Jax heard a knock on the door. He was not expecting anybody but got up to answer it. He thought it might be Michael, who he constantly had to remind did not need to knock upon entering. Although he could understand the recent hesitance considering the one time he did enter without being let in happened to be when he found his mother unconscious. Jax opened the door to find his best friend with tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked letting her cling to him.

"Jerry has Sam." She replied.

"You heard from Jerry?" Jax asked. He wanted to be able to tell her that his brother would not hurt her but he knew better. Jax wasn't entirely sure Jerry would protect him if his own hide was on the line.

"No, Nikolas talked to Lucky."

"Here, come in." Jax invited her to sit down in order to get the story. It made sense as to why Nikolas just happened by the lake house the prior evening. "Can I get you anything?"

"No. He says that Sam is fine, and I'm sure Spinelli and Luke are with him to help with whatever he is plotting." Alexis said assuring herself.

"If I know Jerry he is just trying to find a way out." Jax explained.

"I told her if it got to be too much than let it go. Instead they almost get blown up and then follow him to who knows where and she gets held captive. This is all my fault." She said reaching the point where she was almost hyperventilating again.

"Alexis, breathe. Lucky is a cop. He's a trained detective. For all we know Sam being taken is part of the plan. She is a survivor. She will get home safe." He said talking her down.

"You're right." She said and then repeated for her own sake. "You're right. She will be fine. Thank you. I'm sorry about barging in. I just didn't know where to go and I couldn't fall apart in front of the girls. They absolutely adore their big sister."

"You don't need to explain." Jax reminded her they were friends and that's what they were there for.

"I know, but you are going above and beyond the call of duty."

He wasn't sure about that. If anything Alexis had been the one taking care of him as he was breaking down. "Alexis, about last night…"

"Nothing happened." She replied.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't."

"Okay." He replied sweeping it under the rug. "I'm going to see Carly tomorrow."

"That's good." She responded. Both could feel the conversation turning awkward.

"If there's any chance I think we need to talk face-to-face." He said heeding Olivia's advice.

"I agree, and I think for your daughter's sake that you should try anything you can to make the marriage work." She gulped. She had spent most of the day attempting to understand where the kiss had come from. They had been friends for so long that it didn't make sense that they would all of the sudden see each other in a sexual way, but as she looked at him now in a casual t-shirt and jeans there was an attraction that she was holding in.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything?" Jax offered again. "I have some wine."

"No, really." She backed down. Lowering the inhibitions would be a bad idea for both of them. "I should get going. I need to bring the girls early tomorrow morning."

"Okay, but if you need to talk let me know. I should be back by tomorrow evening."

"I will." She replied. "Thanks again."

**********

"So Coleman, you're throwing another karaoke night?" Patrick asked as he grabbed a couple beers from the bar, and saw the sign for Thursday night.

"It's great for business, why? Is the Drake duet making another appearance?" The only way Robin was able to get Patrick to sing the last time was by agreeing to perform with him.

"Not a chance." Patrick replied.

"Oh, come on, you were a hit last time."

"You know you had fun." Robin said approaching the bar.

"See!" Coleman added attempting to persuade the surgeon. Then he turned his attention to Robin. "What can I get you, beautiful?"

"I'll take a club soda." She replied as she had already agreed to be the sober cab. They walked back to the table and Patrick handed a bottle to Matt who was peering over at the door.

"She did say she was coming, right?" Robin asked.

"Yes, I just talked to her an hour ago." Lulu had called Matt after receiving the update from Nikolas. When she sounded upset Matt suggested they meet at Jake's.

"There she is." Patrick pointed her out, Maxie came with her.

Matt stood up to greet Lulu with a hug. She met him with an embrace, and buried her head into his shoulder not wanting to let go.

"Any news?" Patrick asked Maxie as she sat down. Matt had filled them in on the disappearances.

"Sure, Lucky and Sam are on a case to find Jerry Jax. Sam got grabbed, and Lucky sent for Luke and Spinelli to get her back." Maxie explained.

"How much did Uncle Mac know about this?" Robin asked.

"Enough to know that he's the one that put the warrant out for Jerry's arrest." Maxie explained.

Both Patrick and Robin were familiar with just how demented Jerry was. As Lulu sat down Robin offered her support. "I know how scary it is waiting for someone you love to come back from a case. Lucky can do this, you have to trust that."

"I know." Lulu nodded. At least that was what she was telling herself.

"Can I get you anything?" Matt asked.

Lulu smiled. "Yeah, I'll take a rum and coke, and keep them coming."

"Oh, me too." Maxie chimed in.

He looked over at Maxie and smiled. "Sure thing."

"How is the magazine going?" Patrick asked hoping to keep the conversation light.

"Just peachy." Maxie responded sarcastically. "I'm up to my ears in photo shoots and I need to get the January magazine out tomorrow which is a week later than it should have been, and the columnist for the Valentine's piece for the next issue just called in sick."

"What happened? I thought you said at Thanksgiving that you were all caught up." Robin questioned.

"We lost the location for the New Years spread." Lulu explained. Luckily there was a cancellation at the spot that didn't put them too far behind. "How is everything at the hospital?"

"Good. I've been doing research for a new drug that should be helpful in reducing bleeding during intracranial surgery with fewer side effects which was brought to the FDA this week." Robin explained.

"That's great." Lulu responded.

"Here you go." Matt said setting down a glass for both blondes. Lulu gave him a kiss on the cheek and drank it down quickly. Coleman was watching from the bar and sent a waitress over with another glass.

Maxie, Patrick, and Robin got wrapped up in conversation about Emma.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk?" Matt whispered to Lulu.

She shook her head no. No amount of talking about going to change anything, and she wasn't sure that he wanted to hear about the problems with her ex. As they were breaking up she couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something that if she found out would cause her to hate him.

"Have you been able to talk to Carly recently?" Matt asked.

"Briefly. She seemed tired but said she was fine." Lulu answered.

"I happen to know all is well there." Patrick cut in. He was thrilled to see the latest test results as they came in. He couldn't say any more without breaching confidentiality, but it looked like Lulu could use a pick me up.

"Have you been able to convince either of your parents to come to Christmas?" Maxie asked Robin.

"My mom is coming, but dad is currently MIA." This didn't seem to phase her much. "You?"

"I haven't seen my dad in so long I'm not sure I'd know what he looked like, and apparently my mom is out gallivanting with him. You know, children usually dream of their parents getting back together."

"Well, yeah, but that is in hopes that they can be a family again." Robin explained. "Which doesn't work when they are cross country."

"That's assuming they are on this continent." Maxie added, but she was thrilled with the family she had in Port Charles, assuming Spinelli made it back in time.
After Lulu's fourth drink in an hour Matt tried to talk her out of ordering another.

"Lulu, are you okay?" He asked when they moved away from the table.

"Yeah, I'm just going to go outside for a moment."

"I'm going with you."

"No, I'm fine; I just need some fresh air."

He didn't want to argue. He let her go as he met back up with the group.

"Okay, what's going on Maxie?" Matt questioned.

"I don't really know for sure. I think I do, but I really don't think it's my place to say anything." Maxie explained. She remembered her own conversations with Johnny, and he did allude to covering for Claudia with something bad enough to really hurt Lulu.

Lulu walked outside and welcomed the cold breeze.

"Are you alright?" She heard a familiar voice.

"Leave me alone." She shot back.

"I would, but you look like you might get sick." Johnny observed.

"Why would you care?"

"I do care, Lulu." He responded. As much as he liked Olivia, and loved the fact that they could tell each other everything, he still held a place in his heart for the first girl he really loved. He also knew that he had the ability to destroy her, and he couldn't do that.

"Sure. You know I defended you."

"What do you mean?"

"I walked up to my cousin as she was sitting at her son's bedside to tell her that you had nothing to do with it."

Johnny knew exactly what she was talking about, and also knew there was no way he could explain his way out of it.

"Was that it? Was that the secret that eventually tore us apart?"

Johnny nodded.

"You make me sick." She commented and then felt like she might hurl. Johnny went to grab her as she crouched over.

"Can I get someone for you?" Johnny offered and she tried breathing her way through the nausea. She simply shook her head no.

"I'm okay." She said as she stood up. "Just please, get your hands off of me."

"Lulu…."

"You heard her." Matt said stepping outside.

"Who asked you?" Johnny said as he moved away from her.

Enraged Matt threw punch and connected with Johnny midsection. This prompted Johnny to swing at his jaw but Matt ducked and Johnny's momentum propelled him to the cement. Hearing the commotion outside Patrick, Robin, and Maxie stood up to see what was going on. Patrick pulled his brother off of Johnny to break up the fight.

"Johnny, just leave." Maxie commanded noticing some blood trickling from his lip.

"You might want to get her some water." Johnny suggested before walking away.

Robin tended to Lulu who still did not look too hot.

*********

After lunch Jason took Carly to the shopping center where they had to weave there way through the bustling halls of fellow Christmas shoppers. Carly picked out presents and souvenirs for her kids, and although he wasn't entirely comfortable he was able to pick up some gifts of his own as well. When her energy started to drain he brought her back to the hotel.

Carly felt at ease resting her head on his chest; she brushed her finger over his chest making invisible shapes and letters over his sternum.

"What are you doing?" Jason asked grabbing her hand.

"It reminds me of a dream I had."

"Really?"

"Only in my dream you didn't have your shirt on." She described.

"Was this a recent dream?" He asked remembering some of his own hallucinations from when Carly was unconscious.

"You know, I don't really remember. It was vivid, as if it felt like it was actually happening."

He thought it was an interesting choice of the word, vivid, the same word he used to describe the experience to Monica. "Do you think it may have been from when you were comatose?" He asked. He very nearly forgot about it until she brought it up.

"It's possible."

"Do you remember anything else?"

"Like?"

"Like a shower? A game of pool at Jakes?"

"Sort of. Of course you turned down my invitation this morning. Why do you ask?" She questioned. "Wait, you had them too."

She recalled after the dock explosion she had questioned whether Jason had a similar experience to hers while both were unconscious. He wouldn't confirm it at the time, but he had never denied it either. Only this time it was Jason questioning the psychic link.

"Come on, Jase, admit it."

"Yes, I admit it. There was some soul matish, psychic link thing happening."
"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't know what it was. All I knew is that it meant more time with you, and I planned on hanging on to anything I got."

"Well, you have the real me now. No more dreams, no hallucination, just flesh and soul." She replied and kissed him. He propped himself up on one elbow and met her half-way. He liked the sound of that, and he wasn't going to let another decade pass before their very eyes. Jason grabbed her lower back with his free arm and propelled her around until she was pinned to the mattress. They continued to make out and undress each other.

She knew what she was doing was wrong, and that she should at least wait until starting the paperwork with her lawyer before doing anything, but she couldn't stop herself. She had waited too long already, and they both wanted this.

"Are you sure?" He questioned before taking the next step.

She didn't feel the need to say anything instead just propped herself up to massage her tongue against his. He melt into her as they did what could only be described as making love.