This is a belated birthday fic for my girl Tree -- thanks for being patient, honey. Happy Birthday :)




There were two things you could do when your car decided to break down on you in a strange town. You could get upset and think fate was trying to ruin your day, or you could, if you were Alexis Davis, think to yourself, "I'm with my daughter, it's a beautiful day, and there are no dark-haired annoying men around me right now, so I'll make the best of it."

Alexis chose the latter.

"Jax, it's me. Look, when you get this message, can you do me a favor? I decided to drive to Pine Valley to drop off those Cortlandt Electronics contracts, and my fuel pump decided it wanted this town to be its final resting spot. Everything's fine, they'll have it fixed in the morning, but I don't want Ric to be worried... and I also am in no mood to actually talk to him. So could you please just call him and tell him Kristina and I will be home tomorrow and not to worry? Love you, ex-husband of mine. Thanks."

Alexis flipped her phone shut and put it back in her purse. A day out of Port Charles had turned into an overnight trip out of Port Charles. So be it. She had Kristina with her, and her little girl didn't seem the least bit upset about having her mama all to herself without a single meddler around to try and steal either's attention. The mechanic at the dealership had directed her to a lovely looking building called the Valley Inn. It was in walking distance and the day was pretty and warm for February, and so they had walked down, Kristina in her stroller, and enjoyed the quiet afternoon. With their phone call home taken care of, a late lunch now seemed to be in order.

"You hungry, my love? Maybe we should check in and get a room and then check out their restaurant. What do you want today?"

Kristina thought about the question seriously as they made their way up the front walk to the hotel. Finally, she turned and looked back at her mother.

"Apples and chocolate cake!"

Alexis laughed as she parked the stroller and walked around to lean down close to her daughter. "Apples and chocolate cake, huh? Well, if you have a little chicken and maybe some pasta, I think we can do that. Does that sound good?"

"Mm-hmm," Kristina answered, her smile beaming and revealing those all-too-familiar dimples. That sight caused Alexis to sigh, then she returned to her post behind the stroller and led them into the hotel lobby.

"Hello, Ma'am," the young man behind the counter said. "And Miss," he added as he glanced down at Kristina. "How may I help you?"

"I'm going to be in town overnight unexpectedly, and the head mechanic at the BMW service department referred me to you," Alexis explained.

"Ah, well, if Ben sent you, then we'll take good care of you. The name?"

Alexis filled the clerk in, got a room key and stopped in the gift shop to pick up some toiletries. Diapers and spare baby clothes they had aplenty in Kristina's bag. Deciding against toting the stroller around, Alexis then decided to run up to the room and drop it and their few things off before heading down to grab some food.

With those tasks complete, Alexis picked Kristina up and the two made their way to the dining room. It was elegant, but still cozy, and the maitre d' didn't even blink at the sight of a toddler entering his domain.

"Hello, ladies. Two?"

"Yes," Alexis answered, "with a booster seat if you have it."

"Absolutely," the smiling man replied. "I'll bring one over."

They were seated at a table near a set of French doors. Mother and daughter chatted about the pretty flowers on the table and the heart decorations that were already dotting the room as Alexis removed her own coat and Kristina's. A busboy arrived with a booster seat, and Kristina went easily into it before her hands wrapped around the sipper cup full of juice that her mother put in front of her.

Alexis studied the menu, happy to find a simple chicken and pasta dish she could share with Kristina and even happier to find chocolate cake on the dessert menu. Just as their waiter approached, an ecstatic peal of laughter filled the room. Both Davis women turned to look at the source, a beautiful little girl with dark hair and big eyes, who was bouncing in the arms of a young woman with eyes that matched the little girl's perfectly.

"Baby!" Kristina exclaimed.

"A beautiful baby," Alexis added.

Kristina watched the young woman and her baby be led to a table on the opposite side of the French doors as Alexis placed their order. Once the waiter was gone, Alexis couldn't hold back a chuckle at her daughter's obvious fascination with the little girl across from them.

"Do you want to say hello, Kristina?"

The toddler glanced back at her mother and shook her head, though she grew shy at the prospect of talking to a stranger. Alexis smiled and opened her arms to her daughter, and the little girl brightened as she gained her mother's physical and emotional support.

"Excuse me," Alexis said as she approached the younger mother. "My daughter wanted to say hello to yours, if that's okay."

"I think we'd love that, wouldn't we, Miranda?"

The baby's face lit up at the sound of her mother's voice and the young woman laughed.

"Miranda," Alexis said. "What a beautiful name you have." She squatted down so that Kristina would be eye-level with Miranda in the high chair. "This is Kristina."

"Oh, those curls," the other mother said. "She's gorgeous."

"So is yours," Alexis replied. "She looks just like you."

Something very faint passed through the younger woman's eyes… something Alexis knew all too well. Things had not been smooth for this mother and daughter.

"I'm Alexis Davis." She offered her hand as Kristina and Miranda entwined their fingers together, wide baby smiles on both their faces.

"Bianca Montgomery," the other mother replied. "And I think our daughters might have become very fast friends."

"I think you're right."

"Who is this beautiful little girl?" another woman asked. Alexis looked up to see a tall, thin beauty with curly dark hair.

"This is Kristina and her mother Alexis," Bianca answered. "And this is my sister Kendall."

"Nice to meet you, Kendall."

"It's nice to meet you and your lovely daughter." Kendall then turned her attention to the baby girl in the highchair. "And how is my fabulous niece today?"

Miranda managed to break eye contact with Kristina to turn and beam her smile up at her aunt. Kendall melted and leaned down, kissing the baby and earning a few bounces and an excited giggle.

"Well, we should let you get to your family gathering," Alexis said as she stood up. "It was nice to meet you both."

The two sisters were beginning to say their good-byes when it registered to both Kristina and Miranda that they were about to lose their playmates. Pouty lips, teary eyes and a few whimpers from the children indicated tantrums were likely if something wasn't done quickly.

"Looks like we were right," Bianca said. "Fast friends for sure. Why don't we all have lunch together?"

"I'd hate to intrude," Alexis replied. Kendall quickly waved off her concerns.

"Friends of Miranda's are never intruding. Why don't we have them scoot our tables together?"

The maitre d', who apparently knew the sisters quite well, was happy to help and soon the new table was arranged and Bianca and Alexis were seated on opposite ends so that the girls could sit beside each other on one side. Kendall was opposite Miranda, with another chair sitting empty beside her.

"I've never seen her take to another child so quickly," Bianca commented. "Clearly we have two kindred spirits here."

Alexis smiled, but it wasn't an action that came from her heart. She hoped, in fact, that the opposite were true. She hoped Miranda hadn't known half the trials her baby girl had so far in her short 2 1/2 years on Earth.

"So, um, are you from out of town?" Kendall asked, the slight nerves in her voice telling Alexis that perhaps her sad thoughts had shown through in her eyes or expression. She decided to focus on the present and the good company before her.

"I am. From Port Charles, New York, actually. My ex-husband just sold a company to Cortlandt Electronics, and I was in the market for some alone time with my girl here, so I thought, hey, I'll drive us there to drop off the contracts. Little did I know my 'ultimate driving machine,' wasn't so ultimate."

"Wait, did you say Port Charles?"

Kendall's question cut off whatever observation Bianca had been about to make over the girls, who were busy exchanging sipper cups.

"Yes."

Bianca glanced at her sister and a knowing look passed between them. A familiar sense of discomfort began to creep up Alexis' spine.

"You're that Alexis Davis," Kendall said. "Well, can I just say, how you didn't run that baby stealing wench Skye Chandler over with a car is beyond me."

"We could not believe when we heard about that. The nerve of that woman," Bianca added.

Alexis relaxed. These women weren't like so many she had encountered at home. They clearly had taken time to learn the whole story.

"So you know Skye, do you?"

"Oh, yes," Bianca said. "Her father... well, I guess Adam isn't her father anymore... but anyway Adam Chandler has been our stepfather a few times."

"Eww. You were temporarily related to Skye? You have my sympathies," Alexis said, and then all three women burst into laughter. They were still giggling when a cell phone rang out to the tune of "Hey Ya!" by Outkast. Kristina immediately started dancing in her chair to the tune while her mother looked for the phone.

"Oh, no," she said as she glanced at the caller I.D. "Just what I need. I'm sorry, I'll be just a minute."

Both Bianca and Kendall were looking at her confused as Kristina gave her that "it's okay, mommy" look that sometimes was all that helped Alexis hold it together. She reached out and took her daughter's hand as she hit the answer button.

"Hi, Ric. You got my message from Jax? No. No, that's not necessary. It's a perfectly nice town and we'll be fine. Ric. Ric. Ric!"

Alexis pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at the screen.

"Is everything okay?"

Bianca's concerned voice drew Alexis' attention back to the table. She shook her head.

"My husband. He's overreacting and he wants to take a commuter flight to come get us."

"Well, that's kind of sweet," Kendall offered with a slight shrug.

"Kind of, but I planned to spend the day without him or his annoying brother around, and I'd like to keep it that way."

Bianca chuckled. "Ooh, not crazy about the brother, huh?"

"Well, not in a long time anyway. Sonny is Kristina's father. Ric, my husband, is his younger brother."

"Oh, now that sounds like a story," Kendall said. "Let me run and call Mom and check on the plans for tonight, and then I want to hear all the details."

Alexis felt her jaw drop at the prospect of discussing her ridiculously complicated relationship with the two men in her life. Her expression must have spoken volumes, because Bianca laughed.

"Don't worry, I won't let her pry too much. Kendall's just so happy to have someone else's story to hear about for awhile. The two of us have been all anyone's talked about around here for a long time now."

That flash of something she'd seen in Bianca's eyes earlier came back to Alexis' mind, and she looked down the table at her new friend.

"I sort of got the impression that maybe you and Miranda had been through a hard time or two when we were talking earlier."

The younger woman sighed. "When we were talking about Skye and her trying to take your baby… well, let's just say I can identify with that. Miranda and I were separated for a very, very long time."

Alexis watched as Bianca leaned forward, drawing her baby's attention away from her new playmate. Mother and daughter shared an intense look before Bianca placed a kiss on Miranda's forehead. Alexis was just about to comment on how utterly perfect they looked when a woman with big brown hair, a zebra purse and earrings so large they reminded her of Carly's usual tacky style walked up to their table.

"Bianca, can I talk to you a minute, please?"

Even if her attention hadn't been focused on Bianca, Alexis knew she would've noticed the tension that filled the young woman as this new stranger approached. She also saw Bianca reflexively pull Miranda out of her highchair and into her arms.

"I have nothing to say to you."

"It's important," the woman said in a twangy accent. "It's about Babe and..."

"Look, Krystal, how many times do I have to tell you that whatever happens to Babe isn't about me anymore?" Bianca's voice was now filled with anger. "She made her choices, and she has to live with them."

"But you know that she didn't mean to hurt you or Miranda, she was just..."

"Would you please just leave us alone?!"

The rise in volume from her mother made Miranda whimper, which made Kristina's bottom lip curl up as tears formed in her eyes. Alexis stood and walked to stand between her daughter and the woman with the offensive manner and a voice to match.

"Look, Krystal, was it? Whatever it is you want, you're upsetting these children, and that is simply not acceptable. So I suggest you leave... now."

"Well, excuse me, ma'am, but this is between Bianca and me, and I'll leave when I'm darn good and ready."

Given what Bianca had just told her about being kept from Miranda, it wasn't a great leap of logic for Alexis to assume this woman had had something to do with it. Alexis reached back behind her, Kristina's little fingers grasping for her hand and she felt a surge of her own maternal outrage.

"Then I suggest you be ready to leave right now," Alexis said, her Cassadine genes raging to the forefront. "Because you are neither welcome nor wanted here, and while I get the feeling you've done a great deal to cause this family pain, I can promise you, you won't be causing anymore while I'm here. So leave."

The tacky woman's eyes went wide and she thought for a moment to argue, but then she thought better of it and lowered her head. Krystal quickly made her way out of the restaurant, and then Alexis turned and leaned down, smiling at Kristina to reassure her own child that the momentary upset was over with. She then turned to see Bianca holding Miranda up and working for a smile from her baby girl.

"That woman is very unpleasant," Alexis said with a wink. Bianca nodded and smiled slightly.

"You have no idea."

Kendall came around the corner, returning to the table. She looked from her sister to Alexis and back again.

"What did I miss?"

"Krystal Carey," Bianca replied. "But Alexis told her off. You'd have loved it."

"Oh, that seals it. Alexis, you and Kristina are clearly meant to be our new friends. So sit down, let's eat and you tell me all about these men of yours."

Alexis laughed as she headed back to her chair. In a way, she felt Kendall was right. Somehow she had a connection with these women that was just natural and real. She suddenly didn't feel odd at all telling them about her heartache over the two men in her life, and she did so as they all ate and the kids made as big a mess as they could at their respective seats. When lunch was done, with the conversation still going, the girls all set out for a walk to the park and a bit of play at the sandbox. There, Bianca and Kendall filled Alexis in on their own tumultuous few years.

And then "Hey Ya!" rang out on the cell phone again, and this time Miranda bopped from side to side to, imitating her older friend.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Honey, it's me," Ric said. "Look, there were no commuter flights available, so I'm driving in and..."

"Let me talk to her!" another male voice said in the background.

"Just a minute," Ric answered impatiently. "So anyway, I'm driving down."

"Ric, I told you, that's not necessary. We'll be home tomorrow."

"Let me talk to her!"

When Alexis heard the voice for the second time, she got a very nervous feeling in her stomach. "Ric, who's in the car with you?"

"My annoying brother," he answered.

Alexis glanced over at Bianca and Kendall, who were both looking at her trying to figure out what was going on. Alexis shook her head. "Ric, just turn around and go home. Kristina and I will be there tomorrow."

"No, I'm not letting him come alone."

"Yeah, but you're not jealous or anything," Sonny said in the background.

"You're both being ridiculous," Alexis scolded. "I'm going. Don't kill each other in the car."

She hung up the phone and threw it back in purse. "I cannot believe this. They're in a car... together... driving here."

Kendall burst into laughter as Bianca's face morphed to shock. "Wait," the younger sister said, "I thought you and Ric were separated."

"We are," Alexis sighed and leaned back against the park bench. "When I found out he knew that Sonny was Kristina's father before I told him, I just... I needed time to deal with that. And things are getting better, but we aren't officially back together yet."

"And where does that leave Sonny?" Kendall asked. "I mean, why is he in the car?"

"He... Sonny is... things with us are never what you would call... easy. We're friends again, sort of. And we've spent some time together since things with Ric and I... well, but, you know, we're friends."

"But he wants to be more than friends?"

Kendall's question went without reply as the cell phone chimed out the Outkast ring tone once again.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Alexis exclaimed as she reached for the phone. This time the caller I.D. was Sonny.

"What, Sonny?"

"Your husband is a moron. He was so busy telling me how you and he were gonna live happily ever after that he got on the wrong freeway."

"You said to merge right," Ric yelled.

"I said not to merge, and you said, 'don't merge?' and I said right."

Alexis rolled her eyes and as the two sisters fought off giggles in response to her exasperation, both Kristina and Miranda erupted into baby laughter.

"What's my girl doing?" Sonny asked, hearing the sound.

"Our girl is playing with her new friend in the sandbox."

"It's a little cold for her to be outside, isn't it?"

"I'm going now, Sonny. Good-bye."

Alexis disconnected the phone again.

"I swear, sometimes the two of them behave worse then Kristina."

"You know, it's times like these I'm glad Lena and I are trying to fix things," Bianca said.

"Does she have a sister?" Alexis teased.

Kendall snickered. "I think your hands are full enough already."

As if on cue, the phone rang again. This time both Bianca and Kendall looked at each other, then at Alexis before busting out with a perfectly timed "Hey Ya!" in time to her ring tone. That had her laughing when she answered the phone.

"Did it occur to either of you that I left town to get away from the both of you?"

"That's not a very nice thing to say to the man that loves you."

It took Alexis aback that she had to ask herself which man had said that before the voice really registered to her. Damn them both for making her feel all these confusing feelings.

"Ric, I'm just saying, this is becoming a bad sitcom. The two of you do not need to be rushing here to save me. Kristina and I are having a perfectly lovely day with our new friends, and we don't need you and Sonny barging in on us."

She heard the sounds of a faint struggle, a car horn honking, and then Sonny's voice crooned into her ear.

"Alexis, we have plans tomorrow, remember? Family plans."

The emphasis he put on the word "family" was clearly for Ric's benefit and Alexis groaned in frustration.

"Yes, Sonny, we have family plans at 6:00 in the evening. Kristina and I could be home in plenty of time for your home-cooked meal even without you and Ric riding to the rescue. Now you two do whatever you want, but stop bothering me."

Alexis hung up the phone again and leaned down toward the sandbox, offering the phone to Kristina.

"Honey, would you do mommy a favor and bury this in the sand before I have to kill your daddy and your uncle Ric to save my sanity?"

Kristina, ever an obedient child, nodded at her mother, and then to everyone's surprise, she batted the phone out of her mother's hand, sending it crashing into the side of the sandbox before it fell to the ground in pieces.

"You're such a good girl!" Kendall exclaimed, earning a beaming smile from the little one in question. Alexis laughed so hard, she actually felt tears on her cheeks.

With the annoying phone now in ruins and Miranda's eyes getting very droopy, the sisters proposed that Alexis and Kristina come to their mother's penthouse with them for some coffee while the girls napped. Alexis protested, not wanting to intrude on their family time any further, but Bianca and Kendall would hear none of it, and, to be honest, with her nerves slightly frazzled now from Sonny and Ric's phone calls, she wasn't quite ready to let go of the company. They all stopped by the Valley Inn so Alexis could leave a message for her "rescuers," who would no doubt be panicked that they could no longer pester her by cell phone, and then they headed off to the home of one Erica Kane.

The penthouse might have seemed less than homey except that the sisters quickly made it clear they were right at home there. Coats were dropped on chair backs, diaper bags hit the floor and Bianca led Alexis and Kristina to "Miranda's Room," where there was a daybed set up across the room from the baby's crib. Both girls went down easily, tired from all their playing and comforted, it seemed, by being in the same room with one another. The two mothers stopped in the doorway, sharing a moment of mutual ease at seeing their daughters safe and sound.

Soon enough the women were seated around the living room enjoying some coffee and more conversation. It was Kendall's turn to dish the romantic dirt, and after hearing about her heartbreak over Ryan Lavery, Alexis had one solid piece of advice for her new friend.

"The English hottie was named Aidan, right?" she asked.

"Yep," Bianca said. "He's actually still hopelessly in love with my sister whether she knows it or not."

"Well," Alexis said, "I say find the English hottie, go on a nice, long tropical vacation and forget all about Ryan Lavery."

"Here here," Kendall replied, raising her coffee cup. Bianca joined in and the three shared a toast. A beat later, the front door opened, and a petite force of nature entered the room.

"Well, if isn't my beautiful daughters."

"Hey, Mom." Bianca stood and moved to her mother, hugging her warmly. "I'd like you to meet someone. This is our friend Alexis Davis. Alexis, this is my mother Erica Kane."

Alexis stood and extended her hand. Erica regarded her warily, but responded by shaking her hand.

"She not only has one of the most beautiful, charming little girls in the world, who is also Miranda's new favorite playmate," Bianca began, but she was quickly cut off by Kendall.

"She also told Krystal Carey off in the middle of the Valley Inn dining room when she tried to bother Binks at lunch."

Now Erica smiled and she gave a firm nod. "Well, then welcome. Anyone who can keep that pit viper away from my daughter is more than welcome in my home."

"Mama, up!"

Kristina's voice was just like it always was at home after a nap -- happy and cheerful -- with no hint that she was upset at all about being in a strange place. Miranda giggled to let it be known she was awake as well, and so the two mothers went off to retrieve their children. As they were coming back into the room with Kristina and Miranda in tow, Bianca put her hand on Alexis' arm, stopping her. Alexis followed the line of her friend's eyes and saw Kendall being held in a tight embrace by Erica.

"They fought so hard for that," Bianca whispered. "So many years just... gone. As angry as I still am about what happened, I thank God neither one of us lost that much time with our daughters."

Alexis pulled Kristina closer and kissed the top of her daughter's head. Thank God indeed. Her little girl was alive and well and happy. And no matter how crazy they made her, they both had the good fortune to be loved by Ric and Sonny, for better or for worse.

The group reassembled in the living room and the girls asked Erica about her upcoming wedding plans, which led to more talk of romantic trials and tribulations. Alexis listened and simultaneously thought about her own plight. She loved her husband. She did. And she owed it to herself and to Ric to see if they could fix what had been broken. But the last few weeks, with her heart unguarded and her soul a little weary, Alexis knew she had forgotten all the reasons she was afraid of Sonny and started to remember all the reasons why Kristina Adela Corinthos-Davis existed. And though she was committed to trying to save her marriage, her heart knew that it lay divided between the two men.

Kristina was helping Miranda stack cloth blocks on a blanket on the living room floor and the Kane women were trying to convince Alexis to stay for dinner when the sound of bickering began to trickle up the hallway. The two male voices grew louder and very identifiable and Alexis rolled her eyes.

"Is that them?" Kendall asked.

"Of course," Alexis answered, sighing.

Erica had been fully briefed on the brothers, and she stood and crossed to the front door. She opened it to reveal both men staring at each other with their hands poised to knock.

"So let me guess... you're the D.A. who knew this one was the father and lied about it and expects Alexis to forgive you," Erica moved her gaze from Ric to Sonny. "And you're the one who was foolish enough to let Alexis go in the first place and now has to hope this one screws up badly enough for you to get her back. Did I get that right?"

Ric and Sonny both lowered their arms and slid their hands into their pockets. Alexis nearly died laughing as she saw them both shrug slightly and nod as if they were little boys who had been scolded by their mother.

"Well, don't just stand there in the doorway. Come on in."

They stepped inside and Kristina stood and ran over to her daddy. After a hug and a kiss, she reached for her uncle and gave him the same greeting before squirming down and rushing back to her friend to play some more. Alexis then crossed over to the twosome, her arms folded in front of her.

"I guess we, uh, we kind of annoyed you. That's why you turned off your phone?" Ric asked.

"Gee, you think?" Alexis replied, keeping the secret for now of the phone's destruction.

"We were just, you know, worried about you," Sonny offered.

"And none of the 10,000 times I told you I was fine penetrated those thick skulls?"

They both shook their heads.

"Well, since you've bothered to come here, completely ignoring my telling you my car will be fixed in the morning... a car I am not leaving without, by the way... then here's what is going to happen next. You two can go back to the Valley Inn and get rooms for the night. Kristina and I are going to say good-bye to our hostesses, and then we'll come back and you two can have dinner with her while I soak in a long, hot bath [i]undisturbed.[/i] Then in the morning, you two are going to drive home together, with Kristina, and I will wait for the car and I will drive home alone… in the peace and quiet. Are we clear?"

"Yes, honey," Ric said softly.

"Um, yeah, okay," Sonny added.

Bianca, Kendall and Erica all approached, with Bianca offering the first conversation.

"Ric, Sonny, nice to meet you both. Word of advice, you might both do well to listen next time Alexis asks for time alone."

The two men nodded. Kendall stepped up next, but she leaned close to Ric, her "whisper" loud enough to reach Alexis' ear.

"A romantic getaway… it's the least you owe her. I'm just saying."

She then moved over to Sonny and leaned close to him. "If I were you, I'd get rid of all the other baby mamas and focus on this one. I'm just saying."

Alexis stifled a giggle as the sisters quickly moved over to the kids, leaving just their mother to say good-evening to the boys.

"I can't say I've been very impressed with what I've heard about either of you… and you, Mr. Corinthos, look decidedly like someone who used to live here in Pine Valley, and if you're anything like him, that does not speak well of you, either. But I'm going to say this... my daughters have been through a lot, and for them to open their hearts up to Alexis so quickly tells me a lot about the kind of woman she is. So you'd better just know that if either of you hurts her again, you've got the Kane women to deal with. And trust me, you won't enjoy that. I promise you."

The door shut behind the men a moment later. Alexis, Bianca and Kendall could not stop laughing for at least five minutes after they left.

*****

One Week Later

"Hi, Bianca, it's Alexis."

"Alexis, hello! How's Miranda's best friend?"

"Kristina is wonderful. And she's hoping that the Kane women are still up for that play date."

"Definitely. We have the whole weekend, if that's still okay? And then Kendall and I will head to New York to catch our respective planes."

"Wait," Alexis said. "I knew you and Miranda were going to see Lena, but where is Kendall going?"

"Well, my sister took our rather good advice and Aidan is going to meet her in Manhattan and they're going to Puerto Rico for a few days."

Those two words set off a maelstrom inside of Alexis. Ric was moving home next week. Thoughts of Puerto Rico didn't belong in her life anymore. But they were so, so very lovely to remember...

"Hey, I forgot to ask the other day, we were so rushed," Bianca began. "Did Ric and Sonny let you have your quiet drive home?"

Alexis burst into laughter. "Oh, yes, they did. I gave them Kristina's favorite CD and told them to have fun."

There was a pause and suddenly Bianca burst into giggles. "Oh, no, let me guess. Her favorite CD didn't have 'Hey Ya!' on it by any chance, did it?"

"But of course. And since they don't know what I know... that you never, ever play that song in the car... they got to listen to it about 57 times because Kristina will ask for 'More Hey Ya' every single time the song ends. And you've seen that face. Do you think either of them could say no?"

It was fun to have a friend to laugh with, especially over the pigheaded yet wonderful men in her life. Alexis savored that and looked forward to the time she and Kristina would spend with Bianca and Miranda and Kendall while they all hoped that the next steps they took as women would bring them the happiness and feeling of security that their new friendship had.



p.s. -- that little bit of parental payback was Kel's idea :) and tell Logan I say "Hey Ya!" ;)

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