Julian and Alexis left the beach house to head into the small village to get some more groceries after they ate some lunch at a small diner. But when they headed inside the establishment, they saw the local newspaper as well as a publication circulated back in all of New York.

And on the front page, they saw their photographs prominently placed. Alexis figured that the photo they printed of her had been taken at a recent charity gala before Carly and Olivia had their latest round smashing crystal over Sonny.

"Look at the headlines," she said, "They read that you kidnapped me at gunpoint from my wedding to a prominent businessman and you're still at large."

Julian looked at the paper incredulous then bought a copy to read inside the restaurant.

"Wait a minute, should we even go in there," Alexis asked, "Now that we're front page news?"

Julian thought about it.

"I think we'll be okay," he said, "It should be obvious when someone sees us together that I didn't kidnap you."

She smiled at him.

"True…I'm hungry anyway…"

They walked inside and sat in a corner booth, picking up menus and looking over the delicious entrees. The waitress came over to take their order and clearly didn't know about their starring role in the daily news. They kept it simple, ordering the special burger combo with curly fries so that they wouldn't stand out as being unusual. Julian looked over at Alexis who sat there sipping her cola in her knit sweater top over a pair of sweats that accentuated her supple legs. Her skin had tanned from the past days spent on the beach and she looked relaxed, considering the circumstances.

But what would she think if she knew about these dreams that he had been having about her, about them? Dreams that crept into his sleep the last several nights leaving him awake and looking into the darkness of his room.

"Julian, are you feeling okay?"

He glanced up at her and she gave him a funny look. She had worn her hair in soft curls today, off of her face. He knew her hair to be soft to the touch and in his dreams…he sighed picking up his drink and taking a large sip.

"I'm just fine Alexis," he said, "Just doing some thinking."

She nodded.

"Oh yeah about us being on the front page of the newspaper," Alexis said, "Do you think the police are out looking for us too?"

Julian rubbed his jaw.

"Well Spinelli said the PCPD was staking out the office building and my home but nothing's turned up yet. That and the usual dark sedans parked halfway down the block with company men sitting inside them."

Alexis stroked the rim of her glass.

"That's how Shawn works," she said, "I think he fancies being sneakier than that. Someone must be helping him."

Julian nodded.

"My thinking too. Question is which mobster and is it the same one who hit Kelly's?"

Their food came and they dove into it hungrily enough to eat in companionable silence for a moment. Alexis thought that it must be those sea breezes that wafted onshore that must be responsible for her feeling both energetic and hungrier than she had been in the past few months. She thought she'd be stressed out after having literally run away from her fiancé but she felt just the opposite. That spoke volumes about her relationship with Shawn and not in a positive sense.

She looked over at Julian and thought he looked his usually good looking self in his top with the first button undone and slacks. The man had clearly worked out and kept himself fit most of his life. His sleeves were rolled up halfway up his arms and she loved how strong they looked. But then she'd always liked looking at him, what woman wouldn't?

She kept telling herself to take her feelings about him no further than that. Appreciating a man's good looks even a mobster was just being female…but anything else she backed away from and stayed back.

She wondered how he viewed her. Not that it mattered if he'd just been using his charms and flirtations on her to achieve a means to the ends. She didn't mind him doing it to get closer to Sam and Danny as a father and grandfather trying to learn more about them. But if he'd been using her to get at Sonny…of course that's what he'd been doing. She reminded herself never to forget that. Else she'd look as foolish as she felt when it had all come crashing down.

Just as well he didn't know about what she had been dreaming about lately when she had been sleeping in the bedroom down the hallway from the one he used. She had woken up in a sweat the other night after she and he…well they had been reenacting a certain surfside scene from a famous movie and it had felt so real she felt the chill of the ocean water as it cascaded over them and the sand it carried with it, but mostly the sensation of his body and his arms wrapped around hers. All they needed was a stirring soundtrack in the background.

She had to get up and go to the kitchen to get a glass of water to cool down.

Why did she have these dreams when she had just been engaged to the man she almost walked down the aisle with just days ago? She knew she shouldn't be dreaming about him…not after he'd played her too well.

"Julian…"

He looked up at her from his fries.

"What is it?"

She hesitated before saying anything wondering how she would even broach the subject.

"How've you been sleeping?"

He shot her an inquisitive look.

"Fine…must be the sound of the ocean at night but I've never slept better."

She sighed, at his answer because she had been tossing and turning unable to get back to sleep after some of these very vivid and emotionally charged dreams.

"That's good…I've been sleeping…fine too…"

He gazed at her when she picked up her hamburger to finish eating it, knowing she clearly had something on her mind.

"What's going on?"

She looked at him sideways.

"Oh nothing…just this whole kidnapping thing…nothing could be further from the truth. I didn't think it'd attract so much attention."

Julian looked a bit puzzled at that.

"I kidnapped you at gunpoint as far as they're concerned though I wonder if Shawn's gone to the police."

She sighed.

"Dante was at the wedding. Maybe he's handling it back in PC."

"I didn't want him to know you were involved in it Alexis. It's better this way."

She picked up a french-fry and ate it thoughtfully.

"Maybe that wasn't a good idea because then he looks clean and you look like the criminal to go after."

"The feds are going to issue indictments soon," Julian said, "I think that Shawn will have plenty to think and worry about then besides us once he's tied to those shootings."

She grew silent for a moment.

"You know I don't really miss him like I should," she said, "What does that say about me and my commitments?"

"Maybe on some level, you wanted out."

She turned to look at him sharply.

"What makes you say such a thing," she said, "I thought I wanted to marry him but I guess I only thought that I did."

The waitress returned with their ticket and smiled at them.

"Nice weather we're having today," she said, "Are you like tourists because I haven't seen you around here before…"

Julian and Alexis looked at each other.

"No…"

"Yes…"

Alexis rolled her eyes.

"He thinks he's been here all of his life, we're having such a great time," she said.

The waitress looked at them a bit uncertainly. Alexis wondered if she would be on the phone calling the police or the media to tell them that the bride-napper was currently sitting in the local diner with his victim.

"Yeah…it just feels so much like home," Julian said, "We're thinking of buying one of those bungalows on the coast."

The waitress nodded.

"Oh yes, I have one myself," she said, "They're very nice, great view of the ocean too."

Julian slipped his hands in Alexis' and she tried not to react.

"We…my sweetheart and I…we're kind of on a second honeymoon."

The waitress furrowed her brow.

"I didn't peg you for being married because you don't have rings."

Alexis just shot a look at Julian and shrugged.

"That's because he's too cheap to buy me one," she said, "I'm working on him and he's on a timeline."

Julian looked sheepish.

"She's got me there," he said, "It's just that I couldn't decide which one I wanted to buy."

"He's indecisive like that," Alexis chimed in.

The waitress nodded.

"I see…I think…well come on back now," she said, "We've got some prime lobster coming in from Maine next week."

Julian and Alexis got up and headed out of the restaurant.

"We'd better get going because I doubt she bought our story," Alexis said.

They reached the car so they could head to the market which was pretty modest in size but the shelves were well stocked and it didn't take long for the two of them to pack a cart. Julian selected some nice steaks and Alexis went to check out the produce section to get some vegetables. Overheard, there was a television set where a blond woman sat behind a desk delivering the news. Alexis looked up closer and saw a familiar sight.

"Oh my god…"

They flashed that fairly old photo of her again and one of Julian from what looked like back when he won some award at a black tie event as Derek Wells. Their pictures were side by side in the background while the woman breathlessly reported on how Alexis had been kidnapped by a former lover.

"A what…."

She just couldn't believe it. The media didn't know enough of the truth so they filled in the considerable blanks with reports of how she and Julian had this torrid love affair that had ruptured the engagement that she had with Shawn who was being depicted as a successful businessman who shined in the area of ethics.

Some brunette woman looked straight into the camera after being identified as a "close friend" of Alexis and regaled the news anchor with tales of Alexis's exploits with men back in college.

"She wasn't I would say…loose or anything liked that…but the girl loved a good time…"

Alexis frowned, who was this woman again? She looked vaguely familiar but for being one of her "good friends", Alexis just couldn't place her. Then she saw Shawn's face, his eyes serious and his tone hushed.

"It was the most terrifying experience of my life…watching my fiancée being abducted by that man who waved a gun at her and threatened to kill everyone…"

She just sighed as she watched, because that in no way had been what had actually happened. After all, a hit man who blew away people for a living was talking about how terrified he had been? He certainly was playing the victimized groom to the hilt.

"I am begging…no I am beseeching the kidnapper not to hurt her to get at me," Shawn said, "Please let her go unharmed…just tell me what you want in return."

Alexis wondered what Julian would think if he were watching but no doubt he was in the meat section checking out loins and prime cuts blissfully unaware that he had been painted as a hardened kidnapper.

She turned away from the television hoping no one else had seen it and headed to find Julian so they could make an escape before anyone could identify them.