Alexis felt like drinking more of the dog that bit her as court recessed for the noon hour. She'd been nursing a hangover from the shots that she belted down in between pool games with Colton and the coffee hadn't done the trick.

She'd had a productive morning. The story of Julian Jerome's resurrection hit the front page of Derek…no Julian's newspaper and he'd built himself a nice resume during the past two decades. He'd painted himself as a mobster in hiding who'd risked his life to come forward to donate marrow to his ailing grandson.

Essentially he'd turned Sonny's game plan on its head. First by revealing his own identity at the gallery and now by using the press…his press to sell off a new identity as a reformed mobster trying to become a better man and a positive contributor to the town he and his family once ruled. She took the newspaper to his suite at the MC to confront him on it. That had been her intention anyway but he'd baited her in attempts to manipulate her and she'd swatted back every one.

She slapped him once when he'd thrown her some snarky about her being so overwhelmed and undone by his kiss at the gallery that she'd returned for another round.

The slap had burned her hand but had felt damn good. It didn't faze him much, she wondered if anything did and they volleyed back and forth until he'd paraphrased something he must have picked up off of a Hallmark card by saying their connection was instinctual and like red wine.

Yeah well any wine had soured once she found out he'd lied to her about being a mobster so at that point, she'd walked out on him leaving him in his underwear.

The man was shameless but she couldn't deny he was a fine looking shameless kind of guy. As long as she steered clear of him…then again since he'd fathered one of her children she couldn't do that completely.

She'd find a way to fit him in her complicated family web where he couldn't cause her any problems. After sitting down at the MC restaurant, she had her order taken.

"This seat taken?"

She looked up and saw Diane carrying her satchel and coat.

"No it's not. Sit down and eat as long as we don't have to talk shop."

Diane shook her head as she sat down.

"God no, once I step outside the courtroom for recess I'm ready to think about anything but work. We can talk about that exciting party last night."

Alexis made a face.

"Certainly outdid the billing," she said, "never a dull moment."

Diane smiled as she picked up a menu.

"I heard it got even more exciting after I left. I mean Franco's paternity and maternity getting revealed was a shock but the whole town's buzzing about this Julian Jerome coming back from the dead."

"So I heard."

"First he's Derek Wells ruthless business tycoon and media mogul and well, he did wear a suit nicely but to think he was really that notorious mobster underneath it all? I guess nothing should be surprising in this town let alone someone returning from the dead."

"It was a shock to some of us…even those of us who come from families with some members who just refuse to die."

Diane clucked her tongue.

"I can imagine. I read where he had donated bone marrow to his grandson. Now, that would have to be Danny Morgan wouldn't it?"

She looked at the other woman a long moment.

"Yes, Julian is his grandfather and Sam's father," she said, "He was that one night stand I had back in high school."

"Ah yes the one you were too drunk to remember…"

Alexis nodded.

"It was the first time I'd ever drank alcohol. It hit me pretty hard."

Diane smirked.

"That can happen but still how memorable could your time have been with him if you don't remember?"

Alexis shot her a look.

"He remembered somehow. But since I don't, he can make up his own script for what happened."

The two women ordered and then Diane poured herself a glass from the bottle of wine. Alexis stuck to drinking water.

"True but I'm sure at some point it'll come back to you."

Alexis pursed her lips

"That's what Kevin said after the hypnosis session. There was more likelihood that I'd remember more details of what happened."

Diane sipped her wine.

"Hopefully good details. I mean he's a hunk of a man with more than a slice of danger but he did save Danny's life."

Alexis sighed.

"He lied about who he was and used Danny as a shield against Sonny. Sam was so angry with him, she just walked out."

"And you?"

Alexis fidgeted with her glass.

"It got more complicated. But I think I said what I had to say last night and this morning."

Diane frowned.

"This morning?"

Alexis rolled her eyes.

"After he wrote that puff piece on how much he'd seen the error of his ways and reformed through his involvement in the witness protection program. I couldn't believe it. Well actually it shouldn't have surprised me."

Diane shook her head.

"You sure know how to pick them Alexis and I don't mean that in a mean way. It's just that…"

Alexis put a hand up.

"Don't get me started. I know I have a built in GPS for these kind of bad boys but Julian wasn't even a mobster when I met him. He was just a guy with messy hair and a leather jacket. Compared to what I grew up with, he was actually nice."

Diane nodded.

"Yes those Cassadine boys were a naughty bunch though Stefan's quite handsome. Pity he's dead."

Yeah Alexis thought so too even though by that time he'd turned into someone Alexis no longer recognized. Someone so evil as much so, as his brother Stavros. Death probably provided some mercy for the man she'd known and loved in such a situation.

"Anyway, so you've got another baby daddy who's with the mob," Diane noted, "You're batting a perfect score. But maybe this latest one…I mean the original baby daddy will have some redeeming factors in his favor underneath his ruthless mobster exterior."

Alexis sipped her water.

"I doubt it. After the way he broke Sam's heart last night…I don't see it. He wants Sonny's territory pure and simple and he'll do anything to get it."

Even manipulate her, and rather than let that break anything she chose to be ticked off.

Julian's face still felt the imprint of Alexis' slap earlier but he left his meeting with Scotty feeling like he had a DA in his pocket. The vote still wasn't official yet but he'd prepared himself in case Baldwin came through in the final tally.

Chase, the incumbent was not for sale at any price and didn't appear to have any known weaknesses to exploit for blackmail so far. His interest in Alexis, not clear if that was purely professional as the bugs hadn't revealed much.

Carlos met up with him to eat lunch ordered through room service to plan their next moves. Now that he'd been exposed ahead of schedule, they have to scramble to adjust and keep their agenda on track.

"So boss you survived last night, you ready for the next part of the plan?"

Julian sighed, thinking that he'd barely survived the wrath of the Davis women and gotten out just in time. He'd tried to be on his game with both women but his efforts had fallen flat with both of them.

"Neither of them is happy with me right now."

Carlos looked at him puzzled.

"Neither…you mean your family right?"

Julian nodded.

"Sam walked out on me without a backward glance and Alexis…she wouldn't listen or accept a word I said in explanation."

He didn't want to go into the kiss that had started out as seduction and then gone quickly down the rabbit hole. That would just complicate things then he'd have to admit he'd fallen in his own trap in front of his associate.

Now was not the time to appear weak to anyone.

"Sonny's not going to be able to take you out but he will look for other weaknesses."

"I know that but there won't be any. Besides his son is in my organization and he won't risk harming him. I've got another assignment for him."

"You think he'll do it?"

"I guess we'll see soon enough."

Carlos paused.

"I guess you were shocked that Alexis didn't buy into your spiel this morning either."

Julian arched his brows.

"What do you know about that?"

"I saw her leave earlier. She looked ticked off so I'm guessing it didn't go very well."

Julian shook his head.

"She wasn't listening to anything I said. She kept accusing me of dragging our daughter into a mob war."

Carlos tilted his head.

"Isn't that right?"

Julian didn't answer so Carlos continued.

"Anyway, she made it home safely last night with her date Coleman. They played a couple rounds of pool at the Floating Rib then he drove her home."

"She was on her game this morning," Julian said, "then headed off to court."

Carlos smiled.

"Maybe she and Sam just need a little time…"

But Julian knew it'd take much more than that.

Diane paid for her half of the lunch and both women were ready to head back to the courtroom until the clerk told them that it'd been recessed for the day after the judge took ill. So Alexis said goodbye to Diane and headed outside to take a walk back to her office.

She bumped into Liz who was with her boys in the park sitting on a bench while they played on the swing set.

"Hi Liz…nice day to relax."

The other woman smiled at her.

"They were driving me crazy around the house on my day off so I brought them here. I needed to get some clarity on what's been going on with Nikolas."

Alexis frowned.

"Nikolas? I haven't talked to him in a few days. What's going on with him?"

Liz sighed.

"He's shacking up with Britt. Remember her? She made Patrick's life miserable lying to him about being pregnant with his baby…terrorizing Emma."

Alexis did recall hearing some of the 411 on her at some of their club meetings over some tequila and tapas.

"Nikolas hasn't talked to me about her. Just how business is going and how Spencer's doing but then we've both been very busy."

Liz looked at her hands.

"I'm just so worried she's playing the damsel in distress, treating him like a chump and it'll break his heart."

Alexis smiled.

"I'm sure Nikolas can take care of himself. If she's playing him, he'll park her on a curb and move on. I did know he had a houseguest but that was months ago."

"That's Britt. I mean she's a doctor and she can't rent an apartment. She has to live with him and take advantage of his generosity?"

Alexis didn't know what to say not knowing both sides of the story. She was protective of her nephew but she let him live his own life, make his own mistakes.

"If she's taking advantage of him, he'll figure it out and handle it. I wouldn't worry about it Liz."

Nikolas was a Cassadine after all.

"I guess so. I just worry about him…even though we're not together."

They both looked up when they heard footsteps at Lucy who beamed at both of them before sitting in between them.

"Hey girlfriends…that was some party last night wasn't it?"

Liz nodded.

"I sold two paintings and a dealer in New York is interested in seeing more."

Lucy clapped her hands.

"How wonderful…"

Then her face darkened and her voice dropped to a whisper.

"So what do you think about the daddy reveals last night? I mean Scotty almost dropped when he found out Franco was his son…with Heather of all people."

Liz grimaced.

"Yeah I saw that. After she threatened people with a butter knife."

Lucy nodded.

"But the capper was Julian Jerome back from the dead. He's one scary dude. He's got Scotty all freaked out at lunch. He wouldn't say why but maybe it's just the combo of finding out he's a daddy again and about Julian being alive."

Alexis just listened to Lucy jabber on hoping she wouldn't get to the part of the story where Julian had come out of hiding to save his ailing grandson.

She just didn't feel like answering more questions about a chapter in her past she barely remembered.