Alexis ran her hand over Cameron’s chest, tracing lazy circles with her long slender fingers. When she didn’t get a reaction with her fingertips, she replaced them with her lips. She trailed kisses from his collarbone, down his shoulder and onto his chest. She decided that he was either a very heavy sleeper, pretending to be asleep, or she had actually killed him. Their lovemaking had been so passionate the night before that she feared for a brief moment that it had dropped him dead in his tracks. Alexis ran her hand down his chest to his stomach and was working her way under the waistband of his silk bottoms. Cameron was having a terrible time not responding to her touch. Just being near Alexis was more than enough to send his body into convulsions of pleasure. He couldn’t let her know the power the mere stroke of her hand held over him. Otherwise, he would have to give up and become her perpetual love slave. However, he was only human and her touch quickly became impossible to ignore. At which point, he groaned and opened his eyes and was immediately lost in her adoring eyes and her marvelous smile. He knew there was very little point in fighting the inescapable fact that he loved Alexis beyond all rhyme or reason. In her hands, he was nothing more than clay to be molded according to her will.

"I knew you were faking being asleep." Alexis announced with a triumphant grin on her face

"You did not!"

Cameron groaned as he rolled over until he was facing Alexis. He ran his hand over her face, his thumb gently tracing her features. He was deeply moved by her beauty and confidence. At times, he found himself wondering if she was real or if she was something his mind had conjured up in a moment of loneliness and grief.

“You are so exquisite. You are the type of woman that men write about in epic poems. All men should fall at your feet and worship your beauty.” Cameron sighed.

Alexis averted her eyes with obvious shyness. Despite all that they had been though she was still not completely comfortable with his unadulterated gaze. He could tell by the look in her downcast eyes a part of her still felt unworthy of his love and a portion of her heart still doubted that she was beautiful. It hurt him to see that doubtful look in her eyes, but Cameron accepted the fact that it would probably always exist to some extent. She had spent too many years being told that she didn’t measure up and it had been partly his fault. He had hurt her in the past and he was determined to spend the rest of his life making up for the pain he had caused.

"Actually, I figured that you were either faking being asleep or my feminine wiles had proven to be too much for you to handle and I had killed you!"

Alexis bit her bottom lip in that seductive way that only she knew how to do. Every time he saw her do it, he felt an uncontrollable urge to kiss her passionately until they were both left gasping for breath. He would have, if he hadn’t been distracted by the movement of her hands on his lower body.

"For the record, you almost did kill me and you are close to killing me again." He groaned

He took her hand gently, removing it from a rather delicate part of his lower body. He brought it up to his mouth and kissed it tenderly. Alexis tried to move her other hand down there as well, but he captured it and brought it to his lips.

"I just love the feel of you in silk" Alexis seductively purred, as she tried to pull her hand out of his gentle hold. He continued to trail kisses across both of her hands and wrists, causing her to sigh contently.

"You just love the feel of me period and the feeling is mutual. For the record, you are the only woman for whom I would ever wear a pair of silk pajama’s." He stated as he kissed her hand once more.

"You were a silk vendor for 5 years in Istanbul, you mean you never tried out the goods?" Alexis teased.

"Correction, the father of my common law wife was a silk vendor. I was merely his slave." Cameron dryly remarked.

He had spent five years in Turkey not knowing who he was or how he came to be in such a strange place. All those lost years he had spent missing Alexis. Even though he had no way of knowing who she was. Visions of a woman with soft chestnut colored hair and the laugh of an angel had tormented him. All the while, he had been with another woman, a stranger that had no chance of meeting his needs or desires for no other reason than she wasn’t Alexis.

"I’m sorry, honey, how can I make it up to you? Would it help if I made you my love slave?" She gave him a seductive look as Alexis tried to remove her hand from Cameron’s grip, but he would not budge. It was much too late, he had long been under her power.

"Slavery is slavery, Alexis. I would much rather be your willing partner than your slave" He gave her an intense look.

"You’re no fun." She pouted.

"Oh I can be loads of fun. You should have learned than sometime in the last 48 hours but, we really need to make it out of this bed sometime this week." He teased.

Alexis rolled over until she was on top of him, pinning him to the mattress, which had seen a lot of action over the past 48 hours.

"This bed has served us well for the past two days. Why should we leave it now?"

She tried to look sultry, but only succeeded at looking adorable with her mocha eyes shining brightly and her lips slightly parted. Which was just fine with Cameron, he would take adorable over sultry any day of the week. His Turkish wife had been as sultry as an Istanbul night and yet it had always failed to move him on any real level. It was the little cute things that Alexis did that moved him to his core and made him want to shower her
with kisses and hold onto her so tightly that his arms would lose all feeling.

"For one thing, we have had nothing to eat or drink for the past two days except for chocolates, strawberries and champagne." He casually informed her.

"We have had an endless supply of them both." She grinned and indicated a small refrigerator beside the bed.

"I have people that I need to see, Alexis, besides I ate the last of the strawberries at around 3 this morning." He admitted with a touch of guilt in his voice.

"You ate the last of the strawberries without me?" Alexis whined.

"It was either that or wake you up and devour you and you looked so peaceful sleeping." He defended.

You owe me compensation for not waking me up and for eating all the strawberries." She challenged.

Cameron raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"What type of compensation?"

"I’m thinking something along the lines of you letting go of my hands and giving me free roamage for 5 minutes."


He had her hands held tightly in his own to keep them from wandering over his body. He let out an audible moan at the thought of allowing her hands free access to his body for 5 minutes.

"As tempting as that compensation sounds, we both know that free roamage would lead to kissage, which in turn would lead to us never leaving this bed." He reluctantly sighed.

"You sound as if that would be a bad thing?"

"It would be a bad thing, only because it would mean that I would miss out on meeting my granddaughter."

Upon returning home, Cameron had discovered that one of the most important events he had missed was the birth of his son’s first child. As anxious as he had been to meet his granddaughter, he had been unable to resist spending time with Alexis first.

" I want you to meet her too.”

Alexis reassured him, but Cameron caught a look in her eyes. A nervousness that he could not put his finger on. There was something that his son and Alexis were keeping from him regarding the child. However, he dismissed it at the moment as unimportant.

He only wished that he had stopped at the grocery store on his way up to the cabin. He had some food
reserves. However, they would soon run out if he were shocked in for more than a day or two. Cameron looked out the window at the falling snow.

"Only an idiot would go out in this storm." He said out loud.

As if on cue, a knock came on the door. He opened it to find Ned standing in about two feet of snow.

"The storm came up all of a sudden. I followed the lights." Ned stood shivering in the doorway.

"You are letting all my heat out. Come in here." Cameron reluctantly instructed.

"Thank you. I was on my way back from Buffalo and I think I got lost." Ned stood by the fire trying to warm up.

"I’ll say you got lost. You are about 10 miles from the main highway"

Cameron hoped he wouldn’t regret letting Ned in out of the cold. He didn’t like the man one bit and not just because Alexis had once loved Ned. Everything about Ned was contrary to Cameron’s value system. The most glaring crimes that Ned continued to commit were his continued disrespect for and lack of appreciation for Alexis. Crimes that Cameron could not find it in his heart to forgive. Cameron and Ned stared at each other for several minutes before another knock came. Cameron sighed and opened the door.

Although he had never met the man who was standing on his cabin porch, he knew exactly who he was. Sonny Corinthos had a reputation that more than preceded him. It hung over him like a dark shadow. He had also been Alexis' employer until something had soured their relationship to the point that it pained Alexis
to even mention Sonny's name. The crime lord seemed to lack respect for Alexis as well. But, from what Cameron had heard about the man's relationship with his wife, he wondered if Sonny just lacked respect for women in general. Cameron was not at all surprised to hear that Ned knew Sonny. He was glad that Alexis had managed to free herself from both men. She deserved more than wither of them would ever be able to give. Alexis deserved to be loved and respected unconditionally. She was one of the most remarkable women in the history of time. Her accomplishments were immeasurable and they needed to be celebrated, not condemned. Cameron studied the two men in front of him. Men who had deeply wounded the woman he loved. They were both to blame for her inability to open her heart. Cameron knew that he should have turned them out into the cold storm, but maybe if he spent time with them he could learn

something that would help him reach Alexis.

"Ashton, what are you doing here?" The second interloper asked.

Cameron wanted to know what they were both doing there, but that answer was obvious. The fates had decided his life was not complicated enough. He needed to be plagued by not one man previously involved in Alexis' life, it had to be two.

The Bet Chapter 2

"The State Police closed the road. The suggested that there was a cabin about a mile away and that I should spend the night there. So here I am."

Sonny insisted.

Cameron rolled his eyes.

"Good God! Let me guess? It was moron gets lost in the woods in a snow storm day at camp?" Cameron mumbled under his breath

He was being to feel certain that he was going to regret bringing them both in out of the cold.

"What are you talking about?" Sonny sarcastically questioned. "I was conducting business in the area. I wasn’t at any camp." Sonny shook his head.

"He's a criminal!" Ned accused.

"You're no boy scout yourself." Sonny countered.

"I can see that there is only one way the three of us are going to survive this snowstorm." Cameron opened up the liquor cabinet and poured three drinks. That was the start of the trouble. Self-preservation caused them to drink heavily for the next 24 hours. They quickly discovered that they had two things in common. First of all, they hated each other.

Second of all, they were all very familiar with the way that Alexis responded to the prospect of romantic commitment. By the second day of heavy drinking, with Cabin Fever setting in the particulars of the bet began to take shape.

"You have known her for a year and you still haven't gotten her into bed?"

Ned sniped at Cameron.

"At least she didn't flag down a semi to escape marrying me." Cameron gleefully countered.

"Give the good doc a break, Ashton. Alexis is an iceberg. It would take more than plaid shirts to get her fire started. Of course I had her all hot and bothered in no time flat." Sonny boasted

"She dropped you faster than greased pig. Ned squealed. Besides, I could get her to marry me if I really tired."

Cameron rolled his eyes. He was surrounded by idiots and they were all drunk.

"I could get her into bed if I really wanted. I'm just not sure it would be very much fun." Cameron replied, feeling the full force of the alcohol.

"I could get her back in my life if I really cared." Sonny crossed his arms in a defiant manner.

"Want to bet?" Ned asked with a devious smile playing across his face.

"Sure, I'm game as long as you don't mind losing." Sonny challenged.

"Count me in, and for the record I never lose." Ned smirked.

Cameron was about to remind him of several times when he had lost. However, he was strongly feeling the effects of the drinks and couldn't remember the exact information he was thinking about.

"What are we betting on exactly?" He asked more than slightly confused.

"Who can get the farthest with Alexis and I don't mean just sex. Two out of three of us have already gotten that far." Sonny proudly proclaimed.

"Fine, I bet I can get Alexis to marry me." Ned insisted.

"If you get her to marry you, it won't be for love. So I bet that I can get Alexis into my bed even though she is married to you." Cameron smirked triumphantly and then instantly forgot the last thing he had said.

"You haven't managed to get her into your bed after a whole year. What makes you think it would be any different if she were married to Ned?" Sonny challenged.

Cameron remembered now, he wanted to make love to Alexis. It all made some twisted sort of sense.

"It is easier to seduce a married woman than one that is unattached. Especially if the woman in question is a commitment-phobic like Alexis. If Ned gets her to marry him, he has already won half of my battle," Cameron reasoned.

"What are you willing to bet Corinthos?" Ned asked.

"Well, as the good doctor has pointed out, Alexis would never marry Ned out of love. I bet I can get her to fall in love though, with me!" Sonny replied.

"What does the winner get?" Ned asked almost salivating.

"How about ELQ stock." Sonny offered.

"I have enough of that to last me a lifetime." Ned answered.

"Why would I want ELQ stock?" Cameron questioned.

"Ned, you may think you have enough, but I know for a fact my 10% would give you a majority holding.

Cameron, you need ELQ stock to make you worthy of Alexis. It would mean that you would be in league with the big boys. Of course, the reason I need ELQ stock is obvious. The more legal holding I have the better."

"What about the losers?" Cameron questioned after realizing that maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Anyone who loses or forfeits has to walk away from Port Charles and life as they know it forever. That means no more Alexis for the rest of his life."

Ned suggested with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"I'm in." Sonny shrugged.

Cameron considered it for a long moment. He was drunk and stuck in a cabin with two men he hated. However, he loved Alexis and this did not seem like a very good way to honor her. Even drunk, Cameron realized that fact. However, Ned was standing between him and Alexis because he was Kristina's father on record. His vile name was on her birth certificate. Cameron had lost count of all of the times that he had wished it was his name on her birth certificate. Because, as long as Ned was around Cameron would never really have Alexis to himself. The very minute that things started to heat up between him and Alexis, Ned was always there throwing a wrench into the works. Cameron seriously doubted that Ned could get Alexis to marry him, Ned would lose the bet and Cameron could be rid of him forever.

"This could be interesting." Cameron agreed.

"So, Ned, how are you going to get Alexis to marry you?" Sonny asked.

"Simple, Sonny, I'm going to tell you the truth. Alexis has been lying to you for over a year. I'm not Kristina's father. You are."

A vicious look crossed Sonny's face.

"That cold-hearted bitch," he was finally able to mumble.

Cameron nearly dropped his drink. It was a good thing his reflexives were slow because of the alcohol, otherwise he would have been facing charges of double homicide. Even in his inebriated state he knew that what Ned had done was a low blow. He wondered if he could still throw them both out in
the cold to die. In his drunken state he was convinced that they would probably just gang up on him and kill him instead. Besides, the bet was already in place and he was a man of his word. Ned had started a chain of events that could only end badly for Alexis. Cameron was powerless to stop it, but he could still do his best to help Alexis. Things were looking bad, but unbeknownst to Cameron, they were about to get a whole lot worse.

It took Cameron time to recover from the shock of hearing that Sonny Corinthos, a man whose life was surrounded by darkness, had somehow played a part in creating a child of light and beauty such as Kristina. When he did recover he wanted nothing more than to shake Ned until his head rolled off his shoulders or until he told Cameron why he would actively set out to ruin Alexis' life.

Cameron received his answer very quickly. It was all about
control and manipulation for Ned. After the terms of the bet were established, Ned figured that the best way to get Alexis to marry him was for her to perceive that Kristina was in some kind of danger. Ned knew that Sonny would go after his daughter and he was right. Almost before the icy roads melted Sonny was in a planning session with his lawyers strategizing on how to get Kristina away from Alexis. It made Cameron physically ill to
watch Ned gaslight Alexis and convince her that a marriage between them was the only way to keep the little girl away from the evil Sonny Corinthos.

The problem was that Ned was right. He had been a part of Kristina's life before she was born and he was the father of record. United with Ned, Alexis stood a good chance of keeping her daughter It took no time at all for Ned to convince Alexis that the only way to protect the little girl is for them to get married, despite the fact that everyone knew that Alexis was in love with Cameron. There went that damn wrench again!

The Bet Chapter 3

The evening before Alexis and Ned’ wedding Cameron had summoned Alexis to the
park. He arrived early and had been pacing back and forth across the snow-covered lawn. He rubbed his hands together and tried to stay warm. Asking Alexis to meet him in the park, at nearly midnight on December the 31, might not have been his most brilliant move. However, he had to see her and hopefully talk some sense into her stubborn head. The only problem was that he had no idea what to say. How could he possibly tell Alexis that she was making a mistake by marrying Ned to protect her daughter. Cameron loved Kristina and wanted her protected. So, it would have felt selfish of him to ask Alexis to put his needs before those of her daughter. He was not against Alexis being married, he was against her nuptials was because he wanted Alexis all to himself. Then an idea struck him, he had to convince Alexis to marry him instead. They had never talked about marriage, but it made perfect sense. Ned would lose the bet and it would send a strong message to Sonny as well. Cameron knew he just needed to find the right words.

He was still trying to figure out what to say when he heard soft footsteps walking towards him on the stone path. He glanced up and first thought he was seeing an angel. Alexis was dressed in a long velvet coat and had her hair pulled up into a loose twist. The moonlight reflected off of her face and sparkled in her eyes, creating an all around celestial effect. It took her almost a minute before she saw him, time that he gladly spent in private contemplation of her beauty and grace. As she approached, he caught the scent of her perfume as it glided through the crisp night air. It reminded him of starlight and father convinced him that Alexis must have been born out of moonlight. He must have had a very goofy grin on his face when she finally noticed him, because she let out a soft laugh.

"What are you staring at?" She wanted to know.

"The most beautiful and captivating woman I have ever had the fortune to lay eyes on." He replied truthfully.

He thought he saw her blush.

"Cameron, It’s New Years Eve. You should be out celebrating." Alexis titled her head and gave him a worried look.

"How can I celebrate when I know that you are going to be starting the New Year as the wife of another man?"

Cameron insisted, his voice cracking with emotion.

"We still have 30 minutes before midnight. That means 30 minutes before the official start of my wedding day. 30 minutes that I can’t think of anyone I would rather be with than you"

She indicated the space beside her on the
bench.

He cringed at her description of it being close to her wedding day.

"Alexis I want to talk to you about the wedding. That is why I called you here." He felt clumsy as he stumbled over his words.

"I’m glad you called, because I want to ask you something important."

Alexis nervously wrung her hands together.

"I want to ask you something as well," Cameron admitted, "You go first though. He insisted.

"Would you consider attending my wedding?" She looked up at him with loving eyes, chocolate pools that were able to penetrate to his very soul. Cameron felt as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest.

"Alexis, I would do anything for you, but please don’t ask me to bear witness as you pledge yourself to Ashton." He had a pleading look in his eyes.

"Tomorrow is probably going to be one of the worst days of my adult life. The only thing that I can think of that could possibly be worse would be losing my daughter forever. The only thing I can think of that could make tomorrow bearable would be knowing that I had at least one person I love in attendance."

"I can’t be there Alexis. If I had to watch I’m not sure I would survive. How can you even think of asking me to witness the biggest mistake of your life?

Cameron gave her a desperate look.

"I have to marry Ned for Kristina and for us." She pleaded.

"Don’t make this about me. How can you even consider marrying Ned, a man you loathe at best?" He tired and failed to keep his voice from pleading.

"I’m not losing anything by marrying Ned. He and I haven’t been friends for some time. So, I’m not jeopardizing our friendship. I plan on keeping my maiden name and my career. So, I’m not giving up my identity or my independence."

Alexis had a detached air to her voice, which worried Cameron to no end. It was as if she were talking about a weekend trip to the beach instead of the rest of her life.

"I don’t owe Ned anything and I have no intention of being his
wife in the physical sense. In fact, the very idea makes my stomach turn."

Her last statement was much to Cameron’s relief. He had not stopped to consider that Ned might have certain privileges once he was married to Alexis. Now, the very thought of Ned touching Alexis made his blood run cold.

It is not as if I’m marrying anyone I truly care about. It's not like I'm marrying you, Cameron." Alexis shrugged.

"Would marrying me really be a fate akin to death, Alexis?" He scoffed and stood up from the bench. Maybe he had been wrong and she didn’t feel the same way he felt. We walked over to a nearby tree and crossed his arms defensively

"Cameron, don’t act so offended. You know what I mean." Alexis gently coaxed. She walked over to him and took his arm, leading him back to the bench. His body relaxed with her touch.

"Marrying you would be more complex because I’m in love with you. I want to get lost in you whenever you hold me in your arms and every time we kiss."

She gave him an intense look. If he hadn’t been sitting down, he probably would have fallen over. Alexis had admitted that she was in love with him and yet she was still planning on marrying another man in less than 12 hours.

"Alexis, you just admitted that you are in love with me. This is a major development in our relationship. I have dreamt of this moment for months. I just didn’t expect it to happen right before you married another man!"

Cameron tried to remain calm and resist the primal urge that was coursing though his veins. The urge to throw her over his shoulder and abduct her, lock her away in his cabin and make her bend to his will.

He knew in his head that he couldn’t do that with Alexis. His heart was telling him different though. It was beating loudly and drowning out the voice in his head telling him to let her make her own choices. For one moment the primal won out over the civilized and he kissed her with the force of a thousand
winds.

Taking her face in his hands he gently drew her mouth to his own. The kiss started out slow and sweet, a nibble on her bottom lip. Alexis was not satisfied and soon had his mouth engaged in one of the most passionate and vigorous kisses Cameron had ever encountered. She plunged her tongue deep into his mouth and slowly and intimately explored every nook and cranny of
his mouth. Alexis was a control-freak, he had known that since the moment he first met her. She was practicing the ultimate form of control with her mouth, tongue and god help him even her teeth. Cameron felt his knees weaken when she gently and seductively bit his lower lip. He had to regain control of the situation and he knew exactly how to do so. His hands
ran the along the length of her back, stroking in circles. He moved his hands to the front part of her body and underneath her sweater. He wanted so desperately to touch her. He needed to feel the softness of her skin and feel the heat of her body against the palms of his hands. When Alexis didn’t pull away at his touch, he became more adventuresome and softly ran his palms up her ribcage. Her moans and gasps were more than enough encouragement. His hand made tiny circles across the top of her breastbone to her shoulders and back again. He stopped at her heart, which was beating so quickly that he was afraid she might pass out at any moment. She was affecting him as well the blood was rushing to the lower part of his body so quickly that he was stating to feel light headed as well.

Cameron had no real plan when he started the kiss. If he had thought it through he would have known it was terribly impractical to make love to her in the park, in the winter, in the middle of night. He wasn’t thinking though. All he was doing was feeling. Feeling her skin beneath his hand, feeling her pulse quicken and her heart beat escalate and he touched her and
exchanged kisses with her. All he could feel was her body and the ways she affected his body. Which happen to be thousands of ways no woman had affected him before. There was no doubt that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. They were close to giving into that want when her watch beeped. Alexis pulled out of his embrace, breathless and flushed and looking absolutely beautiful. She looked gorgeous, but heartbreakingly sad as well. He usually was too rational to hate objects, but he hated that watch. It had interrupted their blissful moment and sent them both crashing head first into reality. A reality that would end in him being separated from the wonderful woman who had stolen his heart.

"It’s midnight. We both know what that means. Today is my wedding day. Happy New Year Cameron." Alexis gave him a weary smile.

He shook his head and tired to pull her back into his arms.

"No, Alexis, how can I have a happy new year when the woman who loves me is hell bent on making the biggest mistake of her life? Maybe you are just playing with me head and you don’t really love me at all." Cameron challenged with anger and pain in his voice.

Alexis pulled him to her and took his hand in hers. She placed his hand on her heart.

"Honey, do you feel that? It is my heart and it is beating for you. It will always beat for you no matter who I’m with. I do love you, but I love my daughter as well. You and I are grown-ups and we will survive being apart. Kristina is just a child and she would not be able to survive without me. I have to do what is right for her, even at the expense of my own happiness."

Alexis allowed tears to spill from her eyes.

"Alexis, I know that Kristina comes first in you heart and in your life. Does that have to mean that there is no room for me in either one?" He gave her an intense look.

"Nothing could be farther from the truth. Next to my children, Zander and Kristina, you are my heart Cameron. Not even Stefan or Nikolas holds that honor." Her voice was laced with emotion and sincerity.

"Then why would you rather marry Ned than marry me?" Cameron found himself blurting out.

Alexis seemed a little shocked and Cameron was more than a little embarrassed. However, it seemed like a good enough question under the circumstances.

"I don’t recall your asking me to marry you, Cameron." Alexis nervously stammered as she averted her eyes towards the ground.

"Darling, I will ask you right now. I will get down on one knee here in the snow and ask you to be my wife. I don’t have a ring and sadly I know I could never afford one nearly as nice as the one that Ned gave you." He shrugged as he prepared to drop to his knee. Alexis placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. It could feel the warmth from her touch through his coat and his shirt. It warmed him straight to his soul. He wanted to feel that warmth for the rest of his life, he wanted her for the rest of his life.

"You could buy me a plastic ring with a quarter for a vending machine, and it would be the most beautiful ring in the world, because it would be given in love." She replied with tears in her eyes.

"Is that a yes to my marriage proposal?." There was so much hope in his eyes that he wondered if it was killing Alexis as much as him to break both their hearts this way.

"No, Cameron, I’m afraid not." She answered simply, averting her eyes. No doubt it was to avoid seeing the pain in his eyes.

"Why not?" He pleaded, more frustrated than angry.

"I despise the whole institution of marriage. I hate the idea that
any woman is obligated to sacrifice herself to the will of a man. My husband will very quickly become the most unpopular person in my life. I never want to feel that way about you, my love." Her words held honest emotion and they moved him deeply. Yet not deeply enough for him to give up.

"Then forget marriage. I tried it once and I’m not really that keen on it either. Just run away with me Alexis."

"What are you suggesting?" Alexis asked slightly out of breath.

"We could take Kristina and leave town. We could start over just the three of us." Cameron took both her hands and pulled her to her feet. "Think about it Alexis, we could start over and have the life that we both have dreamt of having." He pulled her into his arms and swung her around.

"Now that would be a happy new year! Now will you please put me down! You're making me dizzy" Alexis grinned. Cameron saw the look of joy in her eyes and he knew that he had a chance of making this work. He sat her back down on the bench and excitedly kissed her several times her beautiful mouth.

"What was that for?" Alexis asked with shy giddiness in her voice.

"You looked a little cold and I was afraid that your divine lips were in danger of turning blue. So in order to avert disaster I kissed you. Do I really need a reason to kiss you Alexis?"

He gave her a passionate look. The kind that he knew always made her weak in the knees.

"You never need an excuse to kiss me." She blushed and nibbled on her bottom lip, which only made him want to kiss her again.

"It is a little cold out here, funny I just noticed."

"Then we should go back to your apartment, get Kristina and leave for good."

He stood up, rubbing his hands together. It was colder than he thought. It was almost as if a chill had suddenly tainted what had previously been an unseasonably warm night. Cameron turned to Alexis, who had suddenly become very quiet. He saw a look in her eyes, one that he had feared would appear.
He blinked his eyes hopping it would disappear, but he knew Alexis was thinking, analyzing, when all he wanted her to do was feel.

"Alexis, stop that. Don’t think about it, just feel it please! This is
right. We are right. This can work!"

He pleaded, but he knew it was too late.

"Running away and starting a new life with you and Kristina. That sounds wonderful, but Sonny would never give up until he found us. He would take my daughter away from am and he would never let me see her again. He would hide her from me Cameron."

A desperate look of panic had replaced the joy in her eyes and Cameron felt his heart sink to the cold hard ground with a thud.

Cameron gave Alexis a look of desperation. He felt as if he was drowning and she was going right down with him.

Alexis, you are a Cassadine. You have access to amounts of money that are beyond the wildest dreams of Sonny Corinthos. You and I could take Kristina and hide forever" Cameron desperately reminded her.

"You would have to give up the life you have established here in Port Charles. You would be leaving friends and your practice. That is too much for me to ask, Cameron."

Cameron reached out for her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Holding on tightly to her and stroking her hair in a reassuring manner he gently whispered in her ear.

“There is no sacrifice to big for you and Kristina. There is nothing you could ask me to do or give up that would be asking too much. Alexis, I would give my life for you. Giving up my existence in Port Charles would be a small price to pay to spend the rest of my life with you by my side.”

Alexis pulled back to look at his serious eyes, full of depth and love.

"You’re too good for me." She insisted.

"No, you don't think you are good enough for me Alexis and you are wrong."

He declared firmly.

"I would be asking you to do the one thing I could never do, I would be asking you to walk away from your child."

Cameron felt his heart fall for the second time in less than 5 minutes. Alexis knew Cameron well enough to know that leaving his son would be one of the most painful things she could ask.

Cameron swallowed and looked into the eyes of the woman he loved more than life.

"It would be difficult to leave Alexander, especially since we seem to be getting close again. However, it would not be impossible. I'm afraid that living without you by my side would soon grow unbearable. So, we have to leave now."

He pleaded.

Alexis shook her head.

"Despite Nikolas ultimate sacrifice of marrying that shrew, Lydia for her inheritance, the Cassadine fortune in still recovering from Helena's plot to terrorize the free world by reviving my monster of an older brother or was he my younger brother now?" She wondered out loud.

Cameron was mesmerized, yet confused. He kissed her gently on the forehead.

"Alexis, darling, you're rambling and as adorable as you are when you ramble, now is not the time. Can you explain it to me in a language I can understand. Why is it impossible for us to just take Kristina and leave Port Charles forever?"

She leaned on his shoulder. He instantly placed his arm around her protectively. Alexis leaned into his embrace and sighed

"Cameron, you make things sound so simple. The truth is that it would take a lot of money to hide from Sonny for any reasonable amount of time. My family is broke and both you and I are trying to reestablish our practices. Running is just not an option right now"

"Wait a minute, did you just say that Nikolas married Lydia in order to save the family fortune? Is marrying for convenience rather than love some kind of Cassadine family tradition? You can stop this Alexis, you can be the one to break the cycle."

Cameron replied with renewed hope in his voice.

"You may be on to something. I'm not sure any Cassadine has ever married for love. I know my father didn't love Helena. It is very much about honor and strategy for my family. I had never analyzed it before." Alexis considered his point for a moment.

"Now that you realize the problem goes back generations. You can put an end to it by not marrying Ned tomorrow."

Cameron happily concluded. His spirits were high and his hope was renewed. Then he saw the look on Alexis' face. She was looking at him with sad eyes brimming with love and adoration,

"It's not going to happen is it?" He frowned.

Alexis shook her head.

"No." She pulled him into a tight embrace that warmed his very soul. It was the kind of embrace that made him feel as if all was right in the world. The kind of embrace that Cameron never wanted to end. Yet, he knew it would end and all he would feel would be cold, empty and alone.

"I'm sorry Cameron." She gave him a longing look. " I have to go now."

She turned quickly, most likely so as not to see the look of devastation in his eyes. Cameron slumped to the cold, wet earth. He hardly felt the ground beneath him. What he did feel was defeated and heartbroken. The last words that he heard were nothing more than a whisper on the wind as Alexis walked

away.

"I love you Cameron, no matter what, you will always have my heart."

His reply was little more than a sigh.

"I love you too Alexis."

Chapter 4

Cameron sat on the ground for several minutes feeling too stunned to move. He ran his hand through his hair. After a few minutes he realized that the ground was very hard and cold and decided that he should really get up and go home. Let his heart was heavy and it was weighing down the rest of his body. He heard foot steps behind him and look up to see his son standing over him looking concerned.

"Dad?" Zander asked with a perplexed expression on his face.

"Alexander." He simply replied. Cameron made no move to get up off the ground.

"Dad are you drunk?" The boy asked with a slightly amused look on his face.

"If only I could be so lucky." Cameron replied in a hollow voice.

Zander realized that his father was not going to get up off the ground. So he sat down beside him on the frozen earth.

"Dad is something wrong?" He asked with concern in his voice.

"Alexis invited me to her wedding." Cameron moaned.

"Are you going to go? You really should you know it is going to be hard on Alexis. Having the two of us there may make it easier." Zander shrugged.

"You are going to be there, Alexander?" Cameron looked hopeful.

"Emily and Gia are Alexis' bridesmaids. I think one of them is my date for the event. I'm not really sure which one though. They have both been in rotten moods lately. I think it might be that time of the month if you know what I mean?" The boy shrugged again.

"Tell me you didn't say that to them." Cameron gave his son a disappointed look.

"It kind of slipped out tonight at the reversal dinner." A guilty look crossed his face.

"There was a rehearsal dinner? Did Alexis show up?" Cameron asked.

"For a little while. There were all of these relatives of the Q's there. Ned was parading Alexis around like she was some kind of prized deer that he had shot and planned on having stuffed and mounted on the wall of the den. It was disgusting. It wouldn't surprise me one little bit if Ned just sticks Alexis on top of the wedding cake tomorrow so the whole world can fuss over

her."

Zander shook his head sadly.

"Alexis hates being fussed over." Cameron sighed.

"Yes she does, which is why she stayed for about 30 minutes tonight before she bolted. That was when Gia and Emily went for each other's throats and I accused them of being hormonal. I wasn't very popular with either of them after that." Zander grinned proudly.

"Son, you have just proved to me that you know nothing about women!" Cameron gently scolded.

"You are no expert yourself dad. I bet you don't even have a date for the wedding tomorrow." Zander smirked.

"You have too many dates." Cameron reminded him.

"Well, at least I have seen some action recently. I'll bet it has been ages since you even kissed a woman." Zander accused, pointing a finger at his father.

"Not that I have to report my romantic activities to you, but I was a willing participant in some action right here in the park not long ago."

Cameron smiled triumphantly.

As usual, Zander misunderstood and was shocked.

"Dad, you can do much better than meeting a hooker in the park at midnight. You know, there is a nice secretary at ELQ who will be at the wedding tomorrow. Let me introduce you to her."

Zander suggested.

"No thank you, son." Cameron politely declined.

"How about dating someone from work." Zander tried to be helpful.

"I don't want to date anyone from work. That can get messy."

"Dad, I hate to see you all alone. You need someone."

"Don't you understand? I only want Alexis!" Cameron blurted out to a stunned Zander.

"Oh boy! I thought my love life was complicated." Zander shook his head in amazement.

"What I mean is that I want Alexis to be happy. Ned will make her happy."

Cameron tired desperately to cover his mistake.

"Sure Dad, whatever you say." Zander winked. "So are you going to the wedding or not?"

"I suppose I'll go." Cameron sighed.

"Well, you know the saying. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."

He gave his father a supportive slap on the back

"It makes you stronger and eager to fight for what is really important."

Cameron softly agreed. He pulled himself up off of the ground and tried to shake the cloud of loneliness that now threatened to cling to his soul like an emotional leech.

Chapter 5

The wedding turned out to be easier than Cameron had expected. It was difficult to watch the woman he loved marry a creature as reprehensible as Ned. However, Cameron had made it through the thankfully short wedding ceremony. In the end, the vows Alexis had made were only words. Cameron could tell by looking at her eyes that she did not feel anything for Ned. The wedding ceremony and the reception had both taken place at the Port Charles Hotel. Which had given Cameron ever reason Which had given Cameron ever reason to daydream about taking Alexis upstairs ad making nonstop love to her until management had to be called to tell them to cut out the noise.

The reception had been longer, but a subsequent supply of bourbon had that that tolerable as well. He had spent most of the afternoon near the bar, and then as things were winding down he had moved into the ballroom to the bar near the stage. Zander had been correct about Quartermaine relatives overtaking the wedding and reception. It was as if they were coming out of the woodwork. Alexis looked miserable most of the day. On a few rare occasions, Cameron was able to catch her eye. When he did, she had a pleading look on her face. After several drinks, he had even mouthed the words "You had you chance last night," to her. She had been less than amused when he did so.

The room had cleared out and the hotel staff was busy cleaning up after the reception. Cameron was enjoying one last bourbon before calling it a day when he heard the unmistakable click clack of high heels on the marble floor. He looked up and saw Alexis standing by the edge of the stage. She had thankfully changed out of her dreadful wedding dress and into a fitted pink suit. She was the most beautiful sight he has seen in a long time. Primped from head to toe in a pink cashmere suit with a long fitted jacket and a slim skirt that stopped just above her ankles. To balance out the conservative nature of the suit, the skirt had a liberal slit up one side. Alexis’ hair was pulled up in a tight French twist, that made Cameron want to pull it down and run his fingers through her loose curls. Her makeup gave her whole face a rosy glow. Her lips were pink and desirable and completely kissable. Cameron found it impossible to stop looking at her.

Alexis looked up at him and smiled. He walked over to her with his drink in hand.

"I forgot my wedding bouquet." She held it up to show him. "Actually, I forgot to throw it away. So much for tradition." She pulled at a few of the petals on the roses and laughed nervously.

Cameron watched her intently.

"Oh well it is probably for the best, Gia and Emily would have probably pulled each other’s hair out fighting over the blasted thing." Cameron shrugged and wondered where his son had hid out during the reception. The boy had been right. Both of those women seemed to be on the warpath.

"You would not believe what went on behind the scenes in the brides room this morning. It almost made me regret having both of them as bridesmaids. Gia actually insisted that Emily had on a prettier dress than her"

Alexis shuddered at the memory.

"No one noticed what they were wearing anyway. All eyes were focused on the prettiest girl in the room."

Cameron smiled wistfully.

"My angel did look beautiful." Alexis replied, referring to Kristina. That hadn't been exactly what Cameron meant, but he had learned a long time ago that it was nearly impossible to give Alexis a compliment. However, he had tricky ways to work those compliments in anyway.

"Kristina is always beautiful, she takes after her mother in that way. I was convinced that both Ned and Sonny were going to have coronaries right in the middle of the ceremony when Kristina toddled up the aisle and stopped at Alexander and my row and asked to be picked up by me." Cameron laughed.

"It is the little things that make a day like today manageable. Like the image of Kristina spending the length of the ceremony sitting on your lap playing with your beard and the buttons on your shirt."

Alexis smiled a little bit too wistfully.

"Could you be a little bit jealous? Maybe you would have preferred to have been the one sitting on my lap playing with my buttons throughout the ceremony?"

He teased, but with serious undertones

"Cameron, Kristina is a toddler. She can get away with sitting on your lap and playing with your buttons in public. It would be highly inappropriate for me to do so, in public, on my wedding day." She scoffed.

"Well, actually to tell the truth, Kristina only played with my buttons for a little while. She actually seemed happier chewing on her own fingers." He laughed.

"I wonder if that's normal? Maybe she is getting too old to be sticking her fingers in her mouth." Alexis worried out loud.

"She is perfectly normal Alexis." He reassured her.

"All of this is for her." Alexis reminded him with a little glimmer of guilt in her eyes.

I know, you would do anything for Kristina, so would I." He smiled a reassuring smile once more. "Why did you really come back down here Alexis?"

He asked sternly.

"I didn't come back to see you, if that is what you are thinking Dr. Lewis. I didn't know anyone would still be down here. I just had to..." Alexis stopped herself, but Cameron finished her sentence.

"You just had to get away, spend some time by yourself?" He took a healthy gulp of his drink.

"God yes! Did you see all those Quartermaine's here today. I think they all came out of the woodwork just to gawk at me in that hellish white costume. Well, more than half of them are now packed into a tiny room upstairs mooning over crystal and place settings. If I had to stay there for one more moment I would have lost my mind!"

She threw her arms up in the air and the flowers went flying into the air to be caught by Cameron.

"I think you just threw the bouquet. I wonder what it means?" Cameron laughed while Alexis stood by too stunned for words. She looked down at his glass of bourbon.

"How many of those have you had today?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Too many to count. This is only my 4th, double, up straight. I started out having them on the rocks, then moved on to having them straight and now I'm on straight doubles. This is my last one before I hit the road."

He promised in his best Eagle Scout tone.

"You're not going anywhere. I'm checking you into the hotel."

She firmly stated with more than a little bit of concern in her voice. Cameron wanted to reply that he would agree to getting a room at the PC Hotel, only if she agreed to join him in said room. More to the point, if she agreed to join in in the bed in the room. He quickly dismissed those thoughts, but a grin had already crept across his face. Alexis would have had to have been blind to miss that grin and she would have had to have been dead to not know what thoughts had caused his grin. Her face flushed red.

"Those are not appropriate thoughts for you to have on my wedding night!" She scolded.

"You were having them too." He winked at her.

"How do you know? You’re drunk!" She teased.

"Alexis, I'm not drunk. It takes a great deal to get a man of my size drunk. You know size does matter." He protested cheekily.

Alexis rolled her eyes in reaction to his last comment and blushed none the less.

"That may all be well and true, but what kind of host would I be if I let a guest drive home when he was even slightly impaired."

She tried to steer him towards the door.

"You aren't the host, you are the guest of honor." He corrected her.

She stopped trying to move him towards the door and stared at him.

"The bride is the guest of honor at the wedding. That is why she arrives last at the church and why we all stand when she walks up the aisle. You, by the way, were a beautiful bride Alexis. You are simply stunning." He stated slightly out of breath.

"Thank you." She replied, blushing slightly once more.

The sexual tension between them was so thick that it is almost visible. Not to mention the look they were exchanging, which were so hot they would have made a sailor blush.

“I just have one complaint about your appearance.” Cameron sighed.

What? Alexis shyly asked.

“Your hair.” He reached up and pulls a few strands loose to frame her face. She tried to pretend that she is unaffected by his touch, but he knew better. He heard her breath catch in her chest when his hand brushed against the side of her face.

“Thank you.” She repeated

"You haven't thanked me for attending your wedding." He lightly prodded.

"Thank you for coming to my wedding, Cameron." She leaned into him and gave him a hug. As nice as it felt to have her in his arms, Cameron suspected that she needed it more than he did. Neither of them were ready to leave the embrace anytime soon.

"Alexis, you know, throwing the bouquet is not the only tradition that you skipped. I never got to dance with the bride. I would very much like to have that dance now." His voice dropped to nearly a whisper.

As Time Goes By was playing in the background, thanks to a radio left on by one of the staff cleaning up after the reception.

"I think they are playing our song." Cameron smiled wistfully.

Alexis gave him a puzzled look as she pulled back to see just how intoxicated he really was.

" I didn't know we had a song." She laughed.

"We do now." Cameron casually informed her as he pulled her into his ever-waiting arms. Alexis leaned into his shoulder and sighed deeply. He wrapped his hands around her waist until he his fingers touched behind her back.

Chapter 6

"How is it that when I'm in your arms I feel safe?" She asked as she leaned into his embraced.

"I'm trained well I suppose." He smiled, enjoying the feel of her in his arms.

"You can literally hold my whole body between your hands and it makes me feel as if nothing bad can touch us "

She leaned into his embrace even farther. He could feel her heart beating and smell her perfume. A smile played across his face, one that he didn't try to hide.

"I've had lots of experience holding you Alexis."

"Here I thought they taught you how to rescue damsels in distress in medical school." She laughed.

It was good to hear her laugh.

"No, they teach us that in White Knight school though." Cameron smiled.

"You really think of yourself as a knight in shinning armor?"

Alexis cocked her head to the side.

"I never said my armor was shining. Do you really think of yourself as a damsel in distress, Alexis?"

"No, more like a prominent, independent lawyer in slight need of a good rucking up." She leaned against his shoulder.

Cameron pulled away so he could see her face. She had such a look of longing and devotion. There were people who called her cold, frigid in fact. Cameron suspected that those people had no idea how to read her face. He ran a thumb along her features. When she tried to cast her eyes down from his he gently
placed a hand under he chin and tilted her face up until their eyes met once more.

"You're beautiful Alexis and you should hold your head high with dignity. Never try and hide that beauty. Force everyone you meet to face it head on."

His words were saturated with genuine feeling.

"You are either biased or drunk or both, Dr Lewis!" Her face had become flushed.

"I'm intoxicated, but not drunk. You are just impossible to compliment!" He let out a hearty laugh.

"I try my best to stay humble." She winked.

Well, Ms. Humility, there is another tradition you forgot. The one that allows the guest/knight in tattered armor to kiss the bride. May I kiss you, Alexis?" He gallantly asked.

"Well we should follow some traditions. Yes, you may kiss me, Cameron." She shyly replied.

He focused on her lips and moved into kiss her passionately. However, she turned her head so he ended up passionately kissing her cheek.

"That was not remotely what I had in mind." He gave her a disappointed look.

"Let's not get carried away. Don't forget that I'm a married woman." Alexis' face turned a rosy flushed shade.

Cameron stared into her eyes and swore that he could get lost in them for the rest of his life. She was giving him a equally intense look. Time and space has no longer existed for either of them. The rest of the world had melted away, leaving only the two would be lovers wondering what happened next. As it always seemed to be, the answer was taken out of their hands.

"I'm glad you remembered that you're a married woman, Alexis!" Ned's booming voice echoed around the room and shook both Cameron and Alexis out of their lovelorn dazes.

"Ned!" Alexis answered with guilt written all over her lovely face. She quickly turned away from Cameron.

"I was worried about you Alexis. You were only supposed to come down for your flowers. The family is waiting for you upstairs." Ned sarcastically instructed as he glared at Cameron.

"The whole family?" She swallowed hard.

"Everyone except for Dillon and Lila." Ned tired to dismiss her with the wave of his hand.

"Great" Cameron thought, the two people that Alexis might actually want too be around were MIA. However, he smiled broadly at Ned.

"Alexis, go upstairs now and I'll follow you in a moment. I need to have a word with Cameron." Ned seethed.

Alexis reluctantly obeyed, but not before grabbing Cameron's drink and downing what he had left in the glass.

"God, that is strong!" She hoarsely proclaimed. "Cameron, get a room. Promise me okay?"

"I promise." He smiled at her with adoration written all over his face.

"Good, because I can't lose you."

She made sure that her last words sunk into to Ned's thick skull. It was a good thing that Alexis was standing behind Ned and he couldn't see the look of unadulterated longing and devotion that she gave Cameron. There was no telling what Ned would have done had he seen the look. Cameron suspected that Ned would have found a way to take it out on Alexis, which was why
Cameron had to work hard to keep his emotions in check and hide them from Ned. If the groom had seen how much Cameron was in love with Alexis, it was highly likely that all hell would have broken loose. Ned waited for her to leave before he turned and glared at Cameron.

"Well, that was fast. The least you could have done was to wait until the honeymoon was over before you tired to seduce my wife!"

Ned yelled and waved a finger at Cameron.

Cameron arched an eyebrow in a menacing manner. He was supposed to be the one who was intoxicated. Ned was supposed to be the sober and reasonable one. Cameron looked down at his empty glass and noticed that it was now stained with Alexis' lipstick. It was her last kiss to him, the only one she dared. He rubbed his thumb over it lightly and lovingly. Then sat his jaw
firmly and prepared to engage the enemy.

"Ned, the honeymoon was over long before this day ever came to be. Least you forget, I'm here to remind you that this is not a real marriage with any of its perks and privileges" Cameron gave Ned a fiendish smile.

Ned squinted his eyes and tried to appear menacing as well. His voice dropped to a squeaky little whisper.

"You are just jealous because Alexis is mine now. I won the bet, now stay away from her or you'll live to regret it!" Ned threatened.

"By crowing like a puffed-up rooster it seems to imply that somehow you believe the bet is complete and you have won and I have lost. Nothing could be farther from the truth, Ned." Cameron looked very serious. "Besides, I don't really give a damn about the bet anymore. I do care a great deal about Alexis, which seems to be a feeling that the two of us do not share.

Cameron sat the glass down on the stage and started to walk away. Ned followed behind.

"I am going to go upstairs and consummate my marriage to Alexis." Ned threatened.

"That will happen over my dead body!" Cameron thought to himself as he spun around to confront the annoying little runt.

Cameron was a hunter. He had once been attacked by a bear and had ended up maneuvering himself into a position where he could trip the bear in such a way that the animal fell and broke its leg from its own weight. Of course, Cameron felt guilty about doing that to the bear. So, as soon as he got back to camp he had called the forest ranger on duty and informed him that there
was an injured bear on the mountain. He had called daily to check on the condition of the animal. He had even made a sizable donation to a local agency that rehabilitated injured and abandoned animals and then returned them to the wild.

Ashton didn't get off that easy. Cameron maneuvered himself so that the same thing happened to Ned. The pompous ass bridegroom hit the marble floor of the Versailles Room with a loud smack! The howl of pain that Ned let out matched any noise Cameron had heard a wild animal make. Alexis spent her
wedding night in the emergency room waiting for her new husband to have X-rays taken. Cameron made sure that the machines were tied up for hours while he sat in the waiting room playing the supportive friend to Alexis. He held her hand and rubbed her shoulders and did just about everything except
make passionate love to her in the supply closet. The new hospital security surveillance package left no private areas in the hospital much to Cameron’s dismay. At least Alexis spent her wedding night in his loving arms. Ned spent it in an examination room without painkillers. All thanks to Cameron, who had made a note in his chart that he was a recovering drug addict and should not even be given an aspirin. Ned's howls of pain reached the waiting area and gave both Cameron and Alexis an excuse to hold each other tighter. After all, Cameron had to comfort his friend. Ned learned that night that the wrench turned both ways!