She had to do this.

Every nerve in Irina's body came alive as she made her way around the compound. She took the quietest steps possible, avoiding the guards on patrol. Wallace gave her clear instructions, pinpointing each and every hallway and door she needed to go through. The duffel bag that hung off her shoulder felt heavier with each step she took, and so did the head that rested on her other shoulder.

Dex slept against her, dressed snugly in a black parka. The hood rubbed against her as he shifted around, her heart aching without fail each time. She thought about turning around and giving up, to return to her private quarters and resume life as if nothing happened.

If only Helena remained clueless.

Wallace glowed in the snow, something she was in awe of as she finally made her way outside. Tiny white flakes gently fell down in the early hours of the morning, the chill of the wind biting her cheeks. He stood by a packed Jeep, taking the duffel bag when she finally approached him.

"Everything he needs is packed, right?" Wallace asked as he placed the bag in the backseat behind him.

"It is," Irina sighed gently, "Clothes, toys, and a little something extra from me to him. Everything ready for you to head out?"

"Almost."

"Almost?"

"Right," Wallace turned around, "I'm ready to do this; I want to make sure you are."

"Of course I am."

Wallace shot her a smirk, and Irina tried to hide her reaction, biting the inside of her lip. She gently bounced Dex in her arms, rubbing his back.

"Irina," Wallace spoke up.

"I'm being serious," Irina pouted, "Dexter's safety is my top priority, and even then, he deserves a chance at a childhood. I promise you, I'm ready."

"I don't believe you."

"Well, it's the truth."

"If that's the truth, mind telling me why you decided to do this while he's asleep?"

Irina paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, "...I thought it would make things easier."

"Make things easier for you."

"No-"

"Irina," Wallace approached her, gently placing his hands on her hips, "I know you. I know that your claim of 'making things easier' isn't entirely accurate."

Irina averted her eyes, slowly turning away. She cuddled Dex tighter against her.

"You didn't say goodbye to him, did you?"

"I don't want to say goodbye. Saying goodbye makes it more real," Irina began to choke up, "I know that this is the best thing to do for him, but…it's hard for me to let him go. He's…he's everything to me."

"I know," Wallace sighed, backing up a bit. He outstretched his arms, "and I promise you, he'll be well taken care of. Now, hand him over, before the guards find us."

Irina slowly turned Dex around, passing him off to his father. She smiled sadly as Wallace cooed at him, bouncing him in his arm. Her heart broke as the five-year-old shifted against him.

"Say goodbye to him for me," Irina turned away, beginning to walk back to the compound, "and tell him I love him."

"...Mommy?"

Irina felt her heart stop. She froze in place, catching sight of snowflakes in her hair. She turned around to see Dex frowning at her, Wallace glancing between them sympathetically.

"Dexter…" Irina slowly made her way to her son, "Hi, baby."

"Mommy?" he asked curiously, looking between her and his father, "Where are you going? Why are we outside? Why is Daddy here?"

Irina bit her lip, her eyes stinging with tears. Wallace's eyes shined with a sharp sadness, telling her exactly what she needed to do.

"Oh, my boy," Irina grabbed Dex's face, cupping his cheeks, "my beautiful boy."

"What's wrong?"

"Listen to me, okay, baby? Something bad happened, and you and your father are going to be living somewhere else now."

"You're coming too, right?"

"...No. No, I'm not. It's just going to be you two."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, baby," Irina sobbed, "I have to do this. We have to say goodbye. It's for the greater good."

"No!" Dex struggled in Wallace's grip, "No!"

"I love you," she rubbed his cheeks with her thumbs, trying to ignore his pleas, "I love you so much. Your father's going to take good care of you, okay? You're going to grow up and live such a good life."

Irina pulled back slightly, catching sight of the ring on her finger. She pulled the piece of jewelry off, examining the golden Cassadine family crest for a moment.

"I want you to have this," she said, gently sliding it onto his right ring finger, "This ring used to be very important to me, but now I want it to be important to you. Let it serve as a reminder of me as you grow older."

"But…" the boy gently whined, looking up at her with tear-filled eyes, "but I want you."

"Hey," she cooed, "it'll be okay. Things will be this way for a while-"

"But not forever," Wallace chimed in, staring right at her, "We'll reunite with her one day…?"

Irina could only force a smile. She cupped Dex's cheeks again, kissing his forehead.

"I'll always be with you, my dear son," she whispered, her nose gently touching his, "I'm sorry it has to be this way. I love you, Dexter, and I always will."

"Mommy?" Dex asked, his voice cracking as he got louder. Irina did her best to ignore his pleas as she walked away, "Mommy?! MOMMY!"

"Irina?"

Her head snapped up, Alexis and Sam standing nearby. She scanned her surroundings, registering the fact that she sat in a wing of the ICU. She straightened her back, stretching her neck in all directions and clearing her throat.

"What are you doing here?" Alexis asked, taking a seat.

"I could ask you the same," Irina replied.

"I had a doctor's appointment and my daughter, Sam," Alexis gestured to the black-haired woman seated on Irina's other side, "came with me. We saw you in the lobby and wanted to see if you were alright."

"I'm fine…physically, at least."

"What are you doing in the ICU?" Sam asked.

"My son's in there," Irina pointed to the room across from them, the blinds on the door and window completely closed, "He's being looked over by doctors."

"Dex is alive?" Alexis raised her eyebrows, "Victor said he was dead, we saw your reaction-"

"He was wrong. Or, at least, he was wrong at the time…"

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, "What happened?"

As if on cue, a doctor stepped out of the room, gently closing the door behind him. Irina rushed towards him, her hands clasped, "How is he?"

"He's currently in critical condition. We've put him into a medically-induced coma to mitigate any potential brain damage."

"He's in a coma?" Irina's voice cracked, "Brain damage?"

"Oh my God," Alexis covered her face with her hands while Sam looked away.

"His heart stopped," the doctor explained, "When that happens, brain damage can occur in a matter of minutes. Thankfully, as you said to the paramedics, his father immediately started performing CPR. There's a chance he'll come out unscathed, but it's a small one."

"Is he going to make it?"

"It's…too early to say. Given his vitals, we're going to give him a blood transfusion so we can replenish his extremely low blood volume. If things start to improve, we'll pull him out."

"And if things don't improve?"

The doctor sucked in his lips, figuring out his phrasing. Irina felt a lump in her throat, shaking her head when she realized his potential reply. As her vision blurred with tears, the blinds to the room opened. She bypassed the doctor and stared into the room. Dex laid snugly in the bed, his lips closed around a small clear tube and his chest rising and falling in a stiff rhythm. A nurse or two would block Irina's view, monitoring the machines around him. She placed a hand on the glass window, every part of her body aching.

"You told the EMTs that you, your son, and his father were having a discussion before he collapsed," the doctor began, "but you didn't elaborate further. Can you tell me what the nature of the discussion was?"

"It was…an argument."

"How was he behaving?"

"Irritated, agitated."

"Does he get like that often?"

"Not to my knowledge. Why?"

"Well," the doctor cleared his throat, "given his low blood volume on top of the cardiac arrest, I have reason to believe he was experiencing hypovolemic shock."

"And that is?"

"It stems from hypovolemia, which is a large depletion of blood or other fluids in the body. Was he experiencing any fatigue or dizziness in the last few days?"

"Yes...he could barely stand."

"I see," the doctor hummed, "Seems like that's what we're dealing with, then. Do you know he got to be this way?"

"...No."

"I see. Looks like we got our work cut out for us," the doctor chuckled, stopping when he saw the distress in Irina's face, "Your son's in good hands. We'll keep a close eye on him, administer any necessary treatment, and canvas the blood bank. He'll come back to you; we'll make sure of it."

As the doctor walked back into the room, Sam and Alexis slowly approached Irina. The older woman laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry."

"What do you have to apologize for? You didn't harm him."

"We heard everything," Sam pointed to the couch with her thumb, "and it's awful what Dex is dealing with. It'll be a long, hard road to recovery, but the doctor's right. He's in good hands here. They're going to do everything they can to save his life. He'll come back to you and Wallace."

"Do you know where Wallace is, by the way?" Alexis chimed in.

"I don't know," Irina sighed, walking back to the sofa. She ran both her hands through her hair, looking down at the ground. Alexis and Sam moved to join her.

"If I may ask," the older woman crossed her legs, "how did you find out Dex was alive?"

"Valentin. He took me to his hotel room after we left you all at Wyndemere, and Dexter was there."

"He was taking care of his nephew?" Sam replied, "That's big of him."

Irina could only shrug in response, looking past them. She found herself mesmerized by the white and blue bodies walking around behind the blinds of the window.

Sam followed her gaze, "Are you thinking of going in there?"

"I'd be lying if I said no," Irina replied absentmindedly, "but I know better than to interfere. I don't want to jeopardize him any more than I already have."

"Is there anyone we can call for you? We can get the family here, at least the members you like."

"If possible, I'd prefer you keep Dexter's condition a secret. The last thing he needs is any malicious interference while his health improves."

"But-"

"Please," Irina begged, "I know you wouldn't tell my father or nephew, but there's no guarantee my niece or great nephew won't say something accidentally or otherwise. Please, don't tell anyone. If you won't do it for my sake, do it for Dexter's."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely. My priority is my son; I'll do anything to ensure his survival."

Valentin drummed his fingers on the seat of the plane, looking out of the window. Anna sat next to him, her hand on top of his, fingers locked together.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked.

"Just mulling over the details of our trip to Europe. Once we land in Milan, we'll take the train out to Lake Como to get Laura."

"And then?"

"We take a flight to Switzerland and break Charlotte out."

"Mhm, and how do you propose we break her out? We can't just waltz in and grab her."

"I'm still working that part out. The few ideas I have aren't any good so far."

"What ideas do you have so far?"

"The usual: going undercover, breaking and entering from a secret location, complete ambush."

"And why wouldn't they work?"

"I'd like to think that Victor's goons are smarter than they look, and I don't want to fall victim to one of their bullets."

"We brought our guns too-"

"Yes, but it's two against God knows how many. It's too risky for my liking."

"I see," Anna sighed, giving Valentin a small smile when he turned her way, "You're quite determined."

"If Robin or Emma were in Charlotte's position, you would be too."

"Of course. I admire the fire you have in getting Charlotte back, is all. You're openly defying Victor and risking your life."

"It's a risky gamble, but Charlotte is my whole world. I'm through with being scared of my father and his wickedness. We may be related, but I don't consider him family. I doubt I ever will."

"That man has caused so much damage since he resurfaced on Cassadine Island. The sooner we take him down, the better."

"Absolutely," Valentin beamed, lifting Anna's hand up. He kissed the back of it, "and we will come out on top. Whatever he throws at us, we'll throw it back ten-fold."

Anna grinned from ear-to-ear, turning to look out at the rest of the private jet, "How do you think the others are doing?"

"We haven't been gone for too long. If anything, I suspect they're trying to come up with a plan themselves. I'm not worried too much about them."

"But you are worried about…?"

"My sister," Valentin took a deep breath, "My father was quite keen on bringing her into the fold, and even with her current interests, something tells me he won't stop until she caves."

"Irina's a big girl," Anna replied, "She won't give in to Victor, certainly not after what he did to her family. Even then, she's a trained assassin, and so is Wallace."

"They're more than capable of handling Victor, on that we agree."

"But?"

"He's already thoroughly exploited their Achilles heel. They're too vulnerable right now, and if he catches wind of it, it'll spell trouble."

"Wallace is still working with us, and with the right persuasion, Irina will join in. Victor tried to kill her son for her 'benefit.' Something tells me that's enough of a motive for revenge. It just has to be tapped into."

"Right."

"...Something still doesn't make sense to me," Anna glanced at Valentin, "Victor was so invested in uniting the family, but it's never been more divided."

"My father doesn't know what 'family' is," Valentin shook his head, "Look at the crimes he's committed: blackmail, infliction of emotional distress, kidnapping, attempted murder. Charlotte, Dexter, Irina, and I are his direct descendants, and yet he sees us as nothing more than tools."

"He got Irina back, and she's all but defected from him. We have a window of weakness we can use to our advantage, but it'll only last so long."

"Luckily, it's not just us two. Dante, Sam, and Robert will do what's necessary to get us ahead. Wallace and Irina joining helps us that much more," Valentin squeezed her hand, "Things are looking up, darling. My father may be as cunning as they come, but he's not invincible. Have faith."

Anna smiled at him before turning away, "So we pick up Laura, we fly to Switzerland, we somehow find our way into the school to free Charlotte, and then we fly back to Port Charles."

"Correct."

"And then what?"

"We take Victor down."

"Come in."

Sonny looked up to see Michael standing in the doorway of his Pozzulo's office, hands in his pockets.

"Dad," he said flatly.

"Michael."

"...Are you busy?"

"Why?"

"I wanted to talk."

"...Take a seat," Sonny gestured to the chair in front of him. Michael sighed, slowly sitting down, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Everything that went down."

"You mean when you hired a mole to destroy my business?"

"He's more than a mole-" Michael inhaled sharply, "That's not the point. The point is that I…I didn't go about things the right way."

"Mhm…" Sonny nodded slowly.

"You've been in the mob for years; you're likely seen every trick in the book. To have an insider work against you…it wasn't a smart move."

"Right…"

"I just hate how Dex fooled both of us," Michael shook his head, "If I'd known he was working for a rival mob, I wouldn't have bothered with him."

"So what you're telling me is…you're not sorry for what you did. You're just sorry about who was involved."

"I had a lot of faith in Dex; you did too. His betrayal stings, you know? I hate how he double-crossed us."

"Really, Michael?" Sonny smacked his fist against his palm, "You're more bothered by how Dex hurt you than your own actions against me?"

"I didn't say I regret what I did-"

"You should!" Sonny half-heartedly threw his hands up, "You tried to ruin my life, not to mention your little sisters' lives-"

"I'm doing this to save my sisters' lives," Michael got to his feet, "Avery and Donna deserve a better father than you. And don't start getting on my case about ruining your life when you've ruined countless other lives!"

"Look, feel how you want to feel about me," Sonny sighed, "Hate me all you want because I'm not with Carly anymore. But don't go after your family by trying to take me down."

"I'm protecting my family."

"And how does letting a rival mob infiltrate my organization protect your family? How does letting Dex and his father gain the upper hand protect your family?"

"I didn't know Dex would do that-"

"Dex shouldn't have been here to begin with. None of this would've happened if not for you."

"This is not my fault!" Michael screamed, "You had this coming! I'm sick and tired of you hurting other people to get what you want, and after years of just sitting and doing nothing, I finally hit back! You've hurt me, my siblings, and my mom in so many ways. Don't act like you don't deserve to be punished for it."

"I regret hurting my family, I do, but it's not your place to strike back! If they have their own issues with me, that's their business, not yours!"

"You know what? I may regret Dex's betrayal, but I don't regret what he's done to you. He did exactly what I wanted, and I can't help but be thankful. You're going to have nothing left, Dad, and I can't wait to dance in the ashes."

"Sonny! Michael!"

Brando raced into the office, hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

"What's wrong?" Sonny asked.

"I was…walking by the docks…and I saw…I saw smoke coming out from one of your warehouses…"

"What?!" Sonny got to his feet, moving past the men and standing in front of Frank, "Bring my car around. Now."

"Why didn't you call the cops?" Michael asked his cousin.

"It's Sonny's business. I wasn't going to jeopardize it, unlike you."

"I don't just mean that! If the place is on fire, it could jeopardize a lot of people!"

"Don't act like you suddenly care about other people, Michael," Sonny held a hand out as Frank returned with the keys, "I have somewhere to be."

"I'm coming with you," Brando nodded as they walked out. Michael stood there for a beat before following them, climbing into the backseat. The four men made their way to the docks, parking a few feet from the warehouse.

"Brando, stay here," Sonny ordered, "just in case something goes wrong."

"Got it," Brando nodded. The men shifted positions, with Brando watching Frank and Sonny head towards the building. Michael rushed to catch up to them, doing his best to stay out of his cousin's line of sight. The door opened forcefully, smoke pouring outside. The three men cautiously stepped inside, covering their noses and mouths as best they could.

The inside of the building was an inferno, with a number of shipments burned to nothing while the remainder were burning away. Sonny and Frank kept their guns raised while Michael trailed behind. They felt the heat against their skin grow the more they stepped inside.

"What do you want to do, sir?" Frank asked over the roaring flames.

"We need to find a hose," Sonny replied, "and we need to find the son of a bitch who did this."

Bang!

Sonny and Frank swiftly turned around to see Michael topple to the ground. The man hissed and groaned, clutching his abdomen. Frank fired above him, hitting the wall. He fired twice more in the general area, but nothing stood there.

Bang!

Sonny felt something sharp pierce his right thigh, falling to his knees. He grabbed at his leg, seeing the bullet hole. Frank rushed down and joined him on one knee.

"Sir," he called, "you're injured. I can-"

Bang!

"Frank!" Sonny growled in pain, watching his henchman fall over, a hand gripping his injured shoulder. The kingpin looked around the room, "Who's in here?"

Silence.

"You're going to pay for this!" he continued before falling onto his back. The fire raged on around him, the agony from both Michael and Frank barely registering in his ears. Sonny could hear the sound of clanging metal and his name being called before his breathing relaxed and his eyes fluttered closed.