"Alexis…" Jax attempted to approach her in the chapel without startling her. As he sat in the booth next to her she leaned against him and allowed him to cradle her.

"How are the girls?" She looked up at him to ask.

"They're scared; they miss you and Sam, but I think hearing Carly was okay gave them a healthy dose of faith."

"She is okay then?" Alexis asked him.

"Yeah; full recovery. Just when I didn't think it was possibly, Carly once again proves me wrong. I brought the papers to the courthouse this morning. I figured we should at least get them processed."

"I'm sorry." Alexis clutched his hand.

"Don't be; I think this is the way it's supposed to be. Carly reminded me how to love with no fear, I needed that. I also got a beautiful girl out of the bargain. I can't complain about that." Jax insisted.

"They're precious; I'll tell you that much. Treasure the time you have with her." Alexis advised him.

"Alexis, you made the best decision you could for Sam."

"I screwed up!" She disputed. "If I would have told Lars we could have fought Helena and Mikkos 30-years-ago, and I wouldn't be here now!"

"You were kids." Jax argued.

"His family could have backed us up; the Scorpio's…"

"How could you know that?" Jax questioned her.

"I could have asked. I could have trusted this guy with the truth." She started to cry.

"You were trying to protect him." He attempted to console her.

"Which ended up getting him killed, and sending our daughter off to live with adoptive parents that never taught her how to love herself. Lucky is the first healthy relationship my daughter has ever had, and now…"

"Alexis breathe." He cautioned watching her go into hysterics. "There's still time for this to work out. Sam has learned to love herself; she has found someone to love her, and in nine very short months you very well could be a grandmother."

"Is that supposed to help me breathe?" Alexis laughed.

"Well, that's a start." Jax smirked as he brushed her cheek.

XXXXXX

"Lulu, I didn't expect to see you here today…" Maxie stated. With a big promotion coming up she was more afraid of Lulu being there than not.

"It's okay. I am sorry about yesterday, I wasn't myself, but I got your latte just as you like it." Lulu replied handing one to both Maxie and Clarice who had rolled her eyes at Lulu's entrance. "I've already called the artist's manager and the venue is set for next Saturday."

Maxie took a sip. "This is perfect." She replied surprised. "Lulu, can we talk in the office?"

"Sure." Lulu followed her in.

"What gives?" Maxie questioned.

"I told you; I wasn't myself yesterday. I was…"

"A mess." Maxie answered for her. "But that I understood, this I really don't. This worries me."

"Will it pacify you if I tell you the reason I am not a mess is because I found out last night that my cousin isn't actually gone? That her 'death' was just a set up by an obsessed madman?"

"You know; that should surprise me, but for some reason it doesn't." Maxie replied.

"I'm surprised Spinelli hasn't said anything already."

Maxie sighed. "Yeah… I haven't actually been able to get Spinelli to say much of anything. Between Jason taking off and him blaming himself for what's going on with Sam he's been in a major funk that I can't seem to break him out of. I've tried; I've even taken out the Zenon space girl costume to lift his spirits, but to no avail."

"Why does he blame himself for Sam?" Lulu questioned.

"Because he let out information about the tracking device to Helena which made it possible to get her out of town without being followed… and yeah."

"That's crazy. Helena was going to do what she was going to do no matter what."

"I know that and you know that, but that gets lost in translation when conveying it to Spinelli. Unfortunately I can't think about that right now. If you really are ready for work then great, your first assignment is to call Jason and get him to talk to Spinelli, after that can you pick up the dresses for the shoot tomorrow and make sure that the florist has the order in? I need the photographer scheduled for next Tuesday's open versus closed toe heel article, then grab sushi for lunch and we will discuss this afternoon's projects."

"I'm on it, just as soon as I get back from using the restroom." She replied. "Sorry, two cups of coffee and small bladder."

"Go! Hurry!" Maxie insisted.

Lulu raced into the restroom to take out the bottle from her purse. She lifted her hand to eye level and watched it shake; clutching her fist she talked herself into taking one just as long as the prescription lasted.

XXXXXX

"Have I been gone for so long that you don't recognize the sound of your own sister's voice?" Carly questioned Lucas over the phone. "Yes, it's me, and no, you're not dreaming. I don't want to keep you from class, but… I love you, too."

Jason smiled as he watched Carly end her phone call.

"What are you smirking at?" Carly questioned.

"I saw you on the beach with my very eyes. I went there looking to find you and that same thought entered my head; was that really you or was I just dreaming? I'm still not completely convinced this isn't all just one long elaborate dream I haven't woken up from."

"What do I have to do in order to convince you?" She asked pulling on his arm to bring him closer to her in order to kiss him.

"That's a start." He replied and offered another in reply. It wasn't long before Jason was seated next to her as the groped each other on the hospital bed. Jason basked in the feel of his chest pressed against hers and the smell of lavender from her perfume as he nibbled on her ear. "I love you." He whispered to her. "If this is a dream I don't want to wake up from it."

With that Carly pushed him away from her.

"Carly, what's wrong?"

"What would you have done?" She posed to him

"What are you talking about?"

"Let's just say worst case scenario, my heart gave out on the table and the doctor's weren't able to resuscitate me. I died; what would you have done?" She asked bitterly.

"I don't even want to think about that." Jason replied.

"Tough! I want to hear the answer."

"I don't know. When I thought that it was the slightest possibility you were gone I lost myself; I lost the ambition to keep breathing."

Carly's eyes started welling up as he spoke. "Jase, with the exception of my children you are the single most important person in my life, and with that you have to know you are just as important to them."

"I know, and they mean the world to me too."

"Without me they would need you that much more." She stressed.

"Carly, I don't understand why…"

"I had to come back, I had to keep fighting. I saw the world without me in it. I don't know, call it an 'it's a wonderful life' moment, but that was not a world I wanted my kids living and it all started with you giving up. Jason, if anything happens I need to be able to trust you to be there for them."

XXXXXX

Patrick went straight to the lab upon emergence to General Hospital and found his wife frozen looking at a tox screen report.

"What can I do to help?" He offered as he gently approached her.

"I can't do this?" Robin cried as she stood up to lean against him.

"Yes, you can." He encouraged her.

"No." She shook her head and wept. Robin was so tired it hurt to keep her eyes open. "I've run every permutation I can think of; I've tried… Patrick, she's my cousin."

"I know; and you obviously haven't exhausted every combination or you would have found something. So, let's take a look at what you've done and see what we can come up with."

Robin nodded and went to retrieve the paperwork. "Where have you been?" She asked calmly as he muddled through her work.

"Australia." He answered as he kept his eyes peeled for the closest match.

"What were you doing there?" Robin questioned not expecting that answer.

"Saving Carly's life." He answered confidently doing two things at once.

"Nice to see you back, bro." Matt replied as he returned back from doing his rounds.

Patrick held his hand out in a slight wave.

"Let me guess, the all powerful Dr. Patrick Drake is here to steal our thunder and save the day once again?" Matt disparaged.

"I am willing to take all the help I can get." Robin confessed, which was a tell tale sign that she was exhausted.

"Wait, I've seen this drug before." Patrick looked at the chemical make-up of the toxin.

"You have?" Matt questioned.

"Matt, I need a chest x-ray ordered immediately." Patrick replied. Matt stood for a moment to argue before dashing off to do what he was told.

"What did you find?" Robin questioned him instead.

"Helena put you on the wrong track the moment she mentioned an antidote; she meant for you to spend your time looking for the perfect combination just to come up with the appropriate antibody." Patrick explained.

"Instead of what?"

"Instead of looking at the impairment as a whole; Robin, what are the symptoms?"

"Um… excessive fluid in the chest cavity causing difficulty in respiration."

"Which would be?"

"Pleural effusion." Robin shook her head in disgust.

"Exactly; this drug is designed to lower the protein levels in the blood vessels causing congenital heart failure which in tern increased the amount of fluid creating the effusion."

"You mean to tell me all along all we needed to do was…?"

"Pleurodesis." Patrick replied.

"I'll get the solution ready; just get that IV set. Wait, Patrick…" She stopped him for a kiss before he could move.

"What was that for?"

"Welcome home!" She smirked before getting up for her third wind.

XXXXXX

"Matt, what's going on?" Lucky asked as Sam was wheeled from her room. "Did you find something?"

"Patrick thinks he may have." Matt replied.

"Patrick? What? Wh… what did he find? Can you save her?" Lucky threw out questions.

"All I know is that an x-ray was ordered. Lucky, I think he knows what's going on, but right now I just need you to take a seat in the waiting room until somebody is available to explain."

"Okay, sure." Lucky shook his head and then walked to the waiting room alone. "I can do that."

"Would you like company?" Luke asked walking up behind him.

"I suppose; if you're the best that they can offer." Lucky smirked.

"Does this mean the docs are finally doing something?" Luke questioned hoping to open up communication.

"As far as I know it's just a picture of her chest."

"Well that seems a bit unethical." Luke teased.

Lucky couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks dad."

"Anytime, Cowboy." He replied as he sat down next to him.

"So Carly is really okay?" Lucky asked attempting to break the silence.

"It sounds like it. She was able to initiate a conversation with both Barbara Jean and your sister. They both say she's in good mental capacity with no noticeable defect. She was tired, but otherwise… fine."

"That's good." Lucky nodded still fearing his own situation. As he saw Patrick approach the nurse's station Lucky got up to talk to him. "Patrick… did you find the antidote?"

"Yes, or no." Patrick sighed.

"Which is it?" Luke asked for him.

"Technically there is no antidote."

"What does that mean?" Alexis questioned as her and Jax approached.

"That means there's no antidote, but there's a treatment. It requires the use of a chest drain which I would need you to sign off on." Patrick informed Alexis.

"This is going to save my daughter?" She inquired.

"Yeah, this is going to save your daughter." He confirmed. Alexis took the pen and scribbled her signature by the X. "Do whatever you have to."

"We're going to apply a local anesthetic and drainage tube; once the IV is set up I am more than okay with Lucky and Alexis sitting with her for the duration of the treatment."

"So there's no surgery performed?" Jax questioned.

"Besides the insertion of the catheter, no."

"What kinds of risks or side effects are involved?" Lucky asked.

"I won't lie it is painful, but the chemical approach has far fewer ramifications than the surgical." Patrick explained.

Alexis was still stuck on the notion of 'stop talking and do what you have to.' Jax noticed that and gracefully thanked Patrick for the explanation.

"I'll let you know when you can go in." Patrick responded to the prompt.