Coleman brought the reheated tapas on a plate to the bar. Alexis eyed them with keen interest as they approached. The smell wafting from where they lay underneath a loosely place paper towel made her stomach rumble.

She hadn't eaten much since this morning. After burning toast and spilling her coffee, she gave up, picking up her briefcase and coat and headed out the door to her office. She'd been in court all day arguing for continuances and getting on the judge's nerves. Lunch had been a hardboiled egg and an apple bought off of a food cart and…it'd all gone downhill from there.

Coleman lifted the paper towel off of the tapas and Alexis' eyes widened as the full aroma of the food hit her. They looked absolutely delicious.

"Made especially for you…dig in…"

She did just that reaching for one of them, placing them on a napkin that Coleman handed to her.

Potatoes and chili peppers, a hint of tomato. She'd first sampled the dish when she'd been attended a language program at a university in Salamanca, the camarero has explained that they were popular in Spain, mixing and matching them over lively conversations until they were gone.

Pity that for all its sophistication PC had yet to open a Tapa Bar. She'd suggested it to Mac that he add it to his cuisine for his customers. He said he'd give it a shot and the appetizer had become quite popular especially when sold half price on Tapa Tuesdays.

Grateful, he'd given her a piece of the action.

Mac was a genius in the kitchen. She had learned that during the two year period when they were kind of dating…or talking about dating over hundreds of cups of both good and bad coffee while discussing their families.

Both of them were single parents though Mac had turned out to be a much better parent than she could ever be. Mac's step daughter Felicia loved him and spent time with him when she was trying to not be seen with Nathan.

Mac was also a really nice guy and that was a problem for her. Fortunately Felicia had whisked back into his life and the two got married over a year ago, so she'd never been able to damage him. Coleman picked up a tapa and bit into it, clearly enjoying it.

"Damn these are good…so seriously if you leave town a lot of people will miss you."

She arched a brow.

"Coleman that's very nice of you to say but if I drove my car into a ditch and died, it would take over a month before someone noticed and Anna put out an APB on me."

Coleman frowned.

"I'd notice if you were missing."

She bit into her tapa again. Damn these things were delicious, as she finished one, licked off her fingers and then reached for another.

"That's sweet Coleman. Now pour me another glass of that vodka."

He held up a hand.

"Alexis…I told you I was cutting you off."

She smirked.

"I did what you wanted. I am having some of Mac's delicious tapas remembering what it was like when I tasted my first one…and my second…and my third off of a rather impressive set of abs of a soccer player who…."

Coleman chortled.

"Alexis…did I hear you right?" I never pictured you as the type that would seduce a man through his abs."

She smiled, as he finally refilled her glass.

"I've always had a weakness for them. Another transgression of mine that I've got to get over. But Rodrigo was a lot of fun"

"Sounds like a great time…."

She smiled.

"I got all the major food groups that night."

He tilted his face, pushing her glass towards her.

"Is that the vodka or the tapas?"

She licked her lips eying the plate again.

"It's you Coleman, like I said, you're kind of cute and you listen to me without putting in a 'but' in less than five…"

"Minutes…"

"Words…I do appreciate that and I like you and I've always found bearded men attractive…"

He sighed.

"That's definitely the vodka…"

She shook her head.

"No it's you and your bar side manner…"

She slid off of her barstool and landed a bit wobbly on her boots. Coleman eyed her dismount critically.

"Alexis…I think you've had a bit much…"

She shook her head.

"Nah…the party's just getting started. I'm going to put on some music…. "

The worn out juke box boasted over 500 songs most of them reflecting Mac's eclectic choices from country western, to punk rock to Barry Manilow and just about every melody, dirge, ballad and instrumental in between.

She fished for a quarter and stuck it in the machine, She couldn't decide on a song because she didn't know why…so she just pushed some buttons randomly. She heard the whirl of the machine and the click of the record dropping. Then the music started playing, a familiar ballad song filled the empty bar.

"We're caught in a trap. I can't walk out.

Because I love you too much baby…"

Why can't you see? What you're doing to me?

When you don't believe a word I'm saying…'"

Oh god…bad selection. Damn, she wanted to get her money back. She tried to find the buttons to get the juke box machine to stop playing.

"Alexis…what are you doing?"

She looked back at Coleman who still stood behind the bar looking amused. She glared back at him.

"I'm trying to get the machine to stop playing that damn song…how do I make it stop?"

He sighed.

"Pull the plug…but go easy baby, Mac would dock my pay until the next millennia if it breaks again."

She tried to find the damn plug but the cord was under the damn machine. So she did the next best thing. She started kicking it with her boot.

The machine quaked but refused to budge. Elvis Presley's angst filled voice warbled on, about suspicious minds and dreams and loves…blah blah and other nonsense. Elvis deserved another kick for that.

The machine shook and still the music played.

If only our love survived
I'd dry the tears from your eyes
Just don't let a good thing die
Well honey, you know I would never lie to you

She stopped kicking it, her body tensing up.

"Oh bullshit…there never was a time…that you didn't lie to me…"

Another boot clad kick of the machine even harder, but this time the machine hit back, sending her sprawling backward off balance.

Just when she thought she'd crash to the ground bruising her butt and her dignity, she felt a pair of strong hands catch her, gripping her waist tightly.

"Hey, don't break the floor…"


Molly opened the door and saw an elderly woman with silver hair standing in a black trench coat and carrying a small purse, with rhinestones glittering like miniature disco balls on it.

The woman looked…old but elegant, and she seemed friendly enough. She smiled at Molly and extended a gloved hand.

"Hello my dear Molly…do you remember me?"

Molly frowned…shaking it tentatively. Something about the woman definitely looked familiar but she couldn't remember quite what. Her voice, the smell of her perfume…the regal way she stood in the doorway.

"Aren't you going to invite me inside? As I told you darling we're family."

Molly bit her lip.

"I don't remember…but you do look familiar."

Helena smiled, her eyes animated.

"Why I'm your Step Grandmother Helena Cassadine. But you can call me Helena. You can't call me grandmother, granny or any such thing."

Molly's jaw dropped. What the….how could it be? Her jaw quivered, as she stared at the ghost in front of her.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Helena chuckled, folding her arms and perusing the living room of the hotel suite.

"Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated," she said, "you can never keep a good Cassadine down or is that a bad one?"

Molly pursed her lips, still feeling shocked at the sight in front of her. Damn this was all her mother's fault. If she hadn't been born from an illicit affair between her mother and Mikkos Cassadine then Helena wouldn't have wrecked so much havoc in their lives. If only she had normal parents…wait she did have one. Her dad who loved her more than any parent ever could love his daughter coming back to her after languishing in the hellish confines of witness protection programming counting the days until he could see his daughter again. Wrap his arms around her so that she could smell his cologne.

If it hadn't been for her mother choosing that lowlife mobster kingpin over her heroic daddy.

She cleared her throat.

"What are you doing here?"

Helena purred, taking off her trench coat and handing it to Molly.

"Be a dear and help me with that….and I'll tell you."

Molly sagged under the heavy coat but draped it on the back of a chair. Helena walked past her and made herself at home on the sofa. Molly sat in the chair where she put the coat.

"So why are you here?"

Helena paused.

"I wanted to see you. It's been so long and when I ran into your mother…"

Molly snarled.

"Don't mention her to me. I am mad at her and I'm living with my daddy here now."

A flash of irritation passed on Helena's face but she continued, intertwining her gloved fingers and placing them on her lap.

"Your father's back in town? Where is he now? Ah, yes I believe I did see him at the Metro Court with Liz Webber."

Molly nodded.

"They are on a date tonight."

Helena slowly drew one finger across her chin thoughtfully.

"I see…and he's left you here all by yourself why he gallivants on the town?"

Molly frowned.

"It's not like that. My daddy loves me. He came out of witness protection just for me. He's invited me to live with him. He's the best daddy in the world."

Helena looked at her in a calculated way.

"My child. How can you be so ignorant about your father? It's so unfortunate that your parents have allowed you to live in this world looking at it with rose colored glasses…"

"I…what do you mean?"

Helena smiled widely.

"My dear grandchild…you need to know about your own parents. God, your mother born of an insipid woman, if I could slit her throat like I did her mother's….well that's for another time…"

Molly looked at her incredulously.

"You wouldn't really do that would you?"

Helena didn't blink.

"In a heartbeat…but moving on, we need to have a little chat about your father…."


Julian removed his earplugs. Olivia the latest baby mama had left the building. She had gone to visit her friend Ted after fighting with him over the ultrasound appointment to check out the status of Jerome Jr.

She threw some pots and pans around the room and then tore off. Damn her hormones or moods were driving him crazy.

Still he was excited about having another child on the way. He'd been denied to see his other children when they'd been born. He never saw them take their first breaths. Never saw them lying in the bassinet. Never changed a diaper. Never saw a child of his blood take a first step or say its first word.

He sat on the couch and reached for the remote to watch Golden Girls with his plate of pasta that Olivia had tossed together before leaving him alone.


Carlos had reported to him on the latest shipments coming in the harbor. The legitimate shipments, going through customs with the not so legitimate hiding in plain sight. He'd just nodded back before sending Carlos away to follow up on a shipment of artwork arriving the following day.

His business was looking up. Sonny was locked up in Pentonville and Duke had taken over his territory. Olivia was due to have her ultrasound and it would give him the first look at his child.

He'd never had the opportunity to raise any of his children from birth. He'd only discovered Sam and Lucas when they'd been adults. This time around, he'd been given a chance to do it all right.

The door opened and in walked Dianne, dressed to the nines from her low cut blouse to her six inch stilettos. He had hired her to do work, strictly on the legit side of the business. She gave him a pointed look.

"You look dour and thoroughly domesticated."

He just stared up at her from the plate of pasta on his lap.

"Dianne, did you file those contracts?"

She nodded.

"I did and now I'm off to the Floating Rib to meet up with my Alexis…you know her the woman you claimed to love before you banged some random reject of Sonny's and knocked her up because you didn't have enough sense to slap the latex on."

Julian felt irritation fill him.

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

She folded her arms flashing him an impatient look.

"Really Julian, ignorance is not your most flattering side. I was in court with her today and wow…talk about shooting a woman down."

Julian frowned.

"You saw Alexis?"

She nodded.

"Yeah I did and as soon as I turn my heel on your sorry ass I'm going to join her at the Rib and we're going to party. She's a single woman now and we're going to party."

He shook his head.

"She's not like that."

Dianne rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah like you know…I've been her friend longer than you were her lover and I'll tell you, we will have fun tonight while you sit here with your home cooked meal and television waiting for your baby mama to return to you."

"It didn't have to be this way."

Dianne smirked.

"Oh she was supposed to be the one who cleaned up your mess. Julian, you did this to yourself. You did Olivia too and expecting Alexis to stand around while you create some domestic fantasy with your latest baby mama to make up for the past…"

"What do you mean?"

She stared at him straight on. Dianne didn't pull her punches. One reason he'd hired her on the contracts but it unnerved him now.

"You expect her to stand around and watch you dote on Olivia because you hit the bulls eye with her? Don't you understand how much pain that causes her? Every moment you see her try to make up for the past with Olivia, she's reminded of how you failed her?"

"I had no idea she was carrying my child."

Dianne shrugged.

"No you didn't' but she's watching you with earth mama Falconari who's only purpose is to cook, clean and breed and it takes her back to that time in her life when her baby…your baby was taken away from her…even after her father promised her that wouldn't happen."

Julian was stricken, not knowing what to say. Dianne continued, unmoved by his silence.

"She was 16 years old Julian and alone in the world. You planted your flag and moved on without a care in the world…"

His eyes dimmed.

"I didn't know. If I had…"

Diane softened.

"I know…you can't change the past and I know you're trying with this…wailing banshee that you knocked up but try not to trample on my dear friend's feelings why you're at it okay? It's bad enough she thinks you're into passive doormats in the women you bed."

"It was a one night stand…Alexis did…"

She shook her head.

"Alexis didn't force your hand. You made your own choices. You got your heart broken. It happens and you thought with your dick. Men truly are the weaker species after all. Rewrite history with this woman who's clearly more your speed but you hurt my friend…and these nice six inch heels I'm wearing imported from Paris I bought on sale at Saks will be kicking your ass."

She turned around and walked out leaving him alone with his thoughts and his pasta.


Alexis turned her head and her eyes widened.

"You're Carlos aren't you? Yeah I think I got you out of Pentonville for Michael."

He released her after she stood on her two feet and she turned around to face him. He wore faded denim and a muscle tee-shirt under a leather jacket.

"Yeah it's me and you still owe me that chance to repay you for how you helped me."

She shook her head.

"I did that as a favor to Michael. He really wanted to set things right and not keep an innocent man behind bars a moment longer than necessary."

He smiled.

"Well thanks…and I still owe you. I'm a free man now who doesn't believe in love or happily ever after…"

She felt her throat tighten.

"I don't either…anymore. It's not endgame for a Cassadine to find true love or live happily .As if I needed a reminder…"

He nodded.

"Ah you mean my boss."

Alexis grimaced.

"Please I don't want to talk about him. He's where he needs to be with the mother of his future child. I know family is important to him and he and Olivia…they're a good match. She won't make his life any harder or second guess his choices. Besides he's made it clear to me that he's upset that I won't stay with him."

Carlos sighed.

"You can tell me about it. I owe you that much for my freedom."

She shook her head, sadness threatening to overcome her.

"I can't talk about it and besides I'm a Cassadine and we don't about our feelings. Let's focus on celebrating your freedom…I'll buy the first drink."

He paused and nodded.

"Okay…I'll have some tequila if that bartender can rustle some up. "

Alexis glanced at Coleman behind the bar.

"Consider it a date…."