If not for her previous experience, no one in this moth-eaten town would have taken her seriously when Mac called and asked her to act as the temporary commissioner until his return. Thank God her reputation preceded her, because there was seriously too much going on right now to add any misunderstandings between her and Mac's officers. Most of them had taken to the transition easily enough; after all, Mac was due back in a day or two. Considering what Alexis had told her about his reason for leaving, Anna thought it a little strange that he could get something like that done in less than a week. She didn't give her brother-in-law enough credit.

As promised, she was actively looking for a more permanent home for herself in Port Charles. Her return had been nothing short of amazing. Having already missed the birth of her grandson, she had set out to do everything she possibly could to mend fences with her daughter. The last conversation she had had with Robin still bothered her almost a full day later. She leaned back in Mac's chair and threw her legs onto his desk, letting her mind wander. A dangerous task, but how else was she going to fix the problem?

"Where is Uncle Mac?" Robin demanded without stopping long enough to welcome her mother back. The circles under her eyes could only be partially blamed on her newborn son.

"He's gone out of town for a few days." Anna explained not sure if she should hug Robin or keep her distance. The last thing she wanted to do was make everything worse.

"What do you mean he's gone out of town?" Robin shrieked. "Where has he gone?"

"A neighboring town. He didn't give me specifics." Anna hurried to explain.

"Well that's just great." Robin tried to look put off, but the tears in her eyes showed differently.

"What's the matter, Luv?" Anna wanted to know. She shouldn't pry, but if she could help, shouldn't she at least try?

"I needed him here," Robin said instead. "I needed him to tell me what to do."

"Do about what?" Anna prompted.

"It doesn't matter." Robin slumped down into the only available chair in the decaying office.

"Talk to me. Maybe I can help." Anna offered, placing her hand over Robin's.

"I doubt that." Robin shot back. "I'm sorry. I'm just so tired." That simple statement was just the clarification that Anna needed. For her daughter to complain, to whine about the unfairness of it all, something else must have been going on.

"What is it you wanted Mac to do? Maybe I can lend an ear." A weak argument, but maybe Robin would take her up on it.

"AJ is planning on taking Morgan away from me." Robin begrudgingly admitted.

"He has no grounds!" Anna exploded, shooting to her feet.

"That's what I thought too. He thinks he's Morgan's father." Robin answered her tone unnervingly calm.

"It sounds to me like he just needs to be proven wrong. A DNA test would do the trick."

"He's already doing that. The court is making him take a second one since the last one he did was in his own company. None of us would be surprised if he messed with the results. He's wanted Morgan ever since I gave him Michael. Why did I do that? Why did I give him power? I just thought I owed it to him after all Carly and Jason put him through. Why didn't I anticipate this?" Robin whimpered, on the brink of collapse.

"Robin, you can't blame yourself. No one knew this was going to happen. It's not your fault. That man has never known when enough was enough. That's all this is: a power play. Only this time his target is your son."

"And if he turns out to be AJ's biological father? Then what?"

"They aren't just going to take him out of a home he's lived in for two years."

"How do you know that? We haven't exactly kept him in a stable environment lately."

"Life happens and things change. Things you can't predict." Anna rounded the desk. "You are not allowed to give up. Do you hear me?" she demanded, bracing her hands on either side of Robin's chair.

Robin hadn't said anything more, just launched herself off the chair and out of the police station, her shoulders sagging as if she held the world atop her shoulders. It wasn't until this afternoon that Anna was able to learn some good news. Against advice, Patrick had taken some time off from practice to take care of the boys when Robin had to work. With less than three months before Daytona, his spur-of-the-moment decision had driven his crew chief into a hysterical fit. It was rare for her son-in-law to do something noteworthy, but his reaction to the whole situation had truly been, "Then find a replacement because I'm going home to my wife."

"It will get better my darling." Anna said to the empty office. "Even if I have to shoot him."

*****

"This is stupid." Maxie declared grinning. Between Hunter and Ric, she hadn't gotten a single moment to herself since the collapse. At least she had convinced Ric to let her leave the bedroom and lay on the couch.

"It's not stupid." Ric argued with her. "It's a proven technique to help with relaxation. I often prescribe it for my more high-risk patients."

"Do I have to close my eyes and take deep breaths?"

"Yes." Ric stressed. "Now can you just concentrate on my voice please?"

"Concentrating. Concentrating." Maxie covered her mouth to hold back a giggle.

"Now picture a peaceful place." Ric held onto her hand and rubbed a pattern with his thumb. It still didn't feel real to him. Seeing her collapse that day at the zoo had terrified him. All his medical training went right out the window. He had been barely able to breathe, much less remember he was a doctor. Even when Hunter had run into the hospital with a possible explanation for the doctors, her transplant heart and her history with Kawasaki Syndrome still didn't make it any more real. Seeing her trying not to laugh, he let out a low growl. "It doesn't work if you don't take this seriously."

"I'm sorry. Serious. I can be serious." She promised, pursing her lips together.

"Picture a peaceful place." Ric started again, keeping one eye carefully on her. "Take deep, slow breaths."

"I'm on a beach. It's perfect weather." Maxie told him.

"Good. Keep picturing that place. Can you feel the sand between your toes?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now imagine the water rolling up to your toes and washing all that sand away." Ric picked up her hand and started to massage her wrist lightly.

"I'm a little cold. The wind is picking up."

"You're supposed to be warm." Ric reminded her, moving his hand further down her arm. "Think warm thoughts."

"Warm thoughts. Warm thoughts." Maxie bit back a smile.

Catching her fighting the smile, Ric shook his head. "Anything you care to share?"

"Maybe you're on the beach with me."

"Well I don't particularly equate you on a beach with relaxation. That falls under the category of excitement."

"You don't get to criticize my happy place." Maxie reminded him.

"I'm not criticizing. I'm just interested that I am in your happy place."

"You said to think warm thoughts. I've never felt warmer than when your arms are around me." Maxie pointed out. "And you didn't start out in my happy place. You just showed up. You're stalking my happy place."

"Only because you let me."

"I assumed since you're still here, you want to be there. I can always bring someone else. I bet Hunter has something tropical in his closet."

"I'm sure he does have a cabana boy or two in there."

"Do I have to keep my eyes closed?"

"It's supposed to help the process."

"Okay. I'm relaxing." Maxie settled back against the pillows.

"Good. Now just picture the sand, the sun, and the water. And concentrate of just releasing every negative thought, every pressure, and every worry."

"I really scared you, didn't I?" Maxie opened her eyes when he didn't answer her right away.

"What do you think?"

"I was afraid you would treat me like everyone else if I told you."

"And how's that? Like you have limitations?"

"Exactly. It really goes against my world domination plot."

"Maxie." Ric said seriously. "You can't dominate the world if you do a repeat of collapsing in public."

"So you're saying I should limit my episodes to once every fifteen years?"

"I'm saying you should take your health more seriously."

"I'm dating a doctor." Maxie protested.

"Who was unaware there was anything wrong." Ric pointed out. "And are we dating?"

"Aren't we dating? Hey, haven't we had this conversation before?"

"Yes. But humor me. What exactly do you see us as?"

"I told you I wasn't opposed to us trying again and I'm not."

"If we try again, we need total honesty on both sides. It doesn't work if you keep secrets from me and expect me to be completely honest with you."

"That's fair, but this was my freebie."

"You're only freebie."

"If I promise I'm relaxed, can I keep my eyes open?"

"Depends on what you're looking at."

Maxie reached up and touched his cheek. "Will you stay here with me?"

"Haven't you figured out I'm not going anywhere?"

"I mean in L.A."

"Now that's a discussion for later."

"Okay. We'll talk about it later." She patted the spot beside her. "I'm tired. Lay down with me, won't you?"

"Now that is something I can do." Ric smiled and pulled her into his arms.