Alexis wasn't one to accept something outlandish without valid proof. She wasn't about to believe any and everything crazy one might tell her. And while she wasn't completely stubborn, she had her moments. Unfortunately for her, the sight of the gilded object in her daughter's hand shattered everything she believed. Even from a distance she could tell; it was a Fabergé egg.

"Let Mommy see that, honey." Her voice wavered as she reached out to her daughter's tiny hand. Kristina's palm was upturned. She closed her fist around the tiny object, then opened it again. "Kristina. Let Mommy have it."

After another two games of open and close, Alexis was finally able to get the little bauble from Kristina's hand. She stepped back slowly, raising her hand carefully. She lifted the little egg to the light, then clasped it tightly between both hands. This egg was exactly like the one before, the one whose key she had once worn around her neck. The one…

Alexis shook her head. Again, she was in the realm of impossibility. Stefan was dead, and no amount of signatures and miniature eggs could change that fact. She looked down at Kristina and the little girl was pouting. She wanted her toy back and though she didn't say it out loud, the tugging she started on her mother's pants leg said enough.

Alexis looked past her to Ric. He held the black and white photos in his hands, staring down at them with guilt. She had planned to throw them in his face, but when Kristina came in with her egg, that seemed less important. At that moment, it still seemed a little less important than other things, but it was something she would be getting to very soon.

She had hoped that he would look shocked, give her some reason to believe that the photos were doctored. If he'd given her wide eyes, then she could have been more forgiving. However, he could only lower his head, not look her in the eyes. He had slept with Reese days ago, and said nothing. Even as she said how they could get the divorce that he so desperately desired, he still said nothing. He lied to her face and dared to look guilty now that he was caught.

But that would have to wait. For now… "Where did she get this, Ric?" She opened her hands and showed him the egg. "You had her, and she didn't leave the house with it. Where did she get it?"

Ric walked to her confused, still holding the pictures. "Alexis…" He shook his head. "Are you sure she didn't get it here?"

"Of course, I'm sure!" She reached out and snatched the pictures from him. "And these… Oh, we'll talk about these, believe me."

"Where did you get those, Alexis?"

"Does it matter? And I said we'll talk about that later. Right now, I need to know where she got this!" Alexis dropped down to her knees and only at a small wave of nausea did she think that maybe she should have moved faster. She closed her eyes for a second, then when she opened them, half-grabbed Kristina with her balled fists. "Where do you get this, Kristina? Who gave you this, baby?"

"The man… in the park." She lowered her head, then looked back up at Alexis. "Can I have it back, please? The man said I could have it."

"Who was the man, baby?" Alexis pushed her wrists harder against her arms and Kristina started to squirm. "Who was he, Kristina? Did he tell you his name? Did he tell you what he wanted? Could you recognize him if you saw him? If I show you a picture?" Alexis paused. She didn't even know if she had a picture of Stefan, but Nikolas would have one. She would definitely have to talk to Nikolas. "Tell me, Kristina. Tell me what he looked like!"

"Alexis!" Ric pulled Kristina back from her, then knelt down. "Why don't you go to your room, honey? You can have your toy back in a little bit, okay? Just go on to your room. I know you've gotta be tired."

Kristina looked from Ric to Alexis. She wanted her toy, it had been given to her, but there was no way she was getting it back. She turned and ran off to her room. When she was gone, Ric took Alexis by the arms and stood her up. "What's wrong with you, Alexis?"

"What's wrong with me? This is wrong with me!" She shoved the small egg in his face again. "Do you have any idea what this is? What this means? And you… Don't you touch me!"

She snatched her arms away from him and started to fall backwards. Ric caught her before she could fall to far and Alexis pulled from him again. "Don't you put your filthy hands on me, you lying piece of trash!" She looked down at the pictures, then shoved Ric to the side. "This… These…" She held up the pictures and the egg. "You were supposed to be watching her! I let you take her to see her brothers and she comes home with things from strangers!"

"Alexis, we went to the park. Leticia came with us. If she got something… I only took my eyes off of her for a second."

"You can't take your eyes off of her at all! She'll get taken again! She'll get…" She stopped and shook her head. Stefan wouldn't take her… would he? No, she thought. He didn't want to take the girl, he just wanted her to send a message. She may have been his neice, but for that moment, she was no different than the courier who had brought the pictures. "You didn't see him. You didn't see him when he gave this to her, not even a bit?"

"Alexis, I didn't see anyone. I didn't even know she had anything until she showed it to you." He sighed and walked over to her. He stopped a few steps away and didn't reach out. "You need to calm down. This can't be good for the baby."

"You sleeping with Agent Hooker isn't good for the baby, either!" Alexis squeezed her eyes closed and took in a deep breath. She let it fall slowly from her lips. She opened her eyes and walked past Ric, then fell down on the sofa. "You don't understand…"

"Then tell me, Alexis. Tell me what's going on."

"What's going on…" She looked at him shocked. How could he not tell? Even without knowing the family history, he had to have some kind of idea. Or maybe Alexis just expected it to be as obvious to everyone else as it was to her. "These pictures," she said, holding them up to him. She dropped them to the floor, then bent forward and picked the note from the table. "The signature on this note, the emblem, the damned Natasha!" She dropped it and held up the egg. "A Fabergé egg. It all means one thing, and it only means anything to two people. Me and him."

"Him? Alexis… You're not making any sense."

"You want to know what doesn't make sense? You sleeping with Reese and having pictures of them sent to me is what doesn't make sense. Kristina getting an exact mini duplicate of the Cassadine egg doesn't make any sense. All of these messages, coming from a dead man. None of this makes any sense at all."

"A dead man? Alexis, who…"

"Stefan! Don't you get it, yet, Ric? Stefan!" Alexis closed her eyes again and leaned back against the sofa. She let her body sink into the thick cushions. She rested her hand, the one holding the egg, over her swelling belly.

She could feel Ric coming towards her and she put her hand out. As much as she loved him, as much as she'd been waiting for him to change her mind, with the images from those pictures in her head, she didn't want him anywhere near her. She was carrying his child, for crying out loud. That was as close to Ric Lansing as she wanted to be.

"Alexis, Stefan Cassadine is dead."

"Don't you think I know that?" She rolled her head to the side and opened her eyes. "But all of this says otherwise."

"Maybe someone is playing a trick on you. Maybe… I don't know…"

"Who would do that, huh? Who would have motivation? I could say Sonny, but besides the fact that he doesn't play games like this, I don't feel like getting into that particular argument with you. You'll never believe Sonny did anything, and for once, I don't think this is him. It can only be Stefan."

Ric sighed. He fingered the buttons of his shirt for a few seconds, then began to twist his wedding ring with his right fingers. Finally, he said, "You're tired, exhausted. You need to go lay down. Why don't I…"

"Why don't you do nothing but get the hell out of my house."

"Alexis…"

She screamed at him, "Get out!" Ric stood, staring at her, and she screamed again. At last, with his head down, he turned and walked to the door. He stopped and turned back to her, but at her hard eyes, he turned away and walked out. The door closed behind him and Alexis cried out.

Kristina cameout from her room and climbed on the sofa. She took Alexis's hand and peeled her fingers open. She took the small egg, then sat back happily, with a smile on her face. Alexis looked down at her daughter and sighed, lightly touching her hand. "He didn't tell you his name," she said softly, "but I know… it has to be him. I mean… who else could it be, right?" She sighed and let her hands drop to her sides. "Or else Mommy's just going crazy, like everybody says."