"What are you looking for?" Zander said peering over Kates shoulder at the newspaper she held open in her hands
"A job actually"
"A job? You?" he said sitting beside her on the park bench
"Why do you say it as if its that so hard to believe?"
"I guess its not that hard to believe I just didnt think you needed a job"
"Well... I do now"
"Do you mind me asking why suddenly youre needing to join the work force?"
"Im staying in Port Charles"
Zanders eyes widened
"So the mysterious gypsy soul is unpacking her bags"
"Im trying to"
"Trying?"
"Complicated"
"Of course" Zander said as if he now understood how she worked. "So any luck?"
"Not even a decent waitress job"
"Waitress? Now you definitely dont seem to be the waitress type"
"Ill have you know I was a waitress in Paris before I came here"
"Really? A new surprise every day... I really dont mean to assume but the way it seems, your daddy wouldnt want his little girl waiting tables in Paris"
"My "daddy" didnt have control over where I was or what I did"
Clue number one about she and her father
"So does your father know youre here?"
Zander was catching on... as if he recognized a run away, he had been one himself
"He does now"
Kate was being quite open. Telling just enough, but the truth would be out sooner than later
"So can I ask whats making you stay here in Port Charles?"
"A cute guy that asks too many questions?"
"Ok, ok once again I get it"
Kate took a moment to study Zander
"I uh, I found what I was looking for, thats why Im staying..." she said somewhat confessing
"You mean you found who you were looking for"
"Yeah"
"Im happy for you, I mean you seem happy about finding this person so whoever it is Im happy you found them"
Kate gave Zander a shy smile
"Thank you and also thank you for putting up with me"
"Im not sure if you should thank me just yet for that!" he said grinning
"Still not too sure about me huh?"
"Im warming up to you a little more every day... I guess I go for the intriguing thing"
"I dont mean to be so intriguing"
"Youll trust me when you want to"
"You do think you have me all figured out!"
"No, I just want to figure you out"
Kate turned to look at the sincerity on Zanders face and then she leaned in and gave him a short sweet kiss
He grinned uncontrollably
Kate began to laugh at the effect she knew she had on him
"You... you have so many things up youre sleeve and what ever youve got up your sleeve for me, Kate Ward its working
"I was hoping it was" Kate said giving a satisfied look on her face
******************************
"Youve been distant lately..." he stated simply as he watched Alexis pack Kristinas things into an over night bag
"Sorry Ive uh... just been really busy" she said trying to dodge the subject as she continued to pack Kristinas things
"Maybe you shouldnt take on so much, you have the tendency to..."
He had no idea all that was running through Alexis head. She wasnt wrapped up in a court case or in Cassadine business. It was the furthest from her mind.
"Ned... Im fine. Ive just been busy. I promise Im not over doing it!"
"Youve also been a little on edge lately..."
"Are you trying to pick a fight?"
"Alexis" Ned said calmly
Alexis finally stopped what she was doing. Ned was right she did feel like she was over doing it, she was in over load....
"Im sorry, I just have a lot on my mind at the moment..."
"Anything you want to talk about?"
Anything she wanted t talk about?
Kristina, Kate, Connor... him
Alexis couldnt snap at him for being concerned and he was sincerely concerned
"I promise everythings fine. I just need sometime to think clearly about some things"
Ned took Alexis by the arm and made her sit in the chair by Kristinas crib
"Ned lets not do this today..." She said protesting assuming Ned was getting ready to force some sort of confession out of her
Instead, Ned began to press the tips of his fingers into her shoulders and began to knead her muscles
Alexis didnt pull away she only closed her eyes letting the touch of his hands sooth her
"Youre tense"
Alexis let her head fall and Ned watched as she began to breathe more deeply. Suddenly her hand reached for his stopping him
"I should finnish getting Kristina packed before she wakes up from her nap"
"Alexis its ok to take a second and relax"
Alexis stood facing Ned
"I, I cant do this"
"You cant do what? Take 5 minutes and relax?"
"No I cant..."
She wanted to say be here, alone with you
"I just have a lot to do and if I get side tracked Ill never..."
Alexis stopped in mid sentence realize that she was closer to Ned than she was the moment before
Alexis looked at Ned
He wasnt arguing, he wasnt trying at that one moment to fix anything. He just was standing there in the silent room with her
"I, I..." Alexis felt uneasy
Before she could force another word or another excuse out of her mouth Ned simply held his arms open for her
An invitation that she was allowed to decline
Alexis fell in between his arms
And he held her
"Ned" She said now holding on seemingly as tight as she could
"Hmm"
"We shouldnt do this"
"Im trying to be a friend. Im not here to make it complicated. You seem to need a friend"
Alexis pulled away enough to look at Ned face to face and then closed her eyes as if it were painful to feel her own heart beat in her chest
Before she knew it she had leaned in again against his chest letting his arms wrap back around her
Everything about him was so familiar, all the good between them could be so easily remembered and all the bad could be so easily forgotten...
She kissed him
She once again pulled from his arms but this time she let her lips wander to his
She wasnt sure if it was her head or her heart that had just done what it had done
She looked into his consoling eyes and she kissed him again
Memories could have done so much more
Passion could have done so much more
Alexis lips trailed to his cheek and then her own cheek rested on his shoulder
"Im sorry" she said quietly into his ear
"Please dont be" he whispered back
Once again she pulled away from him looking his eyes
"Ill finnish packing Kris things"
Ned only shook his head allowing her this time to do so
