been disappointed to wake up alone, though after reading Alexis' note, he certainly understood her absence. In fact, he made a mental note to plan lunch with Zander Smith very soon. It was time for that young man to find some direction, and perhaps if he wouldn't listen to Alexis or his father, he would pay attention to a man who knew all too well the life Zander could be headed toward.

Still, even if he didn't begrudge the troubled father and son a little of Alexis' time, he had been looking forward to having her all to himself. The separation during his Robert-imposed exile and the Renata meeting had felt three times as long as it it'd really been. What he needed now more than anything was to just send some time with his family.

His family... God he loved that. But as happy as the idea made him, he felt a familiar knot of guilt form in his gut. Because it was all based on a lie. Robert was probably right, Alexis would most likely understand... but he was so afraid... so very afraid.

"Is your breakfast good?" Alice asked, and Lorenzo pushed his heavy thoughts aside and the door open. The nanny caught sight of him and he quickly brought his finger to his lips. She nodded and turned her attention back to the little girl.

"Good waffles!" Kristina boasted, then she picked up another square-cut bite and popped it in her mouth. Lorenzo eased forward quietly, and when Kristina reached out to snag another piece of waffle, he sidled up to her highchair and squatted down so he was at her eye level.

"May I have a bite?"

"ZO!" Kristina exclaimed, the prized bite of breakfast forgotten as she extended both hands toward him. "Zo home!"

Chuckling, Lorenzo quickly pulled the excited little girl free of the highchair and into his arms. A little butter and syrup on his shirt was a small price to pay for the overwhelming feeling of love that surged through him as this child he so adored welcomed him back into her world. As predicted, she was the perfect dose of medicine for his weary heart.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, though the vice grip her arms had formed around his neck was certainly answer enough.

"Mm-hmm," she answered. "Play with Kristina today?"

"I would love to play with you," he genuinely replied. "How about we finish your breakfast first, though?"

"Yay for waffles!"

Lorenzo returned Kristina to her chair and she had two pieces of her beloved waffles in hand within moments. He ruffled her curly hair, and then looked over at Alice. She was smiling at the two of them.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Hello, Alice."

"Oh, no problem, Mr. Alcazar. This one's been asking every day when you were coming home."

Lorenzo secured a cup of coffee and then sat down with his charming breakfast companions. Alice regaled him with stories of Kristina's antics during his absence, Kristina alternated between coy and laughing loudly at the stories about her. And Lorenzo... he basked in the warmth of being back in the life he loved.

But one phone call was about to send his world into a terrifying tailspin.

He was reaching for Kristina to begin their morning play date when the door leading in from the dining room flew open. Monty, one of the guards Nano had hired locally in Port Charles, looked stricken and anxious to deliver whatever news he had, but Lorenzo saw the man stop short at the sight of Kristina.

"Um, uh, Mr. Alcazar, a minute, please."

Alice, picking up on the very strong vibe that something was wrong, moved to take Kristina instead, distracting the little girl with a discussion of what toys she wanted to play with first. Lorenzo waited until they were headed up the stairs before he moved to Monty.

"What is it?"

He expected a move by Renata or another surprise visit from Mancuso. Perhaps Robert had created some sort of diversion as a sign he was needed at the warehouse. But what he hadn't expected were words that could stop his heart cold.

"Nano called. Ms. Davis... she collapsed at the restaurant, sir. They took her to General Hospital."

Lorenzo somehow made it upstairs in order to find shoes and a jacket to pull over his t-shirt and sweatpants. Not wanting to upset Kristina, he called Alice from the nursery where she was dressing the child to tell her what little he knew and that he would call as soon as he could. A car was already parked in front of the house by the time he reached the porch, Monty at the wheel ready to drive.

"Did he say what happened?" Lorenzo asked, his mind finally able to pose the question now that they were at least in the car on the way to her.

"She was arguing with Mrs. Corinthos, and Nano said she just fainted. She didn't wake up right away, so he called an ambulance."

Lorenzo closed his eyes tightly, half from fear and half in an effort to keep himself from flying into a rage. Corinthos... he was so sick and tired of hearing that name in association with pain or trauma where Alexis was concerned. Sonny or Carly, it didn't matter to him... they were both going to have hell to pay if either were responsible for...

He shook his head. No... now wasn't the time for that. He needed to get to Alexis. He needed to find out what was wrong. Right now, nothing else mattered.

Monty didn't bother to park the car when they reached GH. They had barely stopped outside the emergency room when Lorenzo bounded out, racing inside. He looked around in a near panic before finding Nano, then he raced toward his friend.

"Where is she?"

"Ms. Davis is in exam room four," Nano replied, pointing to the door just across from him. "She woke up not long after we got here. The doctor took some blood to the lab."

"Did someone hurt her?" Lorenzo asked, his voice tinged with anger. "Did someone..."

"No, sir," Nano answered. "She just stood up to leave and got dizzy, and then she fainted."

He calmed a bit upon hearing that it sounded like a fairly ordinary thing. No injury caused by Carly, no foul play. Perhaps she was just still battling whatever bug she'd had while he'd been gone.

"Thank you for getting her here so quickly," Lorenzo said as he patted Nano on the shoulder, then headed into the room.

He tried not to react to how pale she looked, how still she was--her eyes closed as she lay there resting. He took careful steps toward her in hopes of not startling her, but when her head suddenly turned toward him and her gaze focused on his face, Lorenzo gave up any pretense of calm and rushed to her.

"I'm all right," she said. "I'm fine."

Her arms reached out to him, and Lorenzo didn't hesitate in leaning down into her embrace, pulling her against his body as he wrapped his own limbs around her.

"Alexis."

He meant to say more. He meant to scold her for worrying him, to remind her how he couldn't possibly survive if anything were to happen to her. But all that he could manage to say was her name. She pressed her hands against his back.

"I'm all right."

Lorenzo eased down onto the bed, sitting on the edge and drawing her up into a more comfortable position. He did not, however, let her go.

"What did the doctor say?" finally made its way out of his mouth. Alexis rested her cheek against his shoulder and ran her fingers lightly down his cheek.

"He said I shouldn't have breakfast with hateful people who make me my blood pressure shoot up."

His body tensed. Alexis noticed it immediately, a fact Lorenzo knew from the way her hand reached for his, drawing it against her in a gesture of reassurance.

"It wasn't Carly's fault, okay? Yes, she made me angry. But I'm the ninny who kept ignoring she wasn't feeling well."

Lorenzo chuckled. He couldn't help it. Only she could amuse him right now.

"Ninny?" He asked as he eased her slightly away from him so he could see her face. "Who says that?"

She smiled. It didn't hide the worry in her eyes from him.

"I do, apparently."

Sighing, Lorenzo reluctantly pushed her back a bit more and helped settle her against the pillows. He then took her right hand and lay it gently between his own two.

"Kristina and I cannot spare you. You know that."

Her eyes moistened and she dropped her lids to try and stop any tears from breaking free. "I know. I'm sorry. I just... I didn't think it was anything serious."

"Of course you didn't," he said, his voice even softer than it had been. Lorenzo drew her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "But now you have to promise me that whatever they say, whatever you need to do to feel better..."

"I won't argue even a little bit, I promise," she vowed, cutting him off as her eyes again opened. "Tony said he thought I might have a mild virus or something. He doesn't seem terribly worried."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

He posed his question with a grin, and it again made her smile. Lorenzo loved that he could make her do that. It was one of the things he took great pride in given how few smiles she'd enjoyed in her life for far too long.

"I'm fine, Enzo, really. All I want now is to go home and curl back up in our bed with you and Kristina and take a nap and forget this horrible morning ever happened."

The reminder of her earlier upset made Lorenzo momentarily focus on the cause of it.

"Why was Carly anywhere near you?"

"She found out about Kristina, and she wanted to order me to keep my daughter away from her family."

Lorenzo scoffed. "Doesn't know her husband very well, does she?"

"I think that's pretty much their whole problem."

He nodded his agreement and was about to comment on how lucky he happened to be when it came to the woman in his life, but the door opened and Tony Jones stepped into the room. Alexis sat back up and put her hand on Lorenzo's shoulder.

"Tony, would you please reassure him that I'm not dying? Because I think he may put me under house arrest if I have more than a cold."

"Well, then I suggest you lay in a good supply of books and DVDs."

The jest was delivered with a light tone, but Lorenzo and Alexis both caught the implication. There was "something." Their expressions must have told the story of their minds suddenly racing with fear because Tony put up both his hands and shook his head.

"It is more than a cold, but it's not bad. You're pregnant."

"What?"

They said it together, their voices in unison, the shock registering just as hard in both Lorenzo and Alexis.

"I'm what?" she asked on her own, her hands rising so her fingers could pull through her hair in a fit of nerves.

"Pregnant," Tony said again, making it clear there was no mistake. "The lab work shows your potassium is low, so we're gonna fix that. And I paged Dr. Bonds because I saw a note in your file that she's your doctor of record now. She has joint privileges here, so I want her to check you out before you leave."

Lorenzo felt like his mind had shut off the moment the word 'pregnant' hit the air. The rest of what the doctor said filtered through, but he didn't really retain any of it. He didn't even notice Tony saying good-bye or making his exit. The only thing he heard and paid real attention to was Alexis.

"Pregnant?"

She was scared. The tremble in her voice gave it away. A wave of guilt rushed over him at the sound, and Lorenzo stood and walked across the room, his hand pushing into the wall as he leaned against it.

[I]"What amazes me is people who go through something like that or, god forbid, even worse... and then they take the risk and have another child. I'm not sure I could ever do that. I just couldn't go through all of it again."[/I]

He remembered her face that night at the fundraiser... the way all the horror of nearly losing Kristina had come flooding back to her. He grimaced at the memory of her pain.

"I'm sorry."

Lorenzo's words were met with silence. He felt his eyes begin to sting as he waited for her to say something, anything.

"Sorry for... what?"

He tried to turn and face her, but he couldn't.

"You were very clear that you weren't... that after everything you went through, another child wasn't something you wanted. I should've... I should've been more careful."

It was her gasping that made him turn, made him look at her. He would take the blame and he would let her vent out whatever she needed to in order to cope with this, he knew. But Lorenzo didn't find what he expected as he faced his love. He saw her hands reaching out to him... and her heart breaking for him.

"Enzo."

He hesitated... but he moved to her. She clasped his hands tightly and pulled him down beside her.

"Lorenzo, did you hear what Tony said? I'm carrying our child."

His head dropped as the guilt hit him again.

"But you... you said that you were too afraid to... that you didn't want to have another baby."

"Of course I'm afraid," she said, her fingers moving lightly against his cheeks and she forced him to make eye contact with her again. "Having another person inside you is an incredible thing, but it's scary as hell, even if you forget all the rest of it. And I have no doubt that you'll get to witness a hundred freak outs between now and the day our baby is born. But, sweetheart, a baby in theory is just that... a baby in theory. This is [I]our[/I]baby. And I don't care how much I never thought about it happening, I couldn't want anything more if my life depended on it."

There had only been two other times when Lorenzo's emotions had taken such strong hold of him, had wielded such power, that he could not do anything to control them or hide them. One had been the night he'd learned of Sophie's death. One had been the day his mother slipped away while he held her hand.

The third time was there in that hospital room with Alexis.

A sob tore from him and Lorenzo let Alexis pull him against her, his head curling down to her shoulder. Tears rained out of him as her hold kept him from falling over. He'd been dancing on this precipice for awhile now, he knew. His determination to handle everything alone had left him feeling dishonest with her, distant from her. But he'd kept using his fears to justify it. What if she left him... what if she didn't understand... what if? But really, he'd been a coward. And yet here she was, ready to face her demons for him... for them... for their baby.

He flexed his hands slightly and noticed he was holding her around the waist. Lorenzo suddenly realized that in that small space between his palms, their child rested deep inside of her.

"You've already faced so much," he said softly. "I just don't want to be the cause of any more pain. All I want is for you and Kristina... for all of you to be safe."

"Our baby could never bring me pain." Alexis' words reached him even if he couldn't yet respond. "Even if every single thing that happened before happened again, Lorenzo, I would never not want him."

Him... her... it didn't matter to Lorenzo. He hadn't let himself dream of having a child in so long... and then Alexis and Kristina had come and for no reason he could think of, he'd been given this life. A life he could only have fully if and when he finally resolved his past.

An image of Renata flashed through his mind, and Lorenzo tightened his hold on Alexis. God, if that man ever found out what he was doing...

"Sweetheart, just tell me what it is," she whispered. "Whatever it is, it can't possibly be worse than seeing you hurt like this."

Her hand touched down on his head, lightly running over his hair as she placed a soft kiss at his temple, her gentleness drawing still more tears from him. He wondered if she knew what a gift she was to him... that she read him and understood his collapse was about the weight of his demons and not, God forbid, him not being happy about this unexpected miracle.

"I love you, Lorenzo. We all love you. Nothing could change that."

He wasn't sure how long they sat like that, him crying and her comforting him, but finally his tears eased and Lorenzo felt Alexis moving backward to lay down, her hold on him drawing him with her. He didn't fight it. He needed her too much. So he let her settle his head just below collar bone, and when Alexis took his hand and placed it down flat on her stomach, he stared down in awe at her small, delicate fingers laying over his.

"I hope he has your eyes."

*****

Carly sat on the couch of Sonny's office fuming. It was bad enough that everyone had looked at her like she had done something intentionally to that bitch at the restaurant, but for Johnny to come storming in from seemingly nowhere and drag her off here...

'You let him have the nerve to be angry,' she thought to herself. Liar. He'd known for so long now that Kristina was his, and he hadn't even had the decency to tell her? Sonny Corinthos had better not say two words to her, as far as she was concerned.

But she knew better. This would all be her fault somehow. St. Alexis trips over her own feet and Sonny blames Carly--she knew that was exactly how it would play out. She'd heard the "poor Alexis" refrain enough times... and though she'd hoped that after Alexis flayed Sonny alive at her sister's memorial service that would never be the case again, Carly knew the quiet had simply been a delay until the next chapter of "Sonny and Alexis" began.

Well, he could have his fit because this time, he was flat out wrong. She hadn't done a damn thing to Alexis and she wasn't the one lying about some bastard. Oh, God, she was furious. He was gonna want that little brat at her house all the time. Everywhere she turned, mini-Alexis would be there, reminding her that Sonny had ever wanted that bitch in the first place.

It was really too bad Ned and Skye hadn't managed to get their hands on the kid permanently when they'd had the chance. The truth would never have come out then. And she and her family would be free of Alexis Davis once and for all.

Footsteps on the stairs told Carly Sonny had arrived. She braced herself for what was coming and waited. It only took a moment for the door to swing open, and for his judgmental, disappointed face to enter the room.

"Where are the kids?" he asked as he shut the door.

"Still in Florida. Courtney's bringing them back tomorrow."

Sonny nodded and walked to his desk. Carly stood up, arms crossed in front of her. She wasn't about to be stalled nor was she going to be pounced on when he got sick of playing games with her.

"You couldn't even pick up the phone to tell me?"

His eyes flashed at her. "Who did tell you?"

"Not my husband."

Sonny shook his head. "I needed some time to deal with it, to figure out what's going to happen."

"Hey, in case you missed it, I get a say in what's going to happen. I am your wife, Sonny, unless you changed your mind about that now that your whore--"

The words were barely out of her mouth before his fist slammed down into the desk.

"Do not do that!"

His voice boomed so loudly, Carly stepped back. She couldn't remember the last time he had spoken to her like that.

"Kristina is my daughter, and Alexis is her mother. And you are gonna have to learn to live with that. There is no other choice, Carly."

"Oh, I think there are several other choices. Starting with you could forget about this kid you don't even know and focus on the family you have."

"You... you think I can just turn my back on my child? How can you have lived with me for so long and even begin to think I would do that?"

"Alexis doesn't want you, Sonny." Carly punctuated each word, driving the point home to him. "She didn't want you to be her baby's father, so she lied about it. She has a life... she has a father for Kristina--"

His hand rose sharply, his finger pointing at her face. "Lorenzo Alcazar will never be a father to my little girl. Never."

"So what, Sonny, are you gonna take her? Do you expect me to raise that brat and have Alexis banging on our door for the rest of her life, begging for five minutes with her?"

"I don't know," he replied.

"You don't know?"

"I don't know!"

Sonny pushed a stack of papers off his desk in a petulant display of temper and then he walked to the bar to pour himself a drink. He stopped when he remembered the horrible drunk he'd so recently recovered from and the painful realizations that had come from it.

"What happened today at the Grille?" he asked as he turned away from the bar and back toward his wife.

"I knew Johnny would blame me," Carly said. "She tripped and got dizzy and fell, okay? It had nothing to do with me."

"Why did you even go near Alexis, Carly? Why didn't you just come home and talk to me about it?"

"Because I wanted her to know that I'm not gonna stand around and let her worm her way back into your life."

The words ran through his mind, and Sonny couldn't help but smile at her. "But I thought you said Alexis didn't want me?"

Her own flawed logic thrown back in her face, Carly rolled her eyes. "I always knew you loved it... knowing she wanted you, but playing like you didn't. And you want it back, don't you?"

He didn't answer her, which to Carly was answer enough.

"I'm going home," she announced as she moved to pick up her purse. "You decide you want to be there, I'll see you later."

She stormed out in a full huff and slammed the door behind her. Johnny entered the office a moment later, and though Carly started off, she paused just long enough to hear the beginning of his report to Sonny.

"They said Ms. Davis is fine. They released her already. Max will keep a close eye on her, he said."

Anger burned in Carly's gut as she pounded her way down the stairs. The moment she was outside, she pulled out her cell phone and hit the key for its newest speed dial entry.

"Skye, it's me. We need to talk. Now."

*****

Alexis had gotten her wish. After a clean bill of health from Dr. Bonds and an initial ultrasound that told them they were only six weeks into their new adventure, Lorenzo had brought her home, and the two of them had curled up into bed with Kristina for story time and naptime.

She'd have enjoyed it all a great deal more if her mind wasn't reeling with the news she'd received or if her heart wasn't heavy with worry over Lorenzo. Instead of relishing the time with she and Kristina as he usually did, Alexis could tell he was using it as a diversionary tactic. Whatever had triggered his break down was finally becoming too much for him to carry alone... but she knew better than to push. She'd told him the door was open... but he had to walk through it on his own.

There hadn't been a moment since they'd left the hospital when Alexis had been able to completely let go of the image of him so wounded. And she wondered if she would ever stop being haunted by the sound of his voice when his whispered 'I'm sorry' had slipped from his lips.

Her earlier thoughts about their similarities came back to her. Alexis had been surprised at the immediacy and the depth of his misplaced guilt, but she wondered now as to why. The truth was, when she'd been sitting there awestruck at Tony's announcement and Lorenzo had stood and walked away, her first thought had been "he doesn't want it." How wrong she had been, though. Not want their baby? If anything, she saw that he was afraid to want it... want them too much... just in case someone or something stepped in and took their life together away. And that was a feeling she understood in the deepest parts of her being.

When Alexis woke up from her nap it was to find herself without Lorenzo and with Kristina was sprawled across her chest. Another baby... the enormity of that was just beginning to take hold of her. Another life to cherish and protect... another life to worry over and yet find adventure in.

"Oh, if he's anything like you, Little One, he'll keep Mama on her toes," she whispered.

Lorenzo was right in his observations of her, both from months ago and today... she was scared. How could she not be? But it wasn't the paralyzing fear she'd imagined it might be on that night that seemed so long ago now, when Alan's speech had reminded her of Kristina's terrifying fight for life. Then she'd been unable to even conceive of wanting let alone having another child. Kristina was her world... and that had been enough. But her protected little universe had grown... and it now included a man she loved... a man she knew would be there to hold her up if, God forbid, she had to face another problem-plagued pregnancy or a second terrifying delivery.

The unfairness of her own mind registered for her instantly... Sonny probably would have done all those things, too, if she'd given him the chance. But she kept coming back to the one undeniable truth of her present situation... she could ask Lorenzo into the places where she had been unable to invite Sonny... and that included sharing every aspect of this odyssey... together.

"Hey, why don't I put her in her room?" Lorenzo asked, his voice soft as he returned. Alexis was relieved to see that he looked more relaxed than he had earlier... but she could see that his eyes were still looking at her with a bit of desperation... almost as if he were filled to the brim with whatever it was he wanted or needed to tell her.

She nodded in reply to his question, and Lorenzo carefully scooped the sleeping toddler up and into his arms. Kristina barely reacted, her left hand bawling into his shirt as her naptime dream continued.

"Be right back."

Alexis closed her eyes as the two loves of her life left the room. She then looked down at her stomach and smiled.

"Guess we'll have to make that three, won't we?"

It was such an incredible sensation... knowing she was pregnant and having the freedom to just be happy about it. And she was happy. Stunned and frightened to be sure, not just from the event itself but from the speed of it. She and Lorenzo seemed to have just become an "us" and now they were about to become a "them." But she was, above all else, thrilled to think of the little form taking shape inside of her. No matter what else might happen, Alexis had no doubt that this child would bring her joy.

"How are you feeling?" Lorenzo asked, this time as he closed the door behind him.

"Better." Alexis propped herself up in bed and patted the empty side next to her. Lorenzo made his way there and sat down.

"How are you?" Her question came with a raised, teasing eyebrow and half smile.

Her intention had been to find out how he was handling their news. But the serious cast that came over his face told Alexis he was thinking of something very different.

"I need to tell you something," he said.

She scooted forward, crossing her legs Indian style before reaching for his hand. "I'm listening."

His lips parted and he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came forward. Alexis gave his palm a gentle squeeze. Her gesture of comfort spurred him on, and when words failed him again, Lorenzo reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

"I had Nano do a sweep of the house today while you were resting. I needed to be sure everything was absolutely secure."

Alexis nodded. "Is someone threatening you?"

"No," he answered. "But from today on, there are things you need to know. Because I can't... I won't make any more decisions for you or for our... for our family without you."

She tried not to be afraid of what was coming. Alexis had wanted him to tell her the truth... and he was ready. She had to be prepared to face whatever it was.

"You have the combination to the safe," Lorenzo continued, "but what you don't know is there's a false bottom in it. Inside is a strongbox that has only one item. This."

He offered the item in his hand to her. Alexis took the laminated, simple looking card and turned it face up.

The world changed forever as she read the black and navy blue typeface set off by a seal she had seen enough times over the years when the WSB had come to interview the Cassadines in their quest to finally find all of Mikkos' rumored journals and blueprints.
But she had never begun to imagine that she would see Lorenzo's name staring back at her from the I.D. card she now held.

"It's a very, very long story," he said. "And if you can forgive me for what I've done, I'd like to tell it to you."

She was still transfixed by the card, and so his words almost slipped by her. But they finally took hold, grabbing her attention and drawing her eyes back to his.

"What do I need to forgive you for?"

"I lied to you, Alexis."

The admission hurt him to make, cutting him deeply. She couldn't miss the crack in his voice as he said it. For the second time today, Alexis looked at the man she loved and sought to take away the unnecessary pain he was inflicting upon himself.

"You just trusted me with your life, Lorenzo. Dear God, forgive you? Thank you. Thank you so much for knowing you could share this with me."

The WSB I.D. fell on the bed between them as Alexis reached for him, drawing him into a warm, strong embrace. After a moment, though, Lorenzo broke her hold and eased away from her.

"I'm not trying to paint myself as a hero here. I have done some vile... terrible things, Alexis, to be a man that someone like Luis would do business with. I have even..." He swallowed hard and fought to keep his gaze with hers. "I have killed men to protect my cover, to maintain the Lorenzo Alcazar I had to be in order to succeed."

He was waiting for her to pull away. She could feel it. And so Alexis did all she could do right now to support this man who meant so much to her. She took his hands in hers, held tight, and she urged him forward.

"Tell me... you said it was a long story. Tell me."

So he did. He told her about Sophie and the horrifying news of her murder. He told her about the cantina where a ghost named Robert Scorpio had found him and given him a name upon which to focus his hatred--Antonio Renata--and a purpose to go on living--the destruction of the man who had murdered his love. Lorenzo told her about the web of lies he'd been forced to construct, about the close calls, about the way he'd learned to live his life without really caring for anyone.

And then he told her about his decision to come to Port Charles... and about how his pursuit of her had started out as nothing more than part of his mission... and how it had ended up restoring his will to live.

"When I was gone these past two weeks," he went on, "I was with Robert at first. He knew I was starting to crack, and he wanted to give me some time to pull myself together."

Alexis raised her left hand to swipe at the tears that had been running down her face throughout most of his recollection. "What do you mean, starting to crack?"

Lorenzo squeezed her other hand and smiled slightly. "I never had anything to lose. All these years, it was just me, and I didn't care what happened to me. But now... you and Kristina and... and our baby, Alexis... you mean everything to me. You mean more to me than any vendetta that drove me into this."

She nodded. She had no doubt he meant it.

"But I also can't walk away from what I started," he admitted. "Because it's all so much bigger now than my wanting to make him pay for what he did to me... to Sophie."

"And you can't let it go until it's done," Alexis said. "I understand."

He shook his head, then looked at her intently. "Alexis, you have to really understand because... because it's one thing for Sonny Corinthos mob boss to come after me in a territorial dispute. But if Renata or anyone connected to him ever realize who I am or what I'm doing, they will crush me and everything that I love. And as much as I hate it, you are already involved because he knows you matter to me in some way. But if... if you want to take Kristina and leave me, have the baby somewhere without me until this is done, then I will get Robert to set up protection, and I'll--"

Her fingertips touched down on his lips, silencing him. "Lorenzo, I--I've made my choice. I trust you to tell me if we're in danger so we can figure out what to do stop it. I trust you to do what you need to do to make sure this man cannot be a threat to our family. Lorenzo, I trust you. I love you."

He was back in her arms again, and this time as Alexis ran her hands up and down his back, she could feel the relaxation in his body, the weight of his secrets finally lifted from him once and for all. Then she felt the tickle of his breath against her neck as his whispered words found her ear.

"I love you, Alexis. And I swear to you, I will finish this so that we can go on with our lives."

"I know you will. And just so I don't have to say this anymore, listen to me this time, okay? I'm here... and I'm staying here. We are going to love Kristina and build our business and work out things with Sonny, and you are going to finish what you started. And then you and I are going to have our baby... and we're going to do it all together."

When he pulled back from her this time, he looked like a man granted a second chance rather than a man facing the gallows. When Alexis teased her fingers against his beard, he smiled slightly and grabbed her hand, kissing her fingertips.

"You always make me feel hope. Even when I don't think I deserve it."

Alexis sighed and smiled back at him. "You always deserve it. You are a good man, Lorenzo. I knew that this morning... and I know it more certainly now. And our son is going to grow up to be a good man, too."

"You keep saying it's a boy." He reached out with his other hand and wiped away the few drops of moisture still resting on her cheeks. "It's a bit soon for you to know that, isn't it?"

"Well, yes," she answered, laughing. "But call it... mother's intuition. It kicks in pretty much the second they say 'you're pregnant.'"

"I see." Lorenzo shifted on the bed so he was beside her, his arms wrapping around her as they leaned back against the pillows. "A boy, huh? Kristina will probably love having a little brother to order around."

"I think she will," Alexis agreed. "Until he gets big enough to destroy her toys and ruin her play dates... then she'll probably want to send him back."

"Probably."

They chuckled over the image, then a natural quiet came over them. Alexis rested in the strength of his embrace and hoped that now that his fears had been put to rest where she was concerned so that Lorenzo would be able to focus on what lay ahead of him and stay as safe as possible. He had to stay safe. She needed him. She loved him.

"When I was young, " Lorenzo said, breaking the silence, "my mother used to read me these books about a mischievous little boy who used to always end up every adventure sitting with his mother and father by the fireplace. He was always thinking about how lucky he was to have them as his parents because they loved him no matter what misdeeds he had done during the day."

"Those sound like lovely stories."

"They were wonderful. My favorite part was always when his mother would call out to him. 'Time to come home, Gabriel. Time to be with your family.' And then he'd come running... and he was never sorry to have to go home to her."

Alexis snuggled more against him, the wistful quality of his voice a sharp and welcome contrast to the way Lorenzo had sounded only a short while before.

"I told my mother once if I had a son, I would name him Gabriel."

Despite all the ambivalence Lorenzo felt over his father and brother, his love for his mother was always evident when he spoke of her. Alexis didn't doubt she owed the late Mrs. Alcazar a great debt for helping to provide him a safe cocoon within which to become this man she could no longer imagine living without.

"Gabriel..." Alexis whispered. "I like that."

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