Notes: chapter title from "breathe" by taylor swift.

DISCLAIMER: as usual, { I own nothing }, and any dialogue in italics comes directly from the show & is credited to the writers. :-)


six / never simple, never easy

… … …

Add Valentine's Day to the list of holidays Willow never celebrated before she met Chase.

She knows what the day typically consists of - flowers, chocolates, lots of hearts, and a fancy nine-course meal at a restaurant where she can't pronounce ninety-nine percent of the menu. She might be in the minority as a woman who is not at all enticed by any of that. Flowers are pretty, but she can't keep them alive; chocolates are yummy, but truthfully, the fancy ones are never as good as an old-fashioned Hershey's bar. She doesn't mind the hearts and the silly little valentines, but a fancy dinner has zero appeal for a woman whose diet generally consists of protein bars and the occasional frozen dinner, when her seven-month-old son allows for it.

So when he asks her out for a simple drink at the Floating Rib, she knows he's a keeper.

"You look handsome," she says with a smile, greeting him with a kiss where he sits at the bar. She raises a brow teasingly. "Hot date?"

He smirks, his hand falling to her hip to pull her close. It's not fair, she thinks, how beautiful he is. He looks nice most days - detective dress code dictates that he wear nice jeans and a blazer - but he looks even more amazing tonight. She's thankful that she dressed a little nicer than usual, too, especially when he looks at her the way he does. "I would definitely say that." He kisses her again. "You look amazing. Happy Valentine's Day."

She bites her lip, resigned to the fact that her cheeks are probably the same bright red as her new dress. Even the simplest compliment from him never fails to make her blush furiously. "Thank you. Back atcha, Detective." She hoists herself (gracefully, of course) onto the stool beside him. She grins when she notices the glass of red wine waiting patiently for her. "For your date, I assume?" she jokes.

Chase rolls his eyes with a chuckle, takes a pull of his beer. "Just for you, sweetheart," he says lowly. He takes her hand, kisses her knuckles. "I figured you could probably use it, after wrangling a bunch of third-graders on a sugar high all day."

"It actually wasn't that bad," she says laughingly, lacing her fingers with his.

"Did they exchange valentines?"

"They did," she smiles. "That's my favorite part about Valentine's Day, I think. I love how all the kids include one another and enjoy opening each other's cards. That's really what it's all about, isn't it?"

He smiles sweetly, brings her hand to his lips again. "I love how much you love teaching."

She sips her wine, considering. "I think what I love most is not teaching them academic skills, but life skills," she explains. "I love teaching them how to be inclusive, and tolerant, and kind, and considerate. How to form an educated opinion about something and stand up for what they believe in. Those are the things that are truly important."

He leans over and kisses her, catching her off guard, and she laughs into his mouth. "You're amazing," he tells her.

She rolls her eyes, biting her lip to fight off a grin. "You're amazing," she retorts. "Thank you for taking me somewhere low-key instead of out for a fancy dinner or something crazy."

He hums. "I thought about the Metro Court, maybe, but I figured this was more our style anyway. I know most people go fancy for Valentine's, but it's more about spending time with someone you care about, the way I see it."

She tilts her head, curious. "Have you been on a lot of Valentine's dates?"

He narrows his eyes at her, smirking. "This feels like a trick question."

"It's not," she laughs. Her hand slips from his and falls to his thigh in a way that makes her cheeks burn. She can't seem to help herself around him. "I really do want to know. You know my history; I've never been on a Valentine's date before. I'm curious what your experiences have been."

He runs his knuckles over the scruff on his chin, considering. "Nothing worth writing home about," he muses. "But nothing too bad, either. Most of the time it's felt like a formality, honestly. Like, I'm dating this girl, so of course I have to take her out, but it doesn't always feel like anything special."

"That's kind of sad," Willow murmurs.

"But not this year," he grins. "This year I wanted to give you a special night that would mean something to both of us, to show you that I care about you, because I do."

Her heart melts, just a little bit, because he says the sweetest things to her, and it doesn't even feel like he's trying. She leans in to kiss him again. "Thank you for always insisting that I need a night off, even if it's during the week and even if I always protest."

"You already know how I feel about your lack of regard for yourself," he scolds, narrowing his eyes at her.

She rolls her eyes playfully. "You try raising a seven-month-old while keeping a full-time job and somehow being cute and available for your boyfriend."

"Hey," he says, covering her hand with his own. "First of all, you're always cute." He winks, and she can't help but laugh. "Second of all, you know I'm always willing to help out with Jaxon, if I can. Maybe I'll give Lulu a day off next week. I can keep him for you at your place while you work."

It's a generous offer, one that she's not sure he's actually thought about seriously. She quirks her brow with a smirk. "Are you sure you want to offer that? You know he's crawling now, right? He's into everything."

He chuckles. "It'll give us some bonding time," he jokes. "Come on, I'm serious. I miss the little guy. I never get to see him anymore, since Lulu's hogging his attention."

If her heart wasn't already melted before, it is now. She smiles. "If you're sure. He can be a real handful. You have to keep an eye on him at all times."

"You really don't trust me, do you?"

"It's not that," she laughs. "I don't trust Jaxon to be on his best behavior, honestly. I'm just trying to prepare you. But if you really want to help, I would love for you to spend some time with Jaxon. I know he misses you, too." She sips her drink, smiles innocently. "And I feel much better knowing that you have Lulu's number in case of emergency."

"Hey." He narrows his eyes playfully as she laughs.

They take their drinks to a cozy table in the corner and spend the next hour and a half nibbling on appetizers and talking about everything and nothing, all at the same time. It still surprises her, sometimes, how easily the conversation flows between them. He's so sweet that he makes her smile, so goofy that he makes her laugh, so sexy that he makes her blush. Despite her lack of experience in the dating department, he's never once made her feel silly or uncomfortable, and she has the fleeting thought that even if this ends up going nowhere, she's thankful that her first real dating experience was with someone like him.

He's just telling her a crazy story about his high school days when her phone rings. Her heart falls into her stomach when she sees Lulu's name. She's never called while she's been watching Jaxon before, and her gut tells her something is very wrong. She answers quickly. "Lulu? What's wrong?"

She hears the hum of an engine, as if Lulu's driving, which immediately sets Willow on edge. "I'm sorry, Willow, I hate to bug you, but…"

"No, it's okay." She meets Chase's eyes, and his brow furrows in concern. "What's wrong? Is Jaxon okay?"

"He's running a pretty vicious fever," Lulu says calmly, matter-of-factly. "He's a little bit lethargic and fussy and just not himself. I'm taking him to GH now."

Her whole body feels numb. Her baby is sick, and she's not there to comfort him. She feels her throat close up in panic. "Okay, we're on our way now. We'll meet you there."

"Try not to panic, okay?" Lulu insists. "He'll be just fine, Willow."

"No promises." She hangs up quickly, turning to Chase, who looks worried. "Lulu's taking Jaxon to GH. We need to go. Now."

He quickly pays their tab while she paces anxiously by the door, and he places a comforting hand on her back as he leads her to his car. All she can think as he pulls out onto the main road is that she missed all the signs. She always knows when he's sick; she can always tell when he's not feeling well. Was she so blinded by her excitement for her date that she ignored her own son? How could she have been so distracted that she didn't know he was sick?"

Chase takes her hand comfortingly as he drives, mercifully, as fast as he can without turning his siren on. "Willow," he calls, pulling her out of her thoughts. "He's going to be okay, babe."

"What if he's really sick, Chase?" she worries, her voice high in panic.

"He's in good hands at GH," Chase reminds her calmly. "I know you're worried, but you need to be calm when we get there, okay? He's going to feed off your emotions, and if you're upset, it's only going to upset him, too."

She takes a deep breath, knowing that he's right, and she's exceedingly thankful for whatever training allowed him to be so cool and collected in a crisis. While her mind automatically goes to the worst-case scenario, his analytical mind goes into problem-solving mode, and she's never been more grateful for the contrast.

The drive is pretty much a blur, and she doesn't even remember parking in the garage, or getting into the elevator. She practically runs to Lulu when they finally make it to the pediatric floor, and Chase follows behind. "Where is he?" she asks, hugging her friend gratefully.

"He's okay, just like I told you," Lulu informs her. "Finn is running some tests right now, but they think it's just an ear infection, nothing too alarming." Willow exhales in relief, closing her eyes as Chase's hands come to rest on her shoulders, his thumb gently massaging a knot in the back of her neck. "He's right in there. You should be able to go right in and see him."

"I'll go track down Finn," Chase offers.

Willow puts a hand out to stop him. As grateful as she is that he wants to help by expediting the process, what she really needs is to have him by her side as she goes to comfort her son. "Will you come with me?" she asks timidly.

His eyes soften and he smiles. "Of course," he agrees. "Lead the way."

Elizabeth is tending to her sweet baby boy, who's playing with a light-up toy in his crib. He looks uncomfortable, not quite himself, but he's not crying, and she's grateful for that. "Look, Jaxon, Mommy's here," Elizabeth murmurs.

"Hi, baby," she smiles, her eyes shining with unshed tears. She runs her fingertip down his cheek, and he holds his arms out for her. She looks up at Elizabeth. "Can I hold him?"

"Of course," Elizabeth nods. "I'll go get Finn for you."

Willow vaguely registers Chase thanking Elizabeth as she carefully lifts Jaxon out of his crib, wary of the IV stuck in his tiny hand. She kisses his warm cheek, flushed with the fever that hasn't quite broken yet, and holds him close. She feels Chase's comforting hand on her back, and she's thankful she asked him to come with her, because she doesn't know if she'd be able to handle this alone. She knows he's okay, and she's sure the antibiotics are already working their magic and they'll be home in no time. But seeing her sweet baby hooked up to all these machines… she's usually in awe of how big he's getting, but right now, he just looks so small and vulnerable. She's sure this will be a mildly traumatic experience for both of them, and it helps to have Chase there for moral support.

"Mommy's here, baby," she says soothingly as he fusses, tugging on his left ear uncomfortably. "I can't believe I didn't know he was sick," she murmurs, mostly to herself.

Chase hums. "Don't do that to yourself," he says. "There's no way you could have known."

"I'm his mom," she insists. "I'm supposed to have a sense for things like this. I thought he was fine when I dropped him off at Lulu's."

"Willow," he murmurs, his hand cupping the back of her neck, massaging gently. "He's going to be okay."

She knows that. Logically, she knows that, but he can't really blame her for throwing logic out the window when it comes to her baby boy. She decides to change the subject to avoid starting an argument with him. "Look who came to see you, Jax," she smiles, turning him to face Chase. "It's your favorite policeman."

"Hey, buddy," Chase smiles, running his hand over Jaxon's head. "We're gonna get you all fixed up and out of here, okay? No worries, my man."

Finn enters the room then, smiling at the three of them. "Oh, good, you're here," he says. "Chase, listen, I would have called, but…"

"But there's laws against that sort of thing, I know," Chase chuckles. "Thanks for taking care of him, Finn."

"Do you know what's going on?" Willow asks nervously.

Finn smiles reassuringly. "Routine ear infection," he informs her. "Nothing to be too alarmed about, but I do see on his medical record that he's had a couple of them already. Just keep an eye on him, and if they become more frequent or more aggressive, we may need to run some additional tests in the future. But for now, we're going to keep him on an antibiotic drip for another hour or so, make sure his fever has gone down, and then I should be able to send you all home with a prescription for an oral antibiotic. Should be completely clear in another few days or so."

Chase smiles, running his hand down Jaxon's back. He's now laying his head on Willow's shoulder, eyes drooping tiredly. "See? Nothing to worry about."

"Thank you so much, Finn," Willow says gratefully.

"Hey," he says seriously, stepping toward them. He claps his brother on the back affectionately. "You two are important to Chase. So by extension, you're important to me." He smiles. "I'll be back in an hour to check in on him, okay?"

Willow nods and turns to Chase as Finn leaves the room. "Your brother really cares about you," she says, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess he does," Chase muses. He smiles down at her, then looks to Jaxon again. "I think he's out cold," he chuckles. "Must have needed mom's cuddles to settle him down."

She smiles. "Maybe so."

Chase helps move Jaxon's IV pole toward the recliner in the room so Willow can sit with him. He leans down in front of her, rests his hands on his knees. "I'm gonna go give Lulu the all-clear, and then I'll be back, okay?"

"Thank you, Chase," Willow murmurs. There's so much more she wants to say, but for now, this will have to do. "Thank you for everything."

He leans in to kiss her. "Happy Valentine's Day," he murmurs back with a smile. He runs his hand over Jaxon's head so tenderly it makes her want to cry all over again, and as he leaves the room, she's struck once again by how much better everything seems - or at least more bearable - with him by her side.

… … …

Despite his calm exterior, he'll admit that he was pretty panicked to hear that Jaxon was being admitted to GH. He doesn't know much about babies, honestly, and while Lulu told them not to worry, he can't imagine that a baby with a high fever is a good thing by any means. But Willow was panicking enough for the both of them, and he knew that the only way to support her was to stay calm. He's thankful for his extensive training that allowed him to slip into crisis management mode, to handle things that she definitely couldn't in her state of mind, like driving and navigating the hospital. The wave of relief that he felt when he saw Jaxon, awake, alert, and okay, was unlike anything he's ever felt. He can only imagine that what Willow experienced was similar to his own, multiplied by a thousand.

And this is how he knows that he's in deep, even deeper than he thought - because he's not only falling in love with Willow. He's falling in love with her son, too.

He's just coming out of the elevator on Finn's floor after walking Lulu to her car - she protested, but it's late, and he knows firsthand what kind of craziness goes on in the GH parking garage - when he runs into Michael, of all people.

"Hey," Chase says in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Michael laughs. "Is everything okay?"

"Willow had a scare with Jaxon," he explains. "We were at the Floating Rib and Lulu had to bring him in with a fever. She's down in the pediatric ward with him now."

He doesn't miss the look on Michael's face as soon as he mentions Willow, then the obvious concern when he mentions Jaxon. "But he's okay, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, Finn took good care of him," he says. "Actually, I was just trying to find him to thank him, but of course, he's nowhere to be found," Chase chuckles.

Michael seems distracted. "Do you mind if I come down to see Willow and Jaxon with you?" he asks.

Chase tries to mask his surprise. "Uh, yeah, sure," Chase agrees. "I'm sure Willow will appreciate your concern."

He has his suspicions, naturally, but they're not confirmed until he watches as Michael squeezes Willow's shoulder reassuringly, runs his hand over Jaxon's head not unlike the way he did just a few minutes ago. Michael likes her. He chuckles humorlessly to himself as he watches them from outside the room, waiting for Elizabeth to come by so he can ask her where to find Finn.

He should've known, really. He knew they were friends, and that they'd spent time together outside of Jaxon's playgroup a few times. And considering their shared history with Nelle, it's worth noting that he and Michael seem to be attracted to the same women. Michael has a strong desire to help people, especially those who run into trouble; he knows, and he understands, because Chase has the same desire. He wouldn't compare Willow to Nelle, in any shape or form, but in a way, it feels a little bit like déjà vu.

He knows Michael can be charming; he's seen over and over again the way women of all ages just fall at his feet. The doting big brother, the philanthropic billionaire, the loyal son and friend. He also knows that he considers Michael a friend, and Michael knows that he and Willow have been together for a few months now. Not to mention that Michael has already assured him that he would help Chase with whatever he needed to protect Willow and Jaxon. But he can't help but wonder now where those motives come from; is he being a good friend, or does he have ulterior motives?

Sometimes he hates being a detective; he can never just take anything at face value, or assess a situation without coming up with a thousand theories. Michael wouldn't pursue Willow, not when he knows how Chase feels about her. But, considering their history, it does make him uneasy that Michael seems to have a crush on his girlfriend.

He decides to put away his badge, as Lulu says, and focus on what's important tonight, and that's Jaxon's health and Willow's emotional state. He can put his own feelings aside and be thankful that Willow has friends like Michael and Lulu to be there for her when things get tough. In the meantime, he'll think of a way to address the situation with Michael, man to man. Just when he thinks things are finally going smoothly…

… … …

For the hundredth time this evening, she thanks her lucky stars that she had Chase by her side to help her through the craziness. He never left her side, helped her navigate Jaxon's discharge paperwork, asked all the questions she was too tired to remember. She's practically sleepwalking at this point, and she's not the one who worked a twelve-hour shift; she can only imagine how exhausted he must be. And yet, here he is, helping her up to her second-floor walk-up after midnight, like it's no bother to him at all.

Jaxon is exhausted, and he whined pitifully the whole way home, tugging on his ear painfully. It physically hurts her to see her baby in so much pain, knowing there's not much she can do to help. Chase unlocks her door for her while she bounces a very unhappy Jaxon in her arms. "I have no idea how long it'll take me to get him down," she sighs as they enter her apartment and he locks the door behind them. "I'm sure you're exhausted, and you probably have to work in the morning."

"I have tomorrow off, actually," he says with a smile. "And I'm happy to stay if you need me."

Her heart jumps in her chest. "I couldn't ask you to do that."

"Yes, you can, because I want to help. We're in a relationship, remember?" he smirks, and she rolls her eyes good-naturedly. "People in relationships lean on one another, and I want you to lean on me now."

"Are you sure this isn't just your detective hero complex, wanting to swoop in and save the day?" She quirks her brow.

"Maybe," he laughs. "But you're exhausted, and I don't think you're in a position to deny help when it's offered, and I'm going to take full advantage of the opportunity to take care of you. Okay?"

She could grumble and assert her independence, or she could let her heart melt at the fact that he clearly just wants to be there for her, to help her out because he cares, not because he expects anything in return. So she chooses to just be grateful he's here and leans up to kiss him in concession. "Okay," she murmurs.

She thought it might feel weird, with him in the middle of her normal bedtime routine with Jaxon, but he fits into their world like a puzzle piece she didn't know was missing. He moves around her effortlessly, seemingly knowing exactly what she needs before she does; helping her give Jaxon a new dose of medication, bringing her a towel to dry him off after a quick bath, turning on his sound machine as she rocks him to sleep. It feels right, she thinks tiredly, having him here.

When he's finally down for the count, Willow drags herself into the living room and finds Chase lying on the sofa, absently watching the sports highlights from the day. She's momentarily overwhelmed with gratitude that he's here, and she leans down to kiss him sweetly.

He smiles against her mouth. "Did he go down okay?"

She nods, sighing as she lies down beside him, fitting herself against his side, resting her head on his chest. "He'll be up in a few hours, I'm sure," she says through a yawn. "But at least he's resting right now."

Chase nods, his arm coming around her to rest on her shoulder, pulling her closer against him. "I'm sure he'll feel better in the morning."

"I have to call Principal Schultz in the morning," she groans. "Let him know I'll need a substitute, at least for tomorrow."

Chase nods, presses his lips to her forehead absently. "I'll make sure you're up in time," he assures her.

She closes her eyes, and another wave of gratitude - mixed with relief and exhaustion, probably - almost brings tears to her eyes. She bites her lip to will them away. "Thank you for being here," she murmurs.

He's muttering something about how he wouldn't be anywhere else, but she's drifting off to sleep in his arms, and it must be the exhaustion talking, because she's thinking that she wouldn't mind falling asleep like this every night for a while. Maybe even forever.

… … …

He wakes up to a whimpering cry coming from the baby monitor, and he's momentarily disoriented before he remembers where he is. Which is, at the moment, sandwiched between Willow and the back of her sofa as she snoozes peacefully. She's currently using his right arm as a pillow, which means that he can't feel his fingers one bit, but he won't complain.

He turns his attention back to the noise that woke him. He carefully climbs over Sleeping Beauty and replaces his arm with a pillow, pulling a blanket over her before quickly moving toward the nursery to see what Jaxon needs.

He's standing up in his crib when Chase enters, whimpering pitifully. "Hey, buddy," he murmurs, lifting the little boy out of his crib and holding him close. Jaxon lays his head down against his shoulder almost immediately, and Chase can't help but smile, knowing he has the ability to soothe him when he's upset. It's an odd sort of proud feeling that he doesn't quite know what to make of, to be honest.

He dismisses that thought and runs his hand over Jaxon's back, sneaking him past Willow into the kitchen, where he manages to give him his next dose of antibiotics and Motrin without totally pissing him off. Back to the nursery to change his wet diaper, and then back to the living room, where the lays down on the floor and sits Jaxon next to him. Chase fully expects him to scoot around, play with his toys, but he's pleasantly surprised when Jaxon presses his face into his chest, his eyes drooping tiredly already.

He won't lie, he's pretty damn proud of the way he handled that without Willow's help at all. As much as he insists he can handle these things - and clearly, he can - he knows Willow has much more experience and handles pretty much everything better than he does.

He wanders back into the living room after laying Jaxon back down and finds Willow sitting up on the couch, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and stretching her arms above her head. She smiles when she sees him approaching. "Morning," she says, her voice gravelly from sleep.

Chase hums. "Morning." He leans down to kiss her forehead.

"Did Jaxon wake up again?" she asks through a yawn.

He sits down next to her, fighting back a yawn of his own, and pulls her against him. "Yeah. I changed him, gave him his medicine, and he went right back down."

She leans up to kiss him gratefully. "Thank you for doing that."

"I told you, I'm here to help," he reminds her.

She rests against him for a bit, waking up slowly, and he listens as she calls Principal Schultz to let him know she won't be in today. It's nice, he thinks, just sitting here with her like this. It feels normal, and he kind of loves the idea of developing a new kind of normal with the three of them together.

He's enjoying the silence and contemplating taking a little nap when she tips her chin up to look at him. "What was Michael doing at GH last night?"

"I never got it out of him, actually. He was so worried about you and Jaxon that he never told me." He clears his throat then, decides that maybe he can probe the situation from her end, too. "I don't think I knew that you two knew each other that well."

She tilts her head, considering. "We don't, not really," she tells him. "We talked a few times after Saturday playgroup, and… now that you mention it, he did ask me out a few times. But I was already with you, and even though we had only gone on a date or two at that point, I liked you enough that I didn't want to jeopardize it."

He tries to pretend like the flash of heat in his chest isn't jealousy. (It totally is.) "So are you saying that you didn't go out with him because you didn't want to jeopardize things with me, or because you didn't want to go on a date with him?"

"Chase." She furrows her brow, sits up to face him, tucking her knees underneath her. "I never had any desire to go out with Michael. We're friends, and he understands that. I know you told him about us, and I did, too. He told me he'd take a step back, that he'd get over it."

Chase scoffs. "How noble of him."

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" she asks seriously. "This is not you. I know you're not jealous of Michael, because there's nothing for you to be jealous of. You two are friends, are you not?"

He runs his knuckles along his chin. "There's quite a bit of history there."

"Spill it," she demands. "Because whatever it is, you're not acting like yourself right now, and I don't like it."

He sighs. "I'm gonna need a cup of coffee for this conversation."

She crosses her arms over her chest in annoyance. "Pour me one while you're at it."

He doesn't blame her, honestly; he's a little annoyed with himself for acting like a jerk. It doesn't really matter how Michael feels about Willow, because Chase knows how Willow feels about him, and he trusts her. He trusts Michael, too. So he's not sure where these feelings are coming from, but he has a feeling it has to do with the Nelle situation. He hates to think that she has that kind of power over him, or any power at all.

So he won't let her. He'll tell Willow what happened, and he'll clear the air with Michael, and she'll be forgotten, once and for all.

"When I came to Port Charles," he begins, handing her a steaming mug of coffee as he retakes his seat beside her, "about a year ago now, I wasn't just interested because of the detective opening, or the opportunity to be closer to my brother. I was actually following up on an old case that I had botched a few years prior, in Florida, involving Jenelle Benson."

Willow's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Wait, you mean Nelle? Like, Michael's Nelle?"

"See, here's the thing: before she was Michael's Nelle, she was Zachary Grant's Nelle, and she murdered him after he wrote her into his will, to get ahold of his money. I was the investigating officer on the scene in Blue Cape, Maine, when the incident happened." He clears his throat. "I thought Nelle was innocent, but all the evidence pointed to her. I followed her back to Florida, wanting to exonerate her, and we… we became romantically involved."

He looks up at her, then, tries to gauge her reaction, but she's mercifully (annoyingly) objective.

"Almost immediately, someone put in a tip with the department I was working with," he explains. "I was reported for inappropriate behavior."

"She manipulated you," Willow murmurs.

He nods. "But I knew better, anyway; under no circumstances is it ever okay to become personally involved in a case that way. She got the whole case against her thrown out, and I had to basically start my career from scratch. I moved to Boston to be closer to my parents while I picked up the pieces Jenelle left in her wake," he reveals. "I rebuilt my reputation, made Detective, and when the position opened up at the PCPD… it was almost like the universe was giving me a second chance to redeem myself."

"And then you and Michael trapped her into a confession," Willow finishes. "I know that part. It's practically legend around here."

He nods, takes a sip of his coffee, and opens his mouth to continue.

"So basically," Willow interrupts. "What you're saying is that you're drawing conclusions from your history with Michael that you're both attracted to the same women, and it makes you uneasy."

He smiles sheepishly. "I guess so, yeah," he chuckles. "You pretty much nailed it."

"I think spending so much time with you has sharpened my detective skills," she teases.

"Maybe so," he laughs, grateful she's not put off by the story he just told, or by his irrational jealousy. "So… now you know."

"I'm glad you told me," she reassures him. "So you made a mistake; who hasn't? But the fact that you went to such lengths to make it right, to see that justice was served…" she smiles sweetly at him. "That's the Detective Chase I know."

He closes the short distance between them, kisses her gratefully. "You're always surprising me, you know that?"

"Hey, I bared all my skeletons to you." She narrows her eyes at him. "It's about time you return the favor."

"Ha, ha." He rolls his eyes.

"And just so you know." She leans in close, rests her forehead against his, a smile on her lips. "Michael's not a threat. Regardless of how he feels about me, you're the one I want to be with, Chase. I promise."

He didn't really need the reassurance, but it's nice to have it, nonetheless. He kisses her. "No more secrets now."

She hums, shaking her head. "No more secrets."

And when she kisses him again, it's like the weight of the world lifts off his shoulders, and he finally, finally feels like he's moved on.

… … …

By the time lunchtime rolls around, Jaxon has woken up and fallen back asleep three more times, they've had three cups of coffee each, and Chase looks absolutely exhausted. As much as he tries to hide it, and as much as she can tell she wants to help, she finally forces him to go home and get some actual sleep, with the promise that he can come back later if he really wants to.

She's grateful for a little bit of silence, honestly, and for time to be alone with her thoughts for a moment. She hasn't really had any time to process what Chase told her about his past with Michael and Nelle. And honestly, there's not that much to process, she realizes - what happened between the three of them is in the past, and she hopes it stays there, now that Chase's unexpected burst of jealousy has been put to bed. But she is thankful that there are no more secrets between them, that they can just be together without the burden of their respective pasts.

She's just given Jaxon another dose of antibiotics and put him down for another nap when, like an angel from heaven, Lulu appears at her front door with takeout from the Floating Rib.

"I come bearing rations," she jokes, setting the bag on the kitchen table. "I figured since you didn't actually get to have your date last night, I would bring you food to enjoy in the comfort of your home. I was kind of hoping Chase would be here, too." She quirks her brow.

"You're not subtle," Willow laughs, moving into the kitchen to grab plates and utensils.

"So I've been told."

"You just missed him, actually." She sets the utensils on the table, pulls the boxes out of the bag, and her mouth waters at the scent of actual food, which she realizes she hasn't eaten since their appetizers last night. "And since he's not here, you'll just have to share this delicious food with me."

Lulu shrugs. "Twist my arm." She takes a seat at the table as Willow serves the food. "How's Jaxon?"

"Sleeping, thankfully," Willow sighs. "He's pretty much been sleeping between doses of antibiotics, which is much better than the pitiful whimpering he does when he's awake. It just breaks my heart."

"Well, I'm glad he's okay," Lulu says. She takes a bite of her pasta. "I am sorry it cut your date short, but it does seem like you and Chase are at the point now where things like that don't really matter."

Willow nods. "He told me about he and Nelle this morning," she reveals. "About everything that went down before he came to Port Charles, and how it brought he and Michael together. And it feels like now that we've established what we're doing, and we've finally aired all our secrets, it's like… full speed ahead."

Lulu studies her, and Willow shifts uncomfortably under her stare. "Why do I get the feeling that you're not happy about that?"

Busted. She can always count on Lulu, she thinks in annoyance, to look deep enough below the surface and figure out exactly what she's thinking. "It's not that I'm not happy," she hedges.

"You're scared."

"Wouldn't you be?" Willow asks seriously. "This is really big stuff, Lulu."

Lulu sighs. "You're thinking about it too much. Again," Lulu scolds.

Willow groans in frustration, sets her fork down on the table with just a little too much force. She winces, looking hesitantly toward the door to Jaxon's nursery, but thankfully, he's still fast asleep. She rubs her temples in exhaustion. "I've never been this connected to anyone," she explains, quietly, timidly. "I've never been this vulnerable. I've never relied on anyone the way I do with him."

"That's a good thing." Lulu smiles. "That's love, Willow."

Love. Willow tries to ignore the way her heart jumps in her chest. It's not that she's never thought about it before; in fact, she can recall a few moments last night where she remembers the word floating around in her mind. At the very least, at this point, she's falling in love with him. It's hard to say, since she's never experienced it before, but it feels like a good way to describe where they are, where they're headed. They're quickly approaching a day when she won't be able to picture her life without him, and she would like to believe that he feels the same way. But that's a conversation they haven't even begun to approach, and it's weird and scary and nerve-wracking to think about at this moment.

"We haven't even begun to go there yet," she argues.

"Doesn't mean you're not starting to feel it." Lulu nods knowingly. "You're terrified because you're falling in love with him."

Bingo. God, how does she do that?

"It just feels like a lot," Willow says uneasily. "And it's all happening so fast."

"Fast," Lulu says through a laugh. "Willow, it's taken you two almost five months to get to this point. If you moved any slower, you'd be a glacier."

Willow narrows her eyes at her friend. "Will you stop making fun of me?"

"I'm not making fun of you, sweetie." Lulu takes her hand. "I just want you to be happy, and you can't seem to let yourself do it. Why are you so afraid to really let your guard down?"

"Because as soon as I do, everything's going to come crashing down."

She says it without thinking, almost instinctually, and she realizes there's a trend in the way she's handled just about everything since she came to Port Charles. Her reluctance to trust anyone, her hesitance to put down real roots, her fear of opening up to Chase… she's terrified of letting her guard down, of allowing herself to be vulnerable, content. Happy. It's a foreign concept, and she's afraid to feel it, because there are so many unknown variables in play. There are too many ways her happiness could be stolen away from her, and she doesn't know if she'd be able to handle it.

"You have to stop being afraid of living your life, Willow," Lulu insists. "You have to stop worrying about variables that you can't control and just play the hand you've been dealt. You have a beautiful son, and a job you love, and a man in your life who cares about both of you. Not to mention a fabulous best friend who is basically Jaxon's other parent." Willow laughs. "Don't let your fears cloud your vision so much that you miss what's right in front of you."

She knows Lulu's right. But, Willow reminds herself, she also doesn't know the full story. And if she did, she'd know why Willow can't let her guard down, not completely, not for a second. But she can at least start to appreciate the good things in her life, to enjoy them while they're here, even if they don't last forever.

(And she has a sinking feeling that nothing good she has now is going to last much longer.)

… … …