Thanks to everyone who's reading and to everyone who's written a review. And special thanks to everyone else who's written R and A fan fiction on this site!

Before Anna left for the office, they discussed Robert's next moves on the case.

"I'd like to try to trace the money Alan took out of his and Elizabeth's bank account," Robert told Anna. "Is there anyone at the PCPD who specializes in that kind of thing?"

Anna put on her coat. "No, we consult with a forensic accountant in New York. She's very good, better than anyone we could afford to keep on staff."

"Right. I'll start with her, then. I suppose I could also call in a few favours at the WSB if need be."

Anna arranged her scarf. "You'll need Elizabeth Beaty to authorize access to her accounts. We don't have anything to bring before a judge to get a warrant. If she doesn't invite us in, we can't enter."

"Vampire rules. I get it. I promise everything will be completely above-board."

Anna smiled. "What an odd reversal of roles—me telling you not to play dirty."

"And me encouraging you to play dirty."

"On that subject, thank you for last night. And this morning."

Robert smiled and kissed her. "It takes two." He noticed that Anna's expression was slightly strained. "But?"

Anna shook her head slowly. "I feel like I have played dirty. I feel as though I've cheated on Duke."

Robert put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Who do you love?"

Anna put her hands around Robert's waist. "Both of you. But you differently, always—and you more. Always. I know I'm where I'm supposed to be. I expect the guilt will dissipate eventually."

Robert kissed her on the forehead. "Lavery doesn't deserve you."

Anna smiled. "Yes, well, for most of our history I didn't deserve you. So the three of us chased each other round and around."

Robert shrugged. "It's not like that anymore. I had to discard my naive notions of right and wrong a long time ago."

"As you've apparently discarded your adherence to normal workday patterns," Anna observed, noting his state of dishabille, "such as when one should start one's day and arrive at the office."

"I'll be in later," Robert promised. "Remember, I'm only a consultant, not the head cheese."

"Such a flattering metaphor," Anna laughed. "I'm out of here. I expect you to show up for work at some point today."

At the Metro Court restaurant, Ava was sitting across from Julian. They were discussing what Ava had seen the previous night. "Anna Devane and Robert Scorpio together again," Julian mused. "I wonder what that could be about."

Ava sipped her coffee and stared at Julian over the rim of her cup. "'Together again'? What's the history there, Julian? Remember, I'm a bastard and therefore ignorant. I know they had a child together but nothing else."

Julian smiled. "I don't know anything from before Devane showed up in Port Charles. 'Dad' and I were only interested when her connection to the police commissioner became obvious. She arrived in town, caused problems in his marriage; he left town, came back, caused problems in her relationship with Lavery. He was the one who first proved Lavery's connection to the mob. Devane was humiliated and left him."

"And got back together with Mr. Scorpio?"

"No. Eventually she reconciled with Duke. They got married."

"Even though he was a criminal?"

"She thought he'd gotten out. But he hadn't, really. Anyway, to make a long story short, Duke and Anna eventually plotted to take us down. Duke betrayed us, testified against us, was put in the witness protection program. A warehouse blew up, Anna Devane thought her husband was dead."

"And she and Mr. Scorpio got back together?"

"No. Well, not immediately. Robert Scorpio had a string of other lovers first. Ms. Devane played the part of grieving widow to Lavery and too-loyal ex-wife to Scorpio. "

Ava grinned and put down her coffee cup, wiping a lipstick stain from the rim with her finger. "Scorpio sounds like every man I've ever known: he discards a woman but objects to anyone else sniffing around. My sympathies are firmly with Ms. Devane."

Julian smiled, drained his cup, put it down. "You're missing the point, Ava. We're not a couple of fishwives gossiping here. We're not just shooting the shit over breakfast. Let's examine the facts: we have Anna Devane, Robert Scorpio, and Duke Lavery in a now-resolved love triangle. Duke is out; Robert is in. Given the history of these individuals, what might this mean?"

Ava gave Julian a withering look. "I'm not missing your point, Julian. You think Anna and Duke split because Duke is involved with Sonny."

"Give that lady a prize."

Ava leaned over the table. "I understand your interpretation of events. But I can offer you a woman's perspective on the whole thing. Scorpio and Devane's reunion may have nothing to do with Duke. You give ten women the chance to be with either Mr. Lavery or Mr. Scorpio, and, believe me, nine will choose Scorpio without a moment's hesitation."

Julian shook his head and scoffed.

"Don't forget, Julian," she told him, "I saw them together last night. And I've seen Devane and Lavery together. In my humble, ignorant opinion, there's no comparison."

Julian folded his hands on the table. "I appreciate your input, Sis, but I think the circumstantial evidence suggests Duke's involvement with Corinthos. I think it's time to prepare our next move."

When Anna arrived at the office, Detective Falconeri was already at his desk, head in hand. "It's going that well?" Anna asked Dante.

Dante shook his head in despair. "Every lead I follow is a dead end. And that's if I'm lucky, if I make any progress at all—most of the time I just circle around back to where I started. We're no further ahead now than a week ago."

Anna smiled grimly. "That's not true. We know Duke is involved in some way. I suspect he could be our 'in.' He was quite good at mob business twenty-five years ago, but he's been out of it for a long time and is likely rusty. I want you to keep a close eye on his movements and his business dealings. I'll check into this consortium that owns the building Duke's leasing. There's something odd about it."

"Okay, Commissioner. I'll concentrate on Lavery. I'll find out what I can about the club—when it's opening, who'll be working there, any storage facilities Duke's leasing."

Anna nodded. "Good." She paused a moment. "And also keep an eye on Julian and Ava Jerome. Let me know if you see them anywhere near Duke's club and business, literally or figuratively. Something's brewing, and I have a bad feeling it's more serious than a skirmish between a has-been crime lord and the current head mafioso of a minor port city."

Duke and Sonny stared at each other over the latter's desk. "The shipment's been dealt with?"

Duke nodded. "It's somewhere appropriately difficult but not impossible to locate. Julian will have some trouble finding it, but he will."

Sonny's hands were pressed together; he tapped his index fingers against his lips. "Okay. We have to hope he's made the connection. All signs point to us. And now you need to stay away from me. Far away. We know certain individuals are currently on the move. If the people you're working for find out about our arrangement, we're both in a lot of trouble, but you more than me. You're likely dead." Sonny paused for effect. "I have my organization to protect me, but I can't promise you anything. You knew this going in; I just want to make sure you remember, accept it, and aren't having second thoughts."

Duke looked grim. "None at all. No matter the cost I'm taking the bastard down."

Sonny smiled cruelly. "Just make sure you keep me informed about everything. My person's in place at Kelly's; coded messages on paper or in conversation; no phones, no email. The bastards won't expect anything old-school, but they'll try to monitor your electronics if something makes them suspicious."

Duke nodded, and the two men stood up. Sonny reached out his hand and they shook. "One last thing, Duke. Make sure you have an escape plan, just in case everything goes to hell. We're inviting in the Devil. I'll prepare the eventual exorcism, but until that time comes, you'll have to kiss his ass. If all goes well, once everything's said and done, Julian and his sister will be dead, not by our hands, and no one will ever try to move in on my territory again. If all goes badly . . ." Sonny didn't finish the sentence. He didn't need to.

Duke turned on his heel and left.

Elizabeth Beaty was stretched out on the bed in her luxurious Metro Court penthouse suite, her laptop appropriately in lap as she randomly clicked on search hits, lazily reading newspaper articles and (this was completely unexpected) mournful obituaries. Her phone rang. She picked it up without turning her gaze from the computer screen. "Hello, Elizabeth Beaty speaking," she purred. "How may I help you?" She smiled broadly. "Hello again." A pause. "Yes." Another pause. "Yes, of course." A third pause. "Anything I can do to help. I'll call my bank right away to authorize your investigation, and if you need anything signed, I'm still in Port Charles, staying at the Metro Court."

Silence. Then Elizabeth laughed. "Yes, I can be very accommodating, Robert, when I have reason to be. Just let me know if you need anything else." A pause, and another laugh. "Yes. Goodbye."

Elizabeth put down the phone. She continued reading the 1992 obituary. Apparently he'd been killed with his wife in a boat explosion off the coast of South America, had left behind a teenage daughter, a brother, and an ex-wife. She'd found nothing else until 2006 (but one wouldn't expect too many hits when searching the name of an ordinary dead man); then a few snippets began to appear, a newspaper article about a disease outbreak, some missing jewels, references to the World Health Organization, newspaper announcements about his daughter's wedding, the birth of a granddaughter. All intriguing. What had happened to Mr. Scorpio between 1992 and 2006? How had he managed to come back from the dead? And how had he become involved in the WHO and a jewelry heist, for god's sake? Elizabeth picked up her phone again, dialed, waited.

"It's me. I need a favour." Pause. "I need some information. I don't think it'll be easy to get, so you'll need to use you connections. Find out everything you can for me about Robert Xavier Scorpio." She paused, and reopened one of the articles she had minimized. "And Anna Devane. Aka Anna Lavery, Anna Scorpio." Pause. "Thank you. I love you." A second pause, a laugh. "Okay, you know me too well; I don't love you. But do this and you'll make me very, very happy." Another pause, another laugh. Elizabeth ended the call.

Robert, bearing take-out, knocked on Anna's office door at noon. "12:00," she remarked. "A perfect time to start work. I predict your day will begin with a very long lunch break."

Robert wagged his finger. "No, no, my harsh task-mistress, I've already been hard at work. Elizabeth Beaty's given me the go-ahead to open her bank account; documents have been signed, sealed, and delivered, and your brilliant accountant is poised to begin her work. My part in the action is complete. Now I have nothing to do but wait."

Anna sighed, removed her reading glasses, rubbed her eyes. "You've done all that in the four hours since I left this morning? And what have I accomplished? Nothing."

Robert unpacked two deli salads. "What are you working on right now?"

Anna took her salad, inspected it. "Any dressing?"

Robert rummaged in the bag, grabbed out two small packets, briefly juggled them, threw them to her.

Anna opened, drained them, and poked at her salad as she spoke. "The building being leased by Duke is newly owned by companies based in Montreal and Hong Kong. It seems an odd pairing."

"Old colonial ties? Two former British colonies united by fond memories of Queen Victoria, what?"

Anna munched on her salad thoughtfully. "That would make more sense if it were a company in Ontario. Montreal's in French Canada, Robert—Quebec. There aren't too many cozy feelings toward the monarchy there, not too many post-colonial ties to former British colonies. Although more, perhaps, in Montreal than elsewhere in the province."

"Well, let's brainstorm. What else are the two cities known for?" Robert unpacked two sandwiches, put one in front of Anna. She brightened.

"Thank god, I thought we were only eating salad." She unwrapped her sandwich, took a large bite. She chewed, made a hand signal requesting Robert wait for an answer. When her mouth was finished, she replied. "Montreal—let's see. Romance?" She laughed. "Carriage rides through the old town? Beautiful churches? Cobblestone streets?" Then she frowned. "Crumbling infrastructure? Rampant political corruption? Kickbacks to government officials? Mayors charged with criminal activities and booted out of office?" Anna put down her sandwich. She swallowed, but not because she had food in her mouth. "More importantly and likely more significantly, it's the Canadian capital of organized crime. It's the home of a formerly very powerful and dangerous mob family. The Rizzutos. Have you heard of them?"

"I've heard the name. Why have I heard the name?"

Anna perched on the edge of her seat. "Vito Rizzuto was convicted of participating in the murder of three alleged New York gang leaders in 1981. He wasn't charged until 2003 and wasn't extradited until 2006. He pled guilty, served six years in jail, returned to Montreal in 2012, and died in 2013."

"Who took over his territory?"

"That's what's so interesting. No one has, yet. Vito's heir, the child groomed to replace him, was assassinated in 2009. His two other children are lawyers and apparently don't want to have anything to do with the organization."

"I suspect this isn't a story with a happy ending—old mafia boss dies; law and order are restored to the city; citizens rejoice."

Anna shook her head. "Not at all. The police expect a bloody mob war. Local organized criminals, gangs from Toronto and New York, are all undoubtedly interested in assuming control of Rizzuto's old dynasty. Everyone's just waiting for things to get violent."

Robert had unpacked his sandwich and was poised to take a bite. "Surely, then, we're barking up the wrong tree. Why would mob bosses anticipating a heated battle in their back yard over-extend themselves by taking on new holdings south of the border?" He crunched into his sandwich.

Anna was thoughtful. "Maybe it has something to do with how the Rizzutos were seen in the United States. The FBI was always a bit dismissive of the family and considered it just the Canadian branch of the Bonanno Family in New York. That wasn't ever true: the Rizzutos were as powerful as any of the New York families, but they did have an alliance with the Bonannos. Maybe someone's trying to establish new connections here, to break ties with the Bonannos, who've grown weak themselves. Or, maybe someone's trying to prove to what's left of the Bonanno family that they can acquire new territory for them, to win their favour and approval."

Now Robert chewed thoughtfully. "It's an interesting lead. Not bad work for four hours. Oh, excuse me, I stand corrected: for the fifteen minutes since I walked into your office."

"That was all me, Scorpio," Anna objected. "I didn't hear you contributing any helpful information about Canadian crime families."

Robert smiled. "But I knew to ask the right questions. That's the mark of a really fine agent." He paused before taking another bite. "The next question is, what's the connection with Hong Kong?"

Anna slumped. "I have absolutely no idea. But that's what the internet is for." She gave her fingers a cursory wipe with a napkin, rolled her chair over to her keyboard, and started typing.

"Click on the Wikipedia article," Robert instructed her. "There. There. Look there."

"I refuse to click on a Wikipedia article, Robert," Anna growled. "I have access to the finest crime fighting resources via this computer. I can put in requests with Interpol, MI6, the NSA, the FBI, the WSB . . ."

Robert, standing to her left, reached across and grabbed the mouse. He opened the encyclopedia entry.

They both skimmed it silently.

"Okay," Robert spoke, "that makes sense. Hong Kong became a centre of organized crime after the revolution in 1949 forced Chinese organized crime off the mainland. All the gangs moved there, preferring British punishment over Chinese communist punishment for their illegal activities. The gangs—known as triads—have spread internationally. They set up shop anywhere large Asian populations are established."

"Where was Mr. Wu from, Robert?" Anna asked, referring to the crime lord they'd faced and defeated many years before, shortly after Anna first sought Robert out in New York. He'd kidnapped Robin, trying to extort the Black Pearls from Port Charles' Asian community. "Was he born in the United States or was he born overseas?"

Robert didn't bat an eye. "I'm quite sure he was originally from Hong Kong. But his arrival in Port Chuck predated mine. He'd already been in town for a long while."

"So Mr. Wu's Asian gang might have originated in a Hong Kong triad?"

"It's possible. Of course, once we took him and his son down, Victor Jerome stepped in and took over the entire Port Charles territory. We then, as you no doubt recall, worked very hard to defeat the Jeromes."

"And once they were gone," Anna continued, "and unfortunately we were also gone, Frank Smith and Hernando Rivera took over. Then Sonny Corinthos replaced the murdered Frank Smith."

Robert laughed without humour. "There's a lesson in this. Mob bosses are Hydra heads all: if you lop one off, three grow in its place. The good guys never really win."

"But we haven't seen another Asian triad back in Port Charles. They never threw their hat—or head—back into the ring. Why not? And why might they be interested in establishing themselves here again?"

"I have no idea, Anna. But I suspect that, like the citizens of fair Montreal, we should be prepared for some serious mob violence if any of this turns out to be true."

"We can't have stumbled on the correct explanation, Robert. It makes absolutely no sense. Why on earth would Sonny and Duke be playing ball with rival organized syndicates? If our theory is right, do you think it's possible they don't realize who they're doing business with?"

Robert narrowed his eyes. "I'm sure both Lavery and Corinthos are perfectly aware who they're dealing with, though I suspect they over-estimate their ability to control the situation. You first question, that's the real stumper. What could they possibly gain by welcoming the Montreal mob and a Hong Kong gang into Corinthos' territory?"

"And how do the Jeromes come into it?" Anna asked. "That's an added complication. I'm sure Duke's involved to get revenge on Julian for miscellaneous and sundry offences."

"Another thing I don't know," Robert admitted, shifting his weight slightly, leaning into Anna's left shoulder. "But you have to admit it's all pretty exciting."

Anna looked over her shoulder at him. "I don't know that I feel excitement exactly" she replied. "Me, I feel slightly nauseous thinking about the consequences."

Robert shifted his body slightly, angling it and pulling Anna's closer in. "As I recall," he mumbled, "we used to like a bit of danger. Got the old juices flowing. Besides, it's all just hypothetical. We're probably completely wrong."

Anna still looked concerned. "And what if we're not?"

"Then at least we already know what we're up against," he said, drawing her even closer. "And we have each others' backs. Speaking of backs . . ." Robert kissed her, his hand creeping around; Anna caught it and brought it back by his side.

"No funny business right now, Robert. We finish lunch. Then I make some inquiries of our counterparts in Montreal, try to get in touch with their organized crime unit. And you start searching for Elizabeth's missing husband. You don't need a forensic accountant's report to get that ball rolling."

Robert grimaced. "Not exactly the response I expected."

"This office is not private. Anyone could walk in."

"And you're telling me that element of danger doesn't make you want it more? You never seemed to care that Guy Lewis might have walked in and caught us having a quickie in the corner back when I was police commissioner. Who are you, and what have you done with the real Anna Devane?"

Anna smiled. Robert knew he was breaking down her resistance. He moved in for the kill, bending Anna back, kissing her neck, one hand moving to the buttons of her shirt . . .

Just then the office door swung open, proving Anna's point. It was Robin, with Emma in tow. The younger Drake completely missed the significance of what she was seeing, but Robin didn't. "Okay, okay," she said, pressing her own eyes shut and covering Emma's with her hands. "Child and grandchild in the room, here. Please knock it off."

Anna pushed Robert away, horrified, while Robert grinned. He bent down to look Emma in the eye. "Grandad's just helping Grandma with a case, Sweetheart," he explained. "Next time you and Mummy come to visit, you make sure to remind her to knock instead of barging right in. Otherwise she might get exactly what she deserves. Right?"

Emma laughed and nodded.