-"I should think the answer is obvious, Alexandra. I want Spencer."

Alexis looked at Victor as he sneered at her. He wanted Spencer? She started to vocalize the questions in her head. "Spencer? Why Spencer? He's an eight-year old boy. What could you possibly want with him?"

-"He's the heir Alexandra."

-"But he's *eight.* He runs *nothing.* He can't possibly be in your way."

-"No. But as regent, I could make sure he stays off to the side."

Her head snapped up. "What does that mean?"

-"It means that as the guardian of Spencer, Alexandra, I could make sure his interests better…aligned with my own."

-"We can get creative, Uncle. He's ten years away from his 18th birthday. Surely, his potential inheritance won't get in the way of your plans."

Victor smirked, "Alexandra. Are you implying that I'm not long for this world? And here I thought you disliked the sight of blood."

-"I'm not talking about your murder. You're old. You've got to be what...75 now? Even if you live another ten years it won't be much longer than that. We can keep Spencer away from you."

-"My, my. Bringing up my age, Alexandra. That isn't very polite," Victor teased.

Alexis gaped at him. He was so completely insane, bantering like they were discussing which Mediterranean destination had the best winter shopping. "I'm sorry if I was rude, Uncle. I seem to have divested myself of my manners around the same time I divested myself of the fish." She gave a slight head nod to where her lunch lay in the grass. "Why not let Spencer live his life as Nikolas intended. You don't need him."

-"You make two assumptions, Alexandra. The first, is that I will die. The second, is that it's just for the pleasure of young Spencer's company."

His first statement was so absurd that it kicked Alexis's brain into gear. It was reminiscent of claims made by her more insane criminal clients and foes…and family members. She mentally separated Victor's grasp over her life—which was too terrible to contemplate—and focused solely on his story. Alexis would need information to find the key to destroying her uncle. And she desperately wanted to destroy him. "So you're not going to die. You're immortal, then?" she asked dubiously.

Victor smiled at her. "I've been a busy, busy bee, Alexandra. Surely, you don't think I'd go to all this trouble for a two-year ride at the top."

-"You'll need to forgive me, Uncle. I have only suddenly realized I don't know you at all," she quipped. "Why don't you explain it to me then? How can you possibly live forever?"

-"Maybe not forever, Alexandra. But longer. Long enough to enjoy what is rightfully mine. And to destroy my enemies for what they did to me. With any luck, I'll not only outlive you, but your daughters. Although the latter may not be a matter of luck."

The threat wasn't even veiled. She leaned forward and spat, "If you touch any of them, Victor. If you harm one hair on the head of any of my children—"

-"This is so repetitive, Alexandra. I understand. Mr. Alcazar and Mr. Bauer were lessons to us all. Well, to me, anyway."

Alexis was angry, but knew she needed to calm down. There was more information she needed to get and she would miss something if she was emotional. "You also said it wasn't for the pleasure of Spencer's company. So why do you need him at all? He's precocious and he's a handful. Why trouble yourself?"

-"Because my great grand nephew doesn't come by himself, Alexandra. He comes with a trust."

She could have kicked herself. The money. *Of course* it was the money. "The trust? That's it? Victor, the Cassadine fortune is so vast…how could you possibly settle for control over just the trust. Why wouldn't you try for control over the whole estate?"

-"The trust is not what I hoped, I grant you that, Alexandra. I underestimated Nikolas's desire to have his child live a more normal life. However, control over the fortune makes me a target. I will settle for the seed money. It's enough for now."

Alexis was quiet as her brain churned over all the information she had. She needed to sit with a legal pad and paper and work it all out—to review conversations she'd had with her uncle to find other pieces to the puzzle she'd discarded as frivolous amusement at the time. She looked up to find him staring at her.

-"Looking for a way out, Alexandra?"

-"Of course. Do you really think I'm going to let you take Spencer?"

-"No," he said simply. "Which is why I'm framing your daughter. That's why it's called a trade, Alexandra: something you want for something I want."

She felt the tears well to her eyes. At first she tried to hold them back, but she decided against it. He knew she didn't want to let him have Spencer, and for the moment it was best to give him the reaction he expected. She allowed the tears to fall as she worked herself up to mild hysteria. "But to let an orphan be raised by you…on that island or on this one. I *promised* Nikolas. I can't do it, Uncle."

-"Poor, poor Alexandra." He clucked his tongue pityingly. "I must say I'm not surprised by this reaction. You and Nikolas have always been too emotional in how you approach life." He moved his chair to soothingly stroke her back. "I'm almost sorry I have to do this, Alexandra, for I am fond of you," he said earnestly before shrugging, "But you see, I have no choice. And as such, neither do you. It's Samantha in a real prison, or Spencer with me at Cassadine Island."

-"You can't make me choose. I can't choose."

He was quiet as he passed a napkin to her and tucked hair behind her ear. "But you must, Alexandra," he whispered. "I thought the choice was obvious, but maybe I guessed incorrectly. Maybe I need to up the stakes for you," he added thoughtfully.

-"Please don't," she nearly jumped out of her skin. "What if I could figure out a way? What if I could do it? Get you what you want without sacrificing Spencer or Samantha."

Victor sneered. "Let you walk out of here and try and ruin my leverage? I don't think so, Alexandra. I'm not that stupid."

-"No! Uncle. I never thought you were stupid," she could have kicked herself at her miscue. "But I know the players, I know the way the estate is structured. Maybe I can find another way to get you what you want."

He stared at her. "I don't think so, Alexandra."

Alexis became desperate, and that desperation fueled the logical part of her brain. "But you yourself said that your plans had changed. That the gods had interfered to circumvent your plans and that only made your current position stronger. Your plan is good, Uncle. But maybe you're missing something. Maybe this is the way the gods are trying to help you."

Victor seemed to contemplate her argument, so she pressed on, "What's the worst thing that can happen? You still have evidence against Sam, so I can't free her. Nikolas's will hasn't been to probate yet. I can't free myself from your deal if I fail. And I have every motivation to succeed."

He tapped his fingers against the table mindlessly as he quietly stated, "An instrument of the gods?" Then he smiled at her. "I can see why your legal skills are so very much in demand, Alexandra." He stood and clapped his hands together gleefully. "I tell you what. It's 3 pm now. I will give you 24 hours to show up at my door with a deal to present to me. If you fail, you still have to choose between Spencer or Samantha." He grabbed her wrist and squeezed as his voice turned cold. "And I warn you now, Alexandra. You try to hide Spencer or free Samantha or imprison me…you'll lose more than you bargained for. Kristina is still in town, yes? As is my favorite, the darling Molly."

-"I understand, Uncle."

-"Then I'll see you tomorrow. Plan on staying for dinner. We were planning on pork tenderloin tomorrow, but if you prefer we can have something else. Duck?"

Alexis just stared at him blankly. His shift from killing her daughters to planning the following night's dinner menu chilled her. She whispered, "Tenderloin is fine."

She barely held it together on the launch back to the mainland, throwing up twice over the side to the captain's disgust. Her momentary embarrassment was replaced by relief that he would share her behavior on the boat with Victor. Her uncle had a tactical advantage in ambushing her with his plan and deal; it would be suicide to try and attack him head on. Her best bet was to comply with his requests and buy more time. Victor needed to know that he was still in control—that events were unfolding as he planned them. He anticipated his niece, Alexandra, would be scared. And he had made it easy for Alexis to show him those feelings: she was terrified.

She regressed to her primary defensive posture as a child: give them what they expect. If Helena thinks you're a mouse, act as a mouse. If Stefan thinks you're a brilliant scholar, outsmart him in lessons. The key to survival was to draw no attention, and that meant not only avoiding a spectacular fall but also avoiding a brilliant success. Either scenario was an opportunity to surprise and a cause for reevaluation; Alexis needed the rules to be fixed for the next 24 hours.

How did Victor see Alexandra? Smart: but not too smart. Someone who made mistakes. Someone emotional who put her children first. He didn't see her as a mouse, but he also didn't see her as a messianic leader, either. Alexis would need to act as Alexandra, which meant she needed a clever plot, but nothing too clever. She needed to leave Wyndemere on Sunday night with Samantha and Spencer's freedom secured. And apparently filled with dinner.

The office superstore was open and she ran in to purchase supplies: two legal pads, a large easel pad, post it notes, and a small camera, splitting her purchases on two receipts. She contemplated picking up a printout of Nikolas's will, but she knew the ins and outs by heart and refused to leave a copy lying around. Her equipment purchased she sat in the parking lot unsure where to go. Not home and not her office—too many distractions. Furthermore, now that she knew how insane Victor was, she couldn't be sure those places weren't bugged. She drove until she pulled into a small motel that catered to businessmen traveling to Port Charles on a budget. The room was small, but with wall space, a desk and a bed—if she could bring herself to sleep. Her room was on the second floor as she requested, down a small hallway hidden from the elevator and prying eyes.

Alexis called Kristina and left a voice message telling her she had a lead on Sam's case, and had to fly to New York briefly: she'd be back tomorrow. It was a lie, but as Madeleine was in the city and the popular Davis girl theory involved her in the Clays' murder it was believable. Kristina and Molly would worry, but not for the reasons or to the degree that they should.

She ordered a pot of coffee and then she started to work. Clearing her mind of all of the things she learned tonight and all of the pieces that had confused her since the Clays were murdered. Once she had that list, she extended beyond to the piece that appeared to set everything in motion: Julian's arrival in Port Charles.

Alexis looked at the two different maps she'd made on the walls and started writing down the questions she still had. She took a photo of her work and then carefully pulled down one, consolidating chosen post-its from each into their own map—one that would impress but not dazzle. She then copied some—but not all—of her notes into a second notebook, taking care to write down a few of her questions on a separate sheet and rip it out. She picked up the original notebook that contained all her thoughts, extra post-its and the receipt with the camera on it and surveyed the room. There was something missing: evidence of panic. Alexis forced herself to think of what would happen if she couldn't come up with a deal, and the tears started flowing. Ten minutes later, she had crumbled up tissues covered in mascara in the bin by the desk and in the bathroom.

Hopefully, this tableau would convince Victor that Alexandra was behaving as expected, and his henchmen would accurately report on the facts she'd left strewn about the hotel room once they broke in.

She took a minute to splash some cold water on her face as she contemplated the next step. Alexis thought back to her conversation with Victor in the Irish pub. She was fairly certain he didn't believe that she and Julian were through; consequently, she was fairly certain that's where Victor would anticipate her to go.

Alexis smiled grimly at her good fortune. Julian wasn't around to help her, but she didn't need to see Julian. She needed to see his roommate.

She spent the whole drive trying to figure out how she would play it with Ava. As she stood poised on her door, she realized she still hadn't made a decision. Alexis knew she needed to hide Victor's involvement, but beyond that she wasn't sure how much she should reveal. Or to be fair: how much she'd be able to keep concealed.

Ava was somewhat surprised to see her, but not unwelcoming. Alexis sat on the chair as Ava returned to the couch.

-"You're moving much better."

Ava smiled, "Yes, the last few weeks have been better as far as the heartburn goes. Makes it easier to sleep."

Alexis nodded her head and looked around. Ava watched her for a few moments before adding, "Julian's not here."

-"I know."

There was more silence. Ava broke it again, "Is there something you wanted to address?"

Alexis responded by pulling out her notebook, and she scribbled a question on it before passing it to a curious Ava. "This is a little seventh grade," she mumbled to herself as she read the question. Her eyes rose to survey Alexis. "Julian sweeps for bugs once a week since we don't trust our boss. And since I never leave here, no one's had the opportunity to plant a bug without my knowing." She tilted her chin up, "Why?'

She sighed in response. "I just needed to be sure." Alexis stood and began pacing the room. "I have questions I need to ask you, and I don't trust your boss. Julian's told you that we think he's framing Sam?"

Ava nodded. "He mentioned it. But I didn't press the issue." She shifted, "Alexis, why are you here?"

-"Julian told me that if something happened that you would know where the bodies were buried."

She sat up, "Did something happen to Julian?"

-"I don't know. I haven't heard anything," Alexis said quietly.

-"Well he's not supposed to be home for another two days," Ava said confidently. "So…what's happened?"

-"It's not that something has happened per se involving your boss." She paused. "You and I spent a lot of time talking about Madeleine as a source of reasonable doubt."

Ava nodded. "I remember."

-"In looking into Madeleine and the money as a potential motive, I realized we never really spoke about Nina's father."

-"We didn't. But I never met her father, Alexis."

Alexis nodded, "I know. But if there's anything you may have heard in passing? Anything at all…what he was like, where he was from? Anything like that?"

Ava proceeded to share what she knew about Nina's father: he was the source of the money, he adored Nina by all accounts, and he was out of her life in her mid-teens.

-"When you say 'out of her life' do you mean dead?"

-"That was what was implied, but I pressed Silas on it once. He said her father just disappeared. They never found him. But Madeleine had him declared dead. That was a source of tension between Madeleine and Nina apparently."

Alexis nodded, brow furrowed as she tried to piece it together. Her thoughts were interrupted by Ava's gentle, "Alexis."

-"Sorry. I zoned there for a second."

-"What's really wrong?"

-"What do you mean 'really wrong'?"

Ava sat up, "You're wound like a clock. You came in here buzzing, and now it looks like you've crashed. You had questions but you're not asking them." She tried to make her voice empathetic, "if you need help, just ask me."

Alexis sighed. "It's all wrong. My daughter's in jail, and I can't help her. Julian is off somewhere trying to please your boss to get her release. And then we wait for the next thing he hangs over our heads. It's like a game where we never know the rules and they keep changing on us. I feel so helpless…so frustrated. And…" She stopped herself suddenly. If she kept on this path, she'd start divulging information about Ric and the real Luke that she wasn't sure Ava was privy to.

Ava nodded sympathetically. "Julian and I are trying, Alexis. We want to be free ourselves. I'm trying to get Julian to help me change the game."

Alexis shook her head in confusion, "What do you mean? Change the game?"

-"Our boss clearly has a reason for wanting to get rid of Sonny. We have no idea what that is. And I'm trying to find out because we can't give him Sonny. But we can't propose a new plan or delight him with our loyalty because we don't know what his endgame is."

-"So you're trying to give him what he doesn't know he wants."

-"Not quite. We're trying to give him exactly what he wants, but that he didn't think was possible. And we're trying to use that to extricate ourselves."

Alexis smiled tightly. "How's that going?"

Ava shook her head, "Not well. I'm hoping Julian learns something in Asia."

-"Me, too," Alexis whispered.

-"For what it's worth…" Ava started hesitantly.

-"Yes?"

Ava closed her eyes and continued. "For what it's worth, I don't think you're being entirely honest with me. And that's OK. I haven't earned your trust…you certainly haven't earned mine." She opened them. "But Julian has."

Alexis shifted uncomfortably, "You don't know everything about Julian and me, Ava."

-"No, I don't. But I know Julian loves you. And you apparently love him—you've said 'we' at least fifty times since you've been here. And I know Julian's been as honest with you as he can. But I also know people, Alexis. You have a lot of secrets. Julian thinks it's fine, but I know better."

Alexis stiffened, "Really? And how do you know me so well?"

-"I told you when you were here last time that like recognizes like, Alexis. Just remember that in the end the lies always catch up with you. So if you're going to destroy my brother, I'd just prefer you left him now."

-"I have no plans to destroy your brother."

Ava sighed, "And I had no plans to destroy Morgan. But I did. And I never wanted to…I love my brother Alexis, and you make him very happy. But that's a power that can turn quickly. And if you can't control it, I'd appreciate it if you'd let him go now."

-"Give him up while he can still walk away, is that it?"

Ava shook her head sadly. "When you put it that way, forget I said anything. Julian's not walking away."

Alexis stood up flustered. "I'm sorry. I should go. I apologize for intruding."

-"It was no intrusion, Alexis. But I feel it probably wasn't as successful as our last meeting. And I'm sorry you didn't get what you needed. If it's any consolation, I'm somewhat empty-handed, too."

-"How so?" Alexis asked her confused.

Ava put on a pout. "No brownie."