Chapter One

January 2013 – The Lake House

"You're what?" Alexis Davis Scorpio heard her husband Malcolm "Mac" shout from downstairs, and she knew it had to be a situation with one of his girls. She moved her hand to pat her growing belly then began to hurry & stand up out of the comfortable position she'd gotten herself into so she could go investigate what her dear, handsome husband was up to. Making her slow trek down the stairs, she paused in the doorway that led out into the living room.

Theirs was a "yours, mine and ours", but they were both glad to have a boy added into their mess of girls: Sam, Maxie, Georgie, Kristina, Molly and their soon to be born twins, Chloe & Grayson. "What's going on?" the attorney asked as she made her way into the room, finding Mac's adopted daughter Georgie Hayes standing with Mac.

"Hello, my beautiful wife," Mac said, leaning down to give her a brief kiss while his hand settled protectively on her expanding stomach. "It seems that Georgie and Logan are adding another grandchild to our growing family, but my son in law doesn't know yet."

Alexis was surprised that Logan didn't know by now but before she could pitch her two cents in, she saw the smiling face of her middle daughter, Kristina. "MOM! I thought you would be at the office," she said as she ran to embrace her mother as much as she could. Alexis kissed the top of Kristina's head and returned the hug.

"Marissa, Liza and Claire are taking my case load until I come back from maternity leave," Alexis told her 20 year old daughter. "But what brings you by, missy?" She'd just had a visit from all three of her girls, and Mac's two, for Christmas.

"Actually, Mom, I have news," Kristina replied before pausing dramatically for effect. "Ethan asked me to marry him, but only if we could have yours, Dad's and Mac's blessing. Before you ask, we plan to wait until after I graduate."

In the beginning, Alexis hadn't wanted her daughter to live with the former con artist, but got used to the idea as she got to know Ethan Lovett. "I am giving you my blessing, but only because you decided to wait," the attorney said, looping her arm through Kristina's as the mother-daughter duo moved to head out the door.

Before leaving, Alexis gathered her coat & purse, kissed her husband and told him, "Play nice, okay?" She returned to Kristina's side and the two left to go see what Sonny was up to.

Greystone Manor

Robin Scorpio followed her three children into her ex-husband's house and found him sitting in front of a computer she'd set up while they were married. He looked up when he felt her presence. "Robin, this is a surprise," he said, moving to stand up but she urged him to stay put.

"I have a date tonight, and both Patrick & Shannon have to work, so I thought I would let you have some time with them for the night while I went out," she replied to his comment. "And Claudia told me she might bring Jonah by as well."

"What, are you two buddy-buddy now?" Sonny asked, turning his attention to Charlotte when she tugged on his pant leg. "Yes, Charlotte?"

"Daddy, will you come play cards with us?" her tiny voice asked before Robin interrupted her.

"Charlotte, why don't you, Emma and Stone go upstairs and play for a little bit?" her mother asked, and the three children did as she asked, leaving the former spouses alone. "Sonny, I really wish you wouldn't patronize me in front of the kids, it isn't nice to always put them in the middle."

"Relax, Robin, and have fun on your date," he told her, this time getting up to round the desk so he could embrace her briefly and give her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow when I drop the children off." When they'd divorced, Emma was included in their agreements, because she had dubbed Sonny "Papa" right after they got married.

"Knock, knock," another voice said from the doorway, and before Sonny & Robin could stop them, Emma, Stone and Charlotte had come running downstairs to hug the newest visitor, Kristina.

"Tiny, did you bring us anything from the city?" an eager Charlotte asked, and everyone laughed. They all knew Charlotte had taken to her much older sister and vice versa. The sisters had stuck together like glue after Charlotte was born, and Sonny liked when his children were close the way Kristina and Charlotte were.

"Sorry, Charlie, I didn't bring anything, but I do have a favor to ask you," the college student said as she knelt down to her sister's level so she could whisper in Charlotte's ear.

The pigtails Charlotte wore bobbed to and fro as she gave Kristina her answer. "I'd love to, Tiny!" she told her older sister, wrapping her small arms around Kristina's neck and squeezing gently before letting go and giving Kristina a slobbery kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Tiny."

"I love you too, Charlie Web," Kristina replied, returning the sentiment and the sloppy kiss, along with the fierce embrace Charlotte had given her. Picking Charlotte up in her arms, Kristina carried her while guiding Emma & Stone back upstairs.

Once they were all gone, Alexis turned to Sonny. "She is getting married, Sonny…" Sonny wanted to say no, but he knew if he did, Kristina would find a way around it.

"She has my blessing," Sonny said, and he soon felt his oldest daughter's body barrel into his as she hugged Sonny tight.

"Thank you, Daddy, I promise not to disappoint you," she whispered, and the soon to be former mobster returned her hug, giving her a kiss that was delivered to the side of Kristina's head.

"You better tell Ethan to treat you like a princess, or he'll have to answer to me," Sonny told her with a dimpled smile. He was only teasing Kristina; he liked to do that a lot. Kristina glowered at him but it turned back into a smile as she hugged him harder.

"Don't worry, Dad, he will," Kristina responded. She knew neither of her parents liked that she was now engaged to a reformed con artist, but if they knew the real reason behind the engagement, it would be over in a heartbeat.

Haunted Star

"Dad, are you here?" Ethan Lovett called out as he stepped into the familiar atmosphere of the floating casino. At one of the tables, he spotted the blonde hair that belonged to his younger sister Lulu Falconeri & sister in law Summer Holloway Spencer. "Hello, ladies."

"Hey, Ethan," they both chorused, not looking up from the open books in front of them. Lulu was reading off numbers and Summer wrote them in different notebooks each time.

"What are you lovely ladies up to?" Ethan asked as he moved over to the bar to pick up a bottle of water. He turned back to find that his step-mom Laura Spencer had joined them.

"Mom, I'm gonna take a break," Lulu said as she winced when the baby she was carrying kicked her harder than she was used to. Then she shifted her gaze downward. "Uh-oh. I think Carrie is a little eager to meet and greet."

"You aren't due for another month," Laura reminded her only daughter.