Alexis stared at Ned, who still looked perplexed.

"So who is it then?"

He looked at her carefully.

"My mom didn't know. It's someone who is keeping him or herself anonymous for now while making all kinds of moves on ELQ subsidiaries."

Alexis digested that news. She knew quite a bit about the company having offered her legal services to Ned when he needed them. Not to mention that when she'd first arrived in PC with Stefan, she'd been working the other angle until she lost heart in it.

Lost her heart to Ned or so she thought. Instead she wound up breaking his heart.

"So it's definitely not an insider," she continued, "but someone outside your family?"

Ned nodded.

"I thought it might be some yet undiscovered long lost relative but now…it's someone who seems to know the company very well. Not to mention they've chosen their targets well. Almost like a Q…but somehow I think it's something else entirely."

Alexis pursed her lips.

"You going to talk to your mother and AJ about this?"

Ned looked indecisive.

"AJ's too unstable right now to do anything but drain the liquor cabinet," he said, "I'm thinking of calling a meeting with my mom, Lucy and Alice."

Julian cleared his throat.

"I'll be there too…"

Ned shook his head.

"You're not family…"

"Neither is Lucy and I own more shares in it than she does right now."

Alexis watched Julian in typical fashion muscle his way into a situation. But as much as she didn't want to admit it he did have a point. She arched her brow at Ned who conceded.

"Okay this meeting…but I can't promise anything more than that. This is a family matter."

Julian narrowed his eyes.

"It's my company too and I won't be shut out of any decision making process on its future. Besides, I have resources that might help you find out who this unnamed interloper is and why they targeted ELQ."

Ned chortled.

"Well you tried the same thing when you and Ava wanted it to front your illegal activities and for all I know that's what you're trying again and it's not going to happen. Not as long as I'm in town…which will be for the foreseeable future."

Julian gave him a piercing look.

"Fine. I think we're on the same page with ELQ…"

Ned glared back.

"Somehow I doubt that but like I said for now you can attend meetings."

Alexis watched the two men square off. Julian in his alpha male mode when it came to protecting his agenda and interests. Ned didn't come off as that type but when it came to his family's business, he could put up a convincing argument that he wasn't any different. He'd had his ruthless moments, enough to keep her interested but alas she knew now he'd just been too much of a nice guy for a woman like her.

Not like the other man in the room.


Alexis drove back to the lake house after her lunch leaving the boys to have their meeting with the board to discuss the latest intrigue. Molly and Sam were both at the house working on putting up some artwork on the walls that they'd found stored in the attic.

"So you found where I hid the paintings?"

Molly looked sheepish.

"The walls look so bare and we think they add some flavor to the room. Of course new furniture might help…"

"Hey…I like the sofa…"

Both Sam and Molly just looked at one another. Molly nodded.

"Okay whatever Mom. But the table's got to go. At least we have a new kitchen table."

Sam frowned.

"I know…what happened to the old one?"

Alexis sighed.

"It broke…when I bumped into it. The night the power was out from the storm."

Sam paused and then nodded.

"Ah yeah. I was helping Silas at the hospital. That's when…"

Molly's face darkened.

"TJ got shot by Shawn and Patrick was trying to take the bullet out without…paralyzing him."

Sam rested a hand on Molly's shoulder.

"Patrick tried his best but his spinal cord was nearly severed."

Molly nodded and sank on the couch.

"I know but it's so hard seeing him months later still fighting to walk. He made it three steps today."

Alexis smiled.

"That's wonderful. That means there's still hope."

"Yeah but he's so messed up about Shawn. He knows it was an accident but he's so mad at him for choosing his job with Sonny over him."

Alexis understood TJ's anger completely. She'd watched her own daughter Kristina struggle with being a mobster's daughter, acting out in destructive ways until she moved out of PC just to get away from it for a while and find herself.

TJ had wanted so much for Shawn to choose him over the excitement of being Sonny's latest hit man but she'd had that same argument with Shawn when they were together. There was no way for Shawn to drop his addiction to the adrenalin rush he got only through killing people in order to feel alive.

She'd walked away from him. TJ might have to do the same thing though she still hoped it wouldn't come to that.


Julian and Ned clashed almost immediately at the meeting. Tracy tried to serve as referee. Alice threatened to break them up with a baseball bat. Monica was on her way back from a medical symposium in Chicago but wanted to be kept in the loop.

Neither man listened. Each was convinced they knew what was best for ELQ. The fact that neither trusted the other didn't help matters either.

"I say we unmask this usurper and expose them for what they are," Ned said, "I can hire a PI to do that."

Julian countered.

"I say we play along and let that person expose themselves. We focus on the company and keeping it strong so it's not so vulnerable to takeover."

Ned folded his arms.

"I don't have to listen to this. You're just looking out for your own interests," he said, "Which just happen to all be illegal. You're no different than Corinthos."

Julian sighed.

"I think you're facing a steep curve trying to find this person. Better spend that time keeping ELQ together so it can't be broken into little parts and taken piece by piece."

Tracy stepped in with Alice to provide backup.

"I think that sounds sensible. Ned really, we have no idea where to start looking for this latest enemy who's now faceless. We do what Mr. Jerome suggests, we can gain some intelligence."

Ned tensed.

"I think Mr. Jerome's just buying time for his own intentions of sucking our family business into his which happens to be the mob."

Tracy chuckled.

"I have no intention of ever allowing that to happen," she said, "but I'm not losing this company to any outsider either."

Ned turned to look at Alice who still held onto her bat.

"What about you?"

"I agree with Ms Q…fortify the company like a fortress and do some intelligence to find this poseur."

Ned didn't like the way the consensus was going but he knew majority ruled. Lucy nodded.

"I wanted to consult my crystals about this first because you know…I just don't have a good vibe now but Alice is so right on with her assessment so sign me up."

Alice smiled at her. Ned moved on to AJ who slumped in his chair.

"What about you AJ?"

The man blinked his eyes.

"Yeah sure…I'll go along with it," he said, "No one and I mean no one will steal ELQ on my watch."

Ned sighed, looking into his bloodshot eyes.

"Yeah right…okay majority rules and I'll honor it."

He shot a caustic look at Julian.

"But I won't trust it…and I'll be watching."

Julian smiled at him.

"Fine…now let's get started…"

Ned glowered at him.

"I don't trust you."

Julian studied a long moment.

"I'm sure by the end of this, you'll realize that what we're really protecting will provide common ground."


Alexis watched as Sam nailed up the last of the paintings. They did look nice back on the wall. One was an original by Liz who she thought had quite a bit of talent.

Sam joined her on the sofa afterward.

"Mom, so what's this with Ned? You thinking of rekindling things with him?"

Alexis smiled.

"No…we both hurt each other too badly to ever go back. It's enough that we're good friends. But I do care about his family and I know someone's out to hurt them."

Sam frowned.

"How so? It's not like no one's ever tried to sneak up and run off with ELQ shares."

"No…you're right but this feels different to me," she said, "I tried to explain that to Ned but Julian was there."

"Julian? Oh yeah he's on the board now. He needs more legit companies to front his illegal stuff since publishing's a dying industry."

"Yeah but he seemed concerned about it too…which surprised Ned. Not that the two trust each other but I don't know…something about this seems familiar."

Sam sighed.

"The Qs will figure it out and unite against it like they always do. I think you should focus on that invite. Did you talk to Nikolas?"

Alexis nodded.

"We're both in the dark. We know it's family but none of them are supposed to be left. There's rumors about Valentin but they've never panned out. He's supposed to be dead too. Just as well."

Sam shook her head.

"What about Dimitri, the cousin? He seems to slip through the cracks. Is he still living?"

Alexis considered that.

"Maybe…last heard he went to South America to live on a hacienda with a huge chunk of the ELQ fortune."

Sam knit her brows.

"Wait a minute, haven't the Cassadines tried to go after the Qs before to get their company?"

Alexis nodded.

"Yes. My father sent his brother Tony to do that during that last grand scheme of his but they're both entombed in that ice chamber along with Alexandra Quartermaine. Then…"

"What Mom?"

Alexis looked at her hands.

"Stefan wanted a piece of it too and I was his legal person. That's why we came to PC in the first place. That's how I met Ned and after I got to know him, I couldn't do anything to harm him or his family but Stefan…"

She fell silent again not wanting to remember him and what he'd become at the very end of his life. Lest the memories return of what really happened to turn him that way…