The name finally stumbled from Alexis mouth

Alexis hands noticeably trembled and her eyes began to flood with tears

Kate reached out placing her hand on top of Alexis to stop her from shaking

"Isabella... you, you"

Kate stopped her

"Kate"

"Kate"Alexis repeated "You cant do this, you cant do this"

"I have to..."

"Please! Ive kept you alive this long. Please get out of here!" Alexis was pleading

"Dont you love me?" Kate said almost coldly

"More than you will ever know. Thats why you have to go back to London... you were safe there... please, God....please"

By now Alexis was squeezing Kates hand

"You need me" Kate stated

Alexis was trying to catch her breath

"Of course I need you but I cant risk having you here with me"

"Im an adult now not a child. Have I not proven I can take care of myself"

"Did you run away?"

A bold question that was quick to the point

"No"

"He let you come here?" Alexis said suddenly sounding as if you had found her authoritative groundings

"He couldnt stop me"

"You cant do this, you cant come here..."

"Know one knows who I am"

"You cant just reinvent yourself and stroll into town"

"You did!"

"Isabella!"

"Kate!" She corrected

"Where are you staying?"

"Why should I tell you!"

"Isabella!"

"Kate!"

"Ok... Kate! Where are you staying?"

"The Port Charles Hotel!"

Alexis just looked at Kate for a moment in amazement of how she could have gotten from London to here in what seemed like such a graceful and comfortable manner... Alexis focused her attention back to the issue at hand.

"Look, Im getting you out of here, we will talk about this more rationally later and you will go back to London where you are safe and sound..." Alexis stood up before Kate could object. Alexis then leaned down looking deep into Kates eyes. "You go out there you tell them you were walking around, it got dark, you got lost and you thought you were in trouble and you didnt know what to do so you decided you would keep your mouth shut! I will do the rest. Are we clear?"

Kate stood up "fine!"

Kate did just that. She found herself creating one lie about her innocence after another...

"Alexis thank you so much for coming down here and getting this straightened out" Zander said giving Alexis a quick appreciative hug

"It wasnt a problem" Alexis said giving Kate a quick glance

"Yeah Alexis, Thank you so much for everything. Sorry I was so much trouble" Kate said innocently and very unassuming

"It was nothing" Alexis with her jaw locked

"Well... I think Ill call it a night" Kate said nonchalantly

Alexis was about to say something to Kate when she caught herself

"Yes, its late"

"Thanks again Alexis" Zander said

They parted ways

"So what did she say to you to get you to talk?"

"Shes a persuasive woman" Kate said sounding annoyed... "Zander thanks for getting me out of this mess..." she said now changing the subject

"No problem, but Kate will you please take me up on my offer about getting info you want instead of getting arrested. It will be easier on the both of us..."

Kate reached up to kiss Zander quickly on the lips

"Thank you Zander for getting Alexis to get me out. Ill see you at breakfast ok"

"Yeah, ok" Zander said miffed once again by Kate

She walked away, leaving him standing there

"You cant do this you know" Alexis said sitting in the chair that faced the door of Kates hotel suit

"I can do whatever I want" Kate said sitting her bag down not seeming so surprised that Alexis was waiting for her.. "What are you doing here? Shouldnt you be busy booking me a flight back to London?"

"Sit!"

"Why are you so angry that Im here?"

"Im not angry that youre here. My God, I see the sight of you and I cant think straight because I love you so much! But Im also so afraid of what may happen to you by you just being here..."

"You shouldnt worry so much"

"Isabella, Kate whatever name you choose it to be, it doesnt change who you are. I know that first hand! And I spend everyday of my life fearing of what will happen to Kristina just because she is in my life..."

"When you moved to Port Charles you promised me you would call and you did for a while... and you use to write all of the time... and suddenly you didnt care about me anymore!"

"I had to deal with Helena... then Kristina got killed" Kates face turned solemn "I separated myself from you because everything around me as falling apart I didnt want anything to hurt you too"

Kate dug herself into the couch

"I cant live my life with you here and me there..."

"You have everything there..."

"I dont have you, I dont have Kristina"

Alexis got up to sit down on the couch beside Kate and opened her arms to hold her

"You are my greatest secret. I somehow managed to make you disappear so no one... especially a Cassadine would ever hurt you in a way that they can... until now"

"I told you no one knows who I am" Kate protested

"Zander does... and it will spread like a wild fire that another Cassadine is in town."

"Zander knows me as Kate Ward and so will everyone else... its still our secret"

Alexis shook her head trying to gather her thoughts, to put all the pieces in place

"How did you find Zander anyway?"

"That restaurant, Kellys... he was there when I came in a few days ago... hes been on my case ever since..."

Alexis nudged Kate to turn around allowing her to look at her face to face

"Kate" She said accepting her "new" name "we have to be careful, I want to shout to the world who you are... but we cant, please understand"

"Im not saying anything unless you do... and as far as Zander know you and I are two people that met at the police station tonight"

Alexis looked at Kate again trying to put the pieces in order

"Im already breaking the rules... but Kristina is at home with the nanny and I have to get back... come home with me... I cant leave you here..."

Kate grinned

"I dont want to cause trouble..."

"Its never trouble when you love someone Isabella. We will just have to work this out, ok?"

Kate only nodded her head agreeing...