Chapter 27

Alex woke up and quickly realized she was in the back seat of a car that was in motion. What is happening? She looked up and even though it was dark there was enough light to see who was in the front seat. Relaxing some as she sat up and stretched a little. The events that had led her here, played back in her mind. "That was crazy. I have no idea where you came from but I am grateful you were there."

That's when the passenger turned, Anna smiled back at her, "Hi, I'm glad we were too."

Robert glanced in the rearview mirror. "Hey, sleepy head. I think that excitement back there was a little too much for you."

Alex let out an uneasy laugh, that whole situation was insane. It all started playing in her head again. "I think once I knew I was safe my body just shut down. I haven't been getting much sleep, basically since I met you two. Then after all that happened, I guess the lack of sleep caught up with me."

"The lack of sleep might not change right away either," Anna pointed out. "Since we don't know where Faison went after Robert shot him we had to leave quickly. We're in New Brunswick now and heading for St. John. We want to keep our options open for our means of escape."

"That man is," Alex paused unable to find the right words. Again the scene was playing out in her head. He had come out of nowhere but she had known he was there for her.

"He is horrifying. The way he can make your skin crawl but charm people just as easily." Anna wrapped her arms around herself as a chill went through her. When Faison had taken her, she had become his prisoner because she wanted nothing to do with him, no matter how often he tried to say they belonged together. Anna turned and looked out the window. Faison had wanted them to be a couple. He had expected her to love him, to be his. Faison believed that he loved her but that had never been true. He has been obsessed with her for a very long time but that was all it had ever been. That obsession is what is behind all of this. One sick man's obsession ruining more and more lives. To think there were times she felt sorry for that man. A chill ran through her, just thinking that.

"Hey, you alright Luv?" Robert asked as he touched her leg. "What were you thinking about?"

There is a long twisted history there that doesn't even make sense to Anna most of the time. "I don't want to talk about it."

"What did he do to you?" Robert had felt she was thinking about Faison. That little shootout had been the first time Anna had seen Faison since she had been rescued.

Anna heard that hint of anger in Robert's voice. They had talked about some of it but never in great detail. Robert hated Faison before he had taken her now it was worse. She knew he could lose his temper quickly. "Nothing like that. I've told you this, darling. I was thinking about how twisted he is. The things he is capable of. His obsession that keeps ruining lives."

"I was only around him for a little while and he scared the hell out of me." It sounded so far away not just from the back seat, "He figured out I wasn't my twin." Alex grinned and reached out and touched Anna's shoulder. "We are twins, I got the results earlier today."

Anna smiled, "I think we already knew that. I'm glad we know for sure though," Anna said as she gave Alex's hand a gentle squeeze.

"So what do we do now? Are we all on the run now? Where can we go?" Alex wasn't quite ready to freak out but she did want to know if there was at least some sort of plan.

"Well, we happen to be travelling with two of my fake IDs so Alex, you are now Beth Thompson," Anna checked the ID then handed it to her, "and we'll have to go by Steve and Roxie Conner again," Anna explained. "That will allow us to move around fairly easily. We also have a friend helping finance this little adventure we're on so you don't have to worry about that kind of thing."

"Okay, um, what about people coming after us?" Passports and money hadn't even crossed her mind, all Alex had been thinking was there is a madman coming after them and how are they going to keep away from him.

"We want to keep close to the coast while making our way back towards Port Charles," Robert told them. "We aren't waiting to see what happens next. We need to stay on our toes and keep ahead of this situation. The closer we can be to our home turf when we face Faison the more comfortable I'll feel."

Anna looked over at him, "Are you sure? We would be leading him back to our loved ones."

"He already made an attempt to get Robin, or she wouldn't be on the run. We can't go home until all of this is sorted and for that to happen Faison has to be dead or in custody!"

Anna knew he was right but hated the idea of leading Faison back to the city where he had already targeted their friends. There had to be another way. "Why don't we give Faison what he's looking for?"

Robert's head snapped to the right, "I don't like this already!"

"We know he wants me, why don't we lead him to us and we deal with him? He's injured, we know that. Let him come after me, us and then we can arrest him."

"No! That is not happening!"

"Robert."

"No Anna! That is not happening! I will not let you endanger yourself like that. I will never let that man think he can take you away from me. Ever!"

"Robert."

"No!"

"Robert, stop the car."

"What? No."

"STOP THE CAR!"

"Fine! There's no need to shout." Robert slowed and then pulled over on the side of the road. He turned to Anna expecting her to unleash on him, but she was smiling at him. "What?" he asked with a half grin.

Anna unbuckled and slid closer to Robert, "How could I do this if you were still driving?" Anna put her arms around him pulling him into a hug, instantly Robert's arms were around her as well. Then she whispered, "When we argue because you are scared for my safety not out of anger. Which is a lot of the time by the way. I know how much you love me and need me. My Robert needs me as much as I need him. I am so grateful I have you back."

"Oh Anna," Robert let out a breath then kissed her tenderly. He leaned back only enough to put his forehead to hers, then glanced towards the back seat. "To be continued," then he kissed her nose and let her go.

Anna glanced back at Alex. "The memory thing, don't worry I get it. It's cute too. You two are cute."

"Hey!" Robert protested as he started to drive again.

"You are cute if you like it or not."

"Awww, alright." Robert looked over and winked at Anna then looked back at the road.

"We're still sort of newlyweds. It's been a year but we were apart for almost six months and his injury was another issue."

Alex grinned, she could see the happiness on her newly found sister's face. They clearly love each other very much and that was a beautiful thing to see. "I get it," Alex said with a little grin then settled back into her seat. "So how much longer until we get there? Oh and I think I want my own room."

Anna giggled at that. "A couple more hours, then we'll get something to eat before finding a place to stay for a day or two," Anna explained then got settled in herself. Resting her head to the side, Anna smiled, watching Robert as he drove. She wouldn't sleep but they were all done talking for the time being.

Sean had been in his communications room all morning. After receiving a brief call early that morning from an old associate Sean wanted information. When he heard that Colin Ross had been found shot in Halifax he had tried calling Anna and Robert to no avail. Now he sat waiting for Mac to show up. Their call had been short but Mac had instantly understood Robert and Anna were on the move again. He was going to want to know what Sean had found out as soon as he got there. With any luck, Robert and Anna will have checked in somewhere by the time Mac gets here.

Tiffany knew he was worried about something but had been in a rush to get to the studio this morning. That was a stroke of luck, Sean didn't think he could watch her stress about their friends' safety when he had no answers to offer as comfort. Sean really had no way of knowing what has happened with Robert and Anna, and he won't until they wanted to be found.

There was a knock at the door and Sean sighed, he was tired of these exchanges. Sharing whatever bad news they have and waiting to be able to make contact. There has to be a better way he thought as he pulled open his front door. "Hey, Mac. I haven't located them yet but I hope that's because they are on the move, not something else."

"Yeah, I don't want to think about what the something else might be," Mac said as he followed Sean inside.

They walked through to the communication room and both took a seat. "They haven't settled yet but they will. I was able to find out, one Dr. Devane did not show up for work this morning. Ross was found a short distance from her apartment."

That caught Mac's attention. "Faison must have made his move."

"That's what I'm thinking and why I believe they're on the move."

"You don't think something has happened to them?"

"No, I don't feel that at all. They are on the move, they got away but need to put some space between them and where Faison was. They'll show up somewhere completely different this time, you'll see," Sean told him confidently.

Mac smiled, "I hope you're right."

"I don't know much and the WSB is still being rather tight-lipped but a couple of old friends were a little more chatty this morning. Ross was shot and there was an unconscious man found not far away. Head trauma and former DVX was all I got on the man."

"Didn't Ross have people in the area? Where was his backup? I thought you had said he was alone when the paramedics arrived on scene."

"Ross was alone but from the police report, I gather someone had been there. He's wounds had been treated, even if it was done in a hurried manner it may have saved his life."

"Who do you think it was? Dr. Devane or could Robby and Anna have been there?" Mac wondered.

"I don't know yet." Sean hated that he didn't have those answers. For now, they had to wait. Sean turned back to his computer. "Might as well see if they've popped up anywhere."

Robert sat in a little diner sipping coffee as he waited for the twins. They were going shopping together and had declared it was a perfect form of bonding. He had just shaken his head and agreed where to meet them and left to return their rental car. It had been agreed they wanted to make a splash of their arrival in St. John. The ladies were using one of Beth's cards for their little shopping trip, while Roxie and Steve would cover their other expenses. Anna had agreed that they would only get what was needed but he couldn't stop them from window shopping.

He grinned, it was nice to see that cute smile Anna gets when she's excited again. Alex and Anna were very different people, Robert had already figured that out but there were a few similarities as well. He was looking forward to watching them get to know each other and hopefully grow closer. Having Mac back in his life after so long, he understood what it felt like to have family again. Maybe they hadn't known about each other before this but he could see how important they are to each other already.

When the bell on the door jiggled Robert looked up and smiled. Talking happily Anna and Alex walked in and started walking toward him. He was glad to see they hadn't gone overboard and stood up to greet them. "Ladies, I take it you enjoyed yourselves."

Anna leaned in and gave him a quick kiss, "Yes we did. I got you a few things you needed and something fun for later," she added quietly.

Alex sat down across from them, Anna had explained a little more about what had to happen now. They were going to check in somewhere so their friends can find them. They will be staying here for a couple of days then they will figure out what their next move is. She looked around, "I don't tell a lot of people this but I love little diners like this. They always have so much character and the food is usually amazing. These were the places that got me through med school."

They chatted during their meal. It was more relaxed than the first meal they had shared. Easy banter that helped them get to know a little more about each other. After Robert paid the bill they left to find a hotel. A suite would work best and who would wonder about sisters being on holiday together?

Anna rubbed Robert's back while they rode in the elevator heading up to their room. "I think you should get some rest. You drove all night."

"I'll try but I'm not making any promises."

"That works for me," Anna said as she leaned in and kissed his neck. "How long before Sean finds us?"

"I am willing to bet he and my brother are sitting in his office just waiting for a hit and will be calling shortly."

Anna let out a little laugh, "I think you're probably right."

As they stepped off the elevator, Robert took Anna's hand. "I like it when you admit I'm right," he said with a grin. Anna bumped his hip with hers, "What, you said it?"

"Ya, ya." Anna turned when they got to their suite and opened the door. They all looked around, the common space had a sitting area a small kitchenette and a door on either side. Anna pulled Robert towards the one on the left. "I'll be back shortly."

"Take your time," Alex said with a grin. She liked seeing them together, Anna and Robert are perfect for each other and they are clearly deeply in love. It was nice seeing that.

Anna closed the door behind them then they both dropped their bags on the dresser. I was not expecting to have to take off like that last night."

Robert turned and started rubber her shoulders. "Neither did I. Nice job taking out Faison's guy?"

"The WSB chop never fails." Anna relaxed and let her head fall forwards. His hands worked the tense muscles in her neck and shoulders. "I just knew something was going to happen."

"Always trust your gut."

Anna turned and put her hands around Robert's waist. "We need a better way to communicate with our team."

"I know we do. I was going to bring that up when we hear from Sean. If we have to be on the move we need a satellite phone or something. If only we could get our hands on some WSB gear."

"That's not likely to happen." Anna looked up at him, "Why don't you try to get some rest?"

"I'll lay down but when Sean calls I am going to be in on that conversation."

"Yes, dear."

"That's right." He bend and gave her a quick kiss. "Go get to know your sister better."

"I think I'll do that very thing. Love you."

"I love you too."

Anna gave him another kiss and then left the room. Alex was sitting on the couch, having already put her things on the bed in the other room already. "Are we safe here?" she asked as Anna walked over.

"Yes, for now at least. We won't stay here for long."

"Where are we going?" Alex asked as Anna sat down beside her.

"I don't know but I think we need to think about heading home. At least someplace close to Port Charles. We are too spread out and it could make us susceptible to attack." The look on Alex's face gave away what she was really feeling. "I'm sorry for being blunt but we are all in danger until Faison is found and stopped."

"I understand that and that is why I'm so worried. That man is terrifying it's something in his body language, how he speaks. He wouldn't bat an eye if he had to kill someone."

"You are not wrong about him and I am glad you understand how dangerous he is." Anna put her hand on Alex's knee, "For now let's talk about ourselves. I want to get to know you while we have the chance."

"I'd like that." Alex put her hand on Anna's, "I would also like to help Robert. He needs tools to help him get more of his memory back. Watching him I feel certain he just needs guidance and he has the determination. I want to help you both, you probably saved my life yesterday."

"Maybe we did," then Anna grinned. "I'll start. You have a niece, Robin. She is fourteen and is very much her parents' daughter." Anna went on to gush about Robin and Alex happily listened, it was easy to see how much Anna loved her daughter.

They were still talking a little over an hour later when the phone started to ring. Robert quickly appeared in the room. "Port Chuck checking in," he said as he walked over to the phone. Anna got up and walked over to listen in. "Hello."

"Hey, good buddy. Just so you know Ross should live."

"That's good."

"What's going on? Why the move and why are all three IDs being used?" Sean asked.

"Faison made his move. He figured out Alex wasn't Anna pretty quick. Ross was there playing cowboy with no backup. We got the drop on Faison's guy but I only nicked Faison if I hit him at all."

"I knew it had to be something like that," Sean concluded. "Alex is with you, then. That's why both Beth and Roxie are in St. John."

"Can't get anything past you, can we Sean?" Anna looked over at Alex, then added, "My twin sister is Beth. If we get separated for any reason she knows you will contact her."

"That's good," Sean nodded as he thought about what they must be going through. "How are you? Was anyone hurt?"

"No, we're alright. Any word from Robin?" Anna asked pulling the phone closer to her ear.

"She's alright," Mac answered walking in, hearing the conversation on the speaker. "Hi, sorry I was on another call." He had been out of the room dealing with club business when Sean had located their hotel.

"Hey bro."

"Hi, Robby. I talked to her earlier today actually. They're fine, apparently, Ronda took them on a little day trip yesterday and picked up a few tools of the trade. Now they have a phone so if needed they can stay on the move and be keep in contact."

"We need that," Anna cut in.

"What's that, Devane?" Sean asked.

"A better way to stay in contact." Anna didn't like that there wasn't a way to contact their team that wasn't traceable. If someone figured out the alias, theoretically they would be able to find them.

"You're right."

"I want to keep moving along the Canadian border. Make our way closer to Port Charles but I don't think we can risk showing up there yet," Robert told them. Anna squeezed his arm a little, that would have been her suggestion as well.

"Are you going to stay put for a couple of days?"

"I think we have to Sean," Anna looked from Robert to Alex. They needed time to regroup and get some rest.

"That should give me a little time to find out if there's a cash close to your location."

"It's the WSB's fault we are in this situation. If they do have a stash of gadgets around here, they can't complain if we borrow a few of their toys," Robert said with a grin.

"They might be watching for this kind of thing and they know you are alive so they could be on your tail too," Sean reminded them.

"Yeah, I'm not sold on trusting the WSB at the moment. Their mess-ups are the roots of all our current problems." Robert would get frustrated when he let himself think about how much the WSB had messed up their life lately.

"I don't blame you, either of you. What the hell was Ross thinking?"

"He wanted to be the hero," Robert stated angrily. "His ego was almost the death of him. Bloody fool!"

Anna put her hand on his chest. "Why don't we wrap this up, we're all rather tired and on edge here."

"Ya, alright. I'll call when I have some information. Good talking to ya, keep your heads down."

"Will do Sean." Then Robert hung up, he put his arms around Anna, resting his chin on her head. "We can't stop until this is over."

"I know. We are fighting for our life, our family, and for our future. Robert, we need to stop him once and for all. Faison won't quit until he gets what he wants."

"He will never take you away from me again, Anna. I promise." Holding her tight, all he wanted to do was make sure she stayed safe.

When they let go of each other they found themselves alone. The door to Alex's room was now closed. "I think she's got the right idea, let's get some sleep." Robert put his hand on her hip and followed her into their room, "I said sleep, remember that."

"There will be sleeping. It just isn't going to be right away." His hand slid down and cupped her ass before pulling her closer.

"I can agree to these terms." Anna kissed him passionately, as they made their way to the bed. Sleep can wait.