Alexis made it back to the bungalow where Julian waited for her, still on the computer. He looked as if he'd been at it all afternoon and still hadn't gotten anywhere.

"Hey, I need you for a few minutes…"

Something in her voice grabbed his attention away from his research.

"What…you have something to show me?"

She nodded and he followed her back to her purchases, pulling out the blue dress first. His eyes lit up as she hoped they would.

"It's lovely…I imagine it would look more so on you."

"I just saw it in the window of this boutique in the village and it called out to me."

He imagined how it would mold to her curves, the ones he had sometimes thought about holding onto why he…never mind…those were the kind of thoughts that if he said anything about, she'd check him quickly.

"When you planning on wearing it," he asked, idly.

She shrugged, putting it back down.

"I don't know…a party when we get back to PC when this whole situation becomes just another closed case."

He smiled.

"I'd like to throw that party…at the suite…or the beach house."

She considered that, running her hand through her hair, then she looked up at him.

"Maybe a private party…just the two of us…?"

He arched a brow up at her in question, wondering what she was getting at and hoping…

"Just so we can kind of decompress from all this excitement…," she said, walking away from him.

"What else did you buy," he said, "I see you have a couple more bags."

She tossed him a small bag which he deftly caught.

"I got you some action movies on DVDs and some romantic comedies but those are more for me."

He perused him and she had picked her titles well.

"Okay what else…"

She bit her lip.

"I'd rather not tell you…"

He looked at her surprised.

"Why…is it something personal?"

She sighed, returning to sit on the couch.

"Let's just say some other clothing…items called out to me when I was shopping. They have a very nice lingerie boutique."

He sucked in his breath as all kinds of images swirled in front of him right now all of them starring the woman in front of him.

"Oh…so that's what is in the last bag? Care to share them?"

She just tilted her face, shooting him a look of reproach.

"Julian, they're for me okay…just because I buy lingerie doesn't mean it's for a guy…of course I might want a guy to see it someday."

"Someday…"

She nodded.

"Yeah at some point when I decide to start my new life…I'm going into the dating market more armed this time…"

He shot her a look.

"Armed?"

She chuckled.

"Oh not your kind of 'armed' of course. But you know what I mean. I mean you're a man who's been around the block…including in PC and after our little talk…"

"Talk?"

"Yeah the one where I said I wanted more fun with my life and not so much seriousness."

He remembered that conversation.

"I needed a new wardrobe for…playing pool at Coleman's just in case…well I never lose so nothing to worry about there. You play pool?"

"Sometimes…"

"It'd be a really great way to unwind after conducting mob…business."

"I imagine…"

"Do you? Are you good at it? Cause if you're not, well if memory serves me, brevity is not a bad thing for you when it comes to wardrobe."

He just stared at her his jaw about to drop but she'd already moved on.

"I'm hungry what about you?"

"Ah…that's good I guess," he said, clearing his throat, "I guess I could get us something to eat."

"How about some sandwiches," she said, "I think I want to try out that swing in the back. It's a great view."

She walked out and he just watched her go, wondering if he'd really ever be able to figure her out.

They moved into the kitchen to get out some cold cuts to whip up some sandwiches and she found some ice cold beers in the frig. They took their bounty outside in the heat, towards the swing which mercifully stood in the shady side of the back porch. They sat on it together and it creaked beneath their weight.

He bit into his sandwich, while she cracked open her beer and took a long sip. They ate together in silence, both rummaging through their own thoughts, not willing to test them on each other.

She brushed against his shoulder as she often did when they sat together, but neither moved away.

"I really don't know why I did it …"

There she had said it in the middle of lunch.

"Did what?"

"Got engaged to a professional hit man. I mean I thought he'd changed of course. I should have learned by now that people of that stripe never do "

He sighed, sipping his own beer, reveling as it slid down his throat. He loved afternoons like this one spent with the scent of ocean in the air and hot enough so that an icy beer really hit the spot.

Along with just the right company, the best company.

"Alexis you had no way of knowing that he had a secret life."

She shuddered, but then chuckled.

"You'd think I'd learn after associating with a man who did the same, or are you Derek Wells today Julian Jerome?"

He deserved that and didn't say anything to challenge her.

"Still, I am glad you found out and came to warn me before I could do something really stupid."

"You were about to walk away from him," Julian said, "I just wanted to be there in case he tried something."

"Which he did…he almost killed us."

Julian sipped his beer again.

"He didn't succeed."

"If he did…well I really have to start evaluating the men I gravitate to or I need more time n on Kevin's couch."

His brows knit.

"Kevin…oh the shrink."

"Yeah the shrink. He's really helpful…especially during the hypnosis to remember your name."

He sighed.

"We all make errors in judgment I know I've done that and a couple times they almost cost but you just learn from them and avoid them next time."

"There…that sounds like a plan. Because my bad decision making can really cost me the ones I love…and I've lost too many already."

"I think both of us have Alexis. I don't have much in the way of family left either…unless you count Ava and she's off god knows where doing god knows what."

"When I thought I'd come so close to losing Molly…I thought of my sister…"

He nodded.

"You mentioned naming your daughter Kristina after her."

"Yes I did…I never knew she existed…no I did when I was a girl. I even hid her from Helena but she's been taken away by our father. Jax, he brought her back to me which was both the best and worst of all possible things."

Julian looked up at her startled but she didn't look away.

"What do you mean? I know she died."

Alexis settled back on the swing, as it swayed gently.

"She was killed in a warehouse explosion…oh she wasn't the target. The innocent never are, they're just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"One of Sonny's warehouses…"

"Yes, he was in the midst of another mob war. They continue on and on, only the players change."

"So who was this player?"

"Luis Alcazar and his brother Lorenzo. Luis ordered the hit that killed my sister."

He frowned.

"Luis Alcazar's been dead for years."

"I know…"

He saw the expression on her face, the coldness in her eyes and he figured out the rest.

"You…you killed him?"

She pursed her lips.

"Yes I did. It didn't start out that way but that's how it ended."

He needed to process that information.

"The Alcazars were weapons dealers. Very nasty and ruthless, most families didn't associate with them."

She sipped her beer.

"Nice to know that you mobsters have some standards but you're right. They were cruel and after Luis killed my sister, he rubbed it in my face. Tormented me with it until one day…"

She paused collecting herself.

"I was pregnant with Kristina and argued with him," she said, "I went into labor early and I needed help. I begged him not to just leave me there but he walked away…"

Julian recoiled, thinking Luis really had no honor.

"So what happened?"

"A man…a nice man helped get me to the hospital where I had my baby."

Julian sipped his beer. It had shocked him a bit to hear what she'd done to a man that frankly the world was better off without. He'd heard about Luis' demise but not much in the way of details. Just one less mobster he'd have to worry about vanquishing during his triumphant return to PC.

"So now that you know that story…I think it's time for me to head down to the beach and finish my book."

"Wait…"

"Why? I've just slipped up and given you more information you can use. I don't know what got into me."

"You'd think I'd…of course you do…"

"I don't care. Everyone in PC knows all about it anyway. It's all over your newspaper's archives. Maybe when they do the next retrospective on his demise, they'll come back and interview me…"

"You were avenging your sister's death."

"Something a Cassadine even an illegitimate one might not usually do given that we usually kill each over for the crown jewels or something else."

He had looked at her, as she reflected on the past watching emotions old and newer play out on her face.

"Well, you'd think after all that I'd learn to be more careful but I seem to have this addiction to bad boys…"

His mouth curved into a smile.

"Yes you certainly do. The problem is you treat that like a bad thing."

She snorted.

"So you say because you got great mileage out of that weakness for a while…"

He paused.

"Alexis…why are you so sure I was using you?"

She gave him a pointed look.

"Because you were…and don't say no. Remember at Kelly's when I told you something about Sonny not knowing who you really were of course and you turned right around and used it on Shawn?"

He cleared his throat.

"Oh that…that was personal, it wasn't business. I was making it clear of my intentions towards you."

She felt like tossing her hands in the air.

"Does that mean what I think it does?"

"You know what it means."

She heard the tone that sounded suspiciously alpha male in his voice and she fell silent.

"I just don't know what that even means," she said, "You ahem, announced your claim and then you fell into bed with was it Carly first? Or…"

He interrupted.

"Did you ever do anything you regretted? That was on my list of them."

She sipped her beer thoughtfully.

"I guess I'll have to take your word for that."

He sighed.

"Alexis I came to PC with an agenda I'd been working on for years, that'd been my focus all that time and then…when I saw you in the Floating Rib, something familiar… "

"Join the club but that mystery's been solved," she said, "You knew way before I figured it out."

"Alexis…"

She shook her head.

"You chose what mattered to you and I'm judging you for that. But you hurt people along the way including my daughter…our daughter. She forgave you but I'm still her mother and I don't like seeing my children hurt."

She softened her words when she saw his reaction. There was no point tearing him apart over it when they had to work together at least for a while…and live together.

"Look this will be all over soon and then we'll go back to our lives. You'll always be Sam's father and I respect that. She wants a relationship with you and her son and I know despite everything you want that too. But for me, I served my part. I got you two together. So that'll just have to be enough."

"Is it?"

She sighed.

"I can take care of myself. I can protect myself. I've been doing it for so long mostly by myself I don't know any other way to be."

But as they settled back in the swing, sipping their beer and lapsing into silence, he thought he might have not been there when she needed him before but now, he had no plans to be anywhere else.