Wednesday was the most hated day of the week because it meant there were still two long, hard days to go, two more days of waking up with an alarm clock. Two more days of dead-ends and roadblocks, traffic jams and inconsiderate drivers. To soothe the sting of such an awful day restaurants all over the free world offered specials, radio stations rounded up free prizes, and the world momentarily forgot it was Wednesday.

This Wednesday had started out as any other. A steady rain had joined the over caffeinated worker bees of Port Charles this morning and followed them into the late afternoon, only dissipating at the echoing five o'clock bell heard round the world. According to the local radio station, there had been three major accidents and a handful of fender-benders, but no one had died on such a dismal day.

Jazz music sucked, Sam decided, turning off the radio completely. She didn't understand why it was so popular when it made her want to break things. She had run out of things to do, distractions to participate in. The envelope hadn't moved from its original spot during her cleaning fiasco. She had hoped maybe it would. Then it would have been a normal Wednesday evening.

The next-door neighbor, Mrs. Cole, a woman well into her nineties, had done the unthinkable today when she walked her Poodle, Rose, an extra mile putting that at one and a quarter mile for the day. Mrs. Cole didn't like Sam and she had a pretty good idea why. At first, when David had worked late and not made his presence known to the old battle-ax, she had greeted Sam every morning with a quick wave and an oatmeal cookie. Now, it was as if she was punishing Sam for having a live-in, well, boyfriend—maybe. It hadn't even mattered that they were strictly partners for the better part of their time spent in Port Charles; the woman wouldn't budge and thus held the oatmeal cookies for ransom. A warm oatmeal cookie and a cold glass of milk would put her at ease. It wasn't fair!

Sam wasn't sure how, but there was a tiny rip at the seam of the envelope. She supposed it could have happened when it was delivered to her, before she had realized what lay inside the safe white envelope. Once she figured it out, she threw it onto the table and refused to take even a peek inside. No reason to ask for trouble. As long as it stayed sealed, she didn't have to deal with ramifications.

Fear was like a familiar dance partner. She knew all of its tricks, but all too often fell for them anyway. She was slightly cautious but such a danger junkie she ignored her instincts and landed head-first into some very sticky situations. It was amazing neither she nor David had gotten shot when she went off on her own to prove that she was just as capable as any man. It wasn't respect she longed for, though she knew he thought so. It was as if she were playing a game to see how far she could push herself before inherent caution pulled her back.

What could a little piece of paper really do to her? Change her life completely. If she didn't open it, didn't that make her a coward? Only if there was someone here to witness it. What outcome did she want? Whichever one was the least complicated and hurt the least amount of people. What if the results were as she suspected? She and Alexis would live out their lives in a perpetual state of emptiness. If she was wrong, if she truly was Alexis Davis's daughter, she would gain not only a mother but three younger sisters too. What could a little piece of paper really do for her?

"Hello." David called out as he entered living room, still his bedroom for now. Thankfully his shift today had been remarkably calm, which probably meant there was some drama to come later tonight. He had assumed that would mean another night of bitching phone calls from Cassidy, but now looking at Samantha's still frame, he wondered if he had bet on the wrong horse. "Samantha? Something going on?"

"No." She lied shaking her head.

Looking at her skeptically, he stepped closer to her. He ran one of his hands up and down her arms. "You sure?"

"Yeah. Everything's fine."

David followed her gaze to the envelope that sat on the table. "Then why are you staring at that envelope like it's about to bite you?"

"The DNA results." Sam admitted, stuffing her shaking hands into the front pockets of her pants.

"Have you read them yet?"

"Can't."

"Can't or won't?"

Sam glared at him. "What do you think?"

"Stage fright."

"It doesn't matter what they say. Everything's about to change."

"True. But ignoring it isn't going to stop it Samantha." David pointed out. "Even if you burned it on the roof, Alexis probably has the same envelope waiting for her. One way or another you will find out the truth."

"I guess a part of me never wanted to know. As long as I kept looking, I could keep up hope that I wouldn't..." Sam snatched the envelope up and threw it into the trashcan.

"Hey." David walked over and calmly plucked the letter out. "You thought wouldn't what? Find out the truth?"

"Be alone."

"Who ever said you were alone Samantha?" David wondered pulling her into his arms.

"What if I'm not what she wanted? I mean, she barely knows me. She doesn't know what I've done." Sam mumbled into his shirt.

"What she wanted was to find the truth, same as you. The rest is going to be up to the two of you. But for the record I don't think she's going to want to become your instant best friend."

"Thank you for not sugarcoating it."

"I know better than to do that. You'd kick me in my sleep."

"You'd have to sleep for me to do that." Sam pointed out, having woken up to him watching her sleep more times than she could count.

"Are you offering to tire me out there?" He winked at her outrageously.

"Like I could." Sam rolled her eyes.

"You're welcome to try anytime."

"Anytime?" Sam wondered, looping her arms around his waist.

"Anytime after you open this envelope." He clarified, pulling back just far enough to hold it in front of her face. "But good attempt on trying to distract me from it."

"Fine, but I'm only doing this for you." Sam insisted sliding her thumb across the seal until it released its hold. She pulled out the single folded paper and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."

"Hey." David put his finger underneath her chin. "No matter what that says, we're in this together."

"You don't have to say that." Sam assured him.

"I know. That's not why I said it." He kissed the top of her forehead. "Just open it."

The paper was folded into three perfect rectangles. Sam undid each one very slowly, reading the results silently to herself. "David." She breathed.

"Yes?"

"I found my mother."

*****

"What are you doing Mommy?" Kristina badgered, climbing into bed with Alexis. Her mommy reached over and tugged her closer, too close. Kristina tried to wiggle away. "Mommy, I can't breathe."

"Sorry." Alexis loosened her hold and Kristina rolled over, taking her pillow. "I'm just thinking about things."

"What kind of things?" Kristina spied the printout in her mother's hands, but it looked very confusing to her.

Alexis weighed her options. Either she told Kristina the truth or she waited until she was feeling a little less dizzy. Kristina had met Sam one time before according to Maxie, but Alexis had no idea how she would react to finding out that her new friend Sam was also her oldest sister. It could be devastating, for both of them. "Boring grown-up stuff." It could wait.

Kristina considered this and then said, "I brought you a coloring book Mommy." She reached behind her and presented her gift.

"You did?" Alexis smiled. "For me?"

"I thought it might make you happy." Kristina told her.

"It does. So much. Thank you munchkin." Alexis hugged Kristina tight, but released her quicker than before. She flipped through the Disney Princess book and noticed that it was a new one.

"Do you like it Mommy?" Kristina wanted to know.

"I sure do. When did you get this?"

"A few minutes ago. Daddy took me to get some candy." Kristina explained, her words bringing tears to Alexis's eyes.

"Did he? Where is your daddy?"

"Did I hear someone call me?" Mac interrupted from the doorway. "Did you give Mommy her present?" He asked Kristina when he joined them on the bed.

"She sure did." Alexis held up the coloring book. "And it's just what I've been waiting for. I can add it to my collection." Alexis pulled her feet beneath her and walked over to the bookshelf to make room between her law books for this newest present.

"How are you feeling Mommy?" Kristina tugged at Alexis's hands until she bent down and she was able to put her hand to her forehead.

"I'm just fine baby." Alexis promised. "I feel wonderful. Thank you."

"Does this mean we don't have to go to the hospital anymore?" Kristina implored nervously.

Mac and Alexis shared a private look over Kristina's head. "That's right." Alexis promised.

"So you're all better?" Kristina prompted.

"I feel good right now." Alexis diverted, hugging Kristina again, fighting back a different kind of tears.

"Kristina, would you mind if I talk to Mommy for a little while? Maybe you can get to work on that homework I saw sticking out of your backpack?" Mac suggested with a knowing lift of his .

"Okay." Kristina sighed, leaving the room. "I'll come right back Mommy."

"Did you meet her teacher?" Alexis wanted to know, her heart shattering at the idea of having to miss such an important time in her daughter's life. She had never before missed the annual meeting of the new teacher. It was tradition to take Kristina out for ice cream right after.

"Miss Applewood, yes." Mac supplied. "She was very nice."

"Applewood? She sounds like a granola bar." Alexis stated.

"I'm sure she'll marry as soon as she finds someone willing." Mac chuckled. "I told her you wanted to talk to her too and she said she'd call tomorrow around two. She's very excited about meeting you."

"I bet." Alexis drawled. "I must be quite intriguing as the bed-bound mother."

"I've been selling tickets left and right." Mac teased. "Besides, I kind of like you waiting in bed for me."

"Only you can make cancer sexy." Alexis rolled her eyes.

"Years of experience my dear." Mac leaned over and kissed her. "How are you feeling, for real?"

"Not bad. This was couriered over." She handed him the printout.

Mac took a second to read it over. He smiled. "Sam is your daughter. This is wonderful. Isn't it?"

"A part of me had accepted that she was already gone. I buried her over twenty years ago. To see her walking and talking...Mac, I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"What you're doing."

"What am I doing?"

"You're processing. No one's expecting you to become mother and daughter overnight, at least not emotionally. There are a lot of things you still have to get to know about each other. Aren't you excited?"

"I am." Alexis whispered. "Excited and terrified. Is she ever going to understand why I wasn't there?"

"Your father told you she was dead." Mac pointed out.

"But you saw through that. Why couldn't I?"

"You were just a scared kid. And he knew he had enough control over you to make you believe whatever he told you. He needed Sam to die so that he wouldn't feel...disgraced."

"For someone who's never met my father, you sure know a lot about him." Alexis taunted.

"I know his kind. I've been putting them away for more than half my life."

"And I love you for that. I love you for a lot of things."

"You know, I saw that stack of homework. I bet it takes her awhile."

"I bet it doesn't. She's brilliant."

"What if I hinted something about a dog?"

"Malcolm Scorpio, we are not getting a dog!"

"Why not Alexis Scorpio?"

"Who's going to take care of it? Puppy's are messy and the fence is broken in case you haven't noticed."

"Semantics. I could fix it up in no time."

"I always did have a weakness for construction workers." Alexis murmured, closing the door.