A lot can happen in two years; so many ups and downs, so many good things, bad things, and everything in-between things. Two years ago Alexis Davis had been reunited with her baby sister, who'd gone missing following their mother's murder. Two years ago the beautiful baby girl her father had stolen from her, who Mikkos had placed up for adoption against her wishes, had come back into her life as a full of life ten year old. Two years a go the missing pieces of her heart had been returned to her by her best friend; the man who finally heal her neglected heart. It was two years ago when Alex found herself staring into the beautiful blue eyes of Jasper Jacks as he asked her to marry him. Two years ago Alexis Davis had a moment of temporary insanity caused by sudden fear and said no. She had been on the brink of having the life she'd dreamed of and she panicked.

"Alexis, will you marry me?" Jax asked as he held out the blue diamond engagement ring he'd had made just for her. "Again and for real?"

"Jasper, I…" Alexis said as her mind and heart were wheeling from the shock of it. Tears welled in her beautiful brown eyes. "I love you, I do, but… I…" She tried again. It was all too much. Her emotions were in chaos, which made it feel as if her mind were shutting down from the overload. "I'm sorry. No. I… I can't."

She'd kissed him so softly, so tenderly after she'd turned him down. Then she ran from him. She ran from the hurt in his eyes. She ran from her own emotions, her own uncertainly, her own insecurity. She left him standing in her living room, escaping to her bedroom, where she sat against the door and cried. Jax had said he understood when she finally had the nerve to face him several days later. He said he was sorry for hurting her, even though she had been the one to hurt him. He'd said that he knew she was happy with how things were between them, but that he had to take the risk, he was all about the risk after all. He said he understood. A week later he was gone. Off on some adventure to rescue his brother, or so he said, because when he finally came back she found out he'd been in Europe with Brenda. Finding out about Jax and Brenda brought out her self-destructive side and Alexis ended up finding herself in Puerto Rico with Sonny Corinthos.

When she and Sonny returned to Port Charles, just as Alexis was about to be sucked back into his life, there was a shoot out at Luke's club. Sonny walked away from it without a scratch just like he always did, but the people around him weren't so lucky, just like it always was when it came to Sonny. Alexis and Jax, who'd been there to hear Kristina sing, had both been shot. Nearly loosing each other made Alexis and Jax both realize how much they loved and needed each other. Jax wanted back in her life in anyway possible, and Alexis promised that someday, if he were to ask her again, she'd say yes. They both promised not to rush it though. They were both willing to wait until they were both ready.

While Alexis and Jax were having issues in their relationship Jax never once faltered in his relationship with Sam. Just as he and Alexis had promised he was always there for the little girl. He spent time with her, he did everything from helping her with her homework, to giving her someone to vent to when her mom's neurotic side got too much to handle, to taking her on trips. He went to her school events and disciplined her when she did something like hot-wiring her mother's car to impress Lucky Spencer. He was in all the ways that mattered, Sam's father.

Which is why Alexis had no problem with asking Jax to lunch to talk about something important. Something she'd been thinking about since they'd gotten back together. After stopping at the PC Grill and picking up lunch she let herself into his apartment and set to work. She set the table, put the wine on ice and opened it to breath; she brewed a pot of coffee with the premeasured packages Kristina had taken to making so she wouldn't ruin the coffee. When she heard his key in the door her whole face lit up. She looked up from the work she'd brought with her as he walked in and smiled. His hair was a little shorter, a little darker, but it looked good on him. Then again, he could be totally bald, wearing a burlap sack, and still be drop dead handsome. She didn't even really mind the goatee he was wearing these days, at least for now.

"I could get use to that." Jax said with a teasing smile as he came over to the couch where she was sitting and kissed her hello.

"Use to what?" Alexis asked with a smile.

"Coming home to you." He replied.

Alexis rolled her eyes at him.

Jax laughed and then said, "I hope you haven't been waiting long. My business meeting ran a little longer then I'd expected."

Alexis smiled brightly at him. There was still part of heart that hurt over how they'd hurt each other over the last two years, how they nearly lost each other, but a larger part of her heart thrived and soared knowing he loved her, and she him, and that they truly would always be together. Even though their relationship had been strained, they had still remained friends; they had still turned to each other when they needed someone. "How did it go?" She asked. "Are you the proud new owner of the PC Hotel?"

Jax smiled. "Almost. There are a few more things to work out before it's official."

"Do you need me to look over the contracts?" Alexis asked as she stood up, pulling him to his feet, and leading him over to the table.

"Would you?" Jax asked as they sat down. "There are some leases from some of the tenants on the upper floors that need going over."

Alexis gave him her best happy lawyer smile as he poured the wine. "That's why you pay me the nice little retainer."

The two of them chatted for a little while. Alexis informed Jax that if he ever wanted to see her naked again he would deny Sam's request for a dirt bike. Jax whole-heartedly agreed. No dirty bike for Sam. He liked seeing Alexis naked. Knowing him as well as she did, Alex then warned him that a four-wheeler was also off limits. Jax again promised, but warned her that when they went to Australia he couldn't promise his mother wouldn't take Sam out on either. Jax told her that Lady Jane was making all kinds of plans for their up coming visit. Throughout the break up there were two people who never gave up hope that Alexis and Jax would make up, his mother and her daughter. There had been countless schemes on both sides to push the two back towards each other, Lady Jane even went as far as letting Brenda know what she thought in no uncertain terms, but neither Alexis nor Jax would be pushed. They had to come back together on their own.

Once lunch was over and they were cuddled on the couch with their coffees, Alexis finally worked up the nerve to ask him what she wanted to ask him. "Jax, I've been thinking about something and I'd like to get your option on it."

"Sure, what's on your mind?" Jax asked as he put his arm around her.

"It's about Sam." Alexis told him. She paused a moment to gather her thoughts and then went on. "Us not being together was really unsettling for her despite the fact that you were there for her when she needed you." She was looking into his beautiful blue eyes, his handsome face, oh how she'd missed him when they were apart. "I was thinking that maybe we could give her a little reassurance. Something to let her know that if anything like that happens again, that if we ever…" She couldn't finish that thought. She didn't want too. "That she will always be in your life, and you in hers."

Jax listened and nodded. "I'd do anything for her, Alexis, you know that."

Alexis bit her lip nervously and then asked, "Would you agree to adopt her?"

Bright blue eyes went wide with shock as a brilliant smile lit up Jax's face. "You want me to adopt Sam?"

"Yes." Alexis said as she reached up and caressed his face. "You've been a father to her since the day she came back into my life, Jax. I want to make it official."

There were tears in Jax's eyes. "I would be honored to be Sam's father."

Now there were tears in Alexis' eyes as she pulled Jax's face to her own and kissed him. Because she'd never had one in her own life, not one that could be trusted and counted on anyway, Alexis knew how important it was to give Sam a father. Jax had been without any doubts that figure in Sam's life since her return to her mother's life, this was just making it more official. There was also the reassurance that if something happened to Alexis, Sam would have someone who would love and raise her, protect her and respect her.

When the kiss came to an end Jax smiled brightly as he caressed Alexis' face. "You have no idea how happy I am right now."

"I know how much you love her." Alexis replied as she leaned into his touch.

"I love you too." Jax told her. "Always have and I always will."

Alexis smiled at him while tears rolled down her cheeks. "I know. I love you too Jasper Jax."

Later that evening Sam was sitting between her mom and Jax as they watched a movie. She'd wanted to go hang out with Niky and Lucky but she didn't protest too much because she liked spending time with her mom and Jax. Their break up really had been hard on her because she was afraid Jax wouldn't be around for her. She had been so angry with her mother when she'd found out what happened that she didn't speak to her for a month, and she acted out so badly that she'd actually ended up getting a spanking. Things got better when Jax came back to Port Charles, but she was still angry and scared.

"Sam." Alexis said when the movie was over. "Jax and I want to talk to you."

Fear gripped Sam's heart. "You're breaking up again are you?" And before she could stop herself her fear turned to anger and she was jumping to her feet. She glared down at her mother as she asked, "What the hell did you do this time, Mother?"

"Samantha!" Jax scolded. "You do not speak to your mother that way. We are not breaking up again. Now apologize and sit down."

Sam looked at them both very carefully. Finally she realized that whatever it was they wanted to talk about it wasn't bad. "I'm sorry." The twelve year old said as she dropped her head and sat back down.

Alexis brushed at her daughter's hair. "Apology accepted, baby." She looked up at Jax, smiled, and then titled Sam's head up. "Actually sweetheart, you're reaction is part of what we want to talk to you about. I've been thinking quite a lot about you and Jax. I know how much you love him, and how much he loves you, and I want to make sure that you both have what I know you both want and need."

Sam was looking a little confused. "Huh?"

"How would you feel about Jax adopting you?" Alexis asked as she watched her baby carefully.

"Adopt me?" Sam asked as she looked between Alexis and Jax. "You mean he'd be like my dad?"

Jax nodded. "That's exactly what it means. I love you as if you were my little girl Sam. If I adopted you then I would legally be your dad and nothing could ever change that or take that away from us."

"So I'd be Samantha Jacks-Davis?" Sam asked. "And Lady Jane and John would be my grandparents for real? And if you and my Mom… if you ever… again… you'll still be my dad?"

Jax was smiling, and so was Alexis as she swept Sam's hair off her shoulder. Sam had let her hair grow out and for once it was down and loose, lying in dark waves over her shoulders, and Alexis loved it. Sam was so beautiful; Alexis took pride in that, even though she knew it meant that in a few years she'd be scaring off boys left and right. "Samantha Jacks-Davis; I like the sound of that."

"So do I." Jax agreed. "And yes, they would be your grandparents for real, and yes, I will always be your dad no matter what, for the rest of your life."

Sam jumped to her feet again and wrapped her arms around Jax and then her mother. "This is the best idea ever!"

Alexis was thrilled and so relieved. She'd been a little worried about Sam's reaction, but now as she watched Sam beaming at Jax she wondered why. They loved each other, they adored each other, so she should have known that giving Jax the child she knew he longed for, and Sam the father she needed and wanted, was indeed the best idea ever. Both Sam and Jax looked so happy that Alexis could physically feel it. It felt warm, like the summer sun on a bright summer day. After two bumpy years it finally felt like Alexis' life was finally back on track, and her future was looking bright again.