Duane was reading the Port Charles Gazette while on the exercise bicycle, and smiled when he saw the item that obviously referred to Alexis' client.

He got off, and noticed Sarah doing a work out in a room he was passing. He didn't say anything to her, as he rarely saw her actually working out and figured he could leave her alone without interrupting that.

She was doing a set of exercises, and he felt a vague interest in it. He had clients who had similar programs, other clients, but usually just heard it all described rather than seeing it in action.

She was holding her leg at one particular point for what was obviously some prescribed number of seconds. She winced in pain a little, but kept to it for however long the physical therapist had prescribed.

His heart went out to her. He had read the reports and so he knew exactly what her injuries had been. Yet even to one with as much knowledge as he had, it usually wasn't evident how much it was affecting her.

He could see her determination right there. She had an iron will. He already knew something about that.

He went off to the shower. He had to get to court in time, or Judge Ottinger would give him hell.

In the pool and Jacuzzi section of the gym, Alexis had taken her daily swim. The hot tub was out of the question for the time she was pregnant. She missed it, but took the time to sit and read. It was a good place for that.

Presently, she looked up and saw Sarah Webber in the hot tub.

"Hey," she said to Sarah. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, my injury? I'm coming along. The exercises are starting to do some good."

"You won't need another surgery, will you?"

"Well, I hope not. Not for the immediate future, anyway. I've been able to do anything I need to do at work. Only horseback riding is what I'm not quite up to yet. Still, there's hope. But so far working out here is like a substitute for riding."

Eventually Sarah got out and sat in the chair next to Alexis', drying off a little.

"Duane must be in court," Alexis said.

"Too bad," Sarah said, grinning.

"Patti Polk was sitting with us the other evening, in the London Underground," Alexis said. "She said it was too bad Jason Quartermaine has a girlfriend, because he is perfect for you. She described all you have in common. Both doctors, with both parents being doctors and working in the same hospital as both parents."

Sarah rolled her eyes and smirked. "Patti got that idea straight from Elizabeth," was all she said.

"We were all there," Alexis said. "Duane said you and Jason must have enough in common to drive each other nuts, or something like that."

Sarah's eyes widened. She looked off, and smiled. "We over at our table were saying Duane and Patti had too much in common. Elizabeth, my sister, was all for them getting together, and we were saying they would have trust issues up to the ceiling."

"I think you're right," Alexis said.

"See, Alexis, I may be young, but I have some experience. I've had my heart broke. People have all kinds of problems. One for instance, they don't want to be committed. I've dated guys who can't do it, period, no matter how much they love. That's a bad issue too. It goes right to the heart of the relationship and how it must end, and how much time do you want to spend on something you know must end? So it goes. Mere chronological age is nothing to that."

"No, it's not. I've run into that too, believe you me. Before I met Jerry, I dated so many guys. My first husband was a non-committer, or at least, he figured that out about a year after the wedding. I was one too, really. But you, could you do it?"

"I could in the right circumstances. I'm not afraid of it, or hung up on not being ready for it. No one's ever ready for it, not if they expect a certainty. Duane knows there's none, he's not sure of himself, he might not trust another woman after that divorce, at least not right away, but he knows that eventually one has to take a chance. I'd rather have that quality than the superficial ones, like we're the same age, we're the same sign, whatever other ridiculous things are supposed to make people stay together."

"Jerry had two bad marriages that were short and long ago, long ago like mine, but for years seems to have had the idea he was no good at it. But he got over it."

"How?"

"Zander and Quinn fixing us up, and being encouraging. His family being encouraging," Alexis laughed. "His younger brother is the greatest. He gave him the right support, somehow. They are amazing, this family. Sometimes I envy them, but I get to be one of them now. And so does my kid."

"That sounds so wonderful. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you. We've really had a lot of support. That's important."

"I don't, so far, anyway."

"I can give you a little. I can tell from talking to you that you know your own mind. You know what you're after, and they aren't the superficial things. I know a zillion women older than you that can't figure it out. Includes me, up to this very year."

"Thank you, Alexis. That means something to me."

Sarah's sister Elizabeth was in her boxcar studio, along with her friend V. Ardanowski, a police detective who also painted. V. was mixing paints and Elizabeth was reading the Port Charles Gazette.

"Oh, Taryn," Elizabeth said to the newspaper.

"What is it?" V. asked.

Elizabeth showed V. the article.

"It could only be Taryn," Elizabeth said. "I know she went to a party with Clay Delaney."

"There's always hope it's someone else."

"Maybe. But Taryn is a juvenile and she went to a party with Clay Delaney that same night."

"This town is so small, not printing the names of juveniles takes on a sort of silliness," V. said.

"You bet," Elizabeth grinned. "I don't think Patti even knows, or she'd have called Paul by now."

"But how could Taryn keep a DUI charge secret from Patti?"

"Who knows? Yeah, it would be hard. Wouldn't Patti even have to come and get her? Maybe Clay was able to bail her out and get her out. But would a juvenile not have to go with their parents?"

"Normally, but if she's charged as an adult, maybe she is treated, procedurally as an adult."

"They'd do that? Why?"

"Anything having to do with driving they will charge as adult."

"Oh, I can see why, too," Elizabeth said. "Taryn, she thinks she's an adult."

"When I was her age, I passionately believed that about myself, too," V. said.

"Well, yes, I would be the same," Elizabeth said. "I did a few silly things. But Taryn - she has this knack for getting into trouble."

"Sounds like someone who could turn up pregnant."

"Bite your tongue, V.!"

"OK, OK, I don't want the universe to come down upon me."

"Don't even put that idea into the ether."