Alexis paced back and forth while she waited for her brother to get off the phone. As she paced she bit her lip and fidgeted with her glasses. Stefan had called her over to discuss business and one of those business matters was Helena. When her brother hung up from his call she turned to look at him. "Are you sure there's no sign of her?"

Stefan shook his head. "She's completely fallen off the face of the earth. There hasn't even been any activity on her accounts."

"What does that mean Stefan?" Alexis asked with concern. "What is she up too?"

"I don't know." Stefan said as he got up and walked over to her. "What I do know is that I won't allow her to harm the children. I will continue to look for Helena. I promise." When Alexis looked a little less worried he gave her a warm smile. "Now, don't you have plans for the evening?"

Alexis nodded. "Jax and I are having dinner."

"Then you should go." Stefan said. "I'll keep you informed."

Alexis nodded and gave her brother a weak smile. When it came to Helena she would never stop worrying. After leaving Spoon Island Alexis went back to the lakehouse. When she walked in she found her sister sitting on the couch flipping through a magazine and watching MTV; she smiled at the redhead.

"Hey." Kristina replied. "How'd things go with Stefan?"

"Fine." Alexis answered as she sat beside her sister. "How were things here?"

Kristina thought about it for a second and then replied, "Quite."

Alexis raised an eyebrow. "Quite? Where's Sam?"

"In her room." Kristina answered. "She's been there since she got back from the park."

"Hmmmm." Alexis replied as she got up and headed back to Sam's room. She listened carefully but didn't hear anything so she knocked once and opened the door. "Hello my love."

Sam smiled up at her mom. "Hi Mom, have a good meeting?"

Alexis was carefully scanning the room. It wasn't like Sam to come in and go straight to her room, not unless there was something wrong. The girl liked hanging out with her aunt, who was honestly more like an older sister, then an aunt. "It was fine. Everything ok with you today?"

"Yeap." Sam said brightly. "Hung out with Lucky, Sly, and Emily for awhile."

Alexis' mommy sense was tingling. "What did you guys do today?"

"Built a snowman, hosed it down until it froze into ice after putting a tiara Emily made of sticks on it, named it the ice princess, laughed at Mr. Luke's reaction, had pie at Kelly's." Sam answered in one long rushed breath. She took a breath and then added, "Don't you have to get ready for your date with Jax? You don't want to keep him waiting, Mom, that's rude."

"I have time." Alexis replied. She narrowed her eyes at her child and then asked, "Ok, Samantha, what are you up too?"

Sam feigned hurt as she pouted. "I'm not up to anything, Mom."

"Mmhm." Alexis said as she eyed her daughter carefully. She and her daughter locked eyes and for several seconds simply stared at each other until Sam's eyes finally darted towards her closest. Alexis got up from the bed and walked towards it but Sam shot up and blocked her.

"You really should start getting ready, Mom." Sam tried again. "You should wear that blue dress that Jax really likes. And put your hair up, cause he likes it when it's up."

"He does, does he?" Alexis asked as she moved her child aside and opened the door. With the door open Alexis could hear the muffled meows. She scanned the small space until she found the only box with a lid on it. Kneeling down she lifted the lid just as Sam rushed in and scooped up its contents. "Samantha."

"He was freezing Mommy!" Sam protested. "We looked all over the park and couldn't find his Mama anywhere. Lucky couldn't take him because of Foster, Emily has Raul and Annabelle, and Sly hates cats. I had to bring him home! Please, Mommy, please can't I keep him?"

Alexis crossed her arms and looked down at her daughter. "How long were you going to hide him from me, Samantha?"

"Just until morning." Sam said honestly. "I was going to ask you then cause you're always in a super good mood after you spend the night with Jax."

That made Alexis blush. She could feel the heat rise and color her cheeks and she had to clear her throat before saying, "I'll think about it."

Sam grinned so brightly it lit up her big brown eyes. She rushed to her mom and hugged her with the arm not holding the tiny kitten who meowed up at them. "He likes you Mom."

Alexis just shook her head and smiled as she reached down and scratched the tiny thing with one finger. After talking to Sam about hiding things from her and calling Ingrid and asking her to pick up some things they'd need for Sam's nameless kitten. Alexis started getting ready for her evening with Jax. Sam had been right about what Jax liked. She did end up wearing the form fitting low cut blue dress he liked, which was also her favorite because she simply loved the color, and Kristina helped her put her hair up into a French twist.

"You look beautiful, Alexis." Jax said brightly when she came down the steps into her sunken living room.

"Thank you." Alexis said brightly as Sam, Kristina, Carly, and Sam's kitten watched her and Jax closely from the couch. "You look very handsome yourself, Jasper."

"Ooo." Sam teased. "She called him Jasper."

"Hush you." Kristina whispered as Carly covered the girl's mouth.

Alexis chuckled at the kids. Carly had come over to stay the night since the plan was that she would be spending the night with Jax. The girls were going to do a movie night. "All right you three. Jax and I have our cell phones so if you need us for anything, just call. If there's an emergency all the numbers you need are by the phone, and if you need her you can always call or page Bobbie."

"We'll be fine, Alexis." Kristina reassured her sister. "You two just worry about having a wonderful time."

Alexis smiled. She gave each girl, even Carly, a kiss on the forehead and then left with Jax. He had a plan for the evening, not that Alexis was aware of that. He started the evening off by picking her up in a limo that took them to the harbor and a private yacht. He'd hired a private chef to prepare a wonderful meal of steak and lobster tails, and had her favorite sparkling wine on ice. For dessert he'd had the finest truffles flown in from Europe. As they sat down to the intimate table for two and their first course of the evening, a few select friends were arriving at the lakehouse. By the time the main course was being severed on the yacht a full-blown party was happening at home.

"You know," Jax said softly as he held Alexis in his arms and danced slowly to the soft romantic voice of Etta James. "I wasn't sure if you'd like this or not."

Alexis lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up at him. "Why on earth wouldn't I absolutely love this?"

Jax smiled at her. "Because we're on the water."

"For you," Alexis said as she brought his face down to her own. "I'd jump in head first."

Jax wrapped his arms around her waist as their kiss became passionate. When the heat and desire between them reached it's height Jax picked Alexis up in his arms and carried her into the yacht's bedroom. After making love Jax held Alexis in his arms. She had the most beautiful smile on her face, which in turn made him smile. "What are thinking about?"

"About how much my life has changed in such a short span of time." She answered as she rolled onto her side so she could look up at him. "After my mother was killed and Kristina was taken, I grew up without love, or compassion; the caring touch of another human being, or a kind, encouraging word. I had Stefan, and I'm grateful for that, but it was like giving a grain of rice to someone who's starving."

Jax reached out and caressed her cheek and brushed back her hair as he listened.

"I knew how it felt to feel full when I was pregnant with Sam. That time in my life had been the very first time I'd ever felt loved and cared about since my world was shattered by Helena." Alexis continued as tears welled in her eyes. "But then I lost it, and I walled myself away because I couldn't feel so empty and alone again. I took what I needed to survive, to keep being human, from Stefan and then Nikolas, but I knew that Stefan's affection wasn't unconditional. He proved it when he threw me out when we first came here."

Jax reached out and brushed the tears off her cheeks before leaning in and kissing her softly.

Alexis smiled up at him when he pulled back. "I thought I'd finally found something real with Ned, and at the time it was, but nothing, nothing has come close to what I've found with you. With you I know that no matter what we'll always love each other. I don't have to prove anything to you, or defend my right to those feelings; I don't fear losing it, or you. You put my pieces back together Jax. You gave me back the pieces of my heart that had been stolen away from me. I have now what I didn't as a child." She paused a moment and then added. "I'm almost afraid that it'll all turn out to be a dream and I'll wake up in my stark little room in my father's hateful house."

Jax kissed her again. "It's no dream Alexis. And you're right; I will always be there for you no matter what. I love you; now and always."

They kissed again and while they did Jax reached for something but was stopped short when one of their phones started to ring. When he pulled away from her, she tried to stop him. "Ignore it." She said.

"It's yours. It could be about the kids." He said.

Alexis groaned.

It was Alexis' phone that was ringing and it was Bobbie on the other end. She spoke to her for a couple of minutes and with each passing second she was getting angrier. "No, no we'll be right there. Yes, I'm sure. All right. See you soon."

"What's wrong?" Jax asked. He'd watched her carefully and when he noticed her mood change he got out of bed and started to get dressed.

"Apparently my girls have lost their minds and good sense." Alexis said as she got up to get dressed as well. "They decided to throw a party. Bobbie stopped by to check on them and busted it up."

Jax phoned the captain and had him take the yacht back to the dock.

"I'm so sorry about this." Alexis said as they made their way back to the lakehouse.

"It's fine, Alexis." Jax said with a warm smile. "This is all part of being a parent."

When they got to the lakehouse all three girls were sitting on the couch looking very sorry for themselves. When she stepped down into the living room all three girls looked up at her. Kristina opened her mouth to say something but Alexis held her hand up. "I don't want to hear any excuses, Kristina. I just want to know what on earth you were thinking."

"It was just suppose to be a couple of people." Kristina replied. "It got a little out of hand."

Alexis looked around at the mess and then back at her sister. "A little out of hand?"

Kristina looked around and then sheepishly said, "Ok, a lot out of hand."

"Kristina, Carly, how could you have a teenage party with Sam here?" Alexis asked the girls. "You were supposed to be watching her."

"Alexis." Bobbie stepped in. "Sam had her own friends here. My nephew among them."

Alexis just shook her head. "You were in on this Samantha?"

"It really wasn't supposed to be a party party." Sam said. "But it was totally awesome!"

Alexis rolled her eyes. She and Bobbie then spent an hour lecturing the girls on why their evening of fun had been a bad idea. It was then agreed upon that Carly would still stay over but only because she was going to help Kristina and Sam clean up before anyone went to bed. They were also informed that they were all totally and without question grounded.

It was nearly three in the morning when the girls were all finally in bed asleep. Alexis was still stunned over the whole thing but no longer mad. In away it had shown both her and Bobbie just how far the girls had come. They were acting like real kids, doing real stupid kid stuff; they were comfortable enough in their lives to make mistakes. Jax had watched Alexis with the girls. She'd come a long way herself since they'd first met. She wasn't the same lost young woman who was totally dependant on her brother. She was strong, and independent, and most of all content and happy. As he watched her fall onto the sofa with a sigh he knew without a doubt that he wanted to go through with his plans. He pulled Alexis to her feet and then into him, he kissed her. When the kiss ended he said, "I love you."

Alexis smiled at him. "I love you too."

"I'd wanted to do this on the yacht." Jax said as he pulled a little box from his pocket. "But I think this might actually be better. We're here, in your home, with your girls tucked in safe, sound, and loved." Jasper Jax held the box between them and opened it. Inside was a beautiful and rare blue diamond engagement ring. "Alexis, will you marry me?" He smiled brightly. "Again and for real?"

Alexis was absolutely stunned. Her eyes were huge and welling with tears as she covered her open mouth after the soft gasp. She looked into Jax's beautiful blue eyes and said. "Jasper, I…"

The End

To Be Continued