Panicked didn't begin to describe the way Sonny Corinthos was feeling. In a day that had already seen too much tragedy come to everyone around him, now he had to face the very real possibility that Alexis' one great fear where he was concerned had become a reality.

The police had spoken with the prison warden. The search of Faith's cell had left chilling evidence that she had spent all of her time behind bars doing one thing--plotting revenge. There were notebooks filled with news clippings detailing the public activities of Sonny, Ric and Alexis since Faith's sentencing. She had also clearly been getting information from her visitors that she carefully logged into another set of notes, things like the schedule of Kristina's daily activities, Ric's regular stop times at the gym and Kelly's and the hours when Sonny's bodyguards changed over.

Faith had been dreaming of how to lash out at them, all of them. But had she done it? Mac had officers and forensics people all over the hospital. So far, no trace of the psychotic blonde had been found. But they had also found zero leads on where else Alexis and Kristina could be. Sonny's normal reaction in the face of the PCPD failing to do their job would be to call Jason, but he was with Sam, keeping vigil over her and wondering how to tell her that her little girl was dead. This time, Sonny could not go to his friend to ask him to save the day.

It didn't help that Ric, who loved to put on a façade of cool control whenever he thought Sonny was rattled, was looking like a scared little boy who wasn't sure what to do with himself. He kept pacing from the empty hospital room where Kristina had lain just a few hours earlier to the end of the hallway where Mac stood, directing officers from one location to another via his radio.

Sonny watched Ric make his trek once more and then he stepped over to the observation window and stared in at Kristina's empty bed. This hallway had been the place where Alexis had pleaded with him to not lay claim to Kristina, to not announce to the world that their little girl was [i]his[/i] little girl. The danger would be too great, she'd argued. Kristina deserved peace and quiet and freedom from the peril the name "Corinthos" might bring to her life. And he had dismissed Alexis' fears entirely, determined to reclaim what was his, what she had taken from him, at any cost.

Now he had to wonder if his bullheaded determination had dragged them all into a nightmare. It wasn't common knowledge yet in Port Charles that Kristina was his... but certainly people knew, and it wasn't impossible to think Faith had figured out his connection to Alexis Davis' blue-eyed little girl and decided just where to strike.

"Michael, did you check in at home?"

His father's hand fell on his shoulder and Sonny turned around. He was instantly reminded of where his daughter's blue eyes had come from.

"The boys are with Carly."

"I meant..." Mike paused and pushed his hands into his pockets. "I meant maybe if Faith is involved... maybe something..."

Sonny shook his head. He should've thought of that himself rather than standing here letting his guilt start to build. That wasn't going to help them find Alexis and Kristina any faster.

"I'm gonna go and call Max, see if anything's going on. Do me a favor?"

Mike nodded. "Whatever you need."

"Stick close to Ric. I don't trust him to tell me the truth about anything, even this."

*****

Alexis stared at the impossible, and despite a lifetime of bearing witness to faked deaths, diabolical manipulations and even the surreal return from the dead of her brother Stavros, she disbelieved what she saw with her eyes. This man could not be alive. It was not fathomable to her. Her father... Mikkos... he couldn't have been in the world, living and breathing all this time and just...

"Natasha. It's all right."

He took a step towards her, and Alexis felt cold race through her body as fear chilled her. It had to be a game, one of Helena's evil sick jokes. He couldn't... he wouldn't have...

She stepped back and came harder against Stefan, who remained standing behind her, his arms wrapped around her body. She thought to dismiss his hold until she realized her legs had given out beneath her and her brother's strength was all that was keeping her upright. She did not fight as Stefan led her away from Kristina into the outer room so the little girl would be protected from any upset. Then she heard the voice call to her again.

"Natasha."

When the specter's plea got no response, he tried a different tactic. "Alexis."

It's a wonderful thing, when you've lost a father, to imagine seeing him again, to think of how you'd run into his arms and smile at the sound of his voice and how you would cry with gratitude at his return. But the fantasy Alexis had carried deeply hidden within her crumbled under the weight of a truth that hit her as she realized this was no game, no trick, no haunting. Her father was alive... and all the times she had needed him to come to her rescue, he had left her alone.

"Father, not now."

Stefan's voice was soft and full of concern. Alexis could hear it, but she seemed to have lost clear focus on anything, and the sounds and sights around her were now hazy and blurred.

"I knew she'd have questions. I only wanted..."

Alexis felt herself being lowered down and realized Stefan had moved her to a nearby chair. She could see her brother's face, but her head suddenly seemed to weigh 200 pounds, and she could do nothing but lean it back against the wall and close her eyes.

"I know," she heard Stefan say, "but we both knew there was no predicting her reaction. Please, the doctors are ready for you, just go and we'll speak later."

There was a beat of silence, and then Alexis heard steps moving out of the room and away. A door opened and closed, and then she felt her brother's fingers moving lightly against her face as they smoothed the hair off her cheeks and forehead.

"Alexis, I'm sorry. There was no right way to tell you. But it was real... that was our father, and Mikkos is the one who can save Kristina's life."

The mention of her daughter sparked reaction in her and Alexis' eyes snapped back toward the glass partition that now separated her from her little girl.

"She's fine," Stefan promised. "Right now, I need to know how you are."

Shaking her head, Alexis closed her eyes and leaned forward, letting her forehead rest in her hands. She was too stunned to cry or to scream.

"I can't think about how I feel right now," she finally said, answering her brother's query without lift her head or moving her hands. "All that matters is Kristina. If he... if he can help her, than I'm grateful he's alive. Past that, I just can't, Stefan... not yet."

Stefan leaned in and placed a kiss against the top of her head. "I understand. I'm not sure that any of the answers I have to give you will make this easier, but when you're ready, I'll tell you what I can. The rest will have to come from him."

Alexis leaned back and let her gaze fall on her brother. She lifted her right hand and let her index finger trace the scars on his face. The thought that this man, that this face was gone from her forever had torn a hole in Alexis' heart that she'd known would never heal. But now through some amazing bit of grace, he was back, not just in body but in soul. The cousin and then brother she had spent her life adoring was returned to her, the dark imposter all but a terrifying memory now that Stefan's amazing presence was back.

"I want to know where you've been, what happened." Alexis let her hand fall away and Stefan nodded.

"I know. We have time. Right now, why don't I let you get back to my lovely niece? I'll go make sure everything is in order down the hall."

Down the hall... she felt her eyes drawn to the doorway even though the wooden barrier was closed and she couldn't begin to see anything beyond it.

"This has to work. I cannot lose my little girl."

Stefan took her hands in his and squeezed them gently.

"It will work. Kristina is going to live, Alexis. I simply won't allow any other outcome."

Despite her heavy heart and spinning mind, she smiled. Indeed, her brother still believed he could defy heaven itself... and he was home.

*****

"What about the waterfront?" Ric asked. He put his hands on his hips defiantly as Mac Scorpio looked at him with full exasperation.

"I know how to do my job, Lansing, and I'm doing it. We have a list of all Faith Roscoe's known associates and hideouts. We've got men on the waterfront, and I've got the airports, trains and buses covered. I've also got checkpoints at every interstate going out of town. Now do me a favor and back off me so I can check in with my officers and find Alexis and Kristina."

The police commissioner turned and walked away, ensuring that the conversation was ended. Ric let loose a sigh of frustration and momentarily considered punching the wall before he drew his hand back and let it fall to his side.

He'd had it all so under control. Alexis was now his wife, and even though his agenda remained intact, he'd found benefit in his pursuit of her. He was growing to care for her, and Kristina... he was falling under that little beauty's spell more and more every day. That his marriage had provoked Sonny's anger was a major payoff to his plans, and Ric had been thrilled when Alexis okayed him going for the restraining order. She trusted him, and together, he was sure they could forge a good life with Kristina, who he knew would get well. And Sonny would've hated it, every last minute.

But now? God, what was going to happen now? If Faith somehow was involved in Kristina and Alexis disappearing from the hospital, what did that mean? Danger certainly; heartbreak for everyone if they didn't find Kristina and get her back here in time for treatment. And if that happened, Ric realized that saving Alexis would be an exercise in futility. He didn't honestly believe she'd survive losing that child.

Guilt began to well up in his gut as he stared down at the mottled floor tiles of the hallway. He should never have left them alone. Alexis was barely standing, she was so exhausted, and Kristina was getting weaker by the minute as the doctors prepared for the stem cell transplant they had hoped to perform soon. But Ric hadn't focused on them or what they needed in the moment, not when a chance to score a serious knock-down with Sonny was looming. The restraining order had elicited the exact reaction from his arrogant older brother that Ric had wanted. Who could've known that a minute later, they'd both be terrified over the woman and little girl who now bound them together anew?

Glancing around, Ric looked for his brother. Sonny was no longer in view, but his father was standing near Kristina's room. The older man looked absolutely forlorn, his shoulders slumped as he leaned against the observation window and stared at nothing. Ric remembered the strength Mike Corbin had shown as he interrupted the fight he and Sonny had been embroiled in earlier. He recognized his brother's stubbornness in his father. He found himself hoping that refusal to give in was hereditary and that Kristina had it in spades. If they didn't find her soon...

He answered the cell before the first ring even finished. He didn't even glance at the display screen, instead Ric flipped it open and pushed it against his ear.

"Alexis, where are you?"

Silence met his question.

"Alexis? Alexis, is that you?"

Ric pulled the phone down and looked at the screen. It showed "private caller." He let out an exasperated sigh and spoke into the device again.

"If this... whoever this is, if you know where my wife is, please..."

"Lose something, Ric?"

She laughed, and his hand tightened around the cell phone.

"Faith?"

"You sound like a man with a problem, Mr. Lansing. Maybe I can help you with that."

"You listen to me," Ric barked into the phone, unable to control his temper. "You tell me what you've done Faith. You tell me."

She laughed again.

"Maybe. Maybe not. I'll have to think about it."

Before he could reply, the line went dead.

*****

Faith looked around her low-rent surroundings with a sense of satisfaction she'd never have dreamed of a few hours earlier. Her escape had nearly turned into a comedy of errors, but the end result was that she was now free and she had been planning to leave town after a few well-placed phone calls to send people scurrying after her in all the wrong directions.

The Boudelaire Inn was not nearly as fancy as its name might have implied, but it held fond memories for Faith. When her late husband had still been someone else's husband, their illicit affair had taken place here in room 27 for months until Roscoe had finally gotten a divorce. Even after their marriage, sometimes, just for fun, they'd return to the Boudelaire and room 27 and the tacky heart-shaped bed.

In all the years she'd been visiting, Faith had noted that nothing in this hotel ever changed. Even the water stains on the hardwood floor by the radiator had never been so much as sanded down. So more than a year ago, when she'd begun her solo war against Sonny Corinthos, Faith had chosen this room as her insurance policy. A waterproof bag placed beneath the floorboards held cash, a fake passport and the key to a bus locker where she had a suitcase packed and ready.

She knew she should just get out of town--cut her losses, start a new life and forget Port Charles and all that came with it. But the absolute deliciousness of Ric's panicked voice... oh, it was temptation too great to resist. So Alexis had disappeared... and clearly the D.A. thought perhaps his former lover had made his new wifey vanish. It was simply too good to be true. And she couldn't pass up the fun of making her ex partner in crime jump through a few hoops. Maybe she'd even get Sonny involved in the drama.

After all, Mexico would be there at the end of the week.

*****

Lorenzo stared out at the sea from his cliff-side seat and contemplated the tide coming into the secreted cove beneath him. Did the water ever fight the undeniable pull toward the shoreline or did it simply surrender to the pull in that first moment, content in the destiny that was appointed?

He had spent much of his own life fighting the pull of his family and the destiny they had set forth for him. And yet he had failed completely if his present circumstances were any indication. Long gone were the dreams of Professor Alcazar and a quiet family life. Instead he was the very man he'd hoped to avoid being--the head of the family, not that there was much of one left after the last few years, head of the family empire and his life was filled with secrets.

None had been as explosive or more important than his knowledge that Mikkos Cassadine was alive and well and making a life for himself on a small island a short boat ride from the Alcazar compound. Lorenzo had kept that confidence since the day of his father's sickbed admission, and he had honored his father's wish that Luis never be given the volatile bit of information.

His contact with the elder Cassadine had been sporadic. Sometimes they wouldn't speak for years. Other times Mikkos had demanded his full attention for weeks as Lorenzo publicly conducted the business that the supposedly dead patriarch could not do for himself. Their conversations had made it clear why his father had befriended such a complex ally. Mikkos was charming, brilliant, commanding, devious--all qualities Lorenzo had expected in a man who had actually concocted a scheme to hold the world hostage with a threat of global freezing. And he'd damn near succeeded.

What had caught Lorenzo off-guard was the openness and vulnerability he saw in Mikkos when the man spoke of his children. There was the regret of having underestimated and undervalued Stefan. The proud father could barely contain himself when he spoke of how strongly his younger son had stood against Helena time and time again with adventures and schemes Mikkos also found great amusement in. And then he would talk about his daughters--the fiery redhead he knew had been raised safely away from the Cassadines and Helena's wrath, and the dark-haired quiet soul that he referred to as Natasha.

There was something about the way his voice had softened as it did on no other topic but "Natasha" that had made a deep impression with Lorenzo. He had often felt that even from just the snippets of history he had been given, that he actually knew Alexis Davis quite well. Mikkos was not a man easily impressed, but he was awed by his daughter's intelligence and determination, by the life she had built in spite of Helena's constant interference. The picture Lorenzo had begun to assemble from those discussions was of a woman who would appear to be hard and unyielding but who fought constantly to keep hold of the insecurities an obviously abusive childhood had left behind. Of course, it had been years before he learned how correct he was in his assessment, and before he finally met Mikkos' pride and joy face to face, Lorenzo had been faced with a day that could have ended his secret alliance with the true Cassadine prince forever.

It had been Mikkos who told him of Luis death. How the elder man had managed to get the news before him always confounded Lorenzo, but so it had gone. There had been no game-playing, no coy attempt to hide the truth. Mikkos had simply said, "Your brother has been killed. Natasha and he fought and he's dead. I've lost my Kristina, you have lost Luis. This is at an end now, Lorenzo."

The declaration had been a statement of fact rather than a proposed agreement, and Lorenzo had known as his mind reeled with the news of his brother's death and Alexis' involvement in it that to challenge Mikkos on this point was to forever sever their tie. His promise to his father had weighed heavily upon the remaining Alcazar heir that day as he had struggled to come to terms with the reality that, in true biblical terms, an eye for an eye had already been taken. He had begged Mikkos for Luis' life after Kristina Cassadine had become the unwitting victim of the bomb meant for Corinthos. But neither of them had predicted that level-headed, always-in-control Alexis might finally be pushed too far as she watched her own daughter fight for her life--a fight directly connected to Luis' actions and his threats and his obvious disdain for any woman that wasn't Brenda Barrett.

Examining the whole situation, Lorenzo had realized his only answer was to shake hands with Mikkos and agree to seek no further vengeance in the matter. He had held firm in his public hatred of Alexis for her own good--Mikkos had been concerned that it might draw Helena's attention to the situation were it to appear Alexis was being forgiven too easily for her "crime"--but inevitably, even on the days when she truly tried his patience, Lorenzo would stare into Alexis' steely gaze and see the defiant set of her jaw and think to himself, "she is definitely her father's daughter." And that thought was always enough to push away whatever uncharitable feelings he was having.

Despite his promise, though, he and Alexis had locked horns more than once, though usually it was far more show than substantial fight. As he walked back up to the estate, Lorenzo remembered one particular day when Alexis' refusal to be intimidated by him had forced him to seek some small measure of retribution. They had been at the house he shared with Carly, not long after the fire at the Port Charles Hotel. Sonny and Carly had been gearing up for a nasty custody battle and Carly had blackmailed Alexis into representing her. Something in the way she had lectured him that day about his lifestyle and the effect he could have on Carly's case had deeply annoyed him, most probably because it was all true. But Lorenzo's stubbornness had gotten the better of him. He didn't at all like being told what he should do, especially by this woman who was so unnervingly sharp and, when it came to her profession, so unflappable. And so as he'd been leveling a weak threat at her to try and swing the conversation to his point of view, Lorenzo had reached out and touched Alexis' hair. It had been the most silly schoolboy thing to do, but it had given him such a sense of satisfaction to shake up her cool exterior just a smidge with the overt physical act. He had smiled about it all the way to his meeting.

He was smiling about it anew as he returned to the house to find the lower floor deserted. Casting his eyes toward the stairs, Lorenzo wondered how little Kristina was doing and if the procedure to save her was underway yet or not. His curiosity and concern led him to the steps and he headed up, making his way through the halls, looking for the rooms they were using to care for the little girl and her grandfather. Finally, he caught sight of Stefan coming out of a room at the far end of one passage and the two men exchanged nods as they approached one another.

"How is your niece?"

"She's in the midst of a very long night," Stefan replied. "I know the doctors are only doing what they must, but I wish there was some way to make this easier on her."

Lorenzo nodded. "I didn't see your father downstairs."

"No, they've already taken him in for the collection, then they'll monitor him overnight. Dr. Mayhue is being extra cautious with him since, technically, he's out of the normal age range for a donor. But he is the only option we have."

Though he appeared quite calm and in control, it was obvious to Lorenzo that Stefan was terribly concerned about all three members of his family. There was no doubt Mikkos had arranged for the very best care possible, and Stefan was right, this was the only option that they had left, but nothing was guaranteed.

"Alexis is terrified, and I keep promising her it will be all right."

Stefan took a few steps away and wandered back toward the door that led to Kristina's converted hospital room. He stared through the opening, his eyes locked on the woman and the child on the other side of the glass partition.

"It seems I've spent my life assuring her of that," he continued. "I don't know what will happen if I'm wrong this time."

When Mikkos had found Stefan in the dingy Russian prison where Stavros had hidden him, it was Lorenzo he had summoned to assist him in the negotiation of his son's release. Freeing the younger Cassadine had been a matter of large dollar amounts placed in the proper hands and then safely getting him out of the country without him being spotted, and the journey had been Lorenzo's first encounter with the real man not the counterfeit he'd dealt with in Port Charles. He had been instantly impressed. Even after his 2-year ordeal, Stefan was ready for battle from the moment he was freed, and all of his concern was focused on whether or not Alexis and Nikolas were safe. It was a devotion to family Lorenzo personally knew very well, and the common ground had immediately given the men the basis for a bond that continued to grow. And just as he'd seen in Mikkos before, Lorenzo noted that Stefan's love for his sister was something separate from the rest of him--a feeling somehow given a special place within him that not even their angry battles in the past could diminish.

"You won't be wrong, Stefan," Lorenzo finally said, trying to reassure his friend. "It seems to me the whole lot of us are due a good break. And it couldn't come at a better time."

Stefan glanced back at him and smiled. "Indeed. I'm going to go in and try to get Alexis to rest a bit. I'm sure the staff has dinner prepared downstairs. I'm sorry we're leaving you so much on your own, but..."

Lorenzo shook his head. "I'll find something to occupy me, don't worry. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

"I will."

"By the way," Lorenzo asked, "does she know yet?"

Stefan lowered his eyes and nodded. "She didn't take it very well, not that I blame her."

Lorenzo moved closer to the doorway as Stefan stepped inside the room. He watched the man scrub up and don a gown and gloves before making his way into Kristina's sickroom. Alexis made her way to her brother and though Lorenzo couldn't see her face clearly, he could tell from her body language that she was reaching her limit at seeing her child suffer. Stefan pulled his sister against him and held her tightly, trying to reassure her. And though he was tempted to stay and observe the siblings together more, Lorenzo moved off, leaving them to their privacy.

What he had learned about Alexis and Stefan's relationship fascinated him. The mutual devotion they'd developed despite not knowing of their true familial connection for so long was something that Lorenzo found most intriguing. He and Luis had grown up together their whole lives, fully aware of their bond, and yet while he loved his brother, Lorenzo wasn't at all sure he could have forgiven his brother some of the sins Alexis had forgiven Stefan and vice versa. The two of them had wounded each other deeply over the years--even the public record attested to that. And yet clearly their love for one another always won out, always reunited them in the end.

Perhaps it was simply the reciprocal nature of that level of caring that most amazed him. With the noted exceptions of his parents and Sophie, Lorenzo had made a life of giving more then he received. If anything exemplified that it was his unrelenting and nearly obsessive desire for Carly. Why he loved her often mystified him, and yet he believed he did. But she seemed to have permanently cast him in the role of "weapon to use against Sonny." He needed to move on, and yet he wasn't at all sure how to do that.

Lorenzo found that Stefan's assumption was correct; the staff had prepared dinner. Rather than dine alone in the formal dining room, he simply took his plate to the table in the kitchen and, after retrieving some files to go over, he sat down to eat and to try to push his far too serious thoughts out of his mind.

He was nearly done with the superb coq au vin when he heard the soft sound of crying coming from just outside the kitchen entrance. Lorenzo stood, ready to head out and see what was wrong, but he froze in place as Alexis entered the room, her head down as she fought to end her sobbing. She glanced up, he assumed, only to make sure she wasn't about to run into anything in the unfamiliar house, and startled when she saw that the room was not empty.

"Oh, I'm... I'm sorry to interrupt you, I..."

Lorenzo felt instinct overrule the logical reasons he should've stayed where he was, and he crossed over and gently placed his hands on her shoulders to keep her from rushing out.

"Alexis, is everything all right?"

His words were enough to stop her, but Alexis pulled away from him, not aggressively, but as if being touched at all right now were something she couldn't handle. She let her hair fall down to shield her face and he noticed her fingers swipe at her cheeks quickly.

"I... everything is... I'm fine."

She was anything but, which was clear, but Lorenzo was very aware he didn't know this woman well enough to try and push or prod. Still, he also couldn't just stand there and do nothing, not when she was so obviously and so justifiably on edge.

"Stefan is with Kristina?"

It was the least intrusive thing he could think of to ask, and Lorenzo was pleased when Alexis at least glanced his way and nodded.

"Yes, he... he wants me to try to rest, which is impossible. I thought... I realized I haven't eaten in I don't know how long, so..."

"Enough said." Lorenzo moved to where the cook had left the coq au vin warming, grabbed a plate, and prepared a serving for Alexis. He glanced over at her and saw her staring at him in wonderment. He thought to say something funny to try and ease her mood, but then he saw the redness in her eyes, and instead of teasing he went for just being genuine and in the moment.

"I realize all of this is overwhelming, and having me here can't possibly be making that easier. But as long as I am, letting me fix you a plate of food so you can sit down for five minutes isn't that big a risk, is it?"

Lorenzo moved to the table, sitting Alexis' plate down across from his. He then pulled back the chair and waited for her. She hesitated but finally she walked over and took the offered seat. Lorenzo then grabbed a bottle of water and placed it beside her dish and place setting before returning to his seat.

"Th--thank you. I... I'm sorry if I seem uneasy, I just..."

"You're just eating dinner with a man who's barely been civil to you for nearly two years and you've just found out two members of your family you thought were dead are alive and you've got a sick child. Uneasy is the least of what I'd expect you to be feeling."

Alexis considered his words a moment and then gave him the faintest hint of a smile. "Well, thank you for that, too."

He smiled back and then let his eyes fall back to his files. Much as Lorenzo thought it would be interesting to keep her engaged in conversation, he had just stated himself how full her emotional plate was. Now wasn't really the time to try and do anything to change the strained state between them.

"The doctors seem very hopeful. They're finishing the prep process GH had started for the stem cell donation. They think they can do the bone marrow transplant late tomorrow or the next morning."

When she spoke to him unbidden, Lorenzo looked up at her in surprise. Alexis was managing to eat some of the meal in front of her, but sitting still was clearly paining her. Her eyes kept flitting toward the door as if she was one second away from bolting back upstairs. Guessing that Stefan had had to work miracles to get her to take a few minutes for herself, Lorenzo decided to take the opening she had given him and extend her break.

"That's wonderful news. Stefan seems very confident in Dr. Mayhue. I'm sure Kristina will be up and around and exploring the island with you before you know it."

"I... I was starting to lose hope before, but now... now it seems like maybe things will work out."

Leaning forward, Lorenzo pushed his plate aside and folded his hands on the table. He considered his course carefully before he moved on.

"I can't begin to imagine what you're thoughts are right now about your father. But I do hope you know that you... Mikkos loves you very much, Alexis, and I know that he's grateful to do anything he can for you and your daughter. Whatever else he's done, those feelings are very real."

Her eyes darkened slightly and she sat her fork down. "I'm not really prepared to talk about Mikkos yet, with anyone."

He nodded and leaned back in his seat. "Understood. But I do have a unique perspective on the last several years of his life. If you have any questions, I hope you'll feel comfortable asking."

Alexis took another quick bite of her food and then stood, pushing the chair back into the table.

"I should get back upstairs. Thank you for the company."

"Anytime."

Lorenzo sat silently as she headed for the door. He was surprised when Alexis' voice called his name.

"Yes?"

"It just occurred to me... Sonny and Ric... do they have any idea what happened to me and Kristina?"

The answer to that was an emphatic no, and Lorenzo was not going to make a move to change that until Mikkos deemed it appropriate. But he didn't want to give Alexis another thing to worry about, and so he decided to bend the truth just enough to push the matter aside temporarily.

"I'm sure some provision was made for that, but I'll be happy to check on it for you."

Alexis nodded and made her exit, and Lorenzo wondered what exactly they were going to tell Kristina's father and Alexis' husband... because for the moment, the truth was absolutely out of the question.

*****

Sonny had returned to the penthouse to gather some of his men and get them out on the search for Alexis and Kristina. Another few hours passed with no news, and he felt his nerves fraying to the breaking point. He actually jumped when a knock sounded at the door and Max opened it to announce Mike's arrival.

"I thought I asked you to watch Ric," Sonny said, his voice slightly accusatory.

"I was," Mike replied, not bothering to address Sonny's attitude. "He got a phone call and got very nervous. He was looking around to see if anyone saw him on the phone, so I had to duck back, but before I left, I asked him if he'd heard anything and he said no. Now I may not know who that call was from, but it seemed damn important."

Sonny nodded and opened the door, calling Max inside.

"Put a tail on my brother right now, and see if you can get someone to dump his cell phone records."

The bodyguard left to handle the orders and Sonny crossed to the bar and poured two fingers of scotch into a glass. Ric had damn well better not be keeping secrets from him, not about this.

*****

The stairs seemed to keep growing in number, the hallways lengthening each time she navigated them. Alexis knew that was just her exhaustion magnifying her efforts, but despite how tired she was, she couldn't imagine laying down and trying to sleep. She just wanted to sit with Kristina and hold her daughter's hand and convince them both that this nightmare would soon be over.

But she couldn't deny the relief of being able to entrust her little girl to Stefan's attentive care without fear of any agenda or potential fight breaking out. Every time she'd left her daughter's beside in Port Charles, she had returned wondering what would be waiting for her--Sonny's anger, Ric's prodding or the two of them locked in mortal combat.

The only problem with the reassurance of Stefan's presence and the promise of a cure for Kristina was that they both came to her as gifts from the man she felt completely betrayed by. As Alexis reached what she now thought of as the hospital floor of the house, she passed by Kristina's room and moved to where the nurse had told her Mikkos was being tended to following the marrow collection.

Peering into the room through the open door, she could see that he was sleeping. Alexis felt no compulsion to walk inside and check on him or sit with him. Some part of her felt shame at that--the part that always forgave every transgression made against her by her loved ones because, ultimately, she let the love win out. But Alexis felt her soul burning with anger every time she even thought of Mikkos, let alone the now two times she had actually seen him. She didn't know why he'd stayed away or what his reasons would be, and she was determined that it wouldn't matter. He had abandoned her to Helena's whims and cruelty for most of her life. Was this all supposed to make up for that? Was his sudden willingness to go above and beyond meant to erase the deception and the pain of his lies?

She was so wrapped up in her tumultuous thoughts that Alexis missed her father's waking and the moment when his eyes focused on her there in the doorway. Finally she felt the weight of his stare and she lifted her gaze to his.

"Na--Alexis."

Without really deciding to do it, Alexis walked into the room. She stayed distant from him, her arms crossed in front of her as a protective barrier.

"I'm sorry about how I revealed myself to you. I just wanted to see you so badly."

"Really? After more than 20 years you felt a sudden rush of fatherly concern?"

Her voice was harsh and she noted with interest that her father did not so much as flinch at her anger.

"Neither sudden nor a rush, my dear, but rather a poorly skilled father finally putting his child ahead of himself."

His contrite tone and absolute lack of a defense surprised Alexis and left her unsure of what her next words might be. She was prepared to fight with him. She wasn't at all prepared for him to admit how wrong he'd been, how completely he had let her down.
In fact, his refusal to come back at her at all after all the nonstop warfare with Ned and the Quartermaines and Carly and Sonny unnerved her so much that she turned and rushed out of the room, desperate to get away and regroup after their unexpected if brief conversation. Within moments, she was scrubbed and gowned and back at her daughter's side where she was met with the sight of Kristina sound asleep, Lamby and Stefan keeping close watch over her.

'This is what matters,' she reminded herself. She was here to save her daughter's life. She had been gifted with the return of her brother as a bonus. The rest of it she could walk away from and never look back.

Just as he had done to her.

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