Alexis drove the Ferrari like it was zooming around a raceway while she traveled down the highway to meet up with Spinelli, the man who was a whizz with computers and would help them break the code…no wait a minute, actually he was going to help them interface with the media because of course neither of them had any people skills. Well, not enough of them to undo the damage to their reputations that the media blitz carried out by Shawn and Carly had already accomplished.

After all, she had looked at a morning talk show just that morning while sipping on some java and had seen some redheaded news anchor with a gleam in her eyes airing out what she thought had been some dirty laundry. But really, Alexis had not been some helpless victim, nor was she a two-timing, gold digging harlot. Julian of course wasn't a bride-nabber nor was he a gigolo poaching on another man's turf. But what kind of image could they project…oh yeah the truth…that Shawn was a no-good professional assassin and had kept that rather crucial information about himself about still being in the biz under wraps during his whirlwind courtship of Alexis

"Alexis …do you think you're going a little bit fast?"

She smiled at him as they whizzed around a curve.

"Relax Julian…you know when I was living in New York City, I spent a summer going out with an Indy racer…"

Oh she remembered that summer fling all too well. Randy loved fast cars and even faster women and she hadn't been all that fast but when they had been together, va-voom! She looked over at Julian who shouldn't talk really because judging by how he drove, he probably had more speeding tickets under at least two different names than she did, so he should just settle down and let her drive.

"Yeah …and I don't know what it is that you did but he moved up three positions in the standings on that Monaco circuit."

She smiled widely because yes indeed, Randy had and maybe she had a hand in it, she thought as she turned off the street and onto a gravely single-laned road that wound around a couple hairpin turns which she took on deftly.

"You know if lawyering ever doesn't do it for me," she said, "I think I'll take up auto racing."

Julian's eyes widened just a little bit at that.

"Are you sure that's a wise choice," he said, "Besides I'd miss you a lot."

She smiled again at him.

"That's really sweet of you to say that," she said, "By the way, I think Ava…your dear sister…was on television this morning making an emotional appeal for you to return to PC…to turn yourself in or something like that."

Julian furrowed his brow.

"She's…she thinks she's going to take over the organization that we set up…"

Alexis turned into what looked like a small parking area in front of a wooden cabin.

"Well, you know what they say possession is nine-tenths the law isn't it?"

"I heard that said before but I did most of the ground work…"

She glanced at him.

"Julian it's over in PC for all of you and unless you want to pack up your mafia unit and go off to greener pastures…then live with it."

He focused on the road. Alexis continued talking.

"Ava's being…Ava but I told her if she lays one talon on Sam or any of my family, she's already a dead woman."

He did remember that. No one messed with the woman next to him and family. Ava had actually backed down and said she had to get her hair done.

Alexis parked the car and they prepared to get out of it. Sad to leave it even for a little while actually. It had been clever of Coleman to suggest that they swap vehicles so that no one would be looking for them in this one. Julian hadn't driven it much and she had fantasized about driving it more than she could count. But the reality had even been better than what she imagined. She wondered if that were true about a couple of other things as well…then thought she should stick to sleek and well-muscled cars.

"Alexis…I see we both got her alive and in one piece."

She just shot him a look as they exited the car.

They headed to the front door and after they rung it, Damien Spinelli stood there looking at them puzzled.

"Hi…Coleman said you'd be expecting us."

Suddenly comprehension hit Spinelli's face.

"Ah yes, come right on in," he said, "The place is a little bit chaotic but there's some space in the living room."

Alexis and Julian looked around and sure enough, there were computers, cameras and other technological gizmos everywhere, not to mention bookshelves overfilled with books on different topics.

There was also a crib and baby toys which told Alexis that Little Georgie had come by for a visit.

He pointed out some chairs for them to sit down and he brought out what looked like some iced tea and poured it into glasses for them. They sipped politely and found out it didn't taste so bad.

"So what do you need," Spinelli said, "Coleman wasn't too specific…something about you needing to define a better media image."

Alexis nodded.

"You see…we've been presented by others as being far different than who we are in reality…we just want to get the truth out there to the public."

Spinelli crossed his arms, watching them carefully.

"Oh yes, the bridezilla and the man who rustled her," he said.

Alexis gave him a startled look.

"Excuse me?"

Spinelli picked up a notepad and a pen and prepared to start writing.

"That's the most recent news going around about what happened at the wedding that never happened."

Alexis sighed.

"That's not what happened at all…you see… you know my fiancé, Shawn, kills people for a living and well, he wined and dined me and then he proposed to me and I said yes…but he never really told me about keeping his old job…except that he traveled on business a lot."

"You mean you nearly married an assassin for hire who was always an assassin for hire and always will be an agent of death," Spinelli said, "Surely you must have seen some signs…"

Alexis rolled her eyes.

"He just seemed like he'd really changed and…there were other complications…but sometimes I wonder if there is really such a thing."

Spinelli reached over to pat her on the shoulder.

"You know I have a son you could meet…"

Julian interrupted.

"We need to figure out what to issue as a statement to the press," he said, "I'm not sure a press conference will do it."

Spinelli nodded.

"Too much to rehabilitate and too little time to do it," he said.

Julian and Alexis just looked at each other.

"But you could appear via satellite from the studio I have in the back on one of the local talk shows," Spinelli said, "I'll just give my pal Joey a call…I believe you met him."

Julian drew a blank.

"Joey?"

Oh that Joey, Alexis thought, remembering that case they had solved from a while back.

"He's a producer now with the Llanview Daily Story and he'll help with the technical side of the broadcast."

Alexis looked at Julian again.

"That sounds good, what do you think?"

Julian just nodded, hoping this would work..

Alexis turned to Spinelli.

"All right, we'll be back tomorrow," she said, "Give us a call with the time."

Spinelli nodded.

"Will do that and you can spend some of the time thinking about what you want the public to know about the two of you…"

Alexis didn't know if she wanted everyone to know, considering herself a private person and she definitely wasn't advertising how she felt about…Julian these days. It must be the adrenalin rush of escaping from a wedding with gunfire following them and being in close quarters hiding out in such a lovely place that perhaps would

"We'll see you tomorrow," Julian said, getting up and glanced at Alexis.

She looked at him sideways and they left together.

Heading back to the beach house left Alexis some time to think about what Spinelli had said to them. She knew that she certainly didn't want people to view her as a victim in all this…well actually she didn't care what they thought but Julian hadn't been kidnapping her for some nefarious purpose or because he had been jealous of Shawn but because he had been concerned about her marrying a murderer. If Julian hadn't been there…god she might have walked down the aisle with him and she'd be on the honeymoon right now…with a killer. Instead, she was camped out with another one.

She could go crazy thinking about it and she looked over at Julian who sat shotgun in the Ferrari that she drove back.

"What do you want your image to be," she asked him.

He glanced over at her and smiled.

"I'm the infamous bride-napper who couldn't stand to see you walking down the aisle with anyone else so I resorted to some rather desperate measures."

Her brow arched.

"Oh really…I guess I could play along with that," she said, "that I only agreed to marry Shawn because you and me…we could never get it to work."

"Did we even try?"

She kept her focus on the highway.

"Well no …there was no point. We're just too different and one of us used the other to get what he wanted and the other didn't like it much. Still, we need to sell a story here to prepare for this interview."

He nodded.

"Okay…but why don't we do that over some dinner out on the beach," he said, "We could cook some steaks and get some wine and make it a working dinner."

She considered that carefully, reading something in his eyes that made her pause. What was he really up to, she wondered and did she really care? Besides she was getting hungry again, must be all this ocean air.

They turned off the highway making sure no one was tailing them and they were indeed alone and they reached the beach house and after getting out, they walked inside the residence and Alexis dropped herself on the couch.

"You are going to do the cooking?"

Julian sat down beside her on the couch.

"I will if you do the vegetables."

She nodded, thinking that sounded fair enough because she knew a couple of great recipes that she often made when she kicked her daughters out of the kitchen and cooked a meal."

"Do you really think we're going to get much work done sitting on the beach," she asked, "The interview's tomorrow and we don't even have our stories straight yet."

Julian smiled stretching out.

"I think we'll do just fine," he said, "and we'll work it all out one way or another."

She considered that carefully.

"Okay what's the dress," she said, "Will casual be fine?"

"Casual will be great," he said, "Some great food, great scenery and we'll do some brainstorming okay?"

That sounded just fine to her. Though if they were going to put together a portrait of some star-crossed lovers with one of them turned kidnapper deal she wasn't sure that would work. She sighed, just thinking that she needed to get a grip and find something else to occupy her mind besides wanting to kill him.

After this episode was over, she was going back to PC. and do some serious reexamination of her life.

They cooked together in the kitchen, he getting the steaks just right while she sliced and diced several vegetables, put them in light oil in the pan and stir fried them. The wine they found back in the collection in the basement of the house and along with it, a nice patterned blanket perfect for a picnic on the beach.

After they carried their plates of food and supplies to their favorite spot, she spread out the blanket and they sat on it to start eating. Both were starving and made short work of the meal and then started really working on the wine. Alexis felt herself loosen up and she noticed that he seemed content as well.

"So what was our relationship like," she asked him.

He pursed his lips.

"Well we didn't get together until…recently but it was pretty intense."

"It would have to be if it's so short and sweet Julian…"

Mischief colored his eyes.

"I don't know if I'd call it sweet," he said, "But just when things were going so well, we…"

Alexis settled onto the blanket.

"We broke up," she said, "Was it a big huge fight or was it the little things adding up like someone not being honest about himself…starting with his name?"

Julian tilted his head, seeing the minefield ahead.

"I'm not sure of that part," he said, "I guess we just seemed to work out well and then…the fight."

She rubbed her forehead.

"Okay that might work…but if we fought and broke up, why'd you tote a gun at a wedding to get me back?"

That made him pause for a moment and she enjoyed watching him think of a scenario dressed in his faded jeans and jersey shirt.

"I guess I realized that I might have been too late in revealing some important facts," he said, "and that probably was a mistake."

Alexis tilted her face.

"You think? I did find out just in time before…well I got more drawn into it and could feel more foolish. I won't have any trouble selling that in an interview."

Julian sipped his wine.

"Alexis…I didn't know about you and Sam."

She shook her head.

"No…let's not go there now," she said, "Let's stick to the interview tomorrow so we get our stories straight and offset what Shawn and Carly have done."

Julian considered that while watching her look out into the ocean dressed in her jeans and a cotton blouse. Her dark wavy hair settling on her shoulders, damn she looked beautiful. Suddenly it seemed that it wouldn't be difficult to play the roles they were creating for themselves after all. Maybe because there was some reality injected into them?

He gazed into her eyes and wondered what thoughts moved her, and then he leaned closer to her and kissed her.