"What are you doing here? Both Alexis and Mason asked the other in a hurried whisper.
"I live hear." Alexis replied defensively.
"I am well aware, I meant in this house, at this meeting?"
"I'm here to oversee the contracts."
"You are handling contract law now?"
"What are you doing here?" Alexis asked ignoring his question.
"I'm here representing...Oh God," Mason gasped as though he had just remembered something.
"What?"
"Father."
"CC is here?" She demanded.
"He stopped to say hello to Lila." Mason said, explaining why his father had not walked into the room with him. Apparently the Quartermains and the Capwells went way back.
"Great, why didn't you bring the whole family?" She asked sarcastically.
"Well I hardly expected to find you sitting in the middle of the Quartermain living room." He replied. "Could we argue about this later, in case you've forgotten we sort of have an emergency on our hands?"
Suddenly they were both looking wildly around the room as though for an escape. All they found were the curious looks of the crowd they had forgot was there. Before either could give a word of explanation CC Capwell entered the room and time seemed to stop.
Mason moved to stand directly in front of Alexis in the hope of blocking his father's view. Both Jax and Sonny saw the move as defensive and quickly moved closer to Alexis as though this new man might be a threat. Unfortunately with three men surrounding her Alexis was kind of hard to miss and so CC saw her at once. At first he only glanced at her but then quickly looked again as though he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.
"Ju-"
"Father, I need to speak with you out in the hall for a minute." Mason said stepping to his father's side. Unfortunately in doing so CC got his first unobstructed view of Alexis, and her unborn child.
"She's pregnant?" He asked as though the idea somehow defied logic.
"Now, please." Mason said giving his father little choice as he practically dragged him from the room.
Alexis stood in a sea of curious eyes and for one of the first times in her life had no idea what to say. She smiled awkwardly at Jax hoping he might slip into his armour one last time, and being the gentleman he is, he took the challenge.
"Here Alexis why don't you sit down, you look a bit pale." He smiled gently leading her back to the sofa.
As she turned to follow, Sonny, who was standing beside her, whispered something just loud enough for her to hear. Until he spoke she had not realised she had been holding her breath. Hearing him tell her to breathe caused her to gasp slightly before complying, though she couldn't say if it was due to surprise or habit.
She wasn't able to analyse her reaction further because at that moment Mason and CC re-entered the room.
"Please excuse my behaviour earlier," CC told them before approaching Alexis smiling. "It's lovely to see you again dear," he said kissing Alexis' cheek.
"Um, you too CC." She replied looking nervously at Mason who smiled reassuringly, clearly he had a plan.
"My father was surprised to see Alexis since we haven't seen her in years." Mason explained. Thankfully everyone was concentrating on Mason and no one noticed the look of disbelief on Alexis' face, well almost no one.
"You see Alexis went to school with my sister Eden, and she spent several summers with us..." Alexis listened with amazement as Mason wove together a web of half truths and outright lies with such confidence that he seemed to be daring those listening to doubt him. No one did, at least not out loud.
"Yes, Alexis is just like family." CC added for good measure once Mason had finished his story.
"Well isn't that a coincidence, the baby Alexis is carrying is my great grandchild."
"Really, is that so?" Mason asked with something between a smile and a smirk.
"Mason, everyone is probably eager to get down to business." Alexis said quickly before he could make any more comments about her child, or anything else.
"Well then perhaps I should introduce everyone," Ned suggested stepping forward. He introduced the Capwells to the Quartermains and then to Jax and lastly Sonny.
Sonny could swear he saw something flash in the younger Capwell's eyes when his name was mentioned but it was quickly covered.
"So you've known Alexis for quite a while," Sonny directed at CC. "I'll bet she was an awfully cute ten year old?" He asked casually.
"Yes, almost as beautiful as she is now." CC replied smiling and missing Alexis' panicked look. No one else in the room, including Mason heard anything wrong in his statement. That was because Sonny was the only one who knew Alexis hadn't left Greece until she was fourteen. Everyone else moved on and began to discuss the deal. Alexis and Sonny sat on opposite sides of the room watching each other, him knowing she was hiding something, her knowing she had been caught.