Three weeks. It had been three weeks since she had actually answered his calls. And he had been calling at all hours. When he was sure she was off work. When he knew she would be working on her design for Lucy Coe. He'd left messages. He'd sent emails. He drew the line at sending flowers. That move was both cliché and something Maxie would deride as a bribe right out of the movies. Ric ran his hand through his hair in frustration as once again his call was sent straight through to her voicemail.

"I'm far too busy to talk to you right now. I'll call you back when I feel it's important." Once again, the taped sound of her voice was a poor substitute for the real thing.

"Blondie. You have some explaining to do when I get back." Ric slammed his phone shut in frustration. He had exhausted the last of his pleasant messages long ago. Months ago, he had told her he wasn't a yo-yo and once again he was feeling toyed with. She was freezing him out right now and he didn't have a clue why. If she'd just pick up the phone, he'd even take a declaration that they were nothing, next to nothing, and couldn't be anything else. At least that he knew; at least that he could work with.

Sitting down on the wicker seat, he looked out over the pool that glittered in Charlotte's backyard. The desert expanded out in a panoramic vista of red dirt and cacti. He supposed some would find it breathtaking and beautiful. These people, Ric mused, did not date Maxie Jones.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kate's voice sounded from behind him. Smiling softly she moved from the sliding glass door and took a seat in the chair directly next to him. Teasing lightly, she winked at him. "It can't be all that bad. You haven't even seen the Colonel yet today."

A small chuckle escaped from him before he could keep it back. True, if he had been near his father, he wouldn't just be confused. He might also be a little enraged. "You know me. I love to ponder the meaning of life."

"A simple you don't want to talk about it would work fine. You don't have to lie to me Ric." She admonished gently, swiping at his hand resting on the armrest.

"I'm sorry. I just don't know where my head's at today."

"The desert is a great place to figure it out. No noise. No buildings. No people."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you didn't want me to return to the city." Ric taunted.

"Well if all you're going to do around here is mope. You can't bring a girl down like that."

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Go ahead. You already know all my dirty little secrets anyway."

"What are you still doing here?"

Kate shrugged her shoulders. "Charlotte needs me. The Colonel needs me."

"Charlotte has her husband and The Colonel made a deal with the Devil long ago. He's not going anywhere." Ric pointed out.

"I've been part of this family for a long time Ric. Just because we signed the papers doesn't mean the feelings go away."

"It'd be a lot easier if they did." Ric spoke mostly to himself but she must have heard him.

"Ric?" She turned to face him, a question in her eyes. Ironically she had made her career by asking tough questions, and now just a few words were trying up her tongue. "What are you really asking me?"

"What?" Ric looked startled. "Nothing."

"No. I don't think that was nothing."

"I'm not going to fall back on the old cliché and say this experience has made me look at things differently. Nothing is different." Ric told her.

"Of course it is." Kate protested. "You almost lost your father. It's different Ric."

"I'm still the son he never wanted, Charlotte is still trying to save the world, and you're still here. See? Nothing's different."

"But what about you? You conveniently left yourself off there."

"I'm the oddball." Ric explained. "The one that never quite fit."

"Which you used to throw in everyone's face. Used it to run away from everyone. I don't think you're running anymore."

That was exactly the problem. He should be running...running right back to Port Charles where he was safe from his father's scrutiny and his sister's good intentions. He still wouldn't be safe from running into Kate since she had pressing matters to handle there. She wasn't just going to go away.

Leaning toward him, Kate took his hand in hers. "It's not a bad thing Ric. I'm finding staying still has its advantages."

He had a feeling she was saying one thing and meaning another. He snatched his hand away. There was no point in reminiscing the past. Staying was no longer an option.

Standing up, Kate bit on her bottom lip. Clearly she had touched some nerve with him, but she would be damned if she knew what it was. As it always was, if Ric wanted someone to know exactly what was bothering him, he'd find his own way and time to tell. Moving to cross in front of him, she smiled down at him. "I'm on my way to the...."

Her toe caught the edge of a loose stone tile that Charlotte's husband had imported specifically from Italy. Flailing her arms, she tilted forward on her lemon yellow heels, finding herself falling directly onto to her ex-husband's lap.

"Are you okay?" Ric asked, holding her a little too tightly.

"Fine. Embarrassed but fine." Kate blushed.

"No harm done. As long as you're okay." Ric nodded, helping her to her feet, his hands still wrapped around her shoulders.

"Just perfect." She smiled, her eyes locking with his. It felt both familiar and new to have him touch her for longer than a brief second. "Thank you for catching me."

"Habit." Ric murmured, unable to look away.

"A good habit or a bad one?" she teased.

"Just a habit." Ric answered. "I'm sorry." He hadn't realized he was holding her so harshly. The skin beneath his fingertips was white.

"It's ok. You didn't break me."

"Like I could." Ric tried to laugh, but the sound was lost in his throat. He leaned toward her before he could talk himself out of it and touched his lips to hers almost shyly.

She closed her eyes, running her hand up to his neck, partly out of habit and partly out of the feeling of necessity. Pressing her lips back to his, she smiled, reveling in the heady mixture of old never lost feelings and new hope rising.

Her mouth slanted beneath his and he took the initiative, crushing her to him, his tongue prodding at the entrance of her sweet mouth. He closed his eyes, wanting to apply everything to memory, but when he opened them he saw Maxie. It was just for a split second, his conscious making itself known, and he knew he had to stop this. "I can't." He turned and left her standing there.

*****

Steven felt like a world-class prick. What kind of brother didn't know that his baby sister had filed a restraining order against her abusive ex-boyfriend? Had he always been this dense? Georgie would say so. Not that he could tell Georgie. He didn't want anything to diminish the hope he had recognized in her voice when she had told him about the dinner on Friday. She was so excited and he was relieved. Soon the world would know. But how had Elizabeth managed to keep this from him, and for so long? Had she not thought she could trust him? He wouldn't have run to their parents, wouldn't have told a soul. Max would have died with the secret. Max dead, now that was an idea. He started to imagine all the different ways the man could experience an accident.

It wouldn't even be that hard, Steven realized, to loosen someone's brake lines. Hell, he'd just cut them. No use in letting the bastard live. Why had Elizabeth been targeted? He had always done everything he could to keep her out of danger despite her draw to it. He should have known from the first meeting. Max had been as shiny as a new penny in his best suit and slicked back hair the one and only night Steven had had the displeasure of sharing space with him. Elizabeth had been incredibly quiet at the table, her expression complete awe at how well her brother and beau got along. He had shaken that snake's hand, had half-invited him to a baseball game the next time he was in time. How could he have not seen past the glossy surface?

He wanted to throw up, or hit something, or someone. His mind immediately flashed to Spencer, but he didn't know why. Lucky was no more to blame for this than...well, he, himself was far more responsible. It was his job to protect Elizabeth, but he had failed in every respect. He was fired, finished, a disgrace to his family name. Steven closed his eyes and breathed angrily through his nostrils, his hands fisting at his sides as he tried to figure out what to do next.

Lifting an eyebrow as he caught sight of Steven storming out of the house, Lucky shook his head from the safety of the porch swing. Coming with Elizabeth to tell her family the truth about Max had been his attempt at being supportive but he couldn't stand hearing the story one more time. Rocking Gracie in her car seat with his foot while adjusting Jake onto his shoulder, he attempted to greet Steven. "I take it she got through the whole story?"

"Did you know?" Steven asked caustically, not knowing how he'd react if the man in front of him said yes.

"Not until yesterday when she was on the stand."

Steven started to curse violently, but caught sight of his niece and thought better of it. "I met him." He said, almost to himself.

"Really?" Lucky had to admit he was interested. It was still in the back of his mind to fly out to Boulder for "business" and have a small little productive "meeting" with Max Giambetti. Productive meaning erasing Max from any sort of contact with Elizabeth ever, of course. "Does he look like the son of Satan I imagine he does?"

"No, very classy guy that one." Steven's head turned from one side to the other slowly. "He had a good sense of humor." He recalled. "And was really motivated." It sounded like someone else was talking as he relayed the tidbit of information to Spencer.

"Take notes Gracie. No motivated, classy guys with a sense of humor for you."

"I didn't know." Steven muttered. "I didn't know, but I should have." He stood with his back to Spencer, facing the quiet street beyond the front porch. It should have been raining, storming even, but it was calm, so preciously calm.

"She seemed pretty determined to make sure no one knew about it. I still think if Diane Miller hadn't brought it up, Elizabeth never would have." He could understand her position on just wanting to leave the past behind her, but it still burned him that he didn't know the whole truth.

"Do you know when he gets out?" Steven finally looked in Lucky's direction.

"No. But I have my cousin finding out for me." Lucky met Steven's eye. "Doesn't matter when it is though. It's still not going to be long enough."

"When you find out, I want to know." Steven turned toward the house and went inside.

*****

Claire Tanner motioned Patrick in with a nod of her head, momentarily forgetting the door was still locked until he tried to jerk the door open. Smiling in apology, she pushed herself away from the bar and crossed the small distance to let him in. It was several hours before the shop opened, but he had called the night before to set this particular meeting.

"Sorry. Come in. Sometimes I get lost in my work." Claire explained, smoothing a hand over one white puffy sleeve self-consciously.

"It's no problem." Patrick told her. "My fiancé does as well."

"That's why your name sounded familiar. Robin Scorpio's your fiancé right?" Claire assumed with a smile.

"That's right." Patrick nodded. "She's actually the reason for my call last night."

"As I told you on the phone, the deal was made, we both signed, and I have no interest in selling this little piece of heaven." Claire reminded him matter-of-factly, tucking a strand of her short, candy apple red hair behind her ear, showing off her gold wedding band.

"I appreciate your honesty." Patrick said quietly. "But you must understand why I can't accept that."

"If she loved it so much, why did she sell it to me? Seems a little fishy." Claire watched him curiously.

"At the time, it seemed like something she wanted to do. That was what she had convinced herself of. But I know Robin and I know this was not a decision she made with a clear head." Patrick explained coolly.

"I guess I'm just a little confused that this isn't coming from Robin herself."

"I already told you why." Patrick stressed to keep his temper in check. "She's too proud to admit she was wrong, but she needs this building. She needs her bakery. It gives her something to focus on."

"You make it sound like she's teetering on an edge between life and death." Claire lifted an eyebrow.

"It's nothing quite as drastic as that." Patrick assured her. He was trying very hard to get in Robin's good graces. They still hadn't talked and it was making him a little edgy. Okay, mad as hell. He was ready to strangle total strangers when they crossed his path.

"I'm sorry to have wasted your time, Mr. Drake." Claire dismissed him first with her tone and then with her departure to the back room.

"I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again." Patrick muttered, letting himself out the same way he'd come in.

Previews:

Opening the door, Ronnie's face immediately broke out into a wide smile. It had been far too long. "Well, if it isn't Mrs. Webber. Does your husband know you're out with your bad influence single girl friends?"

"Shh." Georgie giggled, half-expecting the rest of the Webbers to be hiding behind the door.

"Shh nothing." Pulling Georgie inside the door, Ronnie closed it with her hip. "Linds! Forget the shoes! Georgie is here!"