Alexis went to Kelly's still irritated by her runin with Ned. She needed to digest the information that Addie had given her and yet she still had to deal with responding to the latest round of pencil whipping by EL Q's own team of lawyers. His condescending attitude pissed her off as always and she wanted to smack her head for even thinking of marrying into him and his crazy family.
Every year she lit a candle in memory of Stitch the driver of the semi that had rescued what the media labeled the "runaway bride". A title it would take her years to lose until the fourth estate found other names to call her. Stitch had died in a tragic accident several years later while on the road after abruptly swerving to avoid a runaway school bus carrying students, right off a cliff.
But enough about Ned as she had tried to warn him about the heavy hitters who wouldn't use Eminent Domain to grab the parcels on the Marina that they wanted. He had foolishly brushed her off and if he wound up being fished out of the harbor, but then he had always underestimated her clan.
She needed to focus on what Addie had shared for her.; Information about the day Sam was born that had gotten her sister killed by Cassadines no doubt. Her father or any other in his bloodline would have done it without any consideration of this woman or the family that mourned her.
If her father had been dead, Victor imprisoned though still calling some shots and Valentin, the phantom in the family. She would have to go to some familiar characters for more answers. All while moving forwards on what was looking to be a class action lawsuit against the city and ELQ. Then there was her appointment with Kevin which she anticipated and dreaded. If her dreams were repressed memories, well her track record there was that every time her brain had done that to preserve her soul as its gatekeeper...she closed her eyes. Intense pain and trauma surely lay ahead if her past was any indication.
So much to do. Even more to process. And so little time to do it all.
It was going to be one busy week.
She opened the door and nearly collided with someone.
"Mom…"
Alexis smiled and entered the restaurant which was nearly empty.
"Sam...I didn't…"
They walked to a nearby table and sat down. Sam as always whipping out her laptop and booting it up.
"Mom where were you? I dropped Danny off at Monica's and came here to grab some food and get work done.""
Alexis bit her lip.
"I had a meeting...with a woman who contacted me to meet her at the gazebo…"
Sam frowned.
"And you went by yourself? You should have told me. I would have come. It could have been a setup., An ambush by the person trying to kill you."
Alexis sighed, putting her satchel on the table. A waiter took their order for coffee and sandwiches.
"It wasn't that at all. This woman was Addie Brownlow...her sister Shelli was your midwife and my main support while in Maine."
Sam raised her brows.
"Wow...why did she contact you?"
Alexis took a deep breath.
"Her sister was murdered not long after delivering you. It was set up to look like a car accident but some lines were severed."
"How did they know? Oh yeah, clean cut lines, Did the police do anything? I guess not and that the family hired a PI to probe into it."
Alexis nodded.
"Shelli kept journals of all the pregnant woman she took care of. There was you. A child of local farmers and a little boy...a gentleman came and picked him up shortly after. It was an adoption."
Sam's brows narrowed.
"Something about the birth of a boy whose birth certificate can't be located. So he was adopted out? What about his mother?"
Alexis paused not wanting her own memories to resurface but there hadn't been any information about the mother.
" I don't know Sam...it must have been an incredibly difficult decision for her to give up her child...I know…"
Sam put a hand over her mother's.
"Mom you didn't have a choice. It was your father's decision. You were so young."
Alexis smiled at her eldest, one of the three miracles in her life. It had been a difficult painful road for both of them but now she wouldn't take a step of it back.
"I just wonder if there's not more to this...especially now that a woman is dead because of it."
Sam leaned forward.
"What do you mean?"
Alexis folded her arms.
"I don't know. After today I just feel like there's something in this that we're missing and it's hiding in plain sight."
Sam nodded.
"Maybe it has to do with whatever to that little boy."
Julian leaned back in his chair at Derek Wells Media watching the live streaming breaking newscast on his desktop. A blonde woman was standing there in front of the PCPD.
"I'm Crystal Waters and I'm here at the PCPD which has been rocked by a major scandal involving alleged collusion between the PCPD, the DEA and a drug cartel in South America, Several arrests today included DEA agent Jordan Ashford, two PCPD officers and an evidence technician after indictments were filed by a federal grand jury related to drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, bribery, money laundering and criminal threats. More to come on these shocking developments,,,"
Julian smirked in satisfaction eagerly awaiting the moment that Anna as the latest disgraced PCPD commissioner would have to issue a formal statement. He would be sending a crate of Cuban cigars and monogrammed wrist cuffs to his informant known only as M.T.
Anna really should have just listened to his initial warning. Now with this out of the way he could refocus on what really mattered. Not to mention the cast of characters involved who had suddenly surfaced in PC and brought their past baggage with him.
Past history that put Alexis and her and his family at risk.
Milan's half truths pissed the hell out of him but he sensed that he meant Alexis and Sam no harm. He seemed very protective of his adoptive son. Julian could understand that as he felt the same way about Sam and he'd only just met her, But he already knew he'd die to protect her and his son Lucas.
Kostas he had distrusted and hated on sight and he didn't fully understand why but he trusted it. He would continue to feel both. On some level, he knew that Alexis was withholding a lot of information on Kostas.
Robert and Carlos two blasts from the past could go to hell as far as he was concerned but if necessary he would use them.
He knew about Dimitri but wasn't surprised he'd resurfaced. Julian knew he had spent years associating with a cast of unsavory characters, anyone of them could resurface at any time.
Suddenly a knock on the door and he looked up.
"Nikolas what are you doing here?"
The Cassadine prince sat in the seat opposite of him.
"I'm here on behalf of my aunt. Someone is trying to kill her and the police seem to think it's you that is behind it."
Julian shook his head,
"It's not me. I'm trying to protect her. I don't think it's any of my enemies behind it."
Nikolas frowned..
"So what do you think?"
"I think it's more than a coincidence that when the population of Cassadines triples in this town and other notorious players like Kostas show up and suddenly her life is in danger...there has some connection. I just don't know what it is do you?
Nikolas looked pensive.
"I don't know. My father is truly dead...this time and Milan wouldn't hurt her. He's more concerned about his adopted son. Not sure I bought into the folklore about my half uncle Valentin and I don't trust this Kostas character. My mother told me about what happened during her escape."
Julian leaned back in his chair.
"So what did she tell you?"
"That Robert and several agents from the WSB engineered her escape from Cassadine Island and that she wanted to make it clear to me she never planned to abandon me. She was going to come back...I didn't believe her for a long time but now I do. Then she told me Robert had recruited a young woman in the compound to help him...that woman is my aunt,"
Julian gasped at the news.
"Y9u mean Alexis. She helped Robert...why would she help him?"
Nikolas shrugged.
"They arranged a deal between them, I don't know the terms of it. I was to be mutually beneficial for both of them."
"Go on…
"He wanted to save my mom because he was close to her and Luke. Alexis had something that she wanted in return and Robert agreed to it."
Julian leaned forward.
"What was it?"
Nikolas glanced away.
"I don't know that part but my mother said he made her a promise. I don't know what happened. My mother got away reconnected with Luke and he killed my father."
Julian digested this information. He couldn't fathom what would motivate Alexis to cut a deal with the man who was responsible in the destruction of her family tree.
"I love my aunt and you have to help her…."
Julian's concentration slipped away from Nikolas's plea. His memories took him back to that last night he'd held Alexis in his arms cherishing the hours they would spend together before fate and family history would separate them possibly forever. She nestled against him, her face against his bare chest.
"Julian…"
Her voice was but a whisper. He squeezed her towards him,
"What?"
She tilted his face towards her own. Her face, he would never ever forget the way she looked at him.
"Please don't ever forget. Say you'll always remember this. I know I will."
He bent to kiss her sweet lips and stroke her hair.
"I promise…"
