Alexis was standing at the bottom of the stairs with her arm across her stomach while she pinched the bridge of her nose. She was dressed and ready to head out the door. Her briefcase and Sam's new backpack were sitting against the wall waiting on them, and the coffee in her travel mug was getting cold. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before yelling up the stairs yet again, "Samantha Davis! Get your behind down here! We're going to be late!"

"No!" Came the girl's refusal.

"Samantha!" Alexis shouted with a small stomp of her high-heeled foot. "It's the first day of school and you're going to be late!"

"I'm not coming down wearing this!" Sam yelled back.

Alexis took another deep breath and let it out slowly again. "Samantha Kristin Davis!"

"NO!" Sam yelled. "I look like an idiot!"

"You do not!" Alexis protested. "You're absolutely adorable!" When there was no reply and no sight of her daughter Alexis called up, "Young lady, you do not want me to come up there! You won't like it if I have to come up there!"

Sam had come to know and understand that tone of voice, and she'd also come to understand that her mother did not make idle threats. She slowly, yet clearly under protest, made her way down the stairs. She stopped when she reached the landing.

Alexis smiled. "Baby, you look wonderful!"

"I look stupid." Sam replied with a deep frown. She had on her new school uniform, a blue plaid jumper dress, white peter-pan collared blouse, and a navy sweater with the school's crest, knee high socks and loafers.

"I think you look cute as a button." Alexis said as she beamed at her little girl. Snatching up her camera she took a picture. "Smile Sammie." She chuckled. When Sam gave her a small smile she took another picture. When Sam came the rest of the way down the stairs she gave her girl a hug and then a swift swat on the bottom. "Now lets go or you're going to be late on your first day."

Sam pouted as she walked over and picked up her backpack. "This is going to be awful."

"You don't know that." Alexis replied as she grabbed her stuff and they headed out the door. "You haven't given it a chance yet, Sam."

"I don't like school." Sam grumbled as they waited on the elevator.

Alexis put her free hand on Sam's shoulder. "This will be different Sam."

"I'm not going to fit in." Sam protested. "I'm not like the kids that go to this school."

"Not all the kids there will be the way you think they are." Alexis tried to reassure.

Sam huffed. "So they're not all rich brats and snobs?"

Alexis shook her head. "No, they're not, the school is a lot more diverse then you think. Plus you won't be alone. Nikolas will be there." That had been a summer long battle but Alexis finally convinced Stefan that Nikolas needed to be more socialized. "And Emily Quartermain."

"But Lucky, Sly, and stupid Elizabeth go to public school." Sam couldn't explain it but she just didn't like Elizabeth Webber and the feeling was mutual. The two girls had spent some time together over the summer because Lucky was their friend, but the girls just didn't click.

"Samantha." Alexis warned. "Don't call people stupid."

Sam mumbled I'm sorry as they reached the bottom and the elevator doors opened. She sulked all the way to the car and the whole ride over to her new school. She tried to listen to Alexis as she reassured her that everything would be fine, and it was helping a little, but then they pulled up to the drop off zone.

Alexis saw that her daughter looked petrified so she pulled over and got out of the car instead of just dropping her off. When Sam got out of the car Alexis pulled her close and hugged her. "Sam, do you trust me?"

The little girl looked up at her mother and nodded. It had taken a lot over work over the few months they'd been together but they had built up a good amount of trust. "Yeah, I do."

That made Alexis' heart sing. To know that Sam trusted her was a gift and she knew it. "Then trust me when I say that you'll be fine. I know it's really scary, but that will fade and before you know it you'll be enjoying yourself.

Sam looked at Alexis with some doubt in her dark eyes. "Enjoy school?"

Alexis chuckled. "Yes, believe it or not my little princess school can be very enjoyable." She leaned down and kissed the top of Sam's head and gave her a squeeze. "Remember, today's not a full day. Lady Jane will be here to pick you up. She wants to take you out for a late lunch."

That got the first smile of the day from Sam. "Ok."

"I'll see you at home." Alexis told her girl. "I love you. Have a good day sweetheart."

"Carly!" Bobbie yelled up the stairs as she bounced Lucas. "Kristina's here!"

Carly came down the stairs dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with her backpack over one shoulder. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night, she'd been busy thinking about how badly this day could go, but now that she was this close to actually going through the day she was feeling excited about it. She chuckled when she saw Kristina dressed in slacks and a fitted blouse. "You let Alexis dress you didn't you?"

Kristina smiled as she gave her friend a little shrug. "It's not so bad. I got off lucky because she spent all morning fighting with Sam over her uniform. I figured I dodged a bullet on the whole private school thing so the least I could do was wear something she approved of."

Bobbie watched the girls while Carly grabbed her sweatshirt. "Have a good day girls." She kissed the side of Carly's head. "Stop by the hospital later. I'd love to hear all about your first day."

"Ok." Carly replied and then left with Kristina. "What's that?"

"A car." Kristina said as she and Carly looked at the black sedan.

"With a driver?" Carly asked as they continued to stare at it.

"Stefan sent it." Kristina said as the driver opened the back door and she got in.

Carly just shook her head as she followed. "How is this going to make us look?"

Kristina laughed. "It'll be fine."

When they got to the high school they were sent to the cafeteria to get their schedules and locker assignments. Since Kristina was a grade ahead of Carly they didn't have many classes together, but they lucked out with art, Greek, and lunch. "You're taking Greek?"

Carly nodded. "Sam said that Alexis was making her take it so I figured it was something we could do together."

"That's so sweet." Kristina said with a smile. "It was her idea for me too. Apparently Cassadines speak Greek and Russian as fluently as English."

For some reason Carly found it funny when Kristina rolled her eyes. The bubbly redhead just didn't seem like the attitude type of teen. After getting their schedules, campus map, and checking out their lockers the girls broke apart to head off to their classes. Carly felt like the new girl in town and she was trying really hard not to let it make her feel defensive.

"Hey."

Carly looked up and smiled at the boy who'd spoken to her. He looked totally different then he had at the Nurses' Ball. He was in old jeans, a t-shirt, a stripped button down, and ratty old sneakers. His dark hair wasn't slicked back, but looked soft and kind of dangled in his eyes. The sight of him made Carly smile. "Hi Zander."

The boy sat in the desk beside her. "Maybe this class won't be so bad after all."

"You're in this class?" Carly asked in surprise.

Zander gave her a crooked half smile. "School wasn't always my thing so I'm playing catch up."

"What other classes do you have?" Carly asked with a warm smile of her own.

Zander ended up in two more of her classes and suddenly Carly wasn't feeling so apprehensive about this whole high school thing. Kristina was great and Carly liked her a lot, but they were coming from two totally different places. Zander was more like Carly, they'd both come from someplace hard and harsh, or at least that was the vibe she was getting from him.

At lunch the three teens sat together and scoped out their new environment. Since Zander had been around the longest he pointed out the who's who of PC High. Brenda Barrett, who Carly thought looked like a snobby bitch even from across the room. Karen Wexler, who caused Kristina to make a sour face. Jagger Cates, who Carly knew Kristina, was crushing on. Sarah Webber, Cruz Rodriguez, who made Zander make a sour face, and Jason Quartermain who made both girls go all doe eyed. Although Carly thought he looked like a total preppy and nothing like his brother who had an edge to him.

After school Carly had Kristina drop her off at the hospital so she could see Bobbie. Her mother smiled at her as she stepped off the elevator, which made Carly smile in return. It was kind of strange to have anyone but Sam look happy to actually see her, and it made Carly feel good to know that Bobbie looked forward to spending time with her.

"Perfect timing." Bobbie said as she finished signing out for lunch. "I just started my break. I can't wait to hear all about your first day."

"It was ok." Carly admitted as they walked down the hall together. "Kristina and I have a couple of classes together, Zander's in a couple too, and I don't think I'm as far behind as I thought I would be."

Bobbie was smiling, even though she was honestly a little leery of Zander Smith, he didn't have the best past but then again who was she to judge someone's past? "If you need help in anything honey, just let me know, ok?"

Carly nodded. As they settled into a table in the cafeteria so Bobbie could eat Carly told her all about her day.

Down on the docks Alexis was making her way towards the hotel to meet Jane and Sam. She paused a moment to drop her glasses and cell phone in her bag. When she looked up again she nearly jumped out of her skin. Alexis' heart stopped for a second before it started pumping boiling blood through her suddenly cold body.

"Hello my little mouse." Helena said brightly as she took several steps closer to her stepdaughter.

Alexis' hands clinched into fists. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Now, now, my little mouse." Helena scolded. "Is that any way to greet your stepmother?"

This wasn't good, not good at all. Alexis didn't like it one single bit that Helena was back in town. She didn't like the murderess bitch being this close to her daughter and her sister. Why hadn't Stefan warned her? Didn't he have Helena's movements tracked? "What are you doing here, Helena?"

Helena smiled as she stopped just a few feet away from Alexis. "I heard we have a new family member. I've come to welcome her home of course."

Alexis flushed with anger. Her dark eyes blazing as she stared at the woman before her. "I don't think so."

"Was that a flash of anger in your eyes, Natasha?" Helena asked as she reached out and caressed Alexis' cheek. To her surprise the young woman didn't flinch or pull away. "A flicker of some real passion? If only you had shown that kind of flicker as a child. If you had not been such a weak, pathetic little mouse, as worthless as your whore of a mother, perhaps I could have looked past your insalubrious parentage and taken more of an interest in you." Helena sighed. "If only you'd been more like Stavros and less like poor pathetic Stefan. Lets hope that there is a flicker of life in your long lost child."

Alexis wouldn't let herself rise to the woman's baiting. "You're not going anywhere near my daughter, Helena."

"A daughter, yes, well you couldn't even do that right could you, Natasha." Helena said with a sad sigh and flick of her hand. "You go and get yourself pregnant at sixteen by some common vagabond and you couldn't even manage having a son. You know, if you had bore a son, perhaps Mikkos would have allowed you to keep your little bastard."

It wasn't easy. Alexis wanted nothing more then to wrap her hands around the woman's throat and squeeze, to feel the life draining from her body, but she pushed the impulse, and the emotions behind it down. "You do realize you have a serious Oedipus complex thing going on with your dead son don't you? It's sick, Helena, perhaps you should seek professional help. I'll even help you put the straight jacket on."

Helena lunged at Alexis, expecting her to step back, but was shocked to find the girl standing her ground as she bore down on her. "Don't you ever speak of my Stavros!"

"Don't worry." Alexis said as she stood there staring Helena down. "I won't. I don't want that kind of poison around my daughter. I don't want you around my daughter."

"And just what are you going to do if I do decide to meet darling little Samantha?" Helena hissed. "You're weak, Natasha, a sad little whore just like your mother. A meek little bastard mouse that doesn't have the..."

"Lady," Sam's voice rang out. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you really need to stop speaking to my Mom like that."

Helena spun around and watched as the child stormed down the stairs towards them. She smiled wickedly at the girl. She couldn't deny that in looks the child was truly a Cassadine.

'Sam, stop!" Alexis warned in a tone that Sam had never heard before. Her daughter stopped dead in her tracks. "Don't come any closer."

"Don't be so dramatic Natasha." Helena scolded as she took a few steps towards Sam and the woman now standing at the child's back. "I do apologize for my stepdaughter, Mrs. Jacks. She was taught better manners I assure you."

Alexis grabbed Helena by the arm to stop her. She forced the woman to turn and look at her. "That's right Helena, you taught me many lessons." Alexis locked eyes with the evil woman. "And if you truly want to see how much your daughter I can be; go near my child again, and I promise I'll reunite you with your precious Stavros in Hell myself."

Helena's smile brightened. "There it is again. If I had known that allowing my little bastard mouse to have her own little bastard would finally bring out the true Cassadine in you I wouldn't have forced Mikkos to force you to give it up. All I would have had to do was make him the same promise I made regarding you."

"Not to kill me as long as I didn't know who I truly was." Alexis hissed. "She wouldn't have been a threat to you or anyone else. You hated me so much you couldn't even allow me the love of my own child."

"You were unworthy." Helena hissed back.

Sam ignored her mother's order and went over to the two women. She pushed her way between them and forced Helena to step back. The look on her face was startling to Helena. The emotions playing out in the child's eyes reminded her of Mikkos.

"Lady, I said leave my Mom alone!" Sam hissed. She locked eyes with the old lady and never looked away, ever faltered. "Take a walk before you accidently slip into the water and break a hip."

Helena beamed at the child. "Oh my darling, aren't you magnificent, a true little Cassadine. You're grandfather would be so proud."

"My grandfather was a heartless son of a bitch who stole me from my Mom and kept us apart." Sam replied in a low, trembling voice. "And if you've anything to do with him then you must be just as cold and heartless."

Alexis let go of Helena so she could wrap her arms around Sam. She took several steps away from the woman who was staring at Sam as if she were a child staring a new toy she simply had to have. It made Alexis' stomach churn and her heart hurt. Alexis spoke to Helena in Russian so Sam wouldn't understand, "I swear to God Helena, if you come near my daughter I will slit your vile throat."

Helena laughed. "Don't make promises you're not ready to follow through on Natasha. You never know, I might just have to teach you another lesson by proving that you are all talk. You simply don't have the blood lust that it would take to kill me or anyone else for that matter." Helena let her gaze fall to Sam. "Until next time, Samantha."

Alexis watched as Helena walked off and then sank to her knees. She pulled Sam close and hugged her so tightly Sam squeaked, "Can't breathe."

"Are you alright?" Jane asked as she rushed over.

"We're fine." Alexis replied, still clutching Sam to her. "We'll be fine."

The raw fear in Alexis' dark eyes was startling to Jane. She knew in that moment that Helena was truly a threat to someone she thought of as family, and Jane simply wouldn't allow that. When she got back to her hotel room late that night, after making sure Jax was aware of what happened, and making sure that Alexis and Sam were safe, she picked up her cell phone and dialed a number only she knew. "Hello darling. Mummy needs a favor."