CHAPTER FIFTY
Family Ties

She'd slept surprisingly well, Alexis realized as she opened her eyes. In the clear morning light, Alexis was more sure than ever of that first twinge of intuition. During the night, Alexis' analytical mind had gone back and reviewed bits and pieces of the events of everything that had gone before, minutely examining each new piece of evidence, sifting through her thoughts and impressions. And even if she couldn't pinpoint how, things simply didn't add up.

Sitting up, Alexis' first thought was to try and reach Sonny on her cell phone, but again she got no answer. It could be that her signal wasn't getting through; she refused to think of any other possibilities or to let it burden her spirit. She had decided that she would fight for Sonny, and that was exactly what she intended on doing. So instead of letting her old thought patterns drag her down into old habits and non-action, she concentrated on following her hunch.

She went over in her mind exactly how Carly had looked as she stood in the doorway of the church. For someone who had been involved in a harrowing, death-defying accident, and had presumably been lost in the wilderness and given up for dead, Carly had appeared very well groomed and clothed. Her analytical mind drew on memories that she'd been too emotional to notice at the time. Now these details came flooding back to the surface. Her clothes had been rumpled and wrinkled, that was to be expected. But clean enough. Her hair too – no snarls and tangles.

Alexis concentrated. The same could be said for her hands and even her fingernails. Her hands had been smooth, not cracked or dry, and her fingers had been clean if not manicured. Carly didn't look at all like someone who'd been lost wandering around in the woods. Not at all.

Carly definitely merited a closer examination; the hows and whys continued with her as she showered and dressed – Stefan had made a closet full of clothing in her size available for her any time she visited the island - and made her way downstairs. It would be very interesting to hear what her story was.

Mrs. Lansbury herself escorted her to where breakfast was being served, on one of the terraces that faced away from the city, the forested shoreline on the far side of the Port Charles River providing a calming and peaceful view.

Stefan had been reading the morning newspaper, but folded it as Alexis stepped out onto the terrace. She caught a glimpse of the headline announcing Caroline Benson's miraculous return from the dead. She frowned slightly, more sure than ever that there was more to it than it appeared at first glance. Then she was aware of Stefan's glance following her own. She shifted her gaze to meet his own; Stefan's response was only a slightly raised eyebrow. He said nothing more, instead coming forward to escort her to a seat beside him.

She picked up the paper and quickly scanned the front page. Not surprisingly the ex-Mrs. Corinthos' "miraculous" return from the dead was front page news. She would have read the story avidly for more clues, but suddenly aware of her half-brother's eye on her again, she quickly tossed it aside with a nonchalance she didn't feel. She wasn't ready to share the details of this situation with him just yet.

And since there was nothing she could do about it in this moment, Alexis put it momentarily from her mind and allowed herself instead to take the time and the unexpected pleasure to bask in the warmth and comfort of her family. Since Kristina's emergence, her family had taken on a new dimension.

Somehow, her little sister had taken the individual threads of their lives and woven them effortlessly into the woof and warp of her own, building a brand-new tapestry that was unforeseen by any of them – and cherished more than ever before. She watched indulgently, as Nikolas and Kristina kept up an animated chatter throughout the meal that Stefan and Alexis joined in with comments of their own from time to time.

Mrs. Lansbury had obviously been pleased at having all four of them under one roof at the same time. She had definitely outdone herself as far as the menu was concerned, providing everyone's favorites. The sidebars were covered with so many dishes that the choices were almost overwhelming, and each of them pressed the others to try this tasty tidbit or that.

It was with satisfied sighs and groans that they finally finished, nearly an hour after they had begun. Then it was Kristina's idea that they should go for a run along the shore. Nikolas was agreeable; Alexis and Stefan agreed only accompany them. Not to run. They made that crystal-clear, despite the younger pair's teasing..

The four of the walked along the beach for a few minutes, then Nikolas challenged Kristina.

"A quarter mile past the cottage and back." Nikolas had dared Kristina, pointing down the beach to where a small guesthouse sat, nestled in its own tiny garden.

Stefan smiled indulgently at the two of them as they raced away. "She's proven herself to be very good for Nikolas. She brings out his youth, something I'm afraid that I could never quite manage to do."

"Could it be that you're an old soul yourself?" Alexis said. "Nikolas is very much like you. And that's a very good thing."

The two of them walked until they came to the cottage. It was a small gem of a house, with a cozy garden surrounding its terraced front. This is where Stefan guided them and they sat there on the bench set in the tiny stone-flagged terrace for a moment, enjoying the morning's sunshine. "Helena might not think so." Stefan replied.

"Why ruin a perfectly wonderful morning by even mentioning her name?" Alexis chided him.

"My apologies." Stefan conceded with a smile. "Perhaps we can talk instead about what has your thoughts so otherwise occupied? The miraculous return of Mrs. Corinthos to her family, for instance?" So he had seen her interest in the newspaper. She should have known she couldn't fool him. And that he wouldn't question her about it as well.

"The ex Mrs. Corinthos," Alexis corrected him. "I have the distinct – pleasure –" and her tone made it very clear that it was anything but – "Of knowing Caroline. Corinthos nee Benson, and trust me, Stefan, it's doubtful that her return is miraculous at all."

Her mind was still at work even while she relaxed, still putting questions forth that needed answering, formulating her lines of inquiry. Her eyes ranged over the far shore, thickly forested. She found herself thinking of Carly again. Carly had been somewhere over there, lost in the woods all these days? Then how was it that she'd been so clean? And why, for instance, had Carly come straight to the church? A rational person would have gone straight to an emergency room. Especially if their mother was a nurse. How had she known to come to the church instead?

Stefan cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him. "Why concern yourself about her, or the Corinthoses at all? In fact, why do you continue to reside at the Harborview Towers at all?"

It was obvious that this was something Stefan had had on his mind for some time. "Sonny Corinthos is a client of mine, But more importantly, he and I have developed, an understanding. A friendship." Alexis said.

"And this is the reason for this deep concern?" Stefan's eyes were probing. "Friendship?"

"I care about him." Alexis said carefully. "Despite arguments to the contrary, he is a man. One with feelings. He can be hurt like anyone else. He does what he feels he must, but these decisions often cost him. Don't tell me that you cannot understand what that must be like?"

Whether Stefan liked it or not, she could see that her words had scored a point and she pressed it home, wanting, almost needing him to understand. "These last few days have been a difficult time for him, and I am happy to have been able to be a comfort to him. Don't believe everything you hear about him, Stefan; he is not what some people seem. Like others I know and care for." She quirked a meaningful smile at him.

"Point taken." Stefan said. Alexis could tell he was not ready to accept her decision fully. His next words proved her right. "But didn't you enjoy today's gathering? Why not have that every day? Why would you choose to live in a penthouse apartment building that is controlled by a man with a unsavory reputation such as Sonny Corinthos?"

"Stefan, you have an unsavory reputation as far as Port Charles is concerned. And I don't hold that against you. Why in the world should I hold that against him? I won't."

"But we are family."

"And he is someone I care about." Alexis couldn't bring herself to lie to Stefan. Not quite. "He has proven his loyalty to me in the past – I can do no less now."

"Well said, Natasha." Stefan replied. "But is there any reason in particular you continue to live at this Harborview Towers? I would much rather you stayed here. It befits your position as Cassidine royalty," He reminded her. "My business on behalf of the family keeps me traveling, and so it's your responsibility as one of the elders of our line – which is the senior branch of the family, I remind you - to set a proper example for Kristina – and Nikolas."

"I've always done my very best to protect and aid Nikolas – and the family, as you well know." Alexis said.

How could she explain, that for the first time in her life, she had matters that that took precedence and concerned her that did not involved the family? Even her romance with Ned had not consumed her with the same intensity. One reason that she and Ned had worked was that they were both gatekeepers for their respective families. That much, they had understood about one another. But this thing with Sonny and her, it was all hers. He'd been the first man, the first person to accept her exactly as she was, without fitting her into any preconceived notions about who and what she ought to be. Alexis refocused on his words. "Stefan, you may overlook it, but the fact remains, I am nothing more than a bastard Cassidine. Your mother ingrained that in me at a very early age."

"The fact remains, Natasha Alexis Davidovitch Cassidine, that it is the blood that counts. My mother has probably held so much animosity towards you because first and foremost, your blood is Cassidine – and hers is not. Her lineage may be royal, but it was a penniless, obscure line of Greek royalty - a name with little money and less power, however proud the lineage. You, by your blood, the blood of our father, are descended from true Russian royalty. For that alone, she will never forgive you. You have what she will always lack. Breeding will always tell, in the end.

"Secondly, and I think this cuts her most of all – you and your sister were conceived in love. I do not deceive myself on this point and I never have. Our father truly loved your mother. Stavros, myself, even Nikolas – in a sense -, they were conceived out of a sense of duty, nothing more."

His admission left her speechless for a moment. "And this realization doesn't bother you?" Alexis wondered.

"I came to terms with it a long time ago." Stefan's eyes were shadowed and Alexis knew from the look on his face that she'd get very little more from him on the subject. "My mother is who she is. She traded love for power a long time ago...very likely before I was ever born. Indeed, she may have felt she had no choice; she never had our father's love. He was a very arrogant man and I'm sure he made her position in his life painfully clear. My - our - father– never loved her. She knew it, and traded that for power. And it has consumed her.

"But you're right; let us speak of more pleasant things," he said with a gentle smile that waved away whatever pain he might have felt at this realizing this truth. Alexis knew he would have never spoken of it if he hadn't found a way to deal with it. "I understand your reluctance to live up at the grand maison It reminds you too much of the estates in Greece. But this," he gestured around the cottage and garden. "This might suit you. It goes without saying that you may come and go as you please, whether or not I'm in residence. I know that you value your privacy, as much as I do. I will have Mrs. Lansbury air it and stock it with whatsoever you might like. And you may come here at any time. Anytime - he stressed – "you feel the need to get away from the mainland."

It was as close as Stefan would come to prying, Alexis knew. "I appreciate the offer, Stefan. I hope that I won't feel the need, but thank you."

"I will always look out for you, Natasha."