Notes: chapter title from "written in the sand" by old dominion.

DISCLAIMER: as usual, { I own nothing }


four / let's get to what we're doing here

… … …

It's been so long since he was in a real relationship that he almost forgot about this part. The awkward dance of spending as much time together as possible without suffocating one another. As much as he likes her - "smitten" is the word Lulu would use - Chase knows that he and Willow are still getting to know one another, still figuring out what this thing is between them. He's not seeing anyone else (doesn't want to) and he's pretty sure she's not, either. But he thinks it's important for them to take things slow, keep everything in perspective. He has to remember that it's not just the two of them in this relationship; she has Jaxon to consider, and she always will, and he comes first. Period. He wants to give her as much space as she needs to make sure this is what she wants, and to make sure it's what's best for Jaxon, too.

It's not like he has much free time these days, anyway; there are multiple ongoing investigations, and he's up to his eyeballs in paperwork and questionings and arrests and statements. With Willow having time off from work for the holidays, his temptation is to seek her out whenever he has a free moment. But they've spent every evening together since New Year's Eve, and he thinks it's about time to expand his social circle again.

He's leaving work at the time his shift was actually scheduled to end for the first time in weeks. It's almost eight o'clock, but after several nights in a row of working until ten or eleven, he feels like he has all the time in the world. Combined with the fact that he doesn't have to be at work again until noon tomorrow, he figures he can go out for a or two beer, let off some steam. He briefly considers calling Finn before he remembers that it's been weeks since he's spoken to Michael at all.

Though it was brought about by mutual mistakes and a shared tragedy, he and Michael have developed a tentative friendship in recent months. He's all but given up hope that he'll make friends with any of the guys on the force, so honestly, it's nice to have someone to watch a Sox game with every once in a while. However, he'll admit that he's let it fall by the wayside recently. Chase knows Michael's still having a rough time coping with Jonah's death, especially during the holidays, and he knows that the common experience that binds them together – Nelle - is the last person Michael wants to think about, pretty much ever. He doesn't blame him at all for that; he'd like to forget Nelle ever existed, too. But he doesn't want to give Nelle the power to take away the only friendship he's really had in Port Charles, and honestly, he could use a sounding board to debrief the last few months of his life.

"How have you been, man?" He asks as he rests his elbows on the bar and takes a pull of his beer. He's grateful that the Floating Rib is mostly empty tonight, with most people still recovering from the holidays.

Michael purses his lips, nods, cracks a smile. "It's been better these days," he says. "The holidays actually helped, I think. Reminded me that despite everything, I still have so much to be thankful for."

Chase nods. "Exactly," he comments, clapping Michael on the back good-naturedly. "I'm glad to hear it. I'm glad that you had plenty of family around to remind you of that."

Michael nods, takes a pull of his beer. "What about you? You were noticeably absent at the New Year's party, and I know you weren't working, so…"

Called out. Chase tries to bite his lip to conceal his smile and fails. "Actually, I spent the evening at Lulu's place with Maxie and all the kids. And Willow."

Michael's eyebrows shoot up. "Willow Tait?"

Chase nods, looking down into his beer to conceal the way his smile is taking over his face. God, it's actually embarrassing how much he likes her. "The one and only."

A slow grin spreads across Michael's face. "Well, that explains a lot," he chuckles.

Chase furrows his brow. "What do you mean?"

Michael shrugs, seems to contemplate his words momentarily. "Just… I've hung out with her a few times, when I run into her at Wiley's playgroup. She mentioned she was seeing someone."

Chase hums, sipping his beer. "I didn't know you two knew each other that well," he muses.

Michael shakes his head. "Nah. We've just talked a bit. She's pretty closed off when it comes to anything deeper than small talk, anyway."

Chase can't argue with that. "The more I get to know her, the more she intrigues me," he comments. "I mean, she's fucking incredible, obviously. But she's got some skeletons, I think. Like you said, she's hard to crack. She and Lulu are pretty close, and I'm not even sure Lulu knows what brought her to town."

Michael considers. "You think she's hiding something?"

Chase shrugs. "She shows up in town just in time to give birth to a baby, and settles here without knowing a single soul. She's gotta be running from something, at the very least." Chase shakes his head. "I'm trying not to pry, but…"

"But you're a detective." Michael smirks in understanding. He takes a pull of his beer. "You know, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I noticed some sparks between you two at Career Day."

Chase grins. "I was trying to charm her a little bit, I think," he admits. "I asked her out that day."

"Of course you did," Michael chuckles. "You hardly ever wear your uniform, so you gotta milk it while you can, I guess."

Chase hums, picking at the label on his beer. He smirks. "So, you must be the only guy at the mommy-and-me class, huh?"

Michael rolls his eyes, chuckling. "Yeah, usually, but I don't mind. It's nice, spending time with Wiley, especially since he's the same age as…"

Chase tilts his head as Michael trails off. "The same age as Jonah, you mean."

"Yeah," Michael sighs. "And as much as I miss him, it's a nice reminder, you know, that life goes on. Jonah was meant for better than this world."

He wonders, sometimes, how Michael doesn't hold him responsible for his son's death. After all, it was Chase's brilliant plan to bring down Nelle that put Jonah in jeopardy in the first place, and ultimately, the idea to catch her in her lies was all his. If it weren't for him, the car wreck that sent Nelle into labor in the middle of the woods would never have happened. But never once has Michael put the blame on him, something Chase will forever be thankful for. And it helps, too, that Michael seems to have such a good perspective about things now.

Chase nods. "That's good, though, that you have people around you who can provide that for you. Perspective. I'm sure that helps a lot."

Michael nods, sips his drink. He takes a deep breath. "So, do you have any theories about Willow?"

Chase purses his lips, considering. He sips his beer. "I have this feeling that it has to do with Jaxon's father," he reveals. "I don't know why, it just… seems to make sense."

Michael hums. "You think she's trying to hide Jaxon from him? Like he's dangerous, or something?"

"I don't know." Chase shakes his head. "Maybe I'm seeing things through rose-colored glasses, or maybe I'm blinded by how much I like her, but I can't see any other reason why she would settle in a strange town without anyone around her to help her raise her son. And she made an offhand comment, once, that she doesn't speak to her mother anymore, so that's another thought."

Michael narrows his eyes. "Do you think she could be in trouble?"

Chase shrugs. "She is pretty skeptical and a little bit jumpy, sometimes. It makes me wonder if there's something out there she's afraid of, someone she doesn't want to find her. But I'm trying not to jump to conclusions, and I'm trying not to let my imagination run away with me. As far as I know, she's safe here, for the time being, so there's really no need to worry yet."

Michael sips his beer, considering. "Well, you know if you need backup or anything, I've got your back. After what Nelle did, and what happened to Jonah… I'll help you make sure no one gets anywhere near Jaxon."

He hadn't really thought about that, that at some point it might come down to needing to protect both Willow and Jaxon from someone. Without knowing details, it's easy to picture them as a nameless, faceless, distant threat who may or may not ever materialize. It makes him uneasy to realize that this someone might turn up, eventually, and thinking of Willow or Jaxon being in any sort of danger makes his blood run cold.

He may not officially be her boyfriend yet, but he's realizing he's already willing to do pretty much anything for her. He's just hoping it doesn't come to that, at least not anytime soon.

… … …

With two official dates, a very sweet Christmas Eve kiss, and more and more time spent together in their rearview, she's feeling more and more like this thing with Chase could really be something, and she's absolutely terrified.

It's not that she doesn't trust him, because she absolutely does. And while that used to only apply to his professional life as a detective, she now trusts him in her personal life, too. He's been so wonderful about allowing her to open up to him on her terms, in bits and pieces, however she's comfortable. But there are things that happen between two people when a relationship gets more serious, as theirs is beginning to. Things that she has little experience with, and what experience she does have… well, let's just say she'd like to pretend she has no experience at all. She's never been in a real relationship before, and she doesn't really know at what point sex is going to become an issue, and she wants to be prepared when the topic arises.

And anyway, aside from that, she knows that being in a relationship with her has certain nuances that other relationships don't. The fact that she has a six-month-old son is certainly a wrinkle that complicates things. She can't afford to be in a casual relationship, because Jaxon doesn't deserve that. She knows that Chase likes her, enjoys spending time with her. But she also knows that those two things don't imply any sort of commitment, and she's not really sure she can move forward if this is just a casual dating relationship. Because, by necessity, any relationship she pursues has to be more than just casual dating.

She doesn't want a marriage proposal. She just wants to know he's serious about her, about them. But how soon is too soon to have those conversations?

As winter break winds down, Willow is trying to take advantage of every free moment she has to relax and spend time with Jaxon. But when Lulu drops by one afternoon while her little boy naps, she figures she can probe her friend for some advice on how to proceed.

"What are you so afraid of?" Lulu asks as they sip peppermint tea in Willow's living room.

"My experience with relationships is severely lacking," she sighs, pulling her legs up onto the sofa. She cradles her mug between her hands, soaking up the warmth. "I know Chase is a great guy, and I don't doubt that he cares about me. But the more time we spend together, the more serious we get, the more I wonder how equipped I am to handle it."

Lulu nods in understanding. "So we're talking about sex."

Willow takes a deep breath. "I've only ever been with one guy," she admits, "and he was manipulative and I wasn't quite… ready."

"Oh, Willow." Lulu reaches over, takes her hand, her eyes shining. "Did he…"

"No." Willow looks down into her tea. "Not technically, I guess, but I didn't really have any idea what I was getting myself into. It's more of an emotional scar, I guess."

Lulu tilts her head in concern. "And then you got pregnant."

"And then I got pregnant," Willow nods. "And since technically I wasn't in a relationship with the guy, I guess Chase is my first real relationship, and it feels like a big deal."

Lulu nods and squeezes her hand, her lips quirking up into a grin. "Of course it does, because it is a big deal."

"I just don't want to make it any bigger than it needs to be," Willow stresses. "I don't know at what point the topic should come up, or what he's thinking or what he expects or how he's feeling about… what we are, I guess. Is it too soon to be asking those questions?"

Lulu sips her tea, considering. "I don't think it's too soon if it's something you're worried about," she reasons. "I think Chase is the kind of guy who would want to know that these are things you're thinking about. One of the most important things in a relationship is communication, making sure that you're honest with one another, that you're on the same page about things. The only way to find out what he's thinking or feeling is to talk to him about it, and to be honest about what you're thinking and feeling in return." Lulu tilts her head. "And I think you have a lot more to consider, with Jaxon, than most other women your age, and you're smart to be taking this seriously."

Willow sighs. "And that's another thing. Jaxon's getting older, and he's starting to recognize people now." She bites her lip, worrying. "What if he gets attached to Chase and things don't work out? I just don't want to create a pattern in his life where men are constantly in and out and no one sticks around to be there for him."

Lulu hums, nods in understanding. "Well, I know I'm biased, but I don't think that's something you need to worry about with Chase," she says. "If I know Chase like I think I do, I think he's already thinking of a lot of those same questions. I think he's probably trying to give you as much space as you need to figure out what this relationship means for Jaxon, too, and I think he's already considered that he needs to be intentional about how he proceeds. I think he's smart enough to understand what it means to be with you, with Jaxon, and he understands that this is not your typical dating situation." Lulu reaches for her hand again, and Willow looks up from her tea to meet her eyes. "But if you're really that concerned about it, Willow, you need to talk to him about it. Your feelings are clearly far enough developed that you're concerned about the long-term, and something tells me his feelings are there, too."

Willow sighs in relief, because honestly, everything Lulu said is everything she already thought, and it helps give her some clarity on how to move things forward. She feels like she knows Chase well enough at this point to know what kind of person he is, and she knows that he's too thoughtful and intentional to take their relationship lightly. She was worried that she may have been giving him too much credit, seeing things with rose-colored glasses, but now that she knows Lulu agrees with her, it's easier to trust her judgment when it comes to Chase.

"Thanks," Willow exhales, smiling at her friend. "I needed someone to tell me that I'm not being crazy."

"You're not being crazy," Lulu laughs. "You're just… smitten. It's cute."

Willow rolls her eyes, but she can't help but smile. "Yeah, thanks."

Lulu sips her tea. "So, Michael says he's enjoyed getting to know you at playgroup."

And there it is; the other elephant in the room. Willow's been hesitant to have this conversation with Lulu, knowing the familial connection between them, but she knows she needs to be honest with her friend.

"Yeah… about Michael."

Lulu narrows her eyes. "What about Michael?"

"I think I may have accidentally given him the wrong idea," Willow says sheepishly. "We've hung out a few times after playgroup, and last time we went out for lunch, and I think he thought we were on a date."

"So you're leading him on?"

"I didn't mean to," Willow winces. "And I told him I was seeing someone as soon as I suspected. I made sure he knows where I stand. But he seemed… hurt, and I guess I'm kind of worried that I let it go too far."

Lulu sighs. "Look, I don't know how much you know about what happened to Michael right around the time you came through town, but… he got his heart broken pretty bad. I know you know he lost Jonah, but Jonah's mother really did a number on him, and he's got a lot of hurt still hidden in his heart." Lulu sips her tea. "It's good that you were upfront with him. Michael will be okay. He's probably not used to being turned down, honestly," she jokes.

Willow nods, exhales. She's grateful that Lulu isn't upset, that she's able to be objective. "I'm sorry if I'm putting you in the middle of everything."

"Willow," Lulu smiles warmly. "We're friends. Sure, I care about Michael and Chase, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you, too."

Willow returns her smile. "What did I do to deserve a friend like you?"

"I don't know," Lulu hums. "But if you really want to thank me, you can pour me another peppermint tea."

Willow laughs, stands to take her friend's mug. "Coming right up."

She's never had someone she could go to for advice like this, never been able to confide in her mother, never had an older sister or even a best friend, really. So she's beyond thankful that, in moving to Port Charles, she found a friend like Lulu, who combines the best parts of all three.

… … …

With all the turmoil and concern for public safety around Port Charles in recent months, he knows everyone - especially the women in their town - are looking for ways to prepare themselves, to be able to defend themselves if necessary. Commissioner Ashford suggested teaching a self-defense class at the first of the year, and he jumped at the chance to teach it. He wasn't surprised that so many women signed up. He was surprised that one woman in particular was so enthusiastic about it.

He'll admit that it raised some alarm bells in his head, the fact that Willow practically jumped at the chance to learn self-defense. In any other situation, he may not have been so skeptical, but knowing what he knows (and what he doesn't know) about Willow's past… well, he can't help but add it to the list of evidence that she's clearly running from someone, and that she feels that her safety may be threatened at some point. It only confirms what he's thought ever since he found out she legally changed her name before she moved here, and he wonders at what point she'll finally open up to him about the path that brought her to Port Charles.

But he'll admit, it was ridiculously sexy, watching her eyes light up with a fire he's never seen while he taught her some new moves. And he's pretty impressed that she kept her cool throughout the whole ordeal, because Elizabeth and Nina couldn't seem to keep their claws away from one another. Metaphorically, at least. He knows Willow has a backbone and can stand up for herself, but it was pretty satisfying to see it in person.

"You certainly know how to cause a ruckus," he teases, smiling over the rim of his coffee. When she asked him out after class this morning, he wanted to take her somewhere, but she insisted that she needed to pick up Jaxon and put him down for a nap. Thankfully, she invited him to her place, instead.

Willow rolls her eyes, tucks her legs up beneath her on the sofa. "Shut up," she laughs. "I'm just glad it didn't actually come to blows."

Chase hums, his eyes sparkling in amusement. "Could have been productive, though, for the sake of the class."

She reaches out to shove at his knee as he laughs. "Careful," she warns.

"Or what?" he challenges playfully.

"Or I'll use those new moves you taught me to make a point." She quirks her brow, smirking, and he chuckles.

"Touché." He smirks back at her, subtly moves just a little bit closer, turns his body toward her. "I am curious, actually, if there's a reason why you were so enthusiastic about taking the class."

He doesn't miss the way her smile slips and her shoulders tense, ever so slightly. "Digging for information, are we, Detective?" Her voice sounds pleasant, nonchalant, but the way her eyes are narrowed says she's feeling cornered.

"I'm not trying to pry," he assures her sincerely. His hand falls to rest on her knee reassuringly. "I'm just curious, like I said. I just want to make sure you feel safe here." He ducks his head down to catch her gaze, and she finally meets his eyes. "I care about you a lot. You know that, right?" Willow sighs, nods. He squeezes her knee, and she smiles hesitantly up at him. "Just tell me if there's something or someone I need to be on the lookout for. I know you don't need protecting, Willow, but I still want to support you however I can."

She meets his eyes again, finally, and he's not sure what she's searching for, but he watches as her eyes soften, and it's like all the fight drains out of her. He can only imagine how exhausting it must be to have your guard up ninety-nine percent of the time, and even if she only gives him a little glimpse past it today, he's more than happy to shoulder at least a little piece of the burden she's carrying.

Finally, she takes his hand that's resting on her knee, laces their fingers together as if to reassure herself, takes a deep breath. "I left home as soon as I found out I was pregnant," she begins. She swallows uneasily. "There are a lot of reasons why, but one of them is that Jaxon's father is very influential in the community. He doesn't necessarily have money, but he has power, and he has a way of manipulating people into doing what he wants them to do." She exhales shakily, and he squeezes her hand, encouraging her to continue. "He's not necessarily a dangerous person, as in, I'm not scared that he might hurt me. If he ever found out about Jaxon, I know he would do everything in his legal power to come after us. But if he needed to go underground…"

"You're afraid he would send someone else to do his dirty work," he finishes.

"I just want to be prepared," she says quietly. "I can't let him get anywhere near my son. I won't let him use my child to gain favor with people, or to further his own sick, twisted agenda."

It's not much, in the grand scheme of things. Just a few sentences about the life she left behind, and why she did it. But to him, it's everything. It's Willow, finally opening up to him about her past, finally trusting him enough to let him in. Her eyes are a little shiny, and he realizes that maybe this anxiety has been weighing on her more than she's let on. And though it frustrates him, because he wants to help, he knows how hard it can be to open up when you've been betrayed before.

"I'm… I'm in awe of you," he finally responds, taking her coffee from her and setting both their mugs on her coffee table. He turns to face her completely, takes both her hands in his. "You've clearly given up a lot to protect your son, and it's so admirable the way you take everything in stride. You don't hide from what scares you; you find ways to fight back, take any step necessary to protect yourself and him." He squeezes her hands, and she finally looks up to meet his eyes again. "But listen to me. I want you to understand that if something happens, you won't be in it alone. I have the advantage of actually working for the law, and I will do everything in my power to keep both of you safe. Okay?"

Willow shakes her head. "I don't want you to feel like you need to watch over me, or something," she argues. "Jaxon and I are perfectly okay to take care of ourselves."

"I know that," Chase agrees. "Believe me, I know. But it never hurts to have a little backup, right?" The corner of his lips quirks up in a grin. "Just think of it as backup."

She nods, finally, gives him a grateful smile, and he takes the opportunity to pull her in for a kiss. Short and sweet, just to punctuate his point, and she drapes her arms around his shoulders to keep him close.

"Thank you," she murmurs. "Thank you for being so patient and letting me tell you things like this on my own terms. I know it's hard for you, being a detective and all."

He chuckles, lifts his hand from her hip to brush a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "I want you to know that you can trust me."

"I do know that," she assures him. She smiles sweetly. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't." She swallows, her smile slipping just a little bit. She links her fingers behind his head. "Are you sure you really want to be mixed up in all this?" she jokes weakly.

He furrows his brow. "What do you mean?"

"I just…" she sighs, shifting her body to pull her legs up onto the sofa. She keeps one hand on his shoulder, uses the other to pull at her lip nervously. "I guess that's my twisted way of asking what's really going on here. I don't want to be that girl, but… I know all of this is probably more than you signed up for. A baby and a psycho ex."

And okay, sure, in theory, the idea of dating someone who already has a child was daunting to him, he'll admit. But since he first laid eyes on her, since their first interaction, he's never thought twice about it. He cares about her, more than he maybe wants to admit, and he cares about Jaxon, too. It's not a question in his mind of whether he can handle it, because to him, when you care about someone, when you want to be with someone, you take whatever they have to give.

"Willow," he starts, shaking his head. "It's not like I was blindsided by any of this. I knew you had a son before I ever asked you out, and trust me, I've had my suspicions about your ex since the beginning. I like you." He smiles, and she smiles back at him. "I care about you a lot. And as for what this is…" He shrugs. "I dunno, I kind of thought we were a couple."

She tilts her head, her smile widening. "I guess I did, too. I just wasn't sure you felt the same way. I don't…" she exhales, shaking her head at herself. "I don't know how to do any of this."

"Any of what?" he asks, sweeping her hair off her shoulder absently.

"Dating," she says in exasperation. Or maybe embarrassment? She runs her hand through her hair. "I've never been in a real relationship before, and honestly, I've never really gone past just a couple of dates with someone. So I don't know how any of this works, and I'm just nervous that I'll say the wrong thing or push things too quickly or do something to push you away, and I…"

He kisses her to cut her off, smiling as he does because she's just so damn cute. She's usually so sure of herself, so confident and solid, that he kind of loves seeing a more vulnerable side of her, a side that doesn't know what the hell she's doing. Because honestly, he doesn't really know what the hell he's doing, either.

"I don't know what I'm doing, either," he murmurs, resting his forehead against hers. "I've never really… I've never cared about someone like I care about you. And I don't know where we're headed, or what's going to happen down the road, but I do know that I want to figure it out. And as long as that's what you want, too, then I'd say we're on the same page."

She's smiling when he meets her eyes again, and she leans forward to kiss him again. "I do want that," she says quietly, sincerely. Her lips are just brushing his when Jaxon's cries sound through the monitor, and he chuckles when she exhales in frustration. She kisses him quickly as she stands from the couch. "Duty calls," she sighs.

He supposes that to most guys his age, spending an entire afternoon and evening making silly noises and funny faces at a six-month-old probably isn't really their idea of a good time. But he can safely say that there's no place else he'd rather be.

… … …

She's been dreading Saturday all week long, partially because she knows school starts back on Monday. Her three weeks off have been such a wonderful way to recharge, to spend as much time as possible with Jaxon, to really allow things to progress with Chase without work getting in the way. After their conversation the other day, she feels so much better about their relationship, about where they're headed, and she's more excited than she's ever been for the year ahead. But with the beginning of a new semester comes the return of stressful hours in the classroom, long days without her son, and more than likely, less time to spend with Chase. As much as she loves her students, she's going to miss her relaxing break away from work.

If she's honest with herself, though, the main reason she's dreading this particular Saturday is because she's taking Jaxon to playgroup, and she's almost certain she's going to run into Michael again.

After her conversation with Lulu, she feels a little bit better about the way things went down between them. She doesn't feel like she owes him anything. But she doesn't like the fact that she hurt him, and she feels like she should at least explain to him that things with Chase are getting more serious. She knows now, too, that Chase and Michael are friends, and she just wants to clear the air and make sure they'll be able to be around one another without any awkwardness. Considering the abundance of other things she has to worry about, the last thing she needs is petty drama taking up space in her life.

"Willow," Michael greets, giving her a grin as she stands up from the floor with Jaxon in her arms. "Looks like your boy has a set of lungs on him."

Willow rolls her eyes, but she can't help but smile. At six months, Jaxon's personality is beginning to shine through, and he was so vocal and loud today throughout the class that the instructor had to pause multiple times for the laughter to subside. "He's not shy, that's for sure," she says laughingly.

Michael adjusts Wiley in his arms. "I guess Wiley's gonna be more of a strong and silent type," he observes.

"Maybe they'll be best friends," Willow says thoughtfully. "You know, balance each other out."

Michael hums. "I guess we'll have to wait and see." He tilts his head with a grin. "How were your holidays?"

"So nice," she says honestly, smiling. "It was fun to go all out for Jaxon's first Christmas."

"I heard Chase imparted his Christmas wisdom on you," Michael jokes.

And there it is. The elephant in the room. Willow smiles hesitantly. "Yeah," she laughs nervously. "He certainly knows how to pick a Christmas tree. Jaxon was enthralled by the lights and he definitely enjoyed the wrapping paper."

Michael grins, and while she thinks he must know about her and Chase, he doesn't seem the least bit bitter or upset. "I'm glad you had a great holiday," he says sincerely.

She smiles, more relaxed this time. "I know you and Chase went out the other night," she begins cautiously.

"Yeah," Michael says, smiling as he furrows his brow. "I knew you were seeing someone, but I didn't know it was Chase. Why didn't you just tell me?"

Willow shrugs. "I honestly didn't know where things were going to go, at first," she admits. "But now…"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Willow," Michael chuckles. "You don't owe me anything. Chase is a great guy, and a great friend, and he's obviously crazy about you. You're obviously pretty incredible yourself. I'm happy for you guys."

Willow smiles sheepishly. "I just don't want you to feel awkward around me, or Chase. I don't want there to be any weirdness around any of this. I know Chase considers you a close friend, and I hope that means we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

Michael nods. "Look," he says seriously, meeting her eyes. "I like you a lot, Willow, I'm not gonna lie. But Chase is my friend, and the more I get to know you, the more I know you two are pretty perfect for one another. So you don't have to worry about me, okay? I'm a big boy," he chuckles. "I've been turned down before. I can handle it, and I'll get over it."

She rolls her eyes and laughs. "Okay, okay." She adjusts Jaxon on her hip where he's beginning to fuss. "Point taken. I'll let go of my ego trip now."

"Seriously." Michael smiles and meets her eyes again. "I'm a big believer in destiny, and there's a reason you ended up here in Port Charles." He reaches for Jaxon's little hand, chuckles when Jaxon pulls on his finger. "You never know. Maybe you and Chase were meant to find each other."

Willow bites her lip to conceal her smile. "Yeah. Maybe."

She doesn't want to let her mind go there just yet, not really, because they've got a long way to go before there are any real commitments made. But she'd be lying if she said she didn't like the sound of that. She knows there's a reason why she's here, why she's set down more firm roots in Port Charles than she has anywhere else she's ever lived. And while she doesn't really think that finding a man to love her is her one true calling in life, she thinks that she wouldn't mind if Chase ended up being a part of it.

… … …