Chapter 33

It had been a week since Anna and Robert reconnected and spend 36 glorious hours together in his hotel room. Since then they had been spending a fair amount of time together, so far Anna thought the only people that knew they were together were Mac and Felicia and that was fine by her. Robert had spent a couple of nights at her house and they were really enjoying each other being back in their lives. There was no denying it, when they are together they are both truly happy.

They were sitting outside of Kelly's when Robert got a call and excused himself, saying it was about work. Anna hadn't noticed Finn before that but he walked over right after Robert had walked away. "Why are you spending so much time with him?" he asked as he sat down in the chair Robert had just vacated.

"Excuse you? Why does it matter to you who I spend my time with?"

"I still care about you, Anna. I don't want to see you hurt."

"Oh, that's rich," she said with a laugh that had no humour in it.

"Anna, are you letting him try to romance you?"

"What if I am? Is that any of your business?"

"He's a player. Do you know how many women he's taken out on dates since he's been here? Think about how many of those women he was trying to get into bed or did."

Finn clearly doesn't know Robert. Yes, he might have had a reputation as a ladies man but one night stands and stinging more than one woman along at a time had never been his style, Anna thought. "Oh really, who has he been romancing?"

"Bobbie, Monica, Alexis, I'm guessing you. I've seen him out with all of them," Finn informed her.

"You forgot the mayor and his sister-in-law. If you're gonna start rumours you should include everyone he's gone to dinner with," she told him dismissively. "Yes, Robert has had dinner with a lot of his old friends since he's been here. If Tony and Alan were still alive he would have wanted to spend time with them as well. Luke doesn't live here, Mac he sees fairly often. So what if his old friends here are women, that doesn't mean he's trying to get them into bed."

"What about Alexis? He was dating her now he seems a lot more interested in you."

"You do not get to bring Alexis into this conversation!"

"Oh, are you jealous of her now too? Alex can't have him. Alexis can't have him," Finn said smugly.

Anna stood up suddenly, "You can't be serious right now!"

"Why can't I? It's clear you still want him," he accused as he stood up as well.

"Alexis! You are going to stand there and act like nothing happened! You're going to play all high and mighty calling Robert a womanizer when you were the one that slept with Alexis while we were still together."

Finn didn't even see it coming. Out of nowhere, he got punched in the jaw. When Finn looked back he saw Anna standing with her hands on Robert's chest holding him back, both of them looking back at him, "Come on baby, let's just get out of here. I don't have anything else to say to him," Anna said just as they turned and walked away together. Robert then put his arm around her as Finn watched them in disbelief. Maybe he hadn't been so far off base about them after all. Unless he was very wrong they are together now.

...

Maxie knew it had been a while since Anna had given Peter Alex's DNA sample so she thought she'd go talk to him about the test result. He had been less than satisfied with the results they had gotten from the first tests. She hoped that if he knew for sure who his mother is then he might have a little peace of mind. Just as she was about to knock Lulu came walking up to his office door, "Hi Maxie, what are you doing here?"

"Oh hi Lulu, I just came to talk to Peter. If you're here for a meeting I can wait."

"No, I just need to drop this off," Lulu said holding up a folder. "What are you doing after this?"

"Nothing, I'm done work for the day but mom wants to keep James a little longer today. Her and Dad were taking him over to Bobbie's for the afternoon."

"We should go get a coffee," Lulu suggested as she knocked on Peter's door. They both walked in when he called out for them to enter.

"Yeah, I'd like that," Maxie said.

"Hello ladies, what can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to return this file. It was helpful but I think I've gotten everything I need from it."

"That's good. Will it help your story?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, I think it will."

Peter took the fold from her, "I think I have another one that will be useful, hang on a second." He walked over to his filing cabinet and started looking for another file.

Lulu and Maxie moved over to his desk and while he was looking they started talking again. "Have you heard from Dante at all?"

"No, I don't think I will until he's figured out whatever it is that he needs to," Lulu said, Maxie could see the sadness in her eyes.

"While he's gone you and I will keep each other company," Maxie offered.

"I don't even know when he'll come home. Maxie, he made it sound like it might be a long time, that it might not be ever."

"Dante needs time to make himself better but he loves you and Rocco, he'll come back."

Lulu tilted her head," Like your dad came back to you and your mom?" Lulu saw the look on Maxie's face, "Sorry that was uncalled for. I just meant we don't always get what we want."

"I know I just had that file," Peter said interrupting Lulu and Maxie.

"What was it?" Lulu asked.

"Tucker 2015," Peter answered.

"Do you mean this one," she asked as she picked up a file from the tray on his desk.

Peter looked over "See, I told you I just had it." Lulu stepped towards Peter as they started talking Maxie noticed a cylinder in the tray with Alexandra Devane written on it. What was that still doing here she wondered? Why wouldn't he have taken that to the lab yet? Maxie was wondering if she should ask him about it when he addressed her, "Maxie what brought you here?"

"Oh, I was just going to ask if you had heard about the DNA result yet but,"

"I should know within a couple of days," Peter answered cutting her off.

"That's good," Maxie replied trying not to sound confused.

"Was that it?" Peter asked.

"Um, yeah. Lulu and I were making plans as we walked in so Lulu if you're done here we should go."

"Yeah, I've got what I need. We just need to stop by my office then we can go."

"Yeah alright, hey Peter let me know when you get those results. I know it will be good for you to know for sure that Alex is your mother." Then Maxie and Lulu left his office, once they were by the elevators she looked at Lulu. "It took a week and a half when they did the one with Anna's DNA. How can he have the results in a couple of days if he hasn't even taken Alex's sample to the lab?"

"What? How do you know that?" Lulu asked. "Why is he getting DNA tests done and why did you say Alex is his mother?"

"Oh you have missed so much while you were gone," Maxie said as they stepped onto the elevator. "First thing you need to know is, Anna isn't Peter's mother, her twin sister Alex is." Maxie went on to tell Lulu all she knew about the memory swapping and how that had lead Anna to believe she was Peter's mother.

As they walked into the restaurant Lulu asked, "Did Anna bring back two samples?"

"I don't know, why would she?"

"I don't know but that would explain why Peter still has a sample in his office."

"I guess but, you know what, I'll just ask her next time I see her," Maxie concluded.

"There, perfect solution. Now, what are we going to talk about?" Lulu asked with a smile. She knew she needed a little time with her best friend and didn't want to spend it talking about her boss's personal life.

...

Finn had called Alexis to tell her he thought they should talk. She told him that she was busy but to come by her house in the evening. He hadn't bother calling again but was sure she'd be home by now. Alexis opened the door fairly quickly when he knocked and she welcomed him in. "What did you want to talk about? It sounded important." Alexis said following him over to the couch. Then she noticed the bruise on his chin, "What happened to you?"

"Anna and I got into an argument," he started.

Alexis looked surprised, "She hit you?"

"No, we were arguing, Robert was the one that hit me."

Alexis looked at him in disbelief, "Why?"

"Oh, you were right. They knew about us sleeping together and I guess me telling Anna she shouldn't be spending so much time with Robert did go over well since I'm pretty sure they are a couple now."

"I knew they had figured it out." Then she looked at him, "You think they're a couple?"

"After he hit me, Anna called him baby while stopping him from hitting me again then they walked away together, his arm around her." Finn then went on to tell Alexis what all was said and how Anna got angry by the end and started yelling about the two of them.

Alexis had her head in her hands when he was done talking. "Do you even think before you talk? I told you they knew about us and then you try to act like you did nothing wrong and that you know what's best for Anna. Oh, and Finn, I will have you know. Robert was a complete gentleman when we went out for dinner. I told you that was not a date."

"Whatever it was. He's gonna hurt her."

"Really?" Alexis wasn't sure she was really hearing this.

Finn looked at her and saw the look she was giving him, "Well, no probably not." Finn leaned back and put his head against the back of the couch. "I miss her."

Alexis leaned back beside him, "Fighting with her isn't going to make things better."

"Things aren't going to get better."

"Finn, you can't be sure she's with Robert just because they're spending time together." He looked at her questioningly, "Well you can assume but you don't know that for sure."

"I made such a mess of everything and I don't even understand why. Alexis, I didn't have to keep telling Anna that Peter is her son. If she wants to deny him that's her choice, that should not have been what started all those fights."

"If you know that, then why?"

"If I know that I would have been able to tell Anna that very thing." Finn closed his eyes for a moment, then he looked at Alexis. "Thank you for not hating me. For not turning your back on me."

"We're both kind of mess up, I need you too."

Finn smiled, "Yeah, Alexis I am very glad you are still my friend." He leaned over and gave her a hug. "Thanks for listening to me but I think I should get out of here. I don't want to overstay my welcome." He gave her a little smile then got up and left. He still wasn't happy about thinking Anna and Robert are a couple but he did feel a little better after talking to Alexis.

Alexis sat thinking after Finn had left, she knows they've talked and that Finn basically told her he thought they would end up sleeping together again. She had thought that might be something she could be interested in but now she wasn't so sure. Yeah, it was fun and sure it was nice having that kind of release but is it worth it if she's only going to get hurt in the end? Finn is worried about Anna being hurt by Robert but does he even care about her? Is she just the person he used to help himself when he's feeling down and lonely?

Alexis has realized something while she's been trying to help Kristina. She is more important than any man, her needs should come first. How had she forgotten this? Alexis knows she's been flip-flopping but she now felt certain that she will be Finn friend, she will talk to him and help him. She will even continue to talk to him about her problems but she will not be his booty call when he's feeling unloved and wants a little action.