A small, rickety cabin in the middle of nowhere. That was where he had thought she dreamed of being proposed to? In the winter, no less. Under blankets of snow. Mac slammed his fist into his desk and swore. It had been the anniversary of their first date—ironically the same night they had said I love you to each other for the first time. He had been trying to win her over at first, but when that proved ineffective, he had started seeking her out, relentless in his endeavor to get her go on a date, just one date, with him. She had said he was wasting his time and he had responded, "Can you think of a better way to spend my time?" Six months from the moment he had first asked her out just happened to be the same night they had been commended for bringing down the Corinthos-Morgan operation along with the Five Families, thus eliminating the mob threat the town had been living under for what seemed like forever.

She had turned to him, so amazingly gorgeous in her red sequined dress, and told him yes. At first he hadn't known what she was talking about. After all, he had asked her out before the ceremony started, not near the end when she had accepted. That night had been one for the books. Once the deal was made, they slipped soundlessly away from the party and found a coffee shop on the outskirts of town that stayed open late. They laughed and joked and drank their coffee, neither expecting anything to come from the night. When the waitress pointed to the clock, they found that they were nowhere near ready to go home. The drive to the center of town where they both resided would take almost an hour so they took Mac's white Cadillac El Dorado in the opposite direction and vowed to make the most of the night ahead of them.

Only an overheated motor had caused them to stop at the aforementioned cabin. Neither saw a Vacancy sign...or a sign at all. The place looked deserted save a single car in the gravel parking lot. Mac offered to go inside and check the place out—what other choice did they have?—and then, if it was safe, he'd come back and get her. Maybe it was his sense of chivalry—something she still teased him about—or just plain stubbornness, but she decided she was coming and couldn't be dissuaded. Together, they opened the groaning front door and were met with a room smelling of hay and charred wood. He was a step behind Alexis when a tiny little man standing at barely four and a half feet tall cleared his throat startling them both. He mistook them for a married couple, but when they tried to explain further, he pointed out that he only had the honeymoon suite available.

They turned to each other and argued in hushed voices until Alexis accepted their "fate" and agreed to stay. They didn't have to bother with bags and Alexis assured both men that she was more than capable of carrying her handbag up the stairs to the second floor. The stairs creaked beneath their tired footsteps and finally they reached the room labeled 201. The owner, who they would later learn was Mr. Campbell, unlocked the door and placed the key in Mac's hand, wishing the "newlyweds" goodnight. They stepped over the threshold, ignoring his insistence that Mac carry her over it, and stepped into the honeymoon "suite." They closed the door and broke down into a fit of giggles, neither wanting to draw the attention of the nice man who had been so accommodating.

Alexis stepped past the bed and picked the telephone, explaining to the person on the other end that she wouldn't be home to tuck her daughter in. Did she know when she would be returning? Why as soon as the sun came up, Alexis had chuckled setting the phone down. Mac toed off his boots and they each looked toward the bed nervously.

"Just take the bed." Mac declared with a kind smile.

"No, that's not fair. You paid for the room. You take the bed." Alexis countered.

"Alexis, either you take the bed or no one's going to. Hand me a pillow will you?" Mac didn't give her the chance to argue the point further. He retrieved a wool blanket from the closet and made himself a thin pallet between the foot of the bed and the door, thanking Alexis for the pillow when she threw it to him.

Mac went into the bathroom to shower, completely disregarding the fact that he'd have to change back into the same clothes while Alexis turned on the television and snuggled into the covers. When he emerged, he found her in the exact same spot, the television muted. "Everything okay? I thought for sure you'd be asleep by now."

Alexis snorted. "So you expect me to pass out any time after eleven?"

"I do." Mac replied. "Something on your mind?" He asked as he towel-dried his dark hair.

"I'm just uncomfortable." Alexis told him.

"Ah." Mac answered knowingly. "There's no reason to be. These things happen. That's what makes life fun...the not knowing. Don't worry Counselor. I won't tell if you won't."

"No, I mean this dress is uncomfortable." Unconsciously, she tugged on her bottom lip.

Mac blushed and then laughed out loud, startling her. "Oh. Is that all?" He disappeared into the bathroom and came back with his t-shirt in his arms. "It's not dirty or anything."

"That's okay." Alexis shook her head.

"Are you worried I have cooties, Lexie?" He teased, liking how the nickname made her chocolate eyes ignite. "Come on. We're both tired and you're not going to be able to sleep in an evening gown."

"Fine. Fine. Just don't destroy my reputation, will you? And don't change the channel." She quipped, disappearing into the bathroom.

He read the small text at the right of the screen. "I can understand you not wanting to miss a minute of Santa Barbara."

"Well the main character is clearly bright and independent and witty. Plus, she's totally charming." Alexis added through the closed door.

"She's sure giving this Mason guy a hard time. Maybe she doesn't know what she really wants." Mac picked at her just to see how far she would go with it.

"Oh she knows." Alexis argued as something fell into the sink.

"You okay in there?"

"Looking for an excuse to break down the door?" Her taunting voice made him grip the remote harder.

"Are you always going to be on the other side of it?"

"I guess we'll never know." Alexis stood in the doorway. The t-shirt hit her mid-calf and seemed to swallow her up. "You're dripping."

"What?" Mac asked stupidly.

"You're dripping. Your hair." She nodded to where he held the towel inefficiently near his head.

"Oh." Mac moved away from the bed, stopping only long enough to soak up the tiny wet spot his hair had made.

"It's fine Mac. It's fine." Alexis promised from behind him. "Really, it's okay. It'll be dry by the time I get in bed."

"Okay." Mac backed away from the mattress, almost bumping into Alexis on his way to the bathroom. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Alexis repeated.

Ham, Mac thought to himself. He had been such a ham. Such a nervous, insecure ham. But, God, she was so beautiful he hadn't been able to help himself.

"I'm going out on the balcony." She announced her voice quiet.

Leaving the bathroom in nothing but a pair of blue and green plaid boxers he had gotten for Christmas, Mac determined where she was only by the fluttering of the curtains. "Hi."

Alexis looked up from the chair she had obtained. "Hi. Do you want to sit here?"

"No. It's fine. I prefer standing." Mac stated.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Aren't you?"

They shared a laugh and were silent for a few minutes. Alexis spoke up first, "I can't believe it's finally over. How long did we work that case? Three years? Four? And now they're behind bars where they belong."

"So why do you sound so sad about it?" Mac wanted to know.

"I'm not sad. Not at all. Just amazed." Alexis explained.

"At least we can catch up on that sleep we've been missing." Mac joked.

"Maybe." Alexis murmured. "I don't know if I'll ever sleep soundly until—"

"They're both dead?" Mac finished for her.

"I didn't say that."

"No you didn't. I did. It's how I feel. And I'm not apologizing for it. Those monsters robbed so many people of not only their lives but their innocence too. I'm no sorrier they're in prison..."

"I wasn't disagreeing with you." Alexis cut in. "I guess I'm just going to miss..."

"Miss what?" Mac prodded.

"The work."

"There will be another big case on your desk in the morning I'm sure."

"Not like this one." Alexis whispered.

"What's really bothering you?" Mac asked leaning over her.

"Maybe they are monsters, but one of those monsters happens to be the father of my daughter." Alexis reminded him.

"And I'm very sorry about that." Mac's answer surprised her. "Thank God Kristina got all of her kindness from you."

"That's very sweet—"

"It's true." Mac interrupted. "If she grows into even half the woman you are..." He caught the tears in her ears. "I didn't mean to..." He had never seen Alexis Davis cry. The sight was debilitating.

"That's the nicest thing..." Alexis visibly gulped and started to glance down at her lap, only his thumb under her chin stopping her.

"Alexis, ah, you've..." Mac stammered.

"I don't know if we should do this."

Noticing the panic in her eyes, he pressed his thumb to her quivering mouth. "I don't know how else to say this, so I'm just going to say it. You've stolen my heart Counselor."

Their lips met in a searching kiss, the pace slow, his hands gripping either side of the chair. Her mouth was warm and soft and wet beneath his and he shivered in response. Her hands climbed up his back, her fingertips pressing into his shoulders, and she pulled him closer. His hands swept under her and he carried her to the bed, leaving the curtains to billow in the breeze.

Mac slammed his fist into the desk again and left his office. He was going to propose a different way. He couldn't mess this up.

*****

The only problem with finding a completely original, never-been-ruined-on-television proposal was making it work. He had scoured the newspaper, books both fiction and nonfiction, coming up with nothing every time. Sure, they were creative, but he didn't want to jump out of an airplane or have it written in the sky. He didn't want to ask her to marry him over the scoreboard at a game or publish it in a damn newspaper. It was supposed to be special, supposed to be something that would mean everything to only the two of them. He wanted to hear Alexis tell the story over and over again to their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. With that thought in mind, he typed a few choice words in the search and pressed Enter hoping the Internet of all things wouldn't lead him to another dead end.

The morning had started with the phone ringing off the hook before the sun had even risen. A wrong number. It had been a damn wrong number at four in the morning. Alexis hadn't even stirred beside him. At least she was still sleeping beside him. He told himself that was half the battle. She might proclaim quite loudly that she didn't see them getting their fairytale ending, but she was invested it all the same. Awake and slightly grumpy, Mac got ready for work four hours early, made breakfast, and woke Kristina for school around six forty-five and Maxie for work at seven-fifteen even though he was sure the elder of the two had rolled over and fallen back asleep. He managed to get Kristina in front of the school ten minutes earlier than usual—on time though Alexis would never believe it—and return to bed without even waking his lovely fiancé.

Alexis had left under the excuse of having lunch with Georgie. He could admit he hadn't paid much attention to the little details, only wondering how long she would be gone so he could do his research without her curious eyes. If she had noticed his strange behavior she hadn't said anything to him. Georgie being back served so many purposes. He had missed her so much in the short time she had been away and she had returned a brand-new person, one who wouldn't talk about what had happened while she was gone as if she somehow assumed he wouldn't approve. He doubted very much that she could surprise him. He had been young once too though not one of his children seemed to grasp that.

In a hot air balloon? What kind of moron—proposing on a water ski? Wasn't that kind of dangerous? Surely he wouldn't be able to hold the ring, look at her, and not die at the same time. Writing an innocuous note with the question and one box next to the yes and one next to the no? He shook his head. This was more frustrating than keeping up with his girls' personal lives. He wondered when Maxie would break and let him meet this Dr. Lansing. Other than a slight recognition of the doctor, Robin hadn't seemed to know him all that well so she was useless to pry information out of. Georgie hadn't talked to Maxie but the one time when she was in the hospital and there had been an awful lot going on at that time.

Singing? Definitely not. He was one sexy man, but he had to draw the line somewhere. Why not just dress up in a clown suit and shoot her with a water pistol? Oh, he inwardly groaned, this was getting him absolutely nowhere. Alexis had a terrible fear of water, Barry Manilow, and public humiliation. It was just as well because he that was one thing he had liked about his first proposal, the sense of security it had allowed them. No blinding lights, no pestering relatives, just one important question that would determine the rest of their lives, a question their souls had already answered that first night.

She called him naïve for believing they would have their happily ever after, but he chalked that up to Cassadine brainwashing and the forever loves of her past that had betrayed her. Before that first case they worked together, she had just been the District Attorney. She had a lovely speaking voice when she was forced to lead press conferences and seemed dedicated, but other than a few one-minute conversations he hadn't known the kind of person she was, the kind of woman she was.

Her past was filled with secrets and death, two things constantly threatening her subconscious no matter how many times he tried to reassure her that it was all in her head. She had broken free of that life and wouldn't be going back, not if he had anything to say about it. The little joke she had made about him going to her father to ask for her hand was something he wouldn't have ever done, not even if the old man was still alive. Stavros had left his children in the hands of a monster and then complained when neither Stefan nor Alexis acted as pawns.

"There's darkness inside me," Alexis had claimed one dark and miserable night as they lay in bed together listening to the rain beat heavily against the roof. "I'm afraid of what will happen if I ever let it free."

"You're wrong." Mac countered, rubbing her back kissing her forehead. "There's nothing bad inside of you. I'm an investigator. I would know."

There had been a distance in her eyes, one that had stayed with her all these months later. Anytime he got too close, she turned away. Sometimes there really was nothing he could do or say to convince her that what they had was real and that he would protect her from whatever evilness she thought she carried. At first she had trusted his logic that, for there to be something wrong with her would mean something was faulty in Kristina as well, something that they immediately vowed was impossible. She might have had a little difficulty adjusting to their new life together, but she was the sweetest child and that kind of disposition was not something she could have gotten from her father.

"Looking for a plane ticket to the middle of nowhere?" A quiet voice asked as he felt small, feminine hands slide down his chest and around his neck. He twirled around in his chair and reached behind to shut off the screen, pulling Alexis into his lap.

"How was lunch?" He didn't see Georgie behind her.

"Informative." Alexis replied vaguely and pressed her lips to his, her eyes never leaving his.

"Somebody's feeling better." Mac softly brushed her bangs behind her ear and held her snugly against him.

"What can I say? Sometimes you have to hear someone else's story before you start to truly appreciate how normal your own is." Alexis told him with a sigh.

"You're going to have to explain that." Mac pointed out with a smirk.

"Yes, but not right now." Alexis dismissed with a coy smile of her own. "What were you doing just now?"

"Why do you want to know?" Mac challenged playfully.

"Just making sure I don't need to brace myself, that's all." Alexis nodded, giving him her best straightforward smile.

Mac's arms wrapped around her and he carried her over to their bed, his mouth finding hers. "Counselor…you need to brace yourself." He traced the shape of her lips with his tongue and then swiped it across the sweet seam of her surprised mouth. As her mouth fell open beneath his, he fumbled with the buttons on the front of her gray blouse.

"Georgie could be back any minute." Alexis whispered in protest. Her hands ran over his broad shoulders and pushed the navy jacket down his arms, her fingers grasping for the coarse material.

"Door's closed." Mac reasoned, finding the spot between her neck and shoulder blade that made her purr like a kitten.

"I think I should tell you something…" Alexis found it difficult to stay focused when their clothing started to litter the floor beside the mattress.

"Okay, tell me." Slow and deliberate, his hands slid up the outside of her thighs taking the silk skirt up a few inches. His mouth slammed into hers and he pulled her toward him so that he was leaning over the bed while she was being pushed further into it.

"Well it took a little prodding…" Alexis managed, her voice catching in her throat as his fingers curled around her knees.

"Hmm…prodding." He murmured into her mouth, his body curving into hers a bit more intimately.

"I'm serious." Alexis yelped as her own body started to slide over the end of the bed.

"Then tell me." Mac prompted, smiling when her hands betrayed her by pulling him closer. "What would you like to tell me?" Even as he asked, his fingers disappeared beneath the skirt to massage the glossy skin he found at the apex of her thighs.

"Later." Alexis declared. "Later."