"You're being completely unreasonable." Maxie protested, folding her arms across her chest. She had already been in Port Charles too long. Her boss assumed her family emergency—the excuse she had used to attend Robin's wedding—must have been a death in the family and Maxie hadn't hurried to correct her.

"How am I being unreasonable?" Mac demanded with a shake of his head. "All I want is for you to stay a little longer."

"It's been a week and I'm running out of things to tell my boss." Maxie complained.

"Then quit." Mac suggested in a huff. "I never could understand why you took a job across the country anyway."

"It's the opportunity of a lifetime!" Maxie fought back. "And the fact that it's far away is not something I planned for." That wasn't to say she didn't enjoy the hefty distance between California and New York.

"Don't they have any offices here?" Mac wanted to know.

"No." Maxie knew it was a downright lie. Of course they had offices here, but she was not going to leave her cushy job in L.A. to return to a place that she had long outgrown.

"Oh really? Then what about the one you worked for in the beginning?"

"Different job, different requirement." Maxie said through clenched teeth.

"So they said you had to come to California or you would be fired?" Mac challenged.

"Dad, look..." The lie died on her lips. She didn't want to think about it. "Do we have to fight? Can't we just enjoy this time we have together?"

Mac had the grace to look chagrinned. "You're right." He finally said. "I'm sorry. I miss you, that's all."

She fisted her hands and drove her nails into her skin before she even attempted to answer. Tears were threatening, but she would not break down, not if it gave him more leverage to keep her tied to Port Charles. "I miss you too Papa Bear."

"You never told me what you wanted for your birthday." Mac reminded her.

"I don't want anything." Maxie answered immediately. Her birthday. Drat. She had forgotten all about it.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I don't want anything." Maxie emphasized.

"You've never turned down the opportunity to be the center of attention." Mac pointed out.

"I don't want to make a big deal out of it."

"It is a big deal." Mac argued. "And..."

"And what?" Maxie prompted when he said nothing more. "Dad? What are you planning? Dad?"

"If you don't want to make a big deal, I'll respect that." Mac's words came out heavier than he had intended.

"Dad." Maxie whined with a sigh. "Okay." She whispered.

"What's that? I couldn't hear you."

"Okay, you can make my birthday a big deal." Maxie allowed. "But when it's time for me to go back, you can't argue the point."

"I won't." Mac promised.

*****

It was another hellish day, but at least, Cruz thought to himself, at least it was over. He wouldn't have to go back to work until tomorrow morning. He had finally confided in Bobbie and told her everything about the inevitable takeover. From what he could guess, she had miraculously not overheard them fighting about it a few weeks back. He kicked the driver's door shut and the car shook in protest. "Don't give up on me too." He begged the car. When he was fairly certain it wouldn't go up in flames, he strolled up the walk and pulled the key from his back pocket.

The door opened before he even had a chance to use the key and he stepped inside cautiously. "Bobbie?" He called. Of course she must be here; otherwise the door would be locked, wouldn't it?

"Back here." Bobbie called from the kitchen.

He hadn't expected to find her in the kitchen. For the last couple of days, she had admitted to feeling a little under the weather, and he had tried his hand at cooking. Suffice it to say, there were plenty of restaurants that were willing to deliver. He pushed the door open and found her in an apron. "Hi there."

"Hello yourself." She smiled over her shoulder at him as she stirred the sauce. "How was your day?"

"Fine." Cruz lied. "Better now." He slowly made his way toward her.

"Are you sure?" She questioned him as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Definitely better being home with you." He whispered into her hair.

"Sweet talker." Bobbie murmured.

"What are you making?"

"Nothing too exciting. Spaghetti and marinara."

"That is just what I've been wanting." Cruz told her.

"Really?"

"Of course. If you weren't cooking that tonight, I was going to ask you to. Beg even." He gave her a crooked smile.

"Well you do know I can't resist your begging." Bobbie smiled. "Everything will be ready in a few minutes. Why don't you go play with our daughter? She's beginning to forget what you look like."

"If you would agree to tape my pictures on her mobile, we wouldn't run into that issue, now would we?" He asked slipping out the kitchen and into the living room where he had completely missed his sleeping daughter. She was stretched out across the couch surrounded by a fort of pillows in case she rolled off as she was known to do.

"Are you sure this is our baby?" Cruz asked, sounding confused. "She's grown at least a foot since this morning."

"According to the birth certificate she is." Bobbie laughed from her spot in the kitchen.

Majandra's sleepy eyes opened when she heard her daddy's voice. She giggled and clapped her hands. "Well there's my baby." Cruz crooned to her.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" Majandra squealed, rolling off the couch in her attempt to get closer to him. Before he could even react, she was laughing in delight.

"Did you...did she just say...?" Cruz stuttered, watching her pull herself up. "Bobbie, come here." He almost whispered.

"What?" Bobbie walked towards the kitchen door, wiping her hands off with the dish towel she had thrown over her shoulder.

"Daddy!" Majandra giggled again, pushing off the couch at a stumbling run. Every time she fell, he had to fight to stay where he was.

Bobbie smiled softly. "She's getting better at that."

"Better at...? You didn't tell me she was walking, no running." Cruz's eyes never left his daughter.

"I thought it would be a nice surprise for you."

No sooner than Bobbie spoke the words, Cruz picked Majandra up and cradled her close. "Baby, you almost gave Daddy a heart attack."

"Daddy." This time, she said it as if he should have known better.

"I know. I know. You walking and talking is apparently only new to me." He tugged on one of her dark curls and smiled when it sprung back in place.

"Well dads always are the last to know." Bobbie teased gently.

"She's not even a year old. What's she doing walking?" Cruz wanted to know. "The books didn't say she'd be ready for that at seven months." He was throwing the books away. Obviously the people writing them were stupid.

"Wasn't it you who was always saying she was advanced?"

"Well that is true." Cruz nuzzled her cheeks with his nose. "This was a wonderful surprise."

"See? Learn to trust my surprises."

"I don't know if I want her growing up so fast." Cruz replied uncertainly.

"Sorry to break it to you my love but there is really nothing you can do to stop that."

"Are you sure?"

"Ninety nine percent positive."

"Then I'll just have to hold out for that one percent, won't I?"

"Optimist."

"It's something new for me to try." Cruz told her.

*****

Alexis breathed in the crisp afternoon air and exhaled slowly. Now this was why she had come to Port Charles and never left. Once the mobsters were out of commission, the place no longer reeked. She gazed lovingly down at her daughter as she hurried into the pizzeria and bounced from one side of the display counter to the next. They had spent most of the morning at the movies watching tons of children's films they had had to miss out on when she was sick. Today was all about catching up.

"Mommy, what kind do you want?" Kristina prodded happily. She was already mentally picturing her favorites. Alexis envisioned a stack of hamburger and pepperoni with peppers while she bet her daughter wouldn't even be able to find the bottom of the plate once she made up her mind.

"You first." Alexis suggested, smiling at the cashier/owner. He was only about five years her senior and had run this little place since Kristina was born. She should know: that's when they had started coming here, Kristina with her bottle and Alexis with her green peppers.

"I want...um..." Kristina faltered, her eyes jerking from one side to the next. Her eyes squinted and she twirled around, something catching her eye. "Sam!" She abandoned Alexis's side and ran for her new friend.

"Hey Kristina." Sam wasn't sure how she should react, whether or not she should hug her little sister, so she moved her hands to her back and lightly patted the little girl. "How are you?"

"I'm getting pizza with my mommy." Kristina informed her with a lift of her chin. She pointed to Alexis who was trying very hard to figure out whether or not she should come over or stay where she was.

"Really?" Sam sounded genuinely interested. "I love pizza!"

"Me too! Me too!" Kristina gushed. "What's your favorite kind?"

"I like them all." Sam answered. "Mostly pepperoni though."

"Really? What about hamburger?" Kristina asked carefully.

"I can eat it, but I don't like it as much as the others." Sam made a funny face and Kristina giggled.

"I don't like hamburger." Kristina responded matter-of-factly.

"It's true." Alexis chimed in. "She thinks I'm crazy for liking it."

"To each her own." Sam replied, swallowing a lump in her throat. Kristina was one thing; Alexis was quite another.

"Did you want to join us?" Alexis hadn't thought she would stay until the opportunity presented itself. She hadn't seen Sam since the wedding and she was worried how she might be handling the results. Obviously not well if she couldn't even keep eye contact.

"You should." Kristina said it in such a way it sounded like she was sorry she hadn't thought of it first.

"Actually, I..." What? She wanted to rush home so she could eat her pizza alone? David wouldn't be home and even if he was...

"Oh, you've just got to." Alexis encouraged her.

"I...um—okay." Sam followed them to the counter and they each got in line.

"So what have you been up to?" Alexis wanted to know, though she told herself not to interrogate her daughter. Sam. Not to interrogate Sam. She wouldn't think of her as anything else until she acknowledged the link between them.

"Cheese and pepperoni." Sam told the cashier. "Nothing. Working on a case with David."

"The hit-and-run?" Alexis hated being out of the loop. Once she was feeling better, she was getting her job back.

"No. Mac gave that to Cassidy." Sam clarified.

"Oh. I didn't know that." Alexis confessed.

"Yeah, so, that's it. What about you? You look like you're feeling better."

"I am." Alexis nodded.

"Mommy doesn't have to go to the hospital anymore." Kristina told Sam.

"That's great news." Sam said fervently.

"Yep. I was just feeling so good today I thought I'd take Kristina out and spend some time with her." Alexis explained.

Sam looked over at Kristina who was digging into her pizza before they even had a chance to sit down. "And here I am, ruining it."

"No, Sam. That's not true." Alexis countered. "It's good to see you."

"But you want to spend time with your daughter and I'm interfering." Sam reasoned.

"Sam, if that were true, I wouldn't have invited you to stay." Alexis reminded her. "There's no rule that says you can't join us. We've got to start—"

"I actually have a bit of work to get back to. It was great to see you, Alexis. And Kristina." She gestured toward the sweet little brunette whose face was covered in tomato sauce.

"Please don't leave." Alexis begged her.

"I'll see you around." Sam promised, hurrying out the door.

"Doesn't Sam like us anymore?" Kristina inquired sadly.

"Oh of course she does. It's Mommy's fault." Alexis insisted.

"Next time, we should glue her to the chair." Kristina said through a mouthful of food.

"Next time." Alexis agreed.