The top was down, and Alexis opened the glove compartment out of habit, using her phone to illuminate the interior in search of her scarf. Her failure to see the garish colors was frustrating until she reached her hand in and felt chiffon. She pulled out a navy—or was it black?—scarf and ran her fingers across it.

-"Sam finally made you throw out that abomination I wore on my head, huh?"

-"Nope. Sam prefers a hat. Hers is in the backseat."

Alexis suppressed a smile. Julian really believed she was coming back. In fairness, he had reason for optimism: she *was* in the car. She contemplated the scarf before folding it carefully and placing it back where she found it. Pulling the band out of her bun, she shook her hair free before smoothing it back into a tighter ponytail. Julian emitted a small sigh, and Alexis grabbed his arm and looked into his eyes. "I love it, Julian. I just want something less…constricting. I want…" Her voice trailed off and she bit her lip. "Julian, let's just go."

She wasn't really paying attention to where they were headed, she only knew they were probably going a little bit faster than the posted speed limits. Julian believed all speed signs were merely suggestions and had waxed poetic on that subject numerous times. Alexis put an arm over the side and tentatively stuck her head out, trying to recreate the feeling she'd experienced on the boat. The safety features of the car made it difficult to fully recapture it, but with some contortion of her body she could approximate it well enough to get the sense of abandon she craved.

Her companion stayed firmly focused on the road. Julian had wanted to drive fast for a while, and spurred by the silent Bonnie in the passenger seat, Clyde headed out for some of the flatter terrain further inland. They wouldn't get back until dawn, but he really didn't care. He wanted out of Port Charles, away from all of it: Ava's snarking, Sonny's imperiousness, his boss's psychotic whims, Jordan's questions, Lucas's distance, Molly's disdain, Sam's danger even Danny's occasional crying. It felt like there was only one thing he really cared about. She was sitting on his right quietly with her eyes closed, her fingers dancing in the wind that flew by the car.

They cruised for an hour or so in total silence before the fuel tank warning lit. "Sorry to disappoint you Cinderella, but our ride's about to turn back into a pumpkin." Alexis smiled at him and curled her head into her own shoulder. Julian pulled into the gas station, started to fill up the tank and sighed in exasperation. "One sec," he said to her before disappearing into the small store to pay for the gas. He returned and gave her a bottle of water, replaced the fuel pump and started the engine.

-"So princess. Any destination in particular you're hoping for?"

-"Nope. I don't want to make any decisions. I'm content to go where you lead."

Julian's eyes roamed over her face. Her eyes were bright, like she was game for anything. He thought about where he would take her if he could. Niagara Falls? How far was it? They could be in Montreal in five hours or so, wandering along the St. Lawrence. When was that Jazz festival? How long would it take to get to Maine, to stand on that northernmost point and look out at the vast expanse of ocean, straining your eyes to do the impossible—see Spain. Or Ireland. Or England. Or whatever was directly across from you. He looked at her again, and said "One more sec." He jumped out of the car and returned to the small shop, emerging with a small bag.

-"What's that?"

-"Emergency supplies. It's really not that exciting, so don't get your hopes up."

Alexis opened the bag to find bug spray. "You're right. Not romantic."

-"Sorry."

-"It's hard to make bug spray romantic. I guess I could just chalk it up to you protecting me."

Julian lowered his voice, "Baby, I know how the bugs feel cause in that dress I could eat you alive."

Alexis started laughing. "Points for trying. Just drive, Julian."

He cruised back up towards a lake, pulling into an overlook off the side of the road. Alexis got out of the car, the scent of aloe wafting from her exposed skin. Julian went to the trunk and opened up an emergency blanket he kept there, spreading it on a patch of grass near a copse of elm trees. Ears, rather than eyes attested to the nearness of the water, and fireflies moved about silently.

Julian lay back on the blanket, looking up at the stars. He was soon joined by Alexis who entwined her fingers in his, forging a connection while unconsciously stopping his hands from wandering. There would be no repeats of the 'Notorious' night.

Alexis noted a few constellations, mumbling about the myths associated with them. Julian was impressed: "I wasn't aware that astronomy was a latent skill. Remind me we need to do this again in the winter sky."

She smiled. "I can't actually take credit. I learned all of this three hours ago."

-"Quick study."

-"I think my Uncle Victor is just a great teacher."

It was quiet for a few moments before Julian asked, "So. How was dinner?"

-"It was good. Relaxing really. Normally, I hate Wyndemere but tonight…I don't know. It felt like I'd escaped." She pulled up a blade of grass and idly started rolling it in her free hand. "It did for a while anyway."

-"What happened?"

- "Victor felt inclined to share family lore." Alexis sighed. "In fairness Molly did ask about it."

-"She's a pretty curious kid."

-"Tell me about it." Her tone turned thoughtful. "I guess I had this weird thought that if I didn't talk about something, my kids wouldn't know about it. Then it turns out she's been using the Internet to answer to questions I'd discouraged her from asking."

-"Like what?"

-"Well, I can confirm she's been looking into my mother…but I worry what else she's searching for. Like answers about Ric. Or maybe about my killing Luis Alcazar. Or her grandfather trying to freeze the world."

-"She's almost an adult, Alexis. You can't stop her from looking."

-"I know. Plus it's a natural instinct. I had it once. I wanted to know where I came from. Tonight just reaffirmed that I don't anymore."

-"How so?"

-"Victor just…I don't know. He's the only person I know other than Helena who has met my mother. And as he started talking about her, I realized I didn't want to hear it."

-"Any particular reason?"

-"I just…I just know how it ends. My memories of my mother are fairly hazy. I remember music and smiles and just feeling safe. Most of my memories are like that anyway."

-"So how are Victor's different?"

-"It's like when he tells stories of her on Cassadine Island…I just want to scream 'leave' or 'run'! I never want to think of her on that island." She turned to look at him, but he was still looking at the stars. "If she had never taken the job or if she'd left three months earlier, maybe she'd still be here," Alexis added quietly.

-"Butterfly effect, huh? But you can't think like that Alexis. I mean, if I didn't get Sam coffee from Kelly's one night three months ago, would she have gone to the lake house the one day she needed an alibi? If your mother hadn't worked on the island would she have gotten into a car and drove late at night on a Viennese street?"

-"It's not quite that simple." Alexis rolled over to look at Julian. "Wait. How did you know she died in Vienna?"

Julian turned his head to face her. "Sooo…it was part of my initial research."

-"What research?"

-"If you move to a town to take down the local crime boss, it's kind of important to know about the people on his war council."

-"I wasn't on his war council."

-"Well, I know that *now.* But back then…beautiful unbeatable lawyer, defended him for years, mother of his child? You looked good for consigliere at the time. Especially since he never really replaced his old one."

-"So do you still 'research' me?"

-"Nope."

-"When did you stop?"

-"When I realized I'd much rather have you whisper your secrets in my ear. Preferably when we were naked."

-"And when was that?"

-"Right around the time Danny got better."

Alexis rolled onto her back. "But I never shared them with you."

-"Nope."

-"Are you disappointed?"

-"Nope."

-"You don't think I'm a hypocrite?"

-"Why would I think that?"

-"Cause I railed on you for weeks about lying to me. Because I've hammered you on telling me everything."

-"That's different."

-"How? How is it different?"

-"Because the lies I told you led to things like getting your house blown up. Or what's happening with Sam. Not telling me that the obits about your mother's death aren't true isn't the same thing."

-"That's generous of you."

-"It's not generous. I love you. This is who you are. If you ever want to tell me, I'll listen. But I don't see how prying into your psyche with a crowbar benefits either of us."

Alexis was quiet. "So who told you about my mother's death?"

-"Huh?"

-"You said my mother dying in a car accident wasn't true. I wonder who told you that."

-"Oh." Julian waited a few beats. "There are rumors…"

-"Like?"

-"I don't actually know. I've never heard them. When I was told it wasn't true, I didn't really press."

-"Who told you?"

-"Ava. I guess she heard from Morgan."

Alexis sat up. "Morgan knows? He can't know. He'd tell Molly and then Molly would say something."

-"I don't know what he knows, Alexis. I also don't know the real story, so I couldn't confirm if the things he's heard are true or not even if I wanted to. But if Molly hasn't said anything I think it's fair to assume she probably doesn't know whatever it is you're trying to keep from her."

Alexis nervously pulled at the grass before rolling over to look at him again. "It wasn't a car accident."

-"I've gathered." He turned on his side to face her, propping his head on his elbow. "Look, Alexis. I don't need you to tell me."

-"It's OK. I want to."

-"Then I'm listening."

-"She was murdered."

Alexis hoped for a question to guide her in how to present the tale, but Julian was quiet. It was her story to tell. "Her throat was slit. I guess there was some kind of sick symbolism there...her vocal chords were destroyed."

-"I'm so sorry, Alexis. I take it they never figured out who did it."

-"No, they knew who did it. Well, my father did anyway."

-"OK. I'm a little lost. If she was murdered, why stage a car accident? Why wasn't there a trial if they know who did it?" Julian thought a moment about his recent fabrications. "Your father knew the killer, didn't he?"

-"Yes. It was my stepmother," Alexis said matter-of-factly.

-"Wait. The stepmother that raised you? Did they never tell you? How did you find out?"

-"They didn't need to tell me. Ok, well they *did.* I forgot for a very long time who I was. That I was a Cassadine. I thought I was a poor cousin."

-"How did you find out again?"

-"Luke and I—we were trying to find this mysterious daughter of Mikkos's. This 'Natasha.' And lo and behold, it was me the whole time."

Julian was silent. "I guess I'm missing something, Alexis. How did you forget who you were? You didn't remember your mother at all?"

-"I pushed it down to forget. I guess I couldn't remember my mother without remembering all the blood and the knife and that evil bitch's face."

Realization dawned on Julian. "Wait, wait, wait. Hold it. Are you saying you saw this? That she did this in front of you?"

-"Yes."

-"Jesus, Alexis."

They lay in the on the ground, talking when they wanted, silent when they felt like it. At one point Alexis was sure she dozed off because the sky was suddenly lighter. They decided they were hungry and found a 24-hour diner open at a truck stop off the highway. Julian stood outside the restroom waiting for her, nervous that a slight brunette in a dress that complemented her assets may find herself illegally popular in a room full of weary, bored—and mostly male—drivers.

The food arrived and Alexis was about to shove a forkful of pancakes to her mouth when she stopped suddenly. "Why were you and Ava talking about me?"

Julian grunted a "huh" through a mouthful of steak and eggs.

-"You said Ava told you my mother wasn't in an accident. Why was I a topic of discussion?"

-"You're kidding, right?"

-"No."

-"Lots of reasons. First, my little sister trades on information. It's the ammunition for her greatest weapon and skill: manipulation. Second, she's informed me that my moods have swung a bit of late and she holds you somewhat responsible. Last, she's stuck in that penthouse bored out of her mind. There isn't a topic of discussion that hasn't been covered."

-"Oh." Alexis waved her fork in the air before asking coyly, "What else did she say about me?"

Julian felt a warmth that made him smile. He teased her. "So. You care what my family thinks of you, huh?"

-"Sure I do. I mean, she is my daughter's aunt."

He arched an eyebrow. "So you're asking out of concern for Sam."

Alexis was flustered. "Ugh. Fine. No, I'm not. I do care what your family thinks of me, Julian."

-"That's better," he said smugly. "Well, she thinks you're smart. And pretty strong. And secretive."

-"I'm not secretive."

-"Well, I don't think so. But I can read every look on your face. For someone like Ava, though, who likes information—"

-"—my reticence to share can seem secretive."

-"Yup." Julian took a sip of coffee. "What do you think of her?"

She cocked her head to the side in contemplation. "I'm not sure exactly. I mean, she's a gangster—no offense—so we're not alike there. She does like to manipulate. And she's smart…we're just really different, so it's hard to tell based on the few meetings we've had."

Julian choked on his coffee. "You think you're really different?"

Alexis became indignant. "Yes. Don't you?"

-"I guess in some ways on the surface, sure. But you're both the illegitimate daughters of powerful men who didn't really see the need to claim you, and that's driven who you are. You both fight fiercely for your family. You're both really smart. You both manipulate—"

-"—hey—"

Julian put his hand up in defense "—but in very different ways. You manipulate facts to tell a story you need for your client. She manipulates facts for…other reasons." He took a sip of his coffee. "Oh! And you've both pretended your illegitimate daughters were Quartermaines."

Alexis gave Julian a sarcastic, "Ha. Ha."

-"Look, it's not an insult Alexis. I love you both…*very* differently, of course. Think of it this way, you're both the trunk of the same tree. Just with really different branches."

-"Do me a favor."

-"What?"

-"Don't use that analogy again."

They were just outside of Port Charles, when Julian took a familiar turn. Alexis looked at him curiously, but decided to save her questions until they reached their destination. The sun was low over the lake, and the air was cool yet humid—a prelude to another sweltering day.

He got out of the car and waited for her silently, holding out his hand. She gave him a questioning look as she took it, but he stayed silent as he led her to the tree that shaded the area that had once been her living room. He placed her back to him and pointed to a branch. "Look up."

It took Alexis a few seconds to see what he was pointing to. "What am I…wait. What is that? Is that a camera?"

-"Yup. Or it used to be."

Alexis was confused when she asked, "Why is there a camera pointed at my house?" She rotated slowly, as her brain answered her own question. "Julian? Why is there a camera pointed at my house?"

-"Because I put it there. Along with others in the trees overlooking the back of the property."

She felt the heat rising up in her chest. Her voice was controlled but steely. "Julian, why did you invade my privacy and put multiple cameras around my house?"

-"Because my boss shot Lucas. And I wanted to make sure you were safe."

She waved her hand over where her house used to be and caustically replied, "Well, mission accomplished."

Julian looked down at his feet. He knew she was pissed, and he needed to get passed it to talk about implications for Sam's case.

-"You know what, Julian. It's fine. I get it. Let's just…wait. Wait." The anger on her face quickly turned to hope. "Do you have a recording of Sam?"

-"We couldn't retrieve anything from this camera. It was too damaged. The others…they don't have the right angle."

-"OK. Let's just take the feed and send it to Sam's partner, Spinelli. Maybe he can make something out of it—"

-"Sam already tried that, Alexis. He came up empty."

-"Shit," she spat. She started rubbing her temples before stopping suddenly. "Wait, Sam knows about the cameras? Why didn't she say anything?"

-"We wanted to wait until we had information to share."

-"What do you mean 'until' you had information to share, Julian? The *existence* of the cameras is information you should have shared." She shook her head. "And Sam knew. And she didn't tell me. Great," she mumbled to herself. Alexis stomped to the car, "I want to go home."

-"Alexis, wait."

-"Nope. We're good. Let's just go. I'm tired."

-"We're not leaving."

Alexis was working hard to restrain herself, but her quiet fury was putting up a decent fight. "What do you mean we're not leaving?"

-"You're pissed. And we're not leaving until we talk it out."

-"I'm not pissed."

-"Well, that's just bullshit."

-"So what if I am. I don't want to talk about it."

-"I do."

-"You don't always get what you want, Julian."

-"And neither do you, Alexis." Julian threw his keys into the woods.

-"What the hell is the matter with you? Why would you do that?"

Julian crossed his arms and leaned against the hood of his car. His refusal to answer her question enraged her. She went to the car to get her phone out of her bag to call a taxi, but her purse was missing. "Great. Julian, my pocketbook is gone. It's got my phone, my keys…we need to go find it. I had it at the diner, maybe I left it there."

-"It's not at the diner."

-"Then where is it?"

-"The trunk."

Alexis raised her hands to her temples. Her knuckles were white and he had to strain to hear her voice which was deathly quiet. "So I have no way of leaving unless I talk to you. Is that what you're saying? What happened to respecting when I wanted to talk? What happened to 'not taking a crowbar to my psyche'?"

-"That's for stuff that doesn't matter. This is different."

-"How is this different?"

-"Because you're mad at me. Because you've been generally pissed at me for weeks, but you've been incensed since I told you about my boss. And you're pretending that everything's OK, but it's not. It's not good for you, Alexis."

-"I'm fine."

-"Really? Then why am I getting phone calls from our daughter at 11 o'clock at night telling me to fix you? Why are you stumbling back from the MetroCourt after marathon drinking sessions—"

-"—one session. It was once—"

-"Why are you hurling plates at the wall when all I want to do is see if you want a cup of coffee?" Julian dropped his voice "Why do I wake up to find you in Sam's bed?"

Alexis's was so angry her eyes brimmed with tears. Her voice was shaking, "What would you like me to do Julian? Just say it's ok?"

-"No."

-"Fuck you when you feel like it?"

He smiled "No. Well, yes. But no."

-"This isn't funny, Julian. You have some nerve. You blow up my life—literally—and then you have the audacity to question the manner in which I express my displeasure."

-"I just want you to get it out, Alexis. We can't fix it if you don't get it out."

-"We can't fix it if I *do* get it out, Julian. What do you think we're going to live together under the same roof? Never telling Molly her father is dead because of something *you* did? That we're going to get to see each other whenever we want without this weight of Luke's life bearing down on us? That Anna or Dante or the feds are never going to figure out Ric wasn't your boss or that you're still in the mob? That one day your boss isn't going to decide you're more trouble than you're worth and I'm going to have to ID your body that they've pulled out of the harbor? And that's if I'm lucky, Julian. Maybe I'll enjoy Sam's fate and just never know what happened to you."

-"We can do it, Alexis. It'll take some time…"

Alexis was yelling now. "And then there's Sam, Julian. We're fighting to keep her out of jail. I can't sleep because I'm paranoid I've overlooked something. That somewhere there's a clue I've missed that will clear her. And then I find out that my biggest problem isn't your psychotic boss that's toying with us. It's you. And it's Sam. And you're keeping things from me."

-"We kept it from you because we didn't want to report it if there was nothing to report."

-"We're supposed to be a team."

-"We are a team."

-"No. We're not. You don't tell me things. You don't share. I have to pull information out of you, Julian. And if I don't know what lies you're telling, I don't ask the right questions."

-"That's not true."

-"It is true. You single-handedly make decisions that affect me. That affect my children. You don't respect me enough to tell me. You don't trust that I love you enough to tell me." Alexis was crying. "It doesn't matter that Molly hates you. Or that you may go to jail. Those obstacles can be overcome. The reason why we're going to end? The real reason? Is you and me. It's not anyone else." She looked up at him. "And that's why I am so, so angry at you."

Julian waited for her sobs to subside before he approached her. "Hey"

She shrugged away from him and moved towards the car. "I let it out Julian. Now take me home." She started laughing bitterly. "Shit. Your keys. You can't take me home. Let's go find them."

-"Wait."

-"Why?"

-"You're not going to let me respond?"

-"Sure. Go ahead," Alexis signaled wearily.

-"You're right. Everything you said is right. Except for one thing."

-"Really? Which one."

-"You're right I've been making decisions for us. And you're right they've been misguided. I do respect you. I do trust you."

Alexis sighed. "OK. Let's just go."

-"I'm not finished." He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. "I brought you here because I know those things are true. I realized last night that I'm making the same mistakes. I brought you here because you needed to know about those cameras." He cupped her face in his hands. "I can't change what I did before, Alexis. I'm new at this. I don't do 'partner' or 'team' well. But I'm trying. And I brought you here because you *are* my partner. And by not telling you, I was double-crossing you."

A fresh round of tears fell down her cheeks. He pressed on, "We're going to get through this. No more secrets between you and me. We're a team." Julian leaned into kiss her on the forehead and she hugged him, burying her face against his chest. Neither said a word for a long time. Alexis sniffled and pulled away.

-"Look. I'm so tired. And we still need to find your keys."

Julian pulled out his phone, "I've got an app for that."

It took Julian 5 minutes to find his keys using his Tile app. He drove her home, parking illegally in front of Sam's building. Julian walked around to Alexis's door and opened it, taking her hand and escorting her up to Sam's door.

-"Julian, I'd ask you in but…"

-"But you're a good girl, and you don't do that."

She smiled. "Something like that."

-"Well, thank you for a wonderful night, Alexis Davis. You were delightful company."

Alexis snorted, "Yes. Hysteria is lauded as the height of good breeding by polite society…seriously, though. Thank you for being the perfect gentleman."

He leaned in to kiss her. The kiss wasn't as chaste as he intended, the combination of wariness from the fighting and the faint taste of maple that lingered on her lips from breakfast spurred him forward as they engaged in a full-fledged, make-out session.

She pulled away. "Maybe I spoke too soon on the perfect gentleman part."

-"If you could read my mind, you never would have said it in the first place." He kissed the top of the head as he turned to leave. "Good night, Alexis."

-"I think you mean good morning."