"Miss Davis… I mean Alexis. Gee, that's going to take some getting used to."
"It won't if you'll just start thinking of yourself as my friend instead of a servant, Alice. You will not be treated like a servant in your own home."
The two women were sitting companionably side-by-side resting a moment before getting into the news that Alice was bringing in from Port Charles.
"Don't know that it will be so easy. I mean this is your home and Miss Kristina's. I'm just here to help out best I can."
Alice needed reassurance that her 'station in life' was undergoing a significant change; one she wasn't all too prepared for. She took care of people… it was what she was trained to do from the moment she came of age. A body didn't just one day change from a life of servitude to being a lady-of-the-manor so to speak.
"Alice, I've had enough servants in my life to last a lifetime. I don't need a servant. I need a friend and my daughter just needs someone to love her enough to help her grow up. And one of the reasons I chose this particular house was because you could have your own bedroom right next to us. When you agreed to live here with Kristina and I, you accepted my invitation to become a part of us… part of our family. Your ideas, decisions and personal needs will be met with just as much respect and consideration as my own are."
Figuring to test Alexis on what she was saying, Alice took a leap and jumped in with both feet.
"Well if that's true then we best check it out right now. I think you made a mistake with Dr. Lewis."
Alexis knew that Alice would be bringing a lot of news from home, but she was totally unprepared for the first statement out of her mouth.
"Uhmm…. I don't know what you mean, Alice. What mistake are you talking about?"
"You left him high and dry. He must have come to the house a dozen times between the time you left and when I left. Always the same thing. Where is Alexis? What happed to Alexis? At first, he yelled his head off at Mr. Ashton and when that didn't work he started on Miss Quartermaine. Every time he came, he looked worse. He tackled Nicholas and your brother at the PC Grille the day before I saw him the last time. I was upstairs packing and heard him banging on the door yelling his head off looking for me. I had to keep on acting like I didn't know anything so I went downstairs and let him in."
Alice leaned against the back of the sofa and remembered the confrontation.
"Where is she, Alice? When did she leave with Kristina?"
"I don't know any more than you do, Dr. Lewis?"
"No, you know at lot more than you're willing to admit. Why won't you tell me where Alexis is? Don't I have a right to know given everything I did to help her?"
"How long you gonna throw that crap in her face? So, you think she owes you her life because you did a few decent things for her? Wherever she is I hope she doesn't come back to Port Charles. There's not one person in this town that tried to do what was best for that mother and her child without having some kind of selfish thing going on. And from what I can see, that includes you."
Alice watched Cameron fall back on his heels surprised at the accusations she threw at him. Suddenly feeling ashamed of herself she bowed her head a bit and apologized.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Lewis. I know you tried to help her the only way you knew how. I just don't see how everybody else couldn't see what I did when I watched her with that baby. There wasn't nothing she wouldn't do for that little girl and everybody's treating her like she's poison or something. Okay, she went a little nuts when Mr. Ashton got custody. But, haven't you ever lost something that meant the difference between living and dying to you?"
"I don't think it's that bad, Alice."
"And that's why you're now standing in the Quartermaine foyer yelling your head off wondering where she is and why she didn't tell you where she was going."
"So you do know where she is?"
"No, I don't. But, even if I did… it would be a cold day in hell before I told anyone in this town one single thing regarding that mother and child. You can all go fry yourself… you don't deserve to be in the same room with her."
She watched him walk back toward the door and with his hand on the knob turn his head and look directly at her. He nodded once then came back toward her pulling an envelope from his pocket.
"Alice, when you see her… tell Alexis I won't stop until I find her. You, this nest of dysfunction or her family will not stop me from finding her… and I would appreciate it when you do see her if you would give her this."
Looking at Alexis now after recanting the scene with Cameron, Alice was confused by the look on her face.
"What's wrong, Alexis? Did I say something wrong to Dr. Lewis?"
Alexis stood and walked over to the central fireplace and sat down on the stone ledge that surrounded it before answering Alice.
"No, Alice. You didn't say anything wrong. I expected Ned and Skye to go off the deep end and try to find me, but I didn't expect that level of concern from Cameron."
"Why not. That guy loves you, Alexis. Why wouldn't he go ballistic when you walked out on him?"
Alexis stared in shock at Alice.
"Don't look at me like that, Alexis. Why do you think he took such an interest in you and did all that stuff for you? Heck fire, he let his son think he was gay because you asked him to."
Jolted from the chaos running rampant through her Alexis stood up returning to the couch and shook her head as she sat back down.
"Alice, it wasn't because he loved me that he helped me out of a few bad situations. I'm not entirely sure why he did, but it wasn't because he loved me."
Alice sighed with exaggeration and reached into her dress pocket pulling the envelope from its depths.
"He wanted me to give this to you if I saw you again."
Reaching out slowly, Alexis took hold of the envelope. She didn't pull it toward her, she simply held it between her fingers. The chill of the paper sent goose bumps up her arm and when Alice let go of her side, the slight tilt of the envelope down toward the couch forced a skip in her heartbeat. Her breath caught and her hand finally made its way back to settle within her own space and rested on her thigh… her eyes never once straying from the scrawl of her name across the face of the envelope.
"Would you like me to give you some private time to read it, Alexis?"
Alice's words reached her through the fog of confusion that wrapped itself around her. Why would he care so much? Most of the communication between them from the moment they met was of an inflamed nature. They were always fighting with each other one way or another. 'Why does he keep coming back?'
"That's alright, Alice. I'll save it until we're finished here. I don't know that I'm ready for Cameron Lewis right now, so tell me what else has been going on in Port Charles since I jumped ship."
Alice looked at Alexis skeptically. She saw enough in her reaction to know that there was more going on with Alexis where the doc was concerned than she was ready to admit and that was okay with her. But, the rest of what she needed to tell Alexis was going to be tough on her. With everything that Alice now knew regarding the past couple of years, the next few minutes were going to cause a great deal of worry for her new friend.
"Got anything harder around here than coffee?"
"Do I need anything harder?"
"Yeah… you probably will. Tell me where it is and I'll get it."
"No, sit still Alice. It will be faster if I get it. Tomorrow is soon enough for you to start learning where everything is. Besides I think maybe I need a few minutes to prepare myself for the worse."
"Good idea."
Alice waited patiently for Alexis to retrieve a bottle of vodka and a couple of glasses. She watched Alexis closely trying to gauge what her frame of mind was, but all she could see was a wall being lifted in place and a chill brought about by fear settling around her. She was afraid for Alexis and how she would handle the news.
"Okay, Alice. Give me the worst of it and we'll see where to go from there."
Taking the tumbler from Alexis, Alice lifted it and downed it all in one shot forcing Alexis' jaw to drop instantly.
"That's impressive. I don't know anyone besides a Russian who can manipulate that little trick, Alice. Are you holding out on me?"
"If you mean only a Russian can stomach the likes of Myshkin Vodka; then I guess I have been holding out on you, but not intentionally. I grew up on Myshkin Vodka. Tea is to Americans what Myshkin Vodka is to Myshkinites. How do you know of Myshkin Vodka? It is not an export and normally kept only for royalty and Myshkinites."
"It is the smoothest vodka produced anywhere in Russian and I think the name holds more fascination for me than the actual liquor itself does."
"You mean Myshkin as in 'Mouse's Town'?"
"Yes. But, that's a story for perhaps another day. Now stop stalling and let's get this done."
Chuckling at the look of serious concentration on Alexis' face, Alice turned slightly and put her tumbler down on the table beside the couch.
"Stalling? I think you were the one that jumped track that time, Alexis."
Alexis smiled nodding her head in agreement.
"I can tell right now, you're not going to be letting me get away with a whole lot, are you?"
"Not if you want me to be your friend."
Reaching over, Alexis gripped Alice's hand for a moment and squeezed then let go and the smile fell from her face as she prepared to hear the news Alice brought from Port Charles.
"Okay, let's have it Alice."
Alice exhaled heavily then blurted out a portion of the news she was bringing to Alexis.
"I already knew who Kristina's father was before you told me."