I think it's fair to call this the mid-point to the story.

Chapter 37

"The Crimson jet seems to be having some mechanical failure." The pilot's voice sounded through the intercom throughout the shaking jet.

Jason was fixated in his seat as if he was already dead. He slowly turned to Brenda calmly flipping through a magazine.

The turbulence of the plane worsened, but Jason held tight to his seat as it took a nosedive. He remained calm as the plane plunged into darkness.

"Jason!" Sam was jolted awake from her nightmare. She buried her body into what she hoped was his, but she was afraid to open her eyes.

Jason woke up from Sam's fingernails digging into his skin. He turned on the light. "What's wrong?"

Sam sat up and rested her face in her hands while taking meditative breaths. "I thought you crashed."

Jason rested his head on her shoulder. "I didn't crash. We got back safely. I almost choked Maxie a couple times, but it was all out of love."

Sam looked at him. "Nikolas said you and Brenda were in a plane crash and I guess it was on my mind."

"That was years ago and we survived." Jason tried his best to be comforting, but he could still feel the restlessness in Sam. "Something else wrong?"

"Today is Franco's court hearing and I would like someone to explain to me why my mother…" Sam grabbed her phone from the nightstand and showed it to Jason. "Why is my mother representing him? Can you explain this to me?"

Jason took the phone and read the article. "I honestly thought she was just helping the case. I didn't know she was that deeply involved." He handed Sam back her phone and got out of bed. "Since we're talking about Franco, when are you going to tell me that you're not sure that Alana is my daughter?"

"Do we have to do this now?"

"If you want to be at ease about the test results then we should."

Sam woke up from her drowsy state. "You know the results? How?"

"Monica intercepted the results and I am Alana's biological father."

Sam leaped up to her feet on the bed and into Jason's arms. "Do I have to do a mea culpa?"

"You and Robin both owe me and I fully intend to collect."

"Aren't you just happy that I have the bestest friend in the world in Robin?" Sam jumped down to the floor.

"What if it had come out the other way and Alana turned out to be as unlucky as Mikkos? What would we have done then?"

"We would have survived it. I feel like you and I have been through so many ridiculous situations that we'll survive anything."

Kristina went into Stefan's study with Lamby in her hand. "Mikkosavich! I have something for you." She held up the lamb in the air.

Kristina could hear Mikkos' giggling down the hall. She poked around on Stefan's desk and found a stack of black and white photos. She picked up a photo of a young beautiful girl, in her late teenage years, mischievously reacting to the photographer.

Mikkos finally made his crawl to Stefan's with Nikolas behind him as his a guide. "He drives like his mother banging into walls and everything." Nikolas finished buttoning his shirt.

"Where you going?" Kristina asked.

"Court. I want to be in court to support Alexis."

Kristina got on the floor and reached for Mikkos. "Is this the Franco case?"

"Yeap. It is." Nikolas noticed the lamb. "I just took Mikkos out of his crib and there's a lamb in there. Maybe Alexis replaced it?"

Kristina dangled the lamb at Mikkos unwilling to move from the door. "I think he hates me. Does that mean I can keep mine? I'd rather keep mine."

Nikolas picked up his coat from the chair. "I hope he doesn't hate you because tag you're it. You're stuck with him and Molly for a couple hours. After court, I have meetings and I think it would be good for you guys to spend some time together."

"Can I phone a friend?" Kristina clashed her hands together and buried her face in Nikolas' chest. She loved the smell of his cologne.

"Is this a guy friend?" He pulled her from him to give her a stern look.

"Ethan."

"You and Ethan are back on? I like Ethan, but I think he's a little too old for you. I'm just saying. Just looking out for you."

Kristina pushed Nikolas towards the door. "I got it handled. Mikkos will be fine. God forbid if anything bad happened to my mother's precious."

Alexis paced in her office reciting her statements to herself. She heard distracting voices outside her door. "Can we keep it down out there? I need focus." She continued on until there was a knock. She put down her law book and opened the door.

"Oh my god. Dara?"

"Yeap. I'm the District Attorney on this case." Dara reached out to Alexis for a hug.

"You're the DA on the Franco case?" Alexis embraced Dara.

"Yea. I had to stop by just to say hello."

Diane peeked her head inside. "I'm trying to talk her into joining the firm. So far she is not budging."

Alexis laughed. "I don't know whether to be happy to see you or freaked out of my mind."

"Why are you representing Franco? You should see the angry cast of characters piling into court." Dara said.

"Dara, I'm a Cassadine. The things we do defy logic."

"Seriously Alexis, you need to be real careful with this one." Dara warned.

Diane stepped in. "I've been telling her she has nothing to prove, but she's nuts. Certifiable."

Michael showed up dressed in a suit. "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting?"

Dara looked at Michael. "Who is this handsome young man?"

"That's Michael. He's my intern." Alexis said.

Dara couldn't believe her eyes. "He has grown up. I remember when you were a little guy with tufts of red hair. Justus, may he rest in peace, would be so proud that you want to be a lawyer." She tasseled his hair. "He is cute. I gotta go. See you in court Alexis."

"I'll come with you. There is no hope for that one." Diane gave Alexis the evil eye.

Michael tugged at his suit coat.

"You do look handsome. Why are you wearing a suit?" Alexis asked.

"I'm going to court with you. This is what I've been waiting for. Spinelli and I have been gathering information for you. I want to see you in action. Is that woman your competition?"

"That woman is Dara Jensen. She started as the ADA and moved up to DA. Do you remember Justus Ward?"

"No. I don't."

"I didn't expect that you would. Justus represented Jason and Sonny a couple times. One of which was Jason's custody battle with Tony Jones for you. Justus was Edward's grandson. He even defended Sonny in an attempted murder case of Lorenzo Alcazar." Alexis tapped Michael's nose. "If you're going to be my intern, do your homework. These are things you should be learning."

"You're right I should pay more attention."

Alexis went to her desk and made sure everything was in order. "Make sure my door is closed."

Michael grabbed the doorknob to ensure the door was sealed tight.

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret. It's something that I haven't told anyone."

Michael put his hands to side at attention ready to listen.

Alexis took a seat. "The most important thing that I learned about being an attorney is making the law and the system do for you what you need it to do. I've got 99 problems Michael and I need all of them solved. Some of them can be talked out. Some of them I can pay people off. But some of them are just a little more complicated. And Franco falls into that category of complicated."

"Because he's Mikkos' father?"

"Don't ever say that out loud again."

"I'm sorry Alexis."

"It's not lost on me the day that you came in my office and sat right there and told me that you were raped. My heart ached for you because you're not just some kid. I've known you since before you were even born. I saw you struggle in your incubator just to stay alive after your mother left you in the hands of a delusional drunk, Luke, and a brain damaged mobster. At the time, I did not recall that I'd given birth to a child so I didn't have a mothering bone in my body. I could not imagine that I could be anyone's mother. But I was disgusted when Luke told me that Carly left you behind fighting for your life. I'm not judging your mother; it's just the first thought that popped in my head when you told me that you were raped."

"I know she meant well and she left me in good hands. Jason was a good dad."

"You're a liar and a good one at that." Alexis smiled. "Don't you ever have this desire to get back at the people that have hurt you?"

"Of course. In a heartbeat. It's why I killed Claudia."

"How did it feel to kill Claudia?"

"Not great if I ended up in prison only to get raped. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't. Besides, Johnny and I are friends and I regret taking his sister away from him. She may have been a bad person, but she was someone to him."

Alexis bulked. "Are you judging those that choose to settle a score?"

Michael was suspicious. "What's going on?"

"I need you to stay cool. Your mother is probably going to go off on me because of decisions that I've made, but there are reasons that I've made them. I need Franco as long as I can use him. My number one problem is Helena and she's not an easy one to solve."

Carly rushed into an already cramped courtroom. She noticed Jax across the room.

"Hey. Jax" She flagged him down.

"Why are you here? You shouldn't be here." He said.

"I want to see his face. Finally I get to be in the same room with him. What's with Alexis Davis representing him? Help me figure that out." Carly searched the room with her eyes. "Where is Michael? I hope he won't have to be with her."

"Carly, this is why you need to go home. I don't doubt that Alexis is looking out for Michael's best interest."

"Alexis only cares about Alexis." Carly crossed her arms and noticed Dara walk in the room. "Is that Dara Jensen?"

Jax looked over at Dara sit down at the prosecutor's table. "Yea. It is."

Anna walked in completely out of place. With all the excitement going on around her, she was almost timid about showing up. There was a vulnerability in her that she hadn't felt in years. She found a seat in the back hoping no one would notice her slip in.

Robert showed up and spotted her. "May I sit with you?"

Anna slumped down on the bench. "By all means."

Robert sat down next to her. "Listen, I don't know what Agent Bates has up his sleeve, but I do know that I get your instinct to do whatever it is you do with Franco. I guess it's hard for a man. We don't go through the labor pains and all of that rubbish."

Anna didn't want to share her feelings with Robert. She barely wanted to speak at all. She looked across the room at Carly sitting next to Jax and visibly angry. The quandary of having unconditional love for a child sat like a lump in her chest.

Even as a little girl growing up in England, Anna wanted to be spy. Whether it was the appeal of her idols Emma Peel and Cathy Gale, she romanticized what being a spy was all about until she realized the danger and the loss that the job entailed. She was trained to disconnect from everything and everyone, as you never knew when you'd lose it, until she met the dashing Robert Xavier Scorpio, her fellow WSB agent.

While living in Italy, the secret marriage between the two was short as Robert discovered that Anna was a double agent. Robert quickly divorced Anna, but the marriage produced Robin and Robert Frank. Robert Xavier was gone on other WSB adventures of yore with his closest friends Buzz, Sean Donely and Frisco Jones. He had no clue that Anna was even pregnant and she didn't feel the need to tell him due to the bitterness of the divorce.

At the time of the pregnancy, Caesar Faison was on the prow for Anna as she had helped to take down some of his notorious contacts. His obsession and hold on Anna knocked her off kilter as she allowed Faison into her life just enough for him to have access to the children upon their birth.

Anna was not expecting twins, even though she was a twin to her sister Dr. Alexandra Devane Marick. But when Anna's twins were born, one of them, Robert, was snatched from the Italian hospital by Faison where Anna had hoped to give birth in total secrecy. Having been left with one of the two children, Robin, Anna couldn't bear the heartbreak of losing another. For Robin's protection, Anna befriended an older woman named Filomena Soltini who she told Robin was her grandmother caring for the little girl because her mother had died. And Anna, to Robin, was merely a family friend.

Alexis arrived with Michael behind her. Carly wanted to scoop Michael up and shield him from the Franco spectacle, but Jax pulled her down into her seat.

Alexis stayed focused amongst the stirring and whispers in the room. She nudged Michael. "I think you should sit with your mother."

Michael complied. "I will." He went over and sat next to Carly.

Carly grabbed Michael's hand. "You're my brave little boy."

"It's not a big deal Mom. It's just a bail hearing. He won't make bail. And then the judge will set a grand jury trial date for him. He'll go to trial and he'll be convicted. Alexis has got this."

The sound of chains clinked and all heads turned to the door as a constrained Franco was escorted into the court by a handful of guards. Alexis stood up and allowed the guards to sit Franco at her table. She loathed having to sit next to him.

"All rise. The Honorable Judge Reinhardt is entering the court." The bailiff shouted above the noisy room.

Franco stood up with assistance from the guards and remained quiet. He didn't acknowledge Alexis.

Judge Reinhardt, a chubby older man, stood in front of his chair. "DA Jensen and Ms. Davis in my chambers please." The judge swallowed hard as he looked out at the crowd hanging on to his every word.

Alexis had remained standing. "Your Honor, are we not arguing before the court today?"

"I'd like to hear your arguments in my chambers please." Judge Reinhardt stepped down from the bench and went back to his chambers.

Dara was calm and seemingly unaware of everything going on. Alexis, on the other hand, wasn't sure what to expect. She followed behind Dara as they both left the courtroom for the judge's chambers.

After the door was closed, the judge sat down. "There will be no arguments today. I received a call from Interpol. They are in agreement with the other government agencies that I set a bail price for Franco and set a date for his grand jury trial. Per Interpol, the state has not supplied ample evidence to hold Franco."

Dara gasped. "Are you serious? We have evidence that he murdered Dr. Lisa Niles."

Alexis looked ahead tight-lipped.

"That evidence, DA Jensen, no longer exists." Judge Reinhardt replied.

"How is that possible?" Dara asked. "What's going on Judge?"

"The government seems to believe that they can get Franco to cooperate if he's released into protective custody. Interpol is building a big enough case against him that they can either get him to chirp to stay out of prison or set him up as an informant."

"Will Interpol talk to me?" Dara asked.

"Agent Bates is the man leading the case. He will speak to you and only you openly about this case. In the meantime, I will set a bail price for Franco so high, that he might not be able to meet it. If he does make bail, Interpol would like to know who sponsors him."

Alexis remained emotionless. "You stated he'd need to be in protective custody. What does that mean?"

"His whereabouts will be closely watched. He will be given the option to live in a half-way house unless someone with law enforcement credentials is willing to take him in."

"This is not going to go over well out there. I suggest clearing the court so his whereabouts can remain private." Dara said.

"I agree. I will close the remainder of the court proceedings to the public.

Franco couldn't turn his head as he could feel the daggers of eyes piercing his neck. He wondered how he got there—to the point of being the most hated man in the room. Even his attorney couldn't stand him. In the hands of Caesar Faison and Helena Cassadine he never had a chance.

Alexis and Dara left the judge's chambers. Dara went back to her table. Agent Bates approached her and leaned over to whisper in her ear. She gave him the ok to sit next to her.

Alexis went back to Franco. She tapped his shoulder. "The judge is going to clear the court and tell you what he plans to do."

Franco remained silent. He looked to his right and noticed Anna practically hiding in the corner of the courtroom.

Carly leaned into Michael. "What's going on?"

"I don't know Mom." Michael said bothered by the delay.

The bailiff went to the front of the court. "Please rise. The Honorable Judge Reinhardt is the entering court."

Judge Reinhardt sat down at the bench. "Court is adjourned. I need Ms. Davis and her client to remain. I will also ask DA Jensen and Agent Bates to remain."

The room stirred with confusion.

Anna looked at Robert. "What's going on? I'm not leaving." She stood. "Your Honor…"

The room grew silent.

"If I may ask that law enforcement be allowed to remain as well if you plan to close the court to the public."

"I'll allow it."

"What the hell is going on?" Carly asked Jax.

Jax sighed. "I'll try to talk to Alexis, but I probably can't get an answer now. We should just leave."

Michael got up wanting to talk to Alexis, but he crumpled in fear. He couldn't go near Franco. Instead he rushed outside the courtroom and ran into Nikolas.

"Is the court over?" Nikolas stopped Michael.

"I have no clue what the hell is going on in there." Michael kept walking out the door.

Sam and Ethan both crossed paths with each other on the docks heading to Spoon Island. They decided to take the launch over together.

"I know how to get into Wyndemere without going through the guards." Sam had regular access to Wyndemere from her visits with Nikolas and Spencer.

Ethan seemed intrigued. "Are we talking breaking in?" He loved the idea of breaking into anything.

"I just want to see the Ice Princess again. I've read about it. I've heard myths, but I just want to see it again."

"I've never seen it. I've heard my dad speak of it with pure disgust because of what it did to Lucky. I'm game. But we need to make sure to see Kristina. I promised her."

The two agreed and stepped off the launch.

"I have a lamb and you have a lamb." Kristina walked her lamb over to Mikkos sitting on the nursery floor holding on to his new lamb. "What's your lamb's name? Mine is Lamby-Pie."

Stavros walked into the nursery and shut the door behind him. Kristina looked up at him never having seen his face before.

"Do I know you?" Kristina asked. She reached over to Mikkos and pulled him into her arms unsure of who the man was hovering over her.

"You obviously don't and that's ok." He got on one knee to the ground. "Kristina, I'm Stavros. Has your mother told you anything about me?"

Kristina gripped tight to her little brother. "Yes. You're not a good person. I think you should go. Just don't hurt us."

"I'm not going to hurt you. Why would I do that? I don't deny I'd like to take him off of your hands." He gestured to Mikkos satisfied with gnawing on his lamb. "Just an eye for an eye. A son for son. Alexis took mine. I think I'm entitled to hers."

"You killed my uncle Rick."

Stavros rolled his eyes. "I killed no one. Your mother lives in a fantasy world. The only danger to all of us is Franco and I hope he's put away for life. Don't you? He kidnapped you and almost left you for dead. What a shame if he didn't pay for his crimes." He stood up.

Kristina prayed in her head for Ethan to show up.

Sam led Ethan through one of the dark entrances of the tunnels.

"How do we know where Stefan keeps this thing?" Ethan said ducking cobwebs in the darkness.

Sam stopped short. "Are you afraid of spiders?"

"They can't get a cleaning crew down here?" He batted away more cobwebs.

"I just remember this way being the path to Franco's art studio."

"I told Stavros to remain anonymous! He's ruining everything!" Helena shouted from one of the rooms.

Sam and Ethan heard her voice and sprinted back out from where they came. They ran as hard as they could without disturbing whatever lurked behind. They made it back outside and continued to race across the island's sand to the gates of the main house.

Ethan had to stop to catch his breath. "Ah man. I'm out of shape." He leaned on Sam. "You need to take me diving."

"You need to stop smoking cigars. Did you hear her? That was Helena. Stavros is living in the tunnels." Sam said.

"We need to get to Kristina."

They continued to run to the gates. The guards, knowing Sam, opened them without her needing to ask not forgetting the last beat down Lorenzo served up to them for denying her entrance. Sam and Ethan made it to the front door and rushed in. "Kristina!" Sam shouted.

Ms. Lansbury stepped out from the kitchen. "She's in the nursery."

Sam and Ethan ran up the stairs and busted through the door of Mikkos' nursery. Stavros was gone and Kristina was putting Mikkos in his crib.

"Are you ok?" Ethan asked.

Kristina started to cry. "Stavros was here."

"Where did he go?" Sam asked.

"He just left out the door. I didn't know what to do. I had to protect Mikkos. He wanted him."

"He wanted Mikkos?" Sam asked.

Kristina grew impatient. "Something about an eye for eye. I don't know. I'm freaked out. I wanna go home."

The courtroom was cleared of spectators. Judge Reinhardt focused on Franco still waiting to hear his fate.

"Robert Frank Scorpio, you are being released on bail into protective custody."

Anna looked at Robert in shock.

Robert buried his face in his hands. "This is awful."

The judge continued. "Your arrangements will be clearly defined to you by your attorney. I will schedule a grand jury hearing to determine whether you will stand trial for the charges of first degree murder of Dr. Lisa Niles."

Dara stood. "Your Honor, the state will be filing additional charges, both murder and attempted murder."

"Will you provide the defense with these additional charges before the grand jury trail?" Judge Reinhardt asked.

"I will." Dara sat back down.

Anna stood up. "Your Honor, I will take protective custody of Franco."

"Oh my god." Robert got up. "I can't stay for this." He left the courtroom.

"If Agent Bates and Interpol are fine with the arrangement, we will proceed in that direction."

Agent Bates stood up. "I am fine that arrangement. Interpol and I will work with the PCPD."

Alexis stood up. "I object to this arrangement."

Franco groaned and threw his head back.

"Ms. Davis, we have two options here. Mr. Scorpio is either on bail and in the protective custody of Ms. Devane and the PCPD or he goes back to Pentonville. Which do you prefer?" Judge Reinhardt reiterated.

"Bail." Alexis sat down wanting to put her fist through the table.

Alexis hadn't planned for it all to go that way. She needed access to Franco—uninhibited access. Alexis was able to pull off a plan of murder with Luis Alcazar, but she eventually fell to her own psychosis. Since Franco was caught in the tunnels of Wyndemere, close to a year before, he was under the watchful eyes of the law. And there wasn't much Alexis could achieve in those conditions. Alexis couldn't believe that Anna, a woman that barely knew the alleged serial killer that she called her son, would take him under her wing. Alexis didn't bank on any other scenarios, especially not Anna. She knew she needed to regroup and do a lot of lying in the process.