When the door opened Alexis smiled at Bobbie who returned the expression. "I'm so sorry we're here so early."

"It's alright." Bobbie said as she stepped aside and invited the young woman and small girl inside.

"I know we'd agreed on lunch, but Sam woke up screaming for Carly." Alexis explained as she and Sam walked into the brownstone.

As soon as Sam, who'd been quiet since leaving the penthouse, saw Carly she ran to the girl and threw her arms around her.

Carly was a little shocked. "Hey half pint." She said gently as she hugged Sam tight. "What's wrong?"

Sam let Carly guide her to couch and sat beside her as she looked down in embarrassment. She had had such a great time the day before. She'd spent hours on Jax's boat with him, Alexis and Kristina and then they'd gone out to dinner. She'd laughed and smiled and enjoyed herself. Then it dawned on her as she was getting ready for bed that she'd done it all that without Carly. "Nothing."

"Don't lie." Carly said as she made the girl look at her. "What's wrong Sam?" She looked over her shoulder at Bobbie and Alexis who were still talking in the foyer. Then she looked at Sam and asked, "Did something happen? Did she do something to you?"

Sam shook her head, her eyes a little wider, and then sighed. "I missed you."

That tugged at Carly's lips a bit. "I missed you too. It's really weird isn't it? We've spent every day together since the first day you came to the home."

"Yeah." Sam said softly and then looked up at Carly and admitted. "I was worried."

"About me?" Carly asked.

Sam nodded. "I was afraid you'd leave."

"Sam." Carly said as she again made the girl look at her. "I promised I wouldn't."

"I know." Sam replied. "But we went out on Jax's boat yesterday and I had fun and I was worried that you'd leave if you thought I was happy."

"Are you happy?" Carly asked. "I know it's only been a couple of days, but are you?"

Sam looked at Carly for a long time before shrugging. She was confused, scared, and unsure, but she had been happy yesterday.

"I'm not going to leave if you say you are." Carly reassured the younger girl. She smiled at Sam and then asked, "Did you have fun yesterday?"

"Jax's boat was so awesome!" Sam said with a nod, and for the first time since going to bed last night she smiled. She looked over at Alexis and than back at Carly. "I don't know how I feel. How am I supposed to feel?"

Carly sighed. "Honestly, I don't know, Sam. I can't tell you how you're suppose to feel, but whatever it is, it's alright to feel it."

Sam sighed. She was quiet for a moment before saying, "She's seriously uptight. She's kind of nervous and wired. But she's really nice, and kind, and so are Kristina and Jax."

"That's good, Sam." Carly said. "It's got to be just as weird for her as it is for you."

"Is it weird for you and Bobbie too?" Sam asked.

This time it was Carly's turn to sigh. "Yeah, sure it is."

Sam looked over to where Bobbie was and than again back at Carly. "Are you ok? Is she being good to you? I warned her she'd better be."

That made Carly laugh as she pulled the girl in for a hug. "You did?"

"Yeah." Sam admitted. "Someone has to look out for you. I warned Luke that he'd better leave you alone too. Alexis didn't like the way I talked to him, but to damn bad, he needed set straight."

"I'm glad you're looking out for me." Carly said as she smiled. She paused a moment before telling Sam, "I don't know how to feel either, Sam. I guess we're all just going to have to figure it out as we go."

Sam nodded. "Just remember that you promised."

Alexis and Bobbie watched the girls as they talked. Bobbie was afraid to push Carly too much. She knew that Carly was really angry and hurt, and that it wasn't all about her but a good portion of it was. She knew that some of that emotion was about loosing her parents and having her world turned upside down. Alexis felt unsure and afraid of making mistakes. She did not like feeling like she had no control and in this case there was only so much control she could have. She couldn't force a relationship with Sam.

"It won't always be like this." Bobbie said as she and Alexis watched their girls.

Alexis looked at the older woman. "What won't?"

"We won't always feel like we have to walk on eggshells." Bobbie clarified. "Or at least that's what I'm hoping."

"I don't know how to be a mother." Alexis confided as they walked through to Bobbie's family room and kitchen.

Bobbie chuckled. "No one knows how to be a parent, Alexis, you just kind of figure it out along the way. You just kind of do it."

Alexis frowned. "I'm not the just do it type."

"I thought I would have time to learn before I actually had to deal with teenage stuff." Bobbie admitted. "But here I am, learning as I go, just the way I had to with BJ and Lucas. Just the way you've had too with your sister. The best advice I can give you is to learn to be adaptable and to realize that kids don't always follow the plan."

Alexis sighed and nodded as she accepted a cup of coffee. "I had a feeling that would be the case. It's been easy with Kristina but Sam is a totally different story."

Bobbie smiled at her as they sat on the couch in her family room. They could still see the girls in the living room and Bobbie smiled at how spunky Sam was. "How have things been going with Sam?"

"So far so good." Alexis answered. "She's leery of me, I think, leery of this whole situation."

"So is Carly." Bobbie said. "Carly's really emotional right now and I think that's going to keep her from really settling into this sudden reality of hers."

Alexis looked out to see Sam smiling, laughing, her arms stretched as wide as they could go, she was clearly telling Carly about Jasper the humongous turtle. "They've both been through so much more then any child should."

Bobbie nodded in agreement. "I haven't been able to get Carly to talk about much but I can see it when she does say something. She loved her adoptive parents and she's spent the last few years focused on survival."

"If I had known…" Alexis began.

"We can't do that to ourselves, Alexis." Bobbie said as she put a hand on the younger woman's knee. "We can't beat ourselves up for the choices we made when we were just kids. We couldn't have foreseen any of this happening." She paused and sighed. "But that doesn't make the guilt go away does it?"

Alexis shook her head. "No, it doesn't, but I'm going to make up for it nonetheless. I'm going to make sure the rest of my daughter's life is better then it's start."

After having lunch with Bobbie and Carly, Alexis took Sam back to the penthouse and left her with Kristina. She had some things to do for Cassadine Industries and wanted to speak with Stefan personally as well.

Once the professional things were out of the way Stefan asked, "How is Samantha?"

"She's confused, scared, unsure of the unknown." Alexis answered honestly. "But she's adjusting. We took her out on the lake yesterday and she was in heaven. I think she's a natural around the water."

That got a smile from Stefan. "Perhaps I will finally have someone to enjoy sailing with. Nikolas is willing to learn but I know his passions are on land, preferably on a horse."

"You know, I think that would be wonderful." Alexis replied with a smile before turning serious. "But before we start planning any sailing lessons, we need to discuss something."

"Of course." Stefan said as he got up from his desk and walked towards the refreshment table. "What is your concern?"

Alexis loved and hated the fact that her brother could read her so well. "Caroline Benson is Bobbie Spencer's daughter, that makes her a Spencer, and she means a great deal to Sam. She took care of Sam, looked out for her in that awful home, and did whatever she had to do to make things right for Sam. Stefan, until Carly, my daughter had never been given a gift, or shown any kind of affection, or even felt safe, or stable, or loved." She paused to take a breath. "Stefan, I don't want you spewing out you Spencer hate around my daughter. She loves Carly and I won't have you bad mouthing the girl's family in front of Sam."

"Alexis." Stefan said after several seconds. "Do you really think it wise to allow Sam to continue her…"

"Stefan." Alexis warned. "I have no plans to keep Sam and Carly apart. They're like sisters; they have each other's backs. Splitting them up would be like someone splitting the two of us apart when we were kids." She stepped closer to her brother as she added, "I already warned Luke and now I'm warning you. Leave my daughter out of your little war."

Stefan looked at his sister carefully and then smiled. "Motherhood suits you."

"Stefan Darius Mikkosovich Cassadine, I love you with all my heart, you know that, but I mean it. Leave Samantha out of your war with Luke Spencer." Alexis warned as she pointed a finger at him. "Swear it, Stefan."

"I swear it." Stefan said honestly. "I would never harm your child, Alexis. I will protect her as I do Nikolas. I have nothing against Barbara Spencer. It's her brother I wish to see as cold and as dead as our father."

Alexis eyed her brother carefully. "See, that's the problem Stefan. You and Luke swear up and down that you'd never hurt the ones you love, but every time you speak of the other like that, it hurts us, me, Laura, and if you're not careful Samantha."

"Then I shall be more careful with my words." Stefan told her. "And my actions. My feelings about Luke Spencer however are my own."

"Fair enough." Alexis replied. "If you two want to keep being little boys trying to blow each other up, go for it, just don't blow the rest of us up with you." She walked over and kissed her brother's cheek before preparing to leave.

When his sister was by the door Stefan called out to her, "Alexis. Like it or not Samantha is a Cassadine."

Alexis paused, turned to her brother and replied, "No, she's a Davis."

Stefan smiled and after Alexis was gone added, "Just like her mother."