Alex Quartermaine awoke when she sun hit her face. She blinked against it as she pushed back the covers and climbed out of the bed. A glance at her alarm clock told her that she had a little over an hour before she needed to leave for school.

Even so, she hurried to wash her face and brush her teeth. She quickly applied light makeup and brushed her hair into a topknot. It only took her fifteen minutes to be completely dressed. After all, she was anything if not prompt.

Alex raced out of her room and headed down the stairs for the kitchen. Most of her family was still asleep sans for her mother and brother. She walked into the kitchen and saw her mother standing at the sink.

Starr Thornhart stood in front of the sink, nursing her single cup of coffee that she allowed herself. She was dressed for school already. Alex shifted the chair slightly to get her mother's attention and Starr turned around quickly.

"Oh Alex, I didn't know that you were already awake." She moved to the refrigerator to grab the milk and handed it and a box of cheerios to her daughter.

Alex shrugged and reached into a cabinet for a cereal bowl. She moved back to the table to eat her breakfast. "Yeah, I woke before my alarm."

Starr nodded, saying nothing. She could tell that her daughter was not up for small talk. And she knew that Alex had something on her mind. "Alex, what's wrong?"

Alex made to move to show that she'd heard her mother. Starr sighed and walked over to the table, taking a seat across from the blond girl. "Alex."

"Nothing," she mumbled, stuffing cereal into her mouth. Maybe if she had enough in her mouth at once, Starr wouldn't question her.

No such luck.

"Alex, tell me what's wrong. I know you. And you don't stay mad for long. Now you're just pouting."

Alex frowned, dropped her spoon into the bowl with a clang, and shifted so that she could look her mother in the eye. "I may be pouting, but I have good reason."

Starr lifted an eyebrow. "Oh? And what is this good reason?" Even though she had a thought as to what it was already.

"I want to live with Dad."

Starr frowned. She'd expected that this was coming. After that weekend, Alex had spent in Port Charles, she'd been cranky and obstinate. Qualities that were all too common in a Quartermaine.

"I want to live in Port Charles with Dad and Grandma Tracy. I want to live at the Quartermaine Mansion and go to school at Port Charles High School. But I don't want to hurt your feelings, Mom," Alex's voice hitched at the end and Starr could see that she was sincere.

"I know that you want to live with your Dad. And I know that you wouldn't intentionally hurt my feelings. But is it so bad that I want you here, in Llanview, with me?" Starr hated that she was getting emotional. So much for tough love.

Alex's face fell. She jumped up from her chair and came around to hug her mother. "Oh no, Mom. I'm sorry. Look, forget that I even said anything. I'm sorry. I'll stay here, I promise and visit Dad during summer vacation." She glanced at the clock and gave her mother one last squeeze. "I have to go. I have to get to school early anyway. I'll see you later."

She flashed a grin and raced out of the room. Starr wiped the tears away and stood up, angry with herself for becoming emotional. She was playing her daughter, unintentionally playing her. She hadn't planned on acting like that. And now she had to fix it.

Standing up, she picked up half-eaten bowl of cereal and walked it to the sink. After washing the dishes, she made her way upstairs to wake her sons. As she did, she began formulating a plan to keep her child happy.

GH*GH*GH*GH*GH

Dillon Quartermaine sat at the breakfast table in the Quartermaine dining room. Once a lively occasion filled with backstabbing and screaming threats, breakfast was now a solemn affair that was Dillon completed mostly by himself.

He spooned up some oatmeal that had been prepared by Francois, his mother's new French cook. Spread out around him was a variety of newspapers, from the Port Charles Gazette to the Los Angeles Times to the Chicago Star. Even though he was mostly interested in only the entertainment section, he forced himself to keep up on the political and business affairs of the world.

But he was distracted today.

He thought of his daughter and wondered what she was doing right now. Was she still asleep or was she enjoying breakfast as well? He thought of her words to him before she'd left two weeks earlier. She'd asked him, in very plain terms, if she could come and live with him.

Wasn't that what he'd wanted all along? Then why was he stressing out over it?

It wasn't that he didn't want Alex to live with him. It was just that he'd never really had the chance to be a father and he wasn't sure that he could now that she was nearly grown up.

All the times that he'd argued with Starr and threatened legal action over her custody of their daughter, he hadn't really wanted to be a father—not a full time father anyway. It was more because he wanted to cause Starr pain.

But now, did he want his daughter to live with him? Yes he did, Dillon told himself, he wanted her to be with him, to live with him and Tracy in Port Charles. He wanted to be a father, a good father, a better father.

He pushed his bowl away just as the dining room door opened and the maid, Maggie, walked inside. She carried the cordless phone.

"Mister Quartermaine? The phone for you. It's a Mrs. Thornhart."

He looked up, surprised. But rose to take the phone nonetheless, "hello Starr."

GH*GH*GH*GH*GH

Mattie rolled over and slammed the sleep button on her alarm clock. She knew that it was time to get up. After all, it was six-thirty and she was supposed to start her shift at eight, so she really should get up.

But she didn't want to disturb her little moment of peace.

She shifted in the bed, so that she was facing her gorgeous husband-to-be. Morgan lay on his side, awake and smiling at her. "Hey Beautiful."

She leaned in to kiss him. "Good morning yourself. Do we really have to get up? I would so much rather stay in bed all day."

He chuckled and shifted, throwing the covers off and getting to his feet. He ran a hand over his face, thinking that he should use the extra time to shave. He was getting awfully scraggly. "I wish, but getting up only means that we are beginning the day. And that only means that it is one day less until our wedding."

She smiled and sat up, throwing her feet over the bed to meet the floor. "Yes, one less day until the rest of our life."

He leaned over to kiss her again and raised an eyebrow. "You know, I'm certain that the hot water tank for the apartment isn't huge and doesn't Sarah have to take a shower too? Maybe we could conserve some water and shower together?" he asked suggestively.

Mattie rolled her eyes, but allowed Morgan to pull her to her feet. She leaned up and placed a kiss on him and he lifted her shirt over her head. As they entangled together, they managed to walk to the bathroom.

Still kissing Mattie, Morgan reached to turn on the shower and after stripping off his clothes and hers, pulled her inside.

As the steam fogged the windows, they explored each other…and tried to actually take a shower.

------------------------------

Mattie sat at the breakfast nook in the little kitchen, watching as Morgan fixed them breakfast. Granted, it wasn't a four course affair, but oatmeal and toast was just as sexy.

She couldn't believe what they'd done in the shower. It was something totally new…and totally fun. If it worked out, they might just have to do it again.

But maybe at Morgan's apartment next time.

She was horrified at the thought of Sarah walking in on them. She owed her friend and roommate the right and privacy of being able to use her own bathroom in her own apartment. At least Morgan understood.

Mattie smiled. That was what she loved about him. He was so understanding. He didn't balk when plans changed, when things didn't go as planned. That was part of the reason he was so appealing.

And his killer bod didn't hurt at all.

Morgan set the bowl on the table in front of her with a thump, bringing Mattie back from her reverie. She grinned and picked up the spoon. Just as she was about to take a bite, Sarah's door opened and she stomped out into the living area.

Mattie set the spoon down with a glance at Morgan. She folded her hands and waited until her friend had dropped into the opposite chair.

"What's wrong?"

"I hate Jacob Martin Spencer," she said quickly. She nodded her thanks to the cup of coffee that Morgan had placed in front of her.

"Just the other day, he was the best thing since sliced bread," Mattie said dryly. She was laughing on the inside, but out of respect to one of her best friends, kept it quiet. Sarah had spent more than three years with a relationship with Jake Spencer. It was constantly hot and cold, so much so that Mattie knew not to worry too much.

"Well, now he could be moldy bread for all I care," she muttered, taking a sip of the coffee and scalding her tongue in the process. She probably deserved it.

Morgan chuckled and stood up to drop a kiss on Mattie's face. "I have to go. I'll leave the two of you to sort this out. Should I tell Jake that he's being compared to moldy bread?" He walked to the door before adding, "I'll call you later, Mattie. How about dinner tonight?"

"That would be nice. I don't get off until seven tonight, so it will be a late dinner. I'll call you at my break."

Morgan waved as he shut the door. The girls could hear his motorcycle start up as he raced away.

Sarah frowned at herself. "Oh Mattie, I'm sorry. I disturbed your breakfast. I shouldn't have come in like that."

Mattie shook her head. "No, no, Sarah. It's your house too. You have the right to come home whenever you want. Now tell me what happened?" She dropped into a chair and eyed her friend.

Sarah sighed. "He is a chauvinistic pig. He's just annoying. We fight all the time because he has to be right…ALL THE TIME. And he is always so worried when I go to work or whatever. I don't think that he likes me being a cop."

"But you're crazy about him," Mattie murmured.

"Well, yeah. I mean, he's gorgeous, and wonderful, and exasperating. He's an absent-minded artist who needs a keeper. And he loves me. It's just that we can't ever agree on anything! If I want Thai, he wants Chinese. If I want to go out, he wants to stay in. We can't even compromise."

"Oh sweet pea, you have it bad," Mattie replied. "I think that the two of you are crazy about each other. You might as well make it official because it sounds as though you can't live without each other."

Sarah shrugged. "If only things were that easy. See, Jake doesn't move fast for anything. I don't think that marriage has crossed his mind at all."

"That's what you get for falling in love with an artist." Mattie smiled, rose to her feet and walked around the table to gather her friend in a hug. "It will be okay. I think that you and Jake are good for each other. Just give it a little time."

She walked toward the bedroom. "I have to go. I have to get to work. Morgan being here this morning made me lose some time. We—got carried away in the shower."

Sarah's jaw dropped and her eyes narrowed. "Okay Mattie. I love you, but that's a little TMI. Nothing personal. But I don't really like to imagine my cousin in that way."

Mattie walked away, her laugh twittering down the hallway.

GH*GH*GH*GH*GH

Miranda stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror at Wyndemere. She was beginning to worry because she was looking so rundown. Even James, Spencer's butler, had noticed that she was looking pale and more tired than usual.

She wanted to equate it to her busy life. Because God knew that she led a hectic one. But part of her worried that it was something more.

She sighed and grabbed her hairbrush, dragging it through her dark espresso-colored hair. She quickly applied makeup and finished tying her hair back into a professional bun at the nape of her neck. She needed to get moving because she was supposed to head back to Pine Valley today.

Even if she wanted nothing more than to stay with Spencer in Port Charles.

But Miranda was anything if not loyal and knew that she was obligated to return to work at the Miranda Montgomery House. It had been her mother's baby, but now it was her life. And after all the money they'd raised at the charity ball, she needed to get back to work and make the money worthwhile.

At least Christmas was only a few weeks away, because then she'd be back in Spencer's arms. And maybe she'd get to catch up on some rest and relaxation.

She walked out of the bathroom as Spencer came into the bedroom with a tray of coffee. "Good Morning."

"I intercepted these from James. I wasn't sure what state of dress you were in." He handed her a cup and she took a sip, the coffee not setting well with her sensitive stomach. But she ignored that niggling worry and walked to the closet. Pulling out a suitable traveling suit, she slipped on a new pair of underwear and a bra. Within moment, she was dressed and adding a careful layer of jewelry.

"I have to get back to PV today. I need to get back to Montgomery House. I've been away too long," she said, practically hopping on one foot as she tried to put her shoes on. She reached for a piece of toast off the breakfast tray and took a small bite, waiting to see how her stomach would handle it. It went down okay, so she devoured it quickly.

Spencer chuckled and reached for the phone. "I'll ring James and have him bring up something more substantial. Obviously you're hungry."

She finished the toast and smirked at him. "It's your fault, you know. I mean, we got a lot of exercise last night." She placed her makeup bag in her carryon and closed it. She kept a supply of clothing and personal items at Wyndemere, but there were some things that it was too difficult to have duplicates of.

He raised an eyebrow and followed her out of the room. "My fault? I seem to remember that you had no trouble keeping up." He stopped her from descending the stairs, pushing her against the wall. He lowered his mouth to hers and devoured her in much the same way she done with her toast.

When he came up for breath, Miranda took that opportunity to speak. "Wow. That's a nice going-away present. Makes me want to come back soon."

"That's the plan. I hate being away from you so much," Spencer replied, letting her slip past him and walk down the stairs. He followed closely behind.

She sighed and dropped her bag to pull her coat from the closet. "I know, but we both have responsibilities and soon it will be Christmas and I'll be back anyway. I love you Spencer Cassadine."

He pulled her against him in a hug. "I love you too Miranda. You don't know how happy I am to hear that."

She pulled away. "I really have to go. I need to get back to Pine Valley by this afternoon. I'll call you!" She called as she walked out of the door and down toward the launch. Spencer watched her navigate the slippery path until she'd disappeared from his sight.

He turned back toward the house to begin the work day. At least if he worked himself to distraction for another ten days, Miranda would be back in his arms again.

GH*GH*GH*GH*GH

So, another chapter done. I have decided an ending for this story so it will be probably another four chapters or so. I realize that this story can't go on forever (and I have another storyline formulating as I write this now). I hope that you are still enjoying my story. Please review, they make my day! ENJOY!