Well goodness, it's been eight months… is anyone still interested in this? What can I say? Thanksgiving inspired me. Shrug.

UNEDITED.

Part THREE of THREE

Chapter Thirty-One

Double D's

Alexis walked around the room in complete awe of what Mac had done specifically for her. As she stared at the beautifully set table with the clearly delicious meal awaiting her, a series of emotions passed through her: she was flattered by the preparation he took to ensure that everything he had planned went off without a hitch; touched by the group participation in keeping her distracted; and highly embarrassed by the way she reacted when things failed to pan out the way she thought they should. She looked at the man who stood at the table holding an empty chair out for her to sit. Could he be the sort of man that she had been awaiting all of her life? Was he the one? Or was she once again jumping the gun imagining herself walking down the aisle before she actually and successfully jumped his gun.

- "Mac—"

He smiled and approached her holding his hand out to her.

- "You don't have to say it, Lex; your face says it all."

She took his hand and allowed him to lead her to the dinner table and into her seat.

- "And what exactly does my face say?"

He took her napkin from the table and laid it onto her lap before taking his seat beside her.

- "It says: 'boy, did I underestimate Commissioner Scorpio. I really should have found out what was being served for dinner before I decided on the crow.' "

Grabbing the red wine, he began to pour it into her glass.

- "Am I close?"

She wanted to say no, but it was true. After all that had transpired over the past few days, she could not believe that he had managed to pull something so wonderful off for her. It made her smile.

- "Maybe."

He leaned forward as though he would kiss her, but instead, with a smile of his own, he pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear. It took everything in him to not kiss her, but he would not.

- "Sure, maybe. I think I'm pretty close. How do you like the wine?"

She rolled her eyes as she took a sip from her drink.

- "Hmm… it's really good. It's my—"

He winked as he finished her statement.

- "It's your favorite."

Placing her wine glass onto the table, she frowned as she watched him prepare her plate. Watching as he carefully chose her side dishes, knowing exactly what she would like, she wondered when he had gained so much knowledge about her. When did they grow from friends to… something more?

- "How in the world did you know my favorite wine?"

Mac chuckled to himself as he moved onto the duck.

- "Give me a little credit, Lex! I pay attention."

She shook her head.

- "Says the man who couldn't bother to order me flowers or write the card himself? I don't think so. How'd you know my favorite wine, Mac?"

He put a piece of the duck onto her plate.

- "Let's just say a little birdie told me."

- "Um, would this little birdie be a fiery redhead or a five feet two inch gnome I happen to call my daughter?"

He was busted.

- "The former."

Happy in her victory, Alexis did a little dance in her seat as Mac placed her plate in front of her.

- "I knew it! I knew it!"

And while he tried to hold in his laughter by feigning upset at her callous gloating, he could not. He found her silliness… adorable.

- "Yea well, I'll have you know that I asked for the name of the wine so that I could pick it up myself. You know, I didn't want you to yell at me again—"

Taking another sip of the wine, she passed her hand caressingly along his arm.

- "I would've only yelled if you had her write you a card to go with the bottle."

The gesture made him blush slightly. He did not know what it was, but he felt like a young schoolboy when with her.

- "I guess I should hide the card then."

Noticing a comment about to spring to her lips, he shook his head. He had already learned his lesson.

- "I'm joking, Lex. She dropped it off here sometime before or after her impromptu visit to the fruits and vegetable aisle."

Alexis took another sip. She thought about the bottles of wine she and Diane… well Diane, alone… had gone through the night Mathieu had unexpectedly returned. Between that night and the day of the snowstorm, it really was a miracle there were any more bottles of the wine to be found in the Port Charles area, let alone at their dinner table.

- "Well, if there's one thing Diane knows, it's her booze. God love her."

Mac made a face. When he thought about his encounters with the redheaded woman, he was certain that ninety-five percent of them were when she was either intoxicated, or coming down from a stupor. He was not certain he had ever seen her entirely sober.

- "You really should consider getting that woman some help—"

Alexis, on the other hand, nonchalantly waved her hand. Diane was who she was. She had, for the years in which they had been best friends, always been a wine-guzzling… wino, an excellent attorney, and a great friend. There was nothing to help.

- "Mac please! Diane's blood is made of wine. She'll probably outlive us all considering the health benefits of the stuff. You know it is filled with antioxidants—"

The man scoffed at her.

- "Is that what she told you?"

It was.

- "Yeeeah—"

Mac shook his head.

- "Yes Alexis, it is exceptionally intelligent to listen to the alcoholic who tells you that her booze is healthy. That's like listening to a drug addict who says that cocaine is really Splenda—"

She rolled her eyes at the man.

- "It might as well be! Have you ever had the stuff?"

- "Coke?"

She smacked his arm.

- "NO! Splenda! It's damn good. Once you've used it in your tea or coffee, you'll never go back to sugar again. It's… delightful."

Nodding in agreement, he pointed to her plate. He wanted her to taste the meal he had prepared for them.

- "Eat up. I know what you mean about things being damn good and addicting—"

He began to cut his meat.

- "There are certain things you have… or see, and you know you can't go without having… a taste of it."

With a smile on his face, he put a piece of the breast into his mouth.

- "Bon appétit."

Under normal circumstances, Sam would avoid Carly's house like the plague; she did not like the woman and the woman was none too fond of her either. Unfortunately, her sisters, for whatever reason, thought differently. Taking a deep breath as she stepped out of the car, Sam braced herself for the litany of ridiculous comments the woman might say in the thirty seconds it would take to retrieve her sisters. She could not say she was in the mood to deal with them.

- "Alright, here goes nothing."

She rang the doorbell.

- "Come on… it's not like it's summer here."

After a few minutes and several rings of the doorbell, Carly opened the door.

- "Oh, hi Sam."

It was not that she had not heard the doorbell or did not realize that Sam was out there, it was because she refused to jump the moment the girl beckoned… albeit via the doorbell… in the middle of a chilly upstate New York fall evening.

- "Come in."

She stood aside to let her inside.

- "Hi Carly. Where are the girls?"

Molly, followed by Kristina, entered the foyer where Sam and Carly stood.

- "We're here! Where's Jason?"

Carly groaned. Ever since Jason and Sam had begun dating once again, she was no longer at his beck and call; she hated it and made no attempt to hide her feelings of annoyance with the younger woman.

- "Yea, where's Jason."

Sensing the sarcastic tone of the woman's question, Sam simply rolled her eyes.

- "Um, Jason and I were together last night—"

Molly giggled in excitement.

- "Ooooh!"

Kristina smacked the girl's arm.

- "Will you quit it? She's all excited, as usual, about the fact that not only are you and Jason going strong, but now Mom and Mac are together. She's certain there'll be summer weddings—"

- "Maybe joint weddings, Kristina!"

Carly, who had remained at the door holding it open, was in shock at what she had just heard. Everyone around town knew that Alexis Davis, the towns most dating-challenged individual, was into murderers and psychopaths. Mac Scorpio was too… safe for her.

- "Your mother and Mac are dating?"

Molly elatedly nodded, but Kristina shook her head.

- "Nooo, Carly; they're on A date right now. But, we don't know if they're dating YET—"

Molly continued.

- "Yea, especially since Sam's father—"

Sam, however, did not care to provide the woman with any information concerning her mother's love-life; if there was anyone Carly hated more than her (at least in their family), it was Alexis. She grabbed Molly by the arm to lead her out before the girl divulged anymore of their family's business.

- "Um, alright. Thank you Carly for having my sisters by, we'll be leaving now."

The older woman was however intrigued.

- "Wait a second! Your father is in town and Jason hasn't told me anything? What's going on?"

Sam shrugged nonchalantly.

- "I guess that's something you're going to have to take it up with him. Now, I'll be seeing you, Car! Come on girls."

Kristina smirked at the look of annoyance on her former stepmother's face. While she loved the woman, she would always side first with her sister.

- "Thanks again."

- "No problem, sweetie."

Giving her a quick hug, Kristina then followed her sisters to the driveway.

- "Sam, where's the car?"

Without concerning herself with her sister's question, Sam unlocked the door and hopped into the vehicle.

- "Let's go, Krissy!"

The teen, like their younger sister, frowned but nevertheless did as she was told.

- "Um, whose car is this? It's not one of ours."

Waiting for the girls to fasten their seatbelts before putting the car in drive, Sam smiled.

- "Aren't you observant, honey?"

Molly, having been jilted out of the front seat, looked suspiciously around the car.

- "Okay, so not only do you have some random car, but it's filled with groceries. Sam, I know the house's fridge is empty, but I don't think Mom would condone you stealing someone's car filled with groceries."

The woman rolled her eyes as she drove away from the house.

- "Molly, if you must know this is Mac's car—"

- "Why do you have Mac's car?"

- "I stole it."

Molly's eyes widened.

- "SAM—"

As intelligent as her sister was, it never ceased to astound the woman how gullible she could be.

- "Molly! Seriously? Come on. He took Mom on a date to Costco—"

Kristina, who sat in the front seat, looked at her sister in disbelief. Mac was not the most romantic type of guy they had ever met given his lack of dating, but Costco was in no way anywhere she would have imagined him taking her mother for a first date.

- "Stop lying."

She waited for Sam to tell her that she was joking.

- "Sam?"

When the woman continued to drive without another word, Kristina turned to look at Molly, whose mouth hung opened in disbelief, before turning her attention back to their older sister.

- "You're serious?"

Without taking her eyes from the rode, Sam nodded.

- "I'm completely serious—"

Molly was appalled; this was not how the fair lady was supposed to be swept off of her feet by her suitor.

- "That is horrible, Sam! What kind of man takes our mother to the supermarket for a date?"

- "The type that wants to squeeze her melons."

While Kristina scoffed in full understanding and disgust of her sister's comment, Molly shook her head in disagreement.

- "That's just stupid! He could have done that anywhere! And goodness, why would he want to do that in the first place? They're not even in season. Ugh… I can't believe him. Is Mom disappointed?"

- "She was at first—"

Kristina looked out the window attempting to make sense of the entire situation. Why would any man in his right mind think that such a date was suitable for a woman such as their mother? There was clearly something Sam was leaving out of the story.

- "At first? So you saw her?"

Molly covered her face in annoyance.

- "Sam, will you just tell us what happened and more specifically what you're up to? Where's Mommy now? And why do you have Mac's car?"

Sam smiled as she looked at her sister through the rearview mirror.

- "Molly-girl, I'm not up to anything!"

Kristina smacked her hands onto her knees realizing her older sister was indeed lying to them.

- "For a former con, you're a HORRIBLE liar Sam! You never call Molly, 'Molly-girl' unless you're trying to convince her of something ridiculous. This would be no exception. Now spill it! What are Mom and Mac doing on their date?"

Smirking as she pulled into their driveway, Sam reached over to run her hand through her sister's hair.

- "Now Krissy, that's a bit personal, don't you think?"

The teen pulled away with a hiss.

- "Stop that! You know what I mean! Come on, spill!"

She quickly exited the car with a smile on her face; she loved making her sisters work for a bit of juicy gossip.

- "Let's just say that Mac is great at making Mom pissed and then later having her eat humble pie… and perhaps other things."

Kristina made a face.

- "You're disgusting, you know that?"

- "Depends on who you ask! Now, help me get these things inside, please."

She let out a breath as she placed her silverware onto the plate.

- "That was… amazing, Mac. I don't think I've ever had a better meal in my life. Thank you."

He smiled at the look of satisfaction on her face.

- "You don't have to flatter me, Lex—"

Shaking her head, she reached for his hand.

- "I'm serious, Mac. This was delicious. Like really, really good. Where in the world did you learn to cook like that?"

He gave her a hand a kiss before standing to clear the table. It had been years since he made a dinner like that for someone other than his kids for the holidays. It felt good to be appreciated by an equal. He hoped to do it more often.

- "Years and years of practice. I mean, you should have seen the meals I used to prepare for the girls when they were younger. Poor Robin got the brunt of my horrible attempts at dinner."

Able to relate, she rolled her eyes as she stood to help him.

- "Believe me, I get it… and I still can't cook! I'm convinced that I'm culinarily-challenged. It is absolutely impossible for me to create anything close to this. So… I envy you, Mac."

He stood against the kitchen door as he held it open for her.

- "Do you have any space for dessert?"

Placing the dirty dishes into the sink, Alexis frowned at the man.

- "Um, yeeea. Have you met me, Commissioner?"

He knew she loved all things unhealthy and especially sweet, but the question, given her look of…

- "Yea, but I mean, you look a little… bloated."

Seeing the transformation on her face from smiles to that of… well, he had seen it several times in the past few days after he had stuck his foot in his mouth. Clearly, this was no exception.

- "Wait—"

She glared at him.

- "You know, I seriously am going to end up with a complex because of you, Mac! What the hell? Bloated? I'm forty-six! THREE children have grown and come out of me—"

She attempted to push him out of her way so that she could leave, but yet again she realized that she did not have a car to escape. This was becoming a very bad pattern.

- "Ugh! Where's my cell—"

Aside from wanting to kick himself in the face for yet another faux pas, he had other thoughts of self-inflicted torture he would have liked to exercise in that exact moment. He did not recall ever suffering from such oral diarrhea when it came to Felicia or… Felicia. There was something about Alexis that just made him nervous. And when he was nervous, he said stupid things.

- "Lex, please—"

He grabbed her by the arm.

- "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it the way it came out! I'm just… ugh… I'm stupid."

She rolled her eyes.

- "—and moronic."

He nodded in agreement.

- "And just a big—"

- "Dumdum."

Seeing the look on her face at the insult, he laughed; he could tell, just by looking at her, that all was forgiven.

- "I'm really sorry. I look at you and… and… my mind just goes blank. I just say whatever comes to mind—"

Making a face, she moved from his grasp and back into the kitchen where she could work off the bloat from the meal; she began to load the dishwasher.

- "And that would be by insulting me every chance you get?"

Her words kicked him exactly where he would have liked to kick himself except apart from the inability position himself appropriately… and the pain of the act… he could not.

- "No! I just get—"

Once again she finished his statement.

- "Stupid."

He nodded.

- "Yea, that. Um… what if I said your beauty makes me, dumb?"

She turned to glare at him, but the apologetic look on his face as his eyes sparkled in his plea for forgiveness melted the thin wall of ice that had formed. She could never stay upset with him.

- "I'd say I believed you. Now, where's dessert? I mean, this fat girl with a scarred up and unattractive body incapable of bearing anymore children needs to be fed."

He wanted to apologize for the umpteenth time, but he figured he would just let the moment pass.

- "Well, let's see."

She noticed his uncertainty.

- "You don't know?"

He shook his head as he approached the refrigerator. He might have been able to make a decent dinner, but he was not a baker. He left that department to Sara Lee and Betty Crocker.

- "Nope, I didn't make it."

He opened the fridge for the first time in hours.

- "I was told it would be taken care of."

As he finished his statement he was not shocked to find the chosen dessert.

- "And next up on the menu is a cherry pie."

Closing the dishwasher, Alexis shook her head knowing something smelled rotten.

- "Of course it is."

She noticed that he oddly stared at it.

- "What's wrong with it?

He could not find the words.

- "Well… um…"

She walked around the counter to stand beside him. As soon as she approached, she saw the reason for the strange look on his face.

- "How amusing, there's a cherry in the center of the hole. Was this your idea?"

He robotically shook his head.

- "NO! That would be—"

As soon as the question left her lips, she already knew the answer.

- "Sam."

- "You got it."

She let out a breath of exasperation. Her daughter had a sick sense of humor.

- "I swear, I'm going to murder that girl… figuratively. This is her idea of a joke?"

Feeling as though at any moment he would make another stupid comment, with his hands in his pocket, Mac stepped away from the dessert.

- "So it seems."

But she pulled him back to her. She felt dirty standing next to it alone.

- "Where in the world do you think you're going? We need to figure out what we're going to do with… this."

It was obvious, but the words were nevertheless uncomfortable to utter. He supposed that was the point.

- "Um… should I… eat… it? Or you?"

She felt her face burn.

- "You should eat it…"

She reddened further as she was certain she had sent out an unwanted… well, too forward… signal.

- "I mean, the pie. You should eat the pie. Um… I'll help you."

Seeing the look of embarrassment on her face, Mac pushed it away from them as though it were ready to attack at any moment. The second he saw Sam again, he would certainly arrest her for something. This joke, as far as he was concerned, was… criminal.

- "How about we leave it right where it is?"

But despite any embarrassment that she might have had, Alexis shook her head. She loved cake and she loved pie. Unfortunately, her daughter was privy to that information.

- "No, that's not an option. We're not letting a perfectly good pie go to waste! We're going to eat it… and enjoy it."

Resigning himself, he let out sigh. He could see the determination in her eyes; there was no turning back from there. A pie would not defeat them.

- "I suppose you're right."

Although her face still felt rather bright, she pulled the dessert closer to them.

- "Why don't you cut a slice and I'll get the plates… wherever you keep them."

He cringed.

- "Top right cabinet. And um… I'm almost afraid to admit this, but I actually…"

She moved to the cabinet, but turned when he did not finish his thought.

- "You actually what?"

He put up a finger as he turned toward the refrigerator. Holding up the cane, he shamefully covered his face with his other hand.

- "I eat it with… whipped cream."

Putting the plates down onto the counter, she moved closer to him.

- "Me too."