Scott Baldwin reached for an apple from the bowl on his kitchen counter and absently took a bite as he scanned Saturday's edition of the Port Charles Herald. Apparently, the PCPD were still investigating the limo explosion that had occurred, outside Luke Spencer's club, two weeks prior. As he took another bite of his apple, he contemplated how diplomatic the word investigating could be. Investigating merely committed the department to keep the case open; it didn't actually obligate them to solve the crime, much less, provide sufficient evidence to the prosecutor's office to ensure that justice could be served.

As a former Chapparal County Prosecutor, Scott understood that justice being served was anything but a foregone conclusion. Sadly, in his three-year tenure as an assistant DA he had seen very little justice served. That had been a big motivator for his April 1997 resignation. He had couched it as a decision which was right for his family, but truly had just been too burned out as a public servant to continue. Unfortunately, admitting that would have invited criticism of his new boss, DA Abigail Mitchell. Personally, and professionally, he hadn't wanted to do that.

Loud and fast knocks pulled Scott from his thoughts. "Hold your horses, I'm coming!" he shouted as he made his way to his front door.

When he opened his front door, Scott found himself face to face with two of Port Charles' finest, Detectives Alex Garcia and Allison Jordan. "To what do I owe this honor?" Scott quipped.

"We have a warrant for your arrest," Detective Garcia said without emotion.

"On what charge?"

"Rape," Detective Garcia said in the same emotionless monotone.

Rape?! The charge was ludicrous. He wouldn't…He couldn't…. "That is ridiculous! This is clearly a mistake!"

"Listen, Scott, we're just doing our jobs and executing this arrest warrant. You will get a chance to tell your side of the story. Maybe you're right and this is a mistake, but we can't resolve that mistake debating this on your front porch," Detective Jordan said.

Logically, Scott knew she was right, at least about the process. His earlier thoughts regarding justice and the lack thereof in Port Charles came back to haunt him. "Let me grab my briefcase and I will surrender voluntarily," he said. Quickly he turned to the table by his front door, closed the lid of his briefcase and briefcase in hand started back towards the door.

Technically, Scott knew that once an arrest warrant had been executed surrendering voluntarily should be off the table. Yet, he acted on a hunch and took the chance that neither detective would question him as he made his way to their unmarked car.

Scott's hunch paid off. He found some small solace in that as Detective Garcia pulled away from the curb and started their trip to the PCPD.

XXXXXXXX

Carly Ashton was greeted by the smell of fresh brewed coffee as she descended the stairs of her new home. As the scent of hazelnut wafted towards her, Carly took a deep breath and vowed to make the best of her time as the newest Mrs. Ned Ashton.

"You have perfect timing. I was just debating whether I should wake you before your omelet got cold," Ned said as she entered the kitchen.

"You made me an omelet?"Carly asked. She couldn't remember the last time someone had personally cooked for her.

Ned turned to open a drawer beneath the wall oven and pulled out a shallow baking dish. "Yes, and between you and me, our warming drawer is a bit of poor substitute for fresh from the oven or pan so, please, sit, eat!"

Carly followed Ned into the breakfast nook area and dropped down in front of one of already laid place settings.

Ned placed Carly's omelet on the plate. "Did you want juice? Coffee? Both?" he asked.

"Both, definitely." Carly said as she reached for her fork. She had no idea if Ned could cook but somehow just the idea that he had tried was really sweet. For half a second, she almost forgot that their marriage was a means to an end.

When the first bite hit her mouth, Carly realized that Ned didn't need partial credit for effort. He got full marks for flavor. "This is really good!" she said as Ned set a glass and mug down in front of her and then joined her with what looked like a bowl of oatmeal."

"You say that as if it surprises you," Ned quipped before taking a gulp of his own coffee.

"No, I didn't mean it that way. It's cool that you're a culinary God, I struggle to boil water."

'I think culinary God is a bit of an overstatement but I'm glad you like it," Ned said with a smile.

Carly really looked at her husband for the first time. His smile was warm and genuine. She knew that, in spite of his frustration with most things Quartermaine, Jason had really trusted and respected Ned. Maybe he would be a good father. That would be convenient if he was because she was pretty sure it was unlikely, she would be a good mother.

XXXXXXXX

Alexis Davis poured coffee from the silver decanter on the sideboard in the formal dining room, took a sip and smiled. Even on the weekends, the Wyndemere Staff were up before dawn making sure everything was ready for a new day. Mrs. Lansbury supervised the kitchen staff and ensured that breakfast was laid in the dining room by seven o'clock. Coffee and food were replenished kept warm until ten o'clock, on Stefan's orders, in case he wanted to conduct a morning breakfast meeting. Or at least that was the spoken rationale. Alexis had never known her cousin to conduct breakfast meetings, and suspected that it was really his way of extending a kindness to her without having to change his position on the importance of early rising.

As she sat down at the long dining room table with her coffee and baklava, Alexis reached into her briefcase for the latest version of Dr. Rachel Locke's contract with PCGH. Negotiations with the psychiatrist had been ongoing for about nine months. Alexis couldn't decide if the woman was just picky and entitled, or if she really didn't want to work for PCGH at all. She strongly suspected the latter.

Alexis was still reviewing the contract and Dr. Locke's latest demands when Stefan entered wearing riding jodhpurs and boots. "Nikolas and I are heading out for a ride. I have asked Mrs. Lansbury not to hold lunch on our account."

Alexis debated internally if she wanted to ask about Katherine. She knew Stefan had planned to end his relationship with Katherine the prior evening. Katherine had been gone when she and Nikolas had returned home from the Quartermaine reception and Stefan had already retired to his quarters for the evening. Stefan's face revealed nothing, of course her cousin had never been one to wear his heart on his sleeve so that meant very little.

"Are you still leaving for Greece this evening?" Alexis asked instead.

"I am. I will return Tuesday evening."

"Don't forget about the hospital board meeting Wednesday morning."

"Of course, I have adjusted my itinerary accordingly. I doubt any decisions of actual consequence will be made. Still, it would not do to have the CEO not in attendance," Stefan said.

As they usually did, Stefan's words left Alexis with more questions than answers.