Chapter 5

"Alexis? Alexis? Wake up."

Alexis was slowly coming out of the fog and recognized Kristina's voice. 'Kristina. Oh no, Kristina. I have to get her out of here'.

"Kristina?"

"Hey, are you alright? Who was that? Why did you call me your friend? I mean, I let you because that look you shot me told me you'd kill me if I opened my mouth. Who was that, Alexis?"

"Kristina, please, slow down. Help me up."

Alexis stood and went to the sofa to sit down. Her whole body radiated fear and unease, but she had to be strong for Kristina. Johnny.

"Kristina, call Johnny's cell. Find out where he is. Tell him I need him."

"Lexie? I'm right here. Alexis, what's wrong?"

Johnny walked in just as Alexis was telling Kristina to call him. As soon as he looked at Alexis he knew there was something seriously wrong. He walked over and kneeled beside her putting his hands on hers as they lay in her lap, looking up to Kristina and back to Alexis...

"Lexie, tell me."

"Helena was just here. Johnny she's found us. Actually that's not exactly true. She's known where we were all along. Johnny, she threatened Kristina. We have to get out of here. We have to protect Kristina."

She saw Johnny's face pale and feared he would run again leaving her to deal with Helena on her own. She knew what that kind of fear felt like. She wanted to run. She wanted to open that door and run as fast and far as she could. But she couldn't, there was Kristina to think about. Her hands felt like they were in vises and she looked down toward them. Johnny's grip on her hands had become very painful.

"Johnny, you're hurting me. Johnny."

Johnny finally heard her. His mind had shut down on him for a minute. Relaxing his grip on her hands, he looked up at her.

"Lexie. I'm sorry, I kind of faded out myself there for a minute. Tell me. Tell me everything she said."

Alexis relaxed a little when she saw he was back with her. As she related the events of Helena's visit she witnessed the moment when Johnny switched from scared little boy to an angry resolved man with a purpose. She knew, in that moment that he would be ok and she would not have to fight alone.

"Alexis, we are through running."

He reached back to take hold of Kristina and pulled her down to sit by Alexis. Looking at them both, he saw his duty, he saw his family, and he was through running. The two of them were his life and he would gladly die if it meant they would be safe. With the clarity of mind that responsibility gives a person, he knew this battle would be won but in order to accomplish it he would need help.

"Alexis, Kristina, Don't worry. We will survive this. We were meant to be together, to be a part of each other's lives. We will not let anyone take that away from us. Do you understand? You both must feel as strongly as I do in this. We must stand together, united as one."

"You're right, Johnny. We will fight her and we'll fight her together." Alexis was proud of him. She watched him become a new man in front of her. Not the brother she came to love, or the child who had been running from fear. This was John Mitchell Cassadine and he was ready to fight for what he wanted, for what was his.

"Well, somebody should probably let me in on what we're supposed to be fighting here? How am I supposed to fight if I don't know what I'm fighting? Hello? Anybody care to give me a clue?"

Kristina, with her usual air-headed way was begging to be heard again.

Alexis and Johnny doubled over laughing. Everything would be ok. They would take care of Kristina and when things got a little rough, she would be the one to provide the humor of the situation. He was their strength; Alexis, the voice of reason and Kristina... she was what they were fighting for, freedom.

Johnny pulled them into his embrace and made the decision to call Sonny. They would need him now. He expected Alexis to disagree with him, but he would convince her that Sonny was important to them now in more ways than one. And Alexis herself would need Sonny now more than ever.