As he emerged from the terminal, he shrugged off the momentary chill from the cool autumn temperatures following a week of heat and humidity. He looked around for the taxi line, feeling his nerves begin to settle after spending a week on edge. He was home now. The television monitors in baggage claim gave him the highlights of what he missed: Sam was free. But how and why and what actually happened-the lifetime of events that seemed to collapse into a single week-eluded him. Instinctively he reached for his phone, his empty pocket a reminder that he woke up on the floor of a Jakarta warehouse without it. For a fleeting moment he considered stopping to buy a new one first, but the quickest way to hear their voices was to go and see them. He stepped off the curb and opened the cab's door, giving the driver the address of Sam's penthouse.

Kristina awoke to an empty bed in a quiet house. She rolled over and looked at the clock, sighing before getting up. She popped into Molly and Sam's rooms as she maneuvered to the shower to confirm she was indeed the lone Davis in residence. Once finished with her morning ablutions, she descended the stairs to an eerie silence that accompanies an empty room typically bustling with activity. Molly was in school, and the note on the table informed her that Sam and Danny were in the park. Alexis was off somewhere, and for the first time since she'd been in Port Charles, Kristina had the day to herself. She idly looked through her phone's contacts, but she had little interest in seeing any of her old friends, or even her brothers. Kristina sighed and thoughtlessly mumbled to herself, "I just want to go home." Inspiration hit, and she started up the stairs to get her keys when she heard the knock.

She pulled open the door to a stranger with a suitcase and three cups of coffee. "Can I help you?" she asked.

Julian was a bit shocked by this strange woman who opened the door. She was a short brunette, but as he looked closer he recognized the eyes and mouth. "Kristina," he told himself aloud.

She was relieved when he finally spoke, as his appraisal made her slightly uncomfortable. But the fact that he knew her name set off new alarm bells. "Do I know you?" she asked tightly.

He broke out into a wide grin. "I'm sorry. I can see how this is awkward. I'm Julian. I'm...Sam's father."

Kristina noted the suitcase before responding. "Well, Daddy-o you picked a lousy time to take a trip." She nodded to the coffee in his hand, "But as you've brought a peace offering, I'm sure you know that."

Julian's mouth was slightly agape. Kristina was always more theory than person to him; Alexis talked about her, but between Molly's hatred and Sam's legal troubles he invested his time in her other daughters. Now, faced with the actual woman standing in front of him, he was unsure how to proceed. "Can I come in?" he asked nervously.

She perked up at the hesitation in his voice. Somehow she was in control of this interaction, and between Nik's, death, Sam's imprisonment, her own arrest, Alexis's disappearance, Sonny's trip to Pentonville and Dante's betrayal-well, it had been a while since she felt like she could determine the outcome of any situation. Relishing a rare moment of power, Kristina smiled widely. "Come on in."

He entered, balancing the coffee carrier in one hand while he dragged his suitcase behind him. Peeking around the stairs he asked, "Is anyone here?"

-"Nope. Just me."

-"Ahh." He put the coffee down on the table and turned to face her.

-"Are those up for grabs?"

-"Sure."

-"Which one's for Mom?"

He pointed to one, and she picked it up and sipped it. Kristina raised an eyebrow,"Wow. You even got the sweetener right. Impressive."

-"I learned early not to mess with your family's coffee."

Kristina smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you. My sisters talk about you a lot."

Julian considered the reports she must receive from Molly and Sam. "I'm sure they do. I hope they're very...different in their assessments."

-"You could say that. I'm just happy to see you in person." She returned his earlier appraisal with one of her own, before providing him with a summary of her findings. "I guess I get it. You definitely have the air of a bad boy."

-"What does that mean?"

-"Come on. I know you're 'Sam's father.' I also know you're my mother's 'current...whatever.' And she tends to go for men with questionable respect for the law."

Julian decided to let Kristina get it out. "She does, huh."

-"Yup. My father, my uncle. Jerry Jacks. She's really just trying to get the love she never got from her father."

-"That's pretty insightful. You seem to know a lot about your mother's subconscious."

-"We've spent a lot of time in therapy together. It's funny. Everyone says I'm like my Dad, except my therapist. He seems to think I'm a lot like my mother."

Julian shifted a little uncomfortably. "So...do you know when they'll be back?"

Kristina blushed. "Sorry about the TMI. Things here have been a little...odd. None of us are quite ourselves." She smiled at him. "Sam's at the park with Danny but if you could tell me where my mother is…?"

He eyed at her curiously, a look of worry flickered across his face before it disappeared. "I'm sorry, Kristina. I haven't seen or heard from Alexis in a week. I've been out of the country."

She looked at him hard. "You haven't seen her at all? You haven't been meeting up in New York?"

He looked at her puzzled and shrugged his shoulders. "I swear, I haven't seen her." She stared at him. "I mean it Kristina, I have no reason to lie to you."

-"Look Julian. Cards on the table? I know you're a liar. I know you're the reason my house is gone. I know you were trying to take down my father. You're a mobster. And if there's one thing I've learned from my dad, it's that you don't need a reason to lie to me to actually lie to me. But...having said all that...I believe you're telling the truth."

Julian felt like his head was snapping from the whiplash. "Is that a good thing?"

-"If my opinion matters, then I guess."

-"Your Sam's sister and Alexis's daughter: of course it matters." He noted she seemed to relax at that. "Why was she in New York?"

-"I'm sorry?"

Julian explained. "You asked me if I was with Alexis in New York. Why was she there?"

Kristina shrugged. "I'm not sure. Something about Nina's mother. I'm not sure I believe her."

-"Why not?"

She sighed. "Look, Julian. I don't really know what you have going with my mother. I can't get two words out of her at all, much less about you. Molly thinks you killed her father, and Sam-while acknowledging your faults-thinks you're actually good for Mom. But here's the thing: my mother is a mess. A straight up, honest-to-God mess. And she's had no one to confide in. So if you're here for Sam and Sam only? Stay away for awhile. But if you're here for my mother, then you better *be here* for my mother."

Julian's shocked expression found its way to a smirk. "Seriously, though. Say what you think."

Kristina shook off his sarcasm and pressed. "I'm not screwing around here, Julian. She needs a confidant right now, not more heartbreak. So if you can be the former, I'd appreciate it if you can get her to open up. I'm worried about her. She told me she was in New York, but I don't believe her. She's not even *lying* well. But if you're not here for her? Or if she's not here for you? Leave her alone."

-"I love her."

-"Great. Does she love you, too?"

-"Yes."

Kristina looked relieved. "Good. Then find her. Make her talk to you. Listen to her. I mean, you say you love her so you know how this goes, right?"

-"She's not saying anything? Keeping everything inside?"

-"Yup."

-"OK." Julian grinned. "Does this mean I have your blessing?"

-"Wow. You don't beat around the bush. I've known you for what-five minutes?"

-"But we've shared so much. Usually it's months before I can get someone to admit to therapy." His attempts at a light joke fell flat, so he turned to a more serious tone. "Look, Molly's gonna take years-"

Kristina interrupted him "-if you're lucky."

-"Right. If I'm lucky. I understand I'm going to have to earn your trust...I guess I'm just wondering the depth of the hole I need to climb out of."

-"Fair enough. On the one hand, Ric wasn't just Molly's father or my uncle. He was 'Daddy Ric.' He took care of me, and I loved him. But...he wasn't a great guy or even a good one really. So that hole? It's probably not as deep as you think. My mother's been involved with two people that almost killed me-my father being one of them. Between them and Ric? The bar for acceptable companions is pretty low."

-"I don't know if I should be happy or sad."

-"It's a conundrum. Why don't you try and work that out while you search for my mother?"

The key to finding Alexis was a phone, but Julian had a stop to make first. He dragged his luggage to the park before picking it up to carry over the grass. He stopped when he saw Sam pushing Danny on the swing. His eyes started to water as a wave of relief washed over him. It was a feeling he couldn't describe and-as he learned when Lucas was shot-one of the apparent side effects of parenting. Julian wiped his eyes continuing on his path and smiled when he caught the attention of his grandson.

-"Gampa," Danny turned to his mother, pointing. Sam also turned and met her father's eye. She smiled, unsure how to react to him. On the one hand, she was pissed; he'd cut out on them just when he was needed the most. But there was also the chance that her freedom was due to his absence, so she took on an air that was cordial yet wary.

Julian put down his bag and enveloped her in a huge hug. He pulled away and cupped her face in his hands. "You're free? Really free?" he rasped.

Sam felt a lump in her throat and whispered, "Yes. Franco did it. I'm completely free." Julian pulled her into another embrace and smiled as he felt her clutch him tighter. Their reunion was watched and interrupted by Danny, who demanded to get out of the swing. Julian pulled him out and felt Danny's arms squeeze his neck, aping the earlier actions of his mother. Sam and Julian laughed, and Julian put him down only to see him dart over to the sandbox as soon as his feet hit the ground.

-"Shit," Sam sighed quietly. "I was trying to keep him out of there. He always takes most of the sand home with him.

-"I'm sorry," Julian stumbled.

Sam started laughing, and put a hand on his arm, "No, Dad. It's fine. I'm just whining because I can. It's a relief to know that this is my biggest problem today." They moved over to the bench and sat. "So... I see you just got back."

-"I did."

-"Where were you?" Sam's tone was pointed, and Julian moved awkwardly. He was so excited to see her, he hadn't thought about the questions that would invariably follow his return following his sudden disappearance.

-"Look, sweetheart. I know it was a terrible time for me to leave, but I had business that-"

-"-did you get me out of jail?"

-"What?"

Sam took a minute to gather her thoughts. "Mom clearly knew where you were. And then she disappeared for days at a time. And suddenly Franco appears and confesses. And it's like none of this ever happened."

Julian stared at his hands. "I suspected that I may have been the reason for your arrest, yes. I knew you were being framed, and I knew that there was a chance it was because of me. I had to see if that was the case."

She looked at him hard. "Was it?"

-"I honestly don't know. I *do* know that it was a possibility, and I had to go away and eliminate that threat."

She looked at him and put up her hands, "Don't use words like that around me. I don't want to know what you did. I only want to know that it's done."

-"It is."

-"Julian. I...I have a very complex set of emotions about you. I was angry when you disappeared, but I was also hurt. I needed you and you were gone."

-"I'm so sorry, sweetheart-"

-"-Don't." Her voice was loud and a little too sharp, and Danny turned around to look at them. She smiled over at her son and said, "It's ok, Danny! Mommy and Grandpa are just talking." Assured, he turned back to play with a truck before Sam continued. "I was hurt. And I was hurt because over the last year or so, I think of you as my family. We're not 100% there yet, but you're my father, and I want to rely on you, but I don't know if I can yet."

He squeezed her hand. "You can always rely on me, Sam. I'll always have your back. And Danny's back."

-"Unless you get us killed first?"

He sighed. "Look-"

-"Just hear me out. I know the life you lead. I was married to a hitman for God's sakes. I almost lost my son this summer, Julian. And my sister. And my mother. And a brother I knew for all of two weeks. I may have been framed because of your business." She grabbed his other hand. "I want you in my life. I want you in Danny's life. But not if you stay in the mob. It's not going to work. When I was married to Jason I thought I could handle it, but I can't. I'm a parent now, and it's different."

-"Sam I-"

Her hug cut him off. "I care about you. I do, but as long as you stay in the mob you're a threat to my family." She pulled away and looked at him. "I know you need time to think about it. So I'll give you some. But at some point you have to make a choice."

-"I don't need it."

-"What?"

-"I don't need time to make a choice, Sam," he sighed. "I want out. That decision's been made for quite a while."

-"Then why are you still in?"

-"Come on, Sam. You're not that naive."

-"That's true. I'm not. You need to find a way to get out."

Julian smiled. "I just met Kristina. Maybe I can give her a notarized promissory note to give Sonny all my territories, and she can deliver it to him."

Sam looked at him stunned, unsure how to proceed. "Wow. That just blew my mind. OK, two things. First: you met Kristina. I mean how was that? Actually, you know what...don't tell me. She will."

-"It could be worse. She likes me better than Molly. I guess that's a good thing?" He looked at her and saw her mind spinning. "What's the second thing?"

-"Julian, you can't give your territories to Sonny."

-"Why not?"

-"Sonny's in jail. And he's not getting out for a long time."

-"Shit," Julian mumbled. "That just made things a whole lot harder."

Julian made it home to an empty apartment. He called for his sister as he plugged in the phone, but quickly realized that Sonny's actual arrest ended Ava's self-imposed house arrest. As he went to the fridge to look for a beer, he saw her note on the fridge: "Was hoping to see you before I left. Couldn't wait anymore. Gone fishing." He was puzzled that she had used the code indicating she'd be underground for a while. At the first sign of battery life on his phone he dialed his voicemail. The inbox was full, and he cursed silently that the last recording was from two days earlier. "OK, Alexis. Where are you?" He texted her, and waited long minutes for his response. I'm on my way. Wait for me.

He poured himself a scotch and sat staring at the entrance, as though he could will her to appear faster. Julian needed to see her and to know she was safe or at least alive. An irrational fear that he'd never see her again gnawed at him. In his mind, Alexis couldn't show up at his door fast enough.