Collide 2

Ric had gone home that night per her insistence

He didn’t know which seemed more unfair, to leave her alone without her girls or leave the girls alone without their mother…

But Alexis begged him to go. She didn’t want their baby girl to be confused without either of them there. Chloe didn’t know what it was like to wake up and her mother not be there…

She reminded him of the girl’s morning routine relentlessly before he left

And though Alexis called Ric out a time or two for the grinning smirk on his face,

Ric let her remind him, he knew it made her feel better. But he knew the routine by heart

The mornings that he was there with them… he had learned the routine by heart

So she woke up the next morning alone and in silence

But she didn’t sleep a moment later than her usual. She just laid there… her daily life swarming through her head. It was apart of her now. She used to love to sleep as late as she could, waking up in a pile of folders and documents she had read through until the wee hours of morning. She used to stumble to the kitchen for a cup of coffee only she could bear the taste of… Now, she still slept with the occasional folder or two but her coffee waited. Kristina now was sleeping a little later but it seemed only to allow Chloe to take her place

Alexis lay there her eyes glaring at the ceiling of the hospital room

Her baby girl would be sunk into her arms at that moment as she paced across the living room floor, if she were home

She would only have a few more minutes before Kristina would appear around the corner, her curls tousled from sleep and her beautiful face…

“Good morning”

Alexis quickly pulled herself away from her thoughts

“Good morning”

“I didn’t mean to startle you”

“Oh my head was just in the clouds”

“You seem a little better this morning” Peter said taking note of the smile that was on her face.

A smile even more beautiful than the one she flaunted at the Metro Court the day before

“I feel much better”

“A good night’s sleep will do that”

His eyes

God those were some amazing green eyes

Alexis wanted to tell him just how amazing they were, how she could just stare…

She wouldn’t

“Thanks for prescribing the rest. You’re right, I needed it but I’m also looking forward to getting home to my girls…”

“Your girls?”

She brought them up. Now would be the appropriate time to ask about them

“Uh yeah… I have two little girls”

Her face beamed when she spoke of them

“I thought I heard Jax ask you about them yesterday but I didn’t hear exactly what he was saying… I wasn’t trying to listen in on your conversation I mean…”

Alexis grinned slightly at his sudden detectible nervousness around her

“How old are they?” Peter continued

“Kristina is 3 and Chloe is 6 months”

“No wonder you’re worn out and doing it by yourself…”

Alexis’ eyes widened

“I didn’t say I was doing it by myself”

“Oh I mean I…” Peter sighed frustrated by his own big mouth and lack of couth “I asked about you…” He gathered his thoughts. “When you left the Metro Court yesterday I have to honestly say I was a bit taken by you, and I asked Jax about you…”

Alexis was only waiting for what Peter would say next. She was flattered that he was ‘taken by her’ but she was also wondering just what Jax was willing to tell

“He didn’t, Jax didn’t tell me much. Really just how much he loved you. And that you were his best friend and his ex-wife. It was a real mush fest” he said grinning and she returned the grin knowing with Jax it was admittingly so a bit mushy between them “I was the one who asked if you were with anyone. Jax said it was complicated and that it was your story to tell…” He said now more serious

Alexis found herself breathing a sigh of relief

“Peter, I didn’t mean to sound so…”

“No, no…”

“It’s just, my life right now is… My husband and I are…” Alexis said tugging at her face

“Alexis you don’t have to explain”

She clenched her eyes shut for a moment

“I just didn’t want you to think I was jerk just now. I didn’t mean to snap at you…”

“I didn’t think that at all. I threw you off guard and you were being cautious”

Alexis had put them both is an awkward situation

She wanted to dig them out of a hole she had pushed them both in… she changed the subject

“Um thanks for calling Jax yesterday. I mean I assume you did…”

“It really did seem Jax loves you and by the way he spoke of you he thinks the world of you I thought you might have needed him. … I hope I didn’t overstep my boundaries by calling him”

“No it was thoughtful of you to call him…”

“Well he seems to make you happy. And speaking of making you happy we need to talk before I let you out of here today”

“Holding me hostage?” she asked teasingly

“I would if I could but unfortunately I can’t! I just have to trust that you will try and follow some stipulations I have for you. As much as I would love to see you again, the hospital isn’t exactly my idea of a place to keep running in to a beautiful woman” Peter said rather straight forward

Alexis bit at her bottom lip. She couldn’t help, she knew she shouldn’t be so charmed by him but she was

“You have to do something about the stress in your life, whatever or whoever it is”

She shook her head

“Alexis, you’re otherwise perfectly healthy, but your previous heart troubles and this kind of stress on your body… it will only put you right back here at GH and away from your little girls”

“Ok so I cool it on the stress! And I’ll follow the rules… and” she said grinning “I promise the next time you see me it won’t be because I’m a patient!”

“Sounds like a deal! I’m holding you to it” Peter said sticking his hand out to her

Alexis shook his hand, laughing

It was the first time he heard her laugh

He made note to try and make her laugh again, it seems her laugh had the possibility of being infectious

“Jax also happened to mention that you are a very successful lawyer… two little girls, a career, the husband in which I’m not asking questions about…” he said grinning making light of their previous awkward moment “That alone all adds up to sleep deprivation, stress, worrying…”

“I get it, I promise but you have to understand I can’t just do a 180, it’s my life!” Alexis said making a face “And it’s just been extra crazy I’m trying to look for a house and work had been…”

“Alexis”

“I’m sorry. I’m rambling. You’re not my therapist and I know you’re probably thinking God she needs one!”

“I wasn’t thinking that at all!”

“You weren’t thinking that there could be a possibility that I might actually be insane?”

Peter laughed

Now she made note of the way he laughed

“It never crossed my mind that you were the slightest bit crazy”

“No? You’re not paying attention” She said dryly

Peter laughed again

“Alexis I don’t think you’re crazy I just think maybe there might be some things in your life that might be making you think you are”

“And that in itself is a whole different therapy session doctor”

He grinned

“Just take care of yourself”

“You doctors are pretty insistent on that”

“Well we have to be or you lawyers become very insistent on it!”

She laughed

“So what about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, where are you from? What brought you to Port Charles?”

“Ah asking questions about me now…”

“You got to ask questions about me so it’s only fair I get to ask them about you. And since Jax isn’t here, you can tell me”

“Ok…” Peter said agreeing “I came from San Francisco where I was born and raised by Maggie and John Martin. I have a brother named Patrick, is actual name is John but we call him Patrick...”

“What?” Alexis said laughing

“Just seeing if you were paying attention. My brother name is John Patrick Jr. so we call him Patrick so it will be less confusing”

“Gotcha”

“My mother says I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was around 6 so I became a doctor”

“Wife, children?”

“Ah huh see how easy it is to ask personal questions”

Alexis didn’t say a word only made a face

He was right it was easy. Curiosity would kill a cat

“I have an ex-wife who is happily married to someone else. They have 2 kids. I have none”

“What happened?”

“I got married right out of medical school just like I thought I was supposed to. She and I had a great 7 year run and 1 year that wasn’t so great. She didn’t think my job was as important as I thought it was. So we split up and I went to work and she got custody of the dog… You seem the type to understand that”

“What do mean?”

“Your job versus your life”

Alexis let out a sigh “Yeah, I used to understand it well”

“And you don’t anymore?”

“It’s at least in perspective now. My job I mean. Before Kristina it consumed my life. It’s who I was”

Peter didn’t say anything only seemed to stare at her

“What?” She asked nervously

“Oh I um…” he laughed

This laugh different than the others

“Did I say something to…”

“No, I just. You asked me what brought me to Port Charles. I think that’s it”

“Putting things into perspective?” Alexis asked following along

“Yea, with Jennifer, my ex-wife we thought we had it all figured out. When the truth was we had nothing figured out and it honestly scared me away from that whole fairytale life”

Alexis let out a nervous breathy laugh, she understood

“I accomplished what I wanted to in San Francisco. And lately I had just been feeling trapped in my own life”

God, she understood that too

“So I started looking for places to go and I ran in to Jax a couple of months ago out in Colorado on a skiing trip. I hadn’t spoken to him in years, he told me he was in Port Charles, I told him my plans… the rest is well, the rest brings me to the present, here with you”

“And how did you know Jax?”

“Our fathers were old friends actually. They were business acquaintances and from way back and from there became friends. When the Jacks’ would come in to the city our families would always get together”

“Small world I guess”

Peter paused looking at Alexis

“Yeah and I guess I’m glad it is”

Alexis smiled

“So do all of your patients get this much undivided attention?” she asked fishing

“Only the ones I’m infatuated with” Peter shot back

Alexis laughed again

“So I guess it’s only the patients you’re infatuated with that you’re this forward with”

“No… just you”

Alexis’ eyes widened

She loved his honesty though she was still a bit thrown back by it

“I’m not sure how I should react Dr. Martin”

“Well, I hope that you’re flattered that I’m so willing to make a fool of myself over you”

“A fool huh? You’re willing to make a fool of yourself, and you don’t even know me”

“There is obviously more than meets the eye with you Alexis”

“You think so huh?”

“I find you intriguing just by the little bit I know about you”

“As far as you know I’m a fairly crazy wife and mother of two! You find that intriguing?”

Peter laughed

“I find that very intriguing” Peter said playing along devilishly “I’ll find out who the mysteries Alexis Davis is”

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation

Ric peered through

“Hi”

“Hi” Alexis said the smile left on her face from she and Peter’s flirting banner

“Doc can she have visitors?”

Alexis grinned as Ric now held the door open with Chloe in his arms as Kristina ran through

“Hello my sweet girl!” Alexis said holding her arms open for Kristina

Peter quickly helped Kristina on to the bed seeing that Ric’s hands were full

Alexis kissed Kristina over and over “I missed you and Chloe”

“We missed you!” Kristina said propped up on top of her mommy’s lap returning a few kisses

By then Peter had stepped out of the way but was lost in observing them

He loved that Kristina had no regard to anyone else in the room when it came to missing her mommy. It was obvious Alexis was a great mother

Peter watched her with her children, with her husband

Ric handed Chloe to Alexis

“Hey there baby girl” Alexis said looking in to her wide eyes

“Is everything ok Dr. Martin?” Ric said as Alexis was already completely engrossed with her girls

“Uh yeah” Peter said snapping out of his stare “Everything seems to be fine. Alexis just needs to make sure she keeps her stress in check”

Ric shook his head

“And her heart?”

Her heart? Physically it would be fine, figuratively that was the one thing Peter was unsure of… that was the biggest mystery thus far of Alexis Davis

“Her heart should be fine. She knows the rules now”

“Thank you” Ric said appreciatively

Peter scribbled something on her chart

“Remember all that we talked about Alexis” Peter said with a smile

“I will” She said returning the smile

“Mommy all better?” Kristina asked

“Yes Mommy’s better she can go home with you now”

“Yaaaay!” Kristina said as she giggled

Peter grinned “I’ll have them get your release forms ready”

“Thank you Dr. Martin” Ric said again appreciatively

“Of course”

Peter turned to walk out leaving her to her family

“Peter?”

His name from her mouth

Peter turned to see her smiling face, the smiling face that mimicked the one she had greeted him with earlier

“Thank you… for everything”

“Sure” was all he said with a seemingly disappointed smile as he walked out

“Kristina let’s show mommy the clothes we brought for her”

Kristina immediately went for the bag sitting at the end of the bed

“Thought you might want something comfy to wear home”

“Oh I thought I would prance out of here in my 2 inch stilettos” Alexis said laughing at herself

“You still could…” Ric said grinning “Here, Kristina let’s let mommy get up…” he said placing her two feet to the floor “And I’ll take Chloe so you can get dressed” he said taking their baby girl in to his arms

Alexis quickly shot up to the side of the bed. She wasn’t missing her opportunity to get out of there

Ric handed her, her clothes

“I brought the black one… I thought you liked it more” he said referring to the little hooded black jacket “The breeze is cold out there today. You’ll need it”

“Thank you”

She was glad he had brought her “something comfy.” She was also still glad that he knew her well enough to know what to bring and more so what she liked more

Alexis’ feet hit the floor and without thinking she turned her back to Ric and lifted her hair

“Could you untie me?” she asked referring to the ties placed strategically down the hospital gown

“Oh… sure” Ric said shuffling Chloe in his arms

Alexis went to pull the gown from her when she suddenly realized just how naked she was underneath

She stopped herself

“I um…”

“Alexis”

Ric said her name nervously

“Honey what is it?” He asked confused “Honey, I’ve seen you naked”

Suddenly Ric seeing her naked, seeing her bare breasts seemed awkward though he had seen them hundreds of times before

“I know it just; it doesn’t exactly follow the rules…”

Kristina occupied by her doll suddenly stopped to look at her parents

Both Ric and Alexis stopped to look at her

And then to Chloe

Alexis’ fingers went tracing down Chloe’s back

Ric caught her hand

“If you won’t me to step outside I will”

Alexis was biting her bottom lip

She was standing there literally all eyes on her

Her hand still clasped in his

“It’s silly I know” She said shaking her head

“It’s not silly… but you and I have to figure all of this out. You being rushed to the emergency room and spending a night at General Hospital has to be a wake up call for both of us”

“Well maybe my wake up call is me not getting undressed in front of you anymore”

Ric clinched his eyed shut

Her words, stung

“At least not when it makes you feel this uncertain” He said swallowing all the humility that was left

Her deep breath raddled the room

“Kristina why don’t you help mommy get dressed. Your sister and I will be waiting on you two ok”

Tension

“Ok!” Kristina said happily following directions

Ric looked back at Alexis before walking out with Chloe

“Just let me know when you’re ready. We’ll be waiting for you”