Alexis is sitting on the floor of the closet when the door swings open, revealing Stavros. She stands up.
Stavros: �Good morning.�
Alexis: (furious, but weak) �Let me go, you bastard.�
Stavros: �Alexis, Alexis. You really need to learn to be more polite to people who are holding your life in the palm of their hands.� He smiles. �Besides, if I let you go, you�ll get me arrested.�
Alexis: (defiantly) �Stefan already called the police.�
Stavros: �I doubt that. He knows what I will do to him if he does.�
Alexis: �Stefan isn�t afraid of you anymore, and neither am I!�
Stavros: �Is that so?� he leans close to her. �Wanna play a game?�
Alexis recoils in horror, backing against the wall of the closet.
Stavros: �That�s what I thought.� He laughs.
Alexis: �Are you going to leave me here all day?�
Stavros: �I was planning on it, but is there something you would rather do with your favorite brother?�
Alexis: (bitchy) �Stefan isn�t here.�
Stavros: �What?�
Alexis: �You said, my favorite brother, right? He is my ONLY brother, after all.�
Stavros: �I guess you prefer to call me something else.� He leers at her. �Like your very first lover?� he laughs. �I�m going to go get something to eat. I�ll be back.�
He closes the door to the closet and leaves.
The hospital.
Stefan is sitting by Mackenzie�s bedside when Julia and Jax walk in.
Julia: �I am here to keep Mackenzie company so you can go home and sleep.�
Stefan: (ignoring her) �How is Ned? Is there any word on Alexis?�
Jax: (gently) �None yet. But Jerry is working with the FBI and...�
Stefan: (cutting him off) �Who gives a damn about the FBI? My mother and brother are way too smart for that! They have her somewhere where no one would ever look for her. I know it.�
Jax: �Any idea where?�
Stefan: �No.� He thinks for a moment. �But it would be somewhere in plain sight.�
Julia: �Stefan, you need to get some sleep.�
Stefan: �I don�t need sleep. I need to find my sister.� He looks at Jax. �What are you planning to do this morning?�
Jax: �I was going to head over to Ned and Alexis� house. Do you want to come?�
Stefan: �Yes. Maybe the three of us can come up with something.�
Jax: �Julia, I�ll be back later, okay?�
Julia: �Be careful. Both of you.�
Jax gives her a kiss and then they leave as Julia sits down next to Mackenzie�s bed.
Julia: (to Mackenzie) �Oh, Mackenzie, you need to wake up. Everything is such a mess. Stefan�s brother, Stavros, is alive and he has kidnapped Alexis. I need you to wake up so you can comfort Ned, and Stefan. Between you being in this coma, and Alexis missing, we�re all an absolute wreck.�
Just then, Alan walks past the open door, whistling. He smiles and waves at Julia.
Julia: (rolling her eyes) �Well, most of are. Your uncle Alan is just as dopey as ever.�
Upstairs in the chief of staff�s office.
Monica is pouring over a chart when there is a knock at the door.
Monica: �It�s open.�
Gregory: (coming in) �Hello, Monica. I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment about that deposition that is going before the board tomorrow.�
Monica: (looking at her watch) �Okay, but we�ll have to make it quick. I�m due in surgery in a half hour.�
Gregory: �No problem.� He sits down in a chair. �So, how are you?�
Monica: �I thought you wanted to talk about the deposition.�
Gregory stares at her for a moment, appreciating her golden skin, blue eyes and long legs. Monica stares back, taking in his perfect figure, sun streaked hair and deep blue eyes.
Gregory: (snapping out of it) �What were you saying?�
Monica: (dazed) �Uh, well... I don�t remember.�
Gregory: (standing up) �I can always come back later.�
Monica: (to herself) �It won�t make a difference. You�ll still be gorgeous when you come back later.�
Monica: �That isn�t necessary.�
Gregory: �It�s no big deal. I have some other work to do.� He leans close to the desk. �By the way, Monica, you are looking quite beautiful today.�
Monica blushes as Gregory walks out of the office.
The Ashtons� house.
Ned: (as Jax and Stefan walk in) �Oh good, you�re here. We need to start focusing on specific places that Stavros could have taken her.�
Jax: (grabbing his arm) �Ned, are you okay? Did you get any sleep last night?�
Ned: �A few hours. I got up at four thirty, made breakfast, took Avery to school at seven, and have been working all morning with Jerry.�
Jerry: (coming into the room) �The FBI has a trace on both Helena and Stavros.�
Jax: �Why can�t we just MAKE Helena tell us where Stavros took Alexis?�
Stefan: (flatly) �Because she won�t tell us anything. She�d rather die than betray her precious Stavros.�
Jerry: �Than we need another tactic. Where would he have taken her?�
Ned: �Assuming that Alexis is still alive.�
Stefan: (glaring at him) �Don�t say that. I thought you had a little more faith in her that that. Alexis is a survivor. She always has been.�
Just then, Hannah starts crying in her playpen.
Jax: (picking her up) �Well, hello there Hannah banana. How are you today?�
Hannah stops crying and tries to grab Jax�s nose.
Ned: (smiling despite himself) �Stop flirting with my daughter, Jax. You don�t want Julia to find out about this.�
Jax: �I don�t think she�ll be too mad.�
Stefan: (impatiently) �Back to Alexis... the last place she was seen was at the marina, right?�
Ned: �Yes. Why?�
Stefan: �I�m going to assume that Stavros knocked her out somehow so she couldn�t escape. She�s a lot bigger than she was when he used to beat on her.�
Jerry: �So, what you�re wondering is, where is a good place to dump a kidnapping victim who happens to be unconscious...�
Jax: �...and would be very obvious if she was taken into public.�
Ned: (listening to them carefully) �That means that he couldn�t have taken her far.�
Stefan: �Didn�t the guard say that he was knocked out, but before that, he was watching the parking lot, and when he came to, there was no difference in the cars?�
Jerry: �That means that he couldn�t have taken off in a car.�
Jax: �He could have taken a cab.�
Ned: �What kind of cab driver would take a man with a kidnapping victim anywhere?�
Stefan: �That means that he never left the marina.�
Ned: (jumping up) �That�s it! He must have Alexis hidden somewhere at the marina.�
Jerry: �I bet she�s on one of the boats.�
Jax: �Well, there are a ton of boats down there. We�d better get looking.�
Ned: �But I have to take care of Hannah. And Alexis would kill me if I took her out looking for a crazed kidnapper.�
Jax: �I�ll drop her by the hospital. Julia can watch her.�
Ned: �Okay, as long as Julia doesn�t mind.�
Jax: �She won�t. She�s just as anxious to get Alexis back as we are.�
Twenty minutes later. The Port Charles Marina.
Stavros watches from aboard The Sea Star (the stolen boat) as Jax, Jerry, Ned and Stefan get out of Jax�s Mercedes and head down to the docks.
Jax: �She has to be here somewhere.�
The four men begin looking in all of the slips, calling Alexis� name and peering down into the interiors of many of the boats.
Luckily for Stavros, The Sea Star is at the end of the marina. But as the men get closer, he begins to worry.
Stavros: �Uh oh. We have a small problem.� He goes up to the driver seat and gets into it. He starts with boat with the spare key and roars away.
Stefan: (seeing him in the drivers� seat) �There�s Stavros!�
Ned: (spinning around) �Where?�
Stefan: �He just took off in that boat!�
Jax: �We have to get a boat. Now.�
They race down the docks to slip 28 and jump onto The Brinna. Jerry starts the engine and they race after Stavros.
Jerry: (as they reach the middle of the harbor and don�t see Stavros anywhere) �Now where do we go, Ned?�
Jax: �We should head north. I bet that�s where he took her.�
Stefan: �No, I bet he went east.�
Ned: �No, I�m positive he went west.�
Jerry: (annoyed) �In other words, you have no clue where he is?�
Ned: �No, but he�ll return sooner or later.�
Stefan: �Meaning?�
Ned: �Meaning that he will have to drive past us. This is a closed inlet.�
Jax: �So we�re going to sit here all day under the impression that he will come back?�
Jerry: �That�s insane. He may not even have Alexis.�
Ned: (taking Alexis� ring out of his pocket) �It�s all we have to go on. Let�s hope that it leads us to her.�
Jax: (putting his arm around Ned) �We�re going to find her.�
Just then, the Brinna stops moving.
Stefan: �What was that?�
Jerry: �Uh, Ned, when was the last time you put gas in the tank?�
Ned: �Uh oh.�
Jax, Jerry and Stefan stare at him as he buries his face in his hands.
Port Charles Elementary School.
Morning Recess.
Avery is sitting on a bench, looking glumly at the ground when Serena sits down next to her.
Serena: �What�s wrong, Avery?�
Avery: (looking up) �That bad man still has my mommy.�
Serena: �My daddy is going to help look for her.�
Avery: �What if they can�t find her? I won�t have a mommy anymore.�
Serena: �That won�t happen.�
Avery: �How do you know?�
Serena: �Because my dad and your dad are smart. Jax and Stefan and Jerry too. They are all looking for her, just like they did when you were kidnapped.�
Avery: �Can�t we do something?�
Serena: �Let�s go use the phone in the office to call my mom. She�ll tell us if anything has happened.�
They get off and walk hand in hand towards the office.
Serena: (to the receptionist) �I need to call my mom. It�s important.�
Receptionist: �Go ahead, Serena.�
Serena picks up the phone and dials Kimberly�s cell phone. Avery looks at her hopefully.
Kimberly: �Kimberly Corday-Baldwin.�
Serena: �Mommy, it�s me.�
Kimberly: �Serena? Are you sick?�
Serena: �No. Avery and I wanted to know if they found Aunt Alexis yet.�
Kimberly: (her heart breaking) �I�m sorry, sweetie, but they haven�t found her yet.�
Serena: (shaking her head sadly at Avery) �Is Daddy helping?�
Kimberly: �He�s trying to, but he can�t get a hold of Uncle Ned.�
Serena: �Okay. I�ll see you later. I love you, Mommy.�
Kimberly: �I love you too, Serena. Give Avery a hug for me.�
Serena hangs up the phone and gives Avery a hug.
Serena: �They�re looking for her.�
Avery: �I hope they find her soon.�
Serena: �They will. I would bet my Spice Girls dolls that they will.�
Avery: �You�d better be right.�
The firehouse.
Scott�s cell phone rings as he is giving Olivia her morning bottle.
Scott: �Scott Baldwin.�
Ned: �Scott, we need some help.�
Scott: �Where are you? I�ve been trying to get a hold of you all morning.�
Jax: (grabbing the phone) �Scott, we�re in the middle of the harbor, aboard Alexis� boat, which has run out of gas.�
Scott: �Why are you on her boat?�
Jax: �We saw Stavros on a boat, and took off after him. Can you bring us some gas?�
Scott: �And how would I go about doing that?�
Jax: �Well, I don�t know. Hang on for a second.�
Stefan: (taking the phone) �Go to Wyndemere. Use one of the launch boats to get out here and we�ll tow it back.�
Scott: �Are you sure that a launch will make it that far out?�
Stefan: �Of course it will. I don�t buy cheap boats.�
Scott: �Fine. I�ll be there as soon as I drop Olivia at my parents� house.�
A half hour later.
Aboard the Brinna.
Ned is staring out at the water, Jax is pacing the floor, Jerry is glaring at both of them, and Stefan is sitting in a seat staring ahead blankly.
Jax: �Hey! There�s Scott!�
The four men turn to see Scott heading towards them, a gas can in the small boat.
Ned: �Scott, I have never been so glad to see you in my life.�
Ten minutes later, the gas tank is refilled and they are headed back to the marina, the launch boat tethered to the back of the Brinna.
Scott: (mildly amused) �Didn�t you check the gas tank?�
Jerry: �Don�t look at me! It�s his boat!�
Ned: �It is not my boat! It�s Alexis� boat.� He sighs. �I am so worried about her.�
Stefan: �She will be okay. I can feel it.�
Ned: �I swear that from this moment on, I will not rest until she is safe again.�
That night.
Alexis is sitting on the floor of the Sea Star eating the last of the rice cakes Stavros gave her. She takes a long drink of juice and sighs.
Just then, she sees something shiny in the back of the closet and picks it up. It is a nail file. Alexis slowly smiles and goes to work prying the lock open.
Fifteen minutes later, the door swings open. Alexis crawls out of the closet and stands up. The sun is beginning to set but it is still light enough out to see.
Aboard Helena�s yacht, Stavros sees Alexis crawl out of the closet and stand up.
Stavros: (about to go ballistic) �Mother, I will be right back.� He picks up a knife and gets off of the boat, heading down the marina to where Alexis is.
Alexis: (to herself) �Free at last. After four days, I�m free.� She heads up the dock.
Just then, Stavros comes sprinting out of nowhere and grabs her, knocking them both to the ground.
Stavros: (hanging over her) �Alexis, where do you think you�re going?�
Alexis begins to scream at the top of her lungs.
Stavros: (clapping a hand over her mouth) �Stop it! Stop it right now!�
Alexis glares at him and kicks her legs angrily. Stavros slaps her across the face.
Stavros: �Well, I can see that you are just as ornery as you were when we were children. I guess that if I can�t win you over, I�m going to have to do something about it.� He pulls out the knife and aims it at her throat. �Say goodbye, little Alexis.�
Alexis lets out a blood curdling scream as Stavros lifts the knife to plunge it into her heart.
Just then, a bullet goes off from at the top of the docks.
It hits Stavros directly in the head. He crumples to the ground.
Aboard her yacht, Helena sees Stavros get shot and screams in horror. She races towards the phone to call the paramedics.
Alexis screams again.
Just then, Ned runs onto the docks and sees Alexis next to Stavros� crumpled body.
Ned: �Alexis!� he races towards her.
Alexis stands up, shaking, and walks towards him.
Ned sweeps Alexis into his arms and holds her for a long time.
Alexis: (sobbing) �I was so afraid I would never see you again.�
Ned: (crying) �That could never happen. I would never give up looking for you.�
Alexis: �The bullet... where did it...�
Ned doesn�t say anything. He just holds her tighter. They can hear the sound of sirens heading towards them.
Mac gets out of his police car and runs towards them.
Mac: �Alexis! You�re okay!�
Alexis: �Stavros had me.... he was alive.� She clings to Ned.
Taggert: (checking Stavros for a pulse) �He�s gone.�
Helena: �NOOOO!� she races towards the door.
Garcia: �Mr. Ashton, when did you get here?�
Ned: �A few minutes ago. Why?�
Helena: (racing towards them) �It was him! I saw it!�
Alexis: (still crying) �What are you talking about?�
Helena: (to the officers) �I was aboard my yacht, and I saw this man shoot my son.� She gestures at Ned. �I saw him.�
Officer #1: �In that case, you�ll need to come down to the station, sir.�
Mac: �Wait a minute...�
Officer #2: �This is standard procedure. I don�t care if this man is your friend.� He pauses. �Ned Ashton, you are under arrest for the murder of Stavros Cassadine.�
Alexis and Ned look at each other, shocked.
The Port Charles Police Station.
Alexis sits next to Ned in a holding cell after he has been questioned. She is still shivering in fear.
Ned: �Are you okay?�
Alexis: �I want to go home. And I want you to go home with me.�
Ned: �Scott is working on it. Thank God one of my best friends is a lawyer.�
Scott: (coming towards them) �Ned, they are holding you for half a million dollars.�
Ned: �What? I didn�t kill Stavros!� he looks at Alexis. �Do you believe me?�
Alexis: �Of course I do.� She looks at Scott. �Can I post bail for him?�
Scott: �Nope. Jax is going to.�
Ned: �Remind me to thank him later.�
Late that night.
The Ashtons� house.
Alexis has had a joyous reunion with both Avery and Hannah, and they are now asleep.
Alexis comes out of the bathroom to find Ned already in bed.
Ned: �Come here, Alexis Brinna.�
Alexis slips under the covers and snuggles close to him.
Alexis: �I never thought I would be here in our bed again.�
Ned: �Don�t say that. I never gave up.� He reaches over and takes her wedding ring off the nightstand. �This kept me going. Everytime I looked at this ring, I remembered how much I love you and how I couldn�t live without you.�
Alexis: (tearing up as he slips her ring onto her finger) �I left it on the boat on purpose. I was hoping you would find it and know I was still alive.�
Ned: �I�m so sorry, Princess. I should have protected you better.�
Alexis: �Ned, if this is anyone�s fault, it is mine. I ran off.�
Ned: �I love you, Alexis.�
Alexis: �I love you too. And I am so sorry that you were arrested.�
Ned: �I don�t care that I have to have a hearing. I didn�t kill Stavros.�
Alexis: �But Helena can be very persuasive. They may believe her.�
Ned: �Alexis, do you truly know that I did not do it?�
Alexis: �I know. I know that you would never kill anyone.� She pauses. �But I wonder who did kill him.�
Ned: �When we find out, I�ll send them a thank you card.� He pulls her closer. �I missed you so much. Everyone was so worried about you.�
Alexis: �I knew you would save me.� She smiles. �You always do.�
Ned: �I love you.� He leans over and kisses her.
The kiss begins to escalate and Ned begins to make slow, passionate love to Alexis as they make up for lost time.
Meanwhile. The docks.
A figure stands on the docks, looking out at the water.
Voice: �And I would kill him all over again in an instant.�