"What are you doing still up?" Alexis questioned when she walked into the suite and saw Zander waiting up for her.
"I was waiting up for you."
"Well, you can go to bed now, I'm back safe and sound."
Zander got up from the couch and approached her.
He hung his head and stood before her. "I'm glad we came back here."
"So am I, Alex. Everything will be just fine .. you'll see." She smiled, glad to hear that his opinion had changed about moving back to PC.
Zander gave his mother a goodnight kiss on her cheek and walked towards one of the bedrooms. Alexis watched him close the door and then flopped herself down on the couch to relax. It had been a very long day, and she knew tomorrow would be the first day of her new life. Her new life that came with a new job. She was grateful to have Mac in her life, he had made it possible for her to return to Port Charles with Zander. Her past had haunted her for far too long, it was time to bury it and put it behind her where it belonged.
She and Mac had been friends a long time, she just a know-it-all law student and he just enrolled in the police academy, they hit off at first sight. She had not had the feelings of love for Mac, not the way her friends and others thought she did. Mac and her had become the best of friends throughout the first few years, she then went on to pursue her dreams of becoming an attorney and she had lost track of him for a while. After college, she settled down in Port Charles because of her Cassadine roots and she soon found out that Mac had taken a position on the Port Charles police force. He soon made detective and Alexis had gotten a job at a fairly large law firm just outside the city.
The Cassadine family had a strong hand on Port Charles, from politics to the hospital administration, her family had power and a lot of money to get what they wanted, regardless of who stood in the way. The darkness and the greed was something Alexis wanted no part of. She wanted to do something good with her life, and not take on the Cassadine genes of being greedy, evil and vindictive. She wanted away from her Cassadine family, but most of all she wanted her new family safe.
She had recently married, a heart surgeon, Cameron Lewis, and shortly there after she became pregnant with Alex. He was the unexpected part of her plans. She had her career path all laid out and had detailed down to the letter, until the day she found out she was 8 weeks pregnant. Her stepmother, Helena not too happy with Alexis's news about her marriage to, of all people, a heart surgeon, certainly he didn't meet Helena's criteria of a royalty. Helena had vowed that she would not allow Alexis to find happiness with her new found family, the Cassadine's were her family and Helena would not give Alexis the out she wanted.
Alexis had lost touch once again with Mac, as she and her family moved to Manhattan. Cameron had gotten a position at Mount Sinai Hospital in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, while Alexis had taken a position at a fairly large law firm specializing in criminal litigation. She quickly moved up the firm's ladder and her reputation as one of the best criminal attorney's in Manhattan proceeded her.
Her life with Cameron and their son Alexander seemed to be going along just fine, and then one day she found herself falling out of love with the man she married 15 years earlier. She had serious reservations about divorce, she was concerned on how it would effect Alex, being he was young, she was hoping he'd overcome all the anger and guilt that a divorce could bring on a child his age. She wasn't only concerned with Alex, she was also worried about herself and if she could make it on her own with a small child. The divorce was finalized a year ago, and she decided she needed to come home, Port Charles was her home for a long time before Cameron and she was hoping it could be again.
Her family were all gone now, Helena, Stefan, and she had no idea where Nikolas had taken off to, she could only assume he ran back to Greece. She had heard that Nikolas had taken up with a young girl for a while, and it seemed to be getting pretty serious from what she could tell in the letters that Nikolas had written to her, but then those just one day stopped.
Alexis curled up on the couch and covered herself with the blanket that was draped across the back. She knew with Helena and Stefan gone, Nikolas would be safe to do with his life what he wanted to. Stefan and Helena both had always wanted to run his life for him, and as he got older, Nikolas started to realize if he wanted to control his own life, he needed to remove himself from the family, just like Alexis had so many years before.
She laid down and stretched out her weary legs, propping her head on the arm rest, she felt some comfort as she nudged a pillow between her head and the fabric covered wooden arm of the couch. She didn't know what lye ahead of her and Alex, but she knew that she had the courage to take the risk and find out.
Her first step had already happened, leaving Manhattan and her ex husband behind. It was the first step towards rebuilding her life as a single mother with a teenaged son. She also was hoping that bringing Alex back with her, he'd be able to straighten out his path as well.
Alexis laid back her head and closed her eyes. She was exhausted and she knew she had to climb the stairs to get to the upstairs bedroom of the suite, she just didn't have the strength. Before she knew it, she had dozed off, waking up a few hours later, she noticed how long she was sleeping by reading the clock that sat on the mantle of the fireplace. She got up from the sofa and double checked the door, making sure it was locked before climbing the stairs to the bedroom.
She thought she heard a noise in the kitchen and went to check it out. She pushed open the swinging door and peeked her head in to see who was clamoring around in the wee hours of the morning.
"Do you know what time it is, Alex?" she said as she saw him reach for a glass that he found in the cupboard.
"This place even provides the glasses, ma!" he seemed amused by finding glassware in the kitchen cupboards.
"That's nice, do you know what time it is? What are you doing up?" she asked as she stepped into the kitchen, the door left swinging behind her.
"I got thirsty. Is that a crime?"
"Don't get smart, Alex .... I'm too tired to fight." she said as she held back a yawn.
"Who's fighting? You asked and I answered. I got thirsty and I came in for a drink."
"Okay, so you got your drink, now get back to bed. We have a long day tomorrow."
"You might have a long day tomorrow, but I'm sleeping in." he smirked as he walked passed her.
"Oh no you're not, young man. You and I have things to do tomorrow."
"Ma .. we just got here, can we not just take a moment to breathe?"
"Simple answer .... no."
"I thought you had to report to the courthouse tomorrow for work?"
"I do." Alexis thought about how she would schedule in time with Alex and be at work at the same time. "Oh, then I guess you can explore on your own tomorrow. If you can promise me you'll behave yourself?"
"Yes, ma." Zander rolled his eyes.
He turned and pushed open the swinging door, leaving Alexis in the kitchen shaking her head at his whining about her concern for him.
She turned and headed towards the stairs. She turned off the lights and climbed the stairs to the master bedroom. Her tired body barely made the climb, but she smiled when she saw what was waiting for her when she pushed open the bedroom door. The queen sized bed was inviting her and she couldn't resist.
Zander had brought up their bags from the car, earlier and had them setting in the master bedroom for her. She unpacked the smaller bag and found her pajamas and slippers. She slipped from her business clothes and put on her pajamas, she remembered to pack her flannels, and she smiled when she felt the softness against her skin.
She pulled back the blankets on the bed and climbed in. She snuggled close against the fluffy pillows, her head sank and her eyes fluttered close.