Alexis came back from stretching her legs and noticed Frankie standing guard at the door to Ric's hospital room. She made a remark about it being business as usual and Frankie nodded to her to say hello. Ric was sleeping when she came into the room, so she quietly sat down on the chair in the corner of the room and watched over him. Alexis hadn't slept either and before long she felt herself falling into a peaceful slumber in the chair. A duty nurse came in and woke her when they had Ric's private room ready for him. They would be moving him up to the 7th floor for the duration of his stay.

Alexis followed the orderlies as they moved Ric to his private room, Frankie following along behind. The nurses re-set the machines Ric was attached to and left him and Alexis alone. Frankie closed the door of Ric's room and stood guard just outside as he had been instructed. Ric and Alexis finally were able to spend some alone time together and enjoy the second chance they had, thankful he was alive.

"I don't know what I would of done without you ...." Alexis said as she held onto his hand tightly.

"You don't have to find out cause I'm going to be okay .." Ric replied and looked longingly at her.

"This time ... what about next time?" she questioned him, being concerned about someone coming after him to finish the job.

Ric didn't have an answer for her, he knew she was right, there was always going to be a next time and he was a sitting duck just lying in a hospital bed. He couldn't show that he was now vulnerable, it would be asking for someone to come back and maybe not missing the next time.

"I don't want you to worry about the next time. Can't we just focus on the here and now?" he answered seeing the concern in her eyes.

"I am worried about the next time, but this is not the time to talk about this, you need to get your rest and get well so you can come to us." she told him and then leaned in to kiss him.

"Why don't you go home and see the kids, I'm sure they're missing you too." Ric suggested.

She didn't want to leave him, but she agreed the kids probably were worried about her being away so long. "Okay, but I'll be back later." she replied accepting his suggestion.

She gave him a long kiss goodbye and headed for the door to leave. "Alexis ....."

She turned around and their eyes met. "I love you ..." he said, his eyes fixated on only her. "I love you too.." she replied then turned towards the door and left. On her way out she stopped for a brief moment and stood in front of Frankie. "You take care of him, Frankie ..... he's all I got and our girls need their daddy." Frankie looked down at her and reassured her. "I won't let anything happen to him, Mrs. Lansing." Alexis satisfied with Frankie's assurance, she continued down the hallway to the elevators.

"Frankie ..." Ric callled.

"Yes, sir .."

"Make sure someone is waiting for her when she steps off the elevator in the lobby."

Frankie got on his mobile unit and called down to Greg who was parked in the parking lot of the hospital. "Mrs. Lansing is coming down the elevator and into the lobby. Meet her there to take her home." A brief moment passed before Greg answered. "Taken care of." Frankie gave Ric a nod to let him know Alexis would be meeting Greg in the lobby.

Alexis pushed the button to go down and the doors of the elevator opened up. She stepped inside, there was a brut of a man already in the car, and she very well aware of his presence as she joined him. She pushed the button to go down to the lobby and leaned back against the side wall of the car. She wore a necklace around her neck and began to clutched with her hand. Ric had given it to her a number of months ago, inside the pendant was a transmitter that would alert Greg if she felt she was in danger. As the elevator descended to the lobby, she eyed the man next to her. Feeling uneasy about him, she tried to distance herself as much as she could. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when the car came to a stop on the lobby floor and the doors opened up. She quickly exited the car and literally bumped into Greg who was waiting for her. The brut of a man existed behind her and turned the other direction. Greg noticed the man and was made aware of Alexis's uneasiness as they both watched the man standing across the lobby watching them.

"Come on, the limo is right outside the doors." Greg said as he hurried Alexis to the car.

"Do you know that man, Greg?" Alexis asked as she felt that Greg had seen the man before and knew he was trouble for them.

"Let's just get you back to the cabin..."

Alexis didn't need to hear any more from Greg. His reply to her question was proof enough for her that he did know the man and he smelled trouble. Alexis climbed into the backseat of the limo and Greg got in the driver's seat. As Greg drove the limo away from the ER entrance, the large man appeared and watched the car drive away. Greg picked up his mobile unit and informed Frankie there could be trouble for him. Greg then radioed Marcus and a few more men to come to the hospital to make sure Ric was protected. With Ric being immobilized in a hospital bed, it was their job to protect him.

Greg drove Alexis back to the cabin, where Davis was on watch over Viola and the children. Greg walked Alexis into the cabin, Viola greeting her at the door. Kristina and Emma were down for an afternoon nap, so it was a good time for Alexis and Viola to discuss Ric's condition and her worries about all that had happened. Viola makes them some tea and they sit together at the kitchen table talking for awhile about Ric and her concerns for her husband. Alexis was glad she had Viola to talk to, it was nice to hold a conversation with another woman. Things she didn't dare talk to Ric about, she could open up with Viola. She thankful to have someone like Viola in her life, there were times she just needed another woman to confide in. Viola not much younger in age than Alexis, they shared some of the same experiences, had quite a few other things in common, though Viola was there more for the children, she had quickly become Alexis's confidant.

"I am so worried about him, Viola ..." a concerned Alexis said as she sipped her tea.

"He's not any worse is he?"

"No, no .. he's going to be okay ... this time." Alexis replied hinting that there would be a next time.

"You think who ever did this is going to come back and finish the job..."

"That's exactly what I'm thinking. And he's like a sitting duck there in the hospital bed."

"His men are there, aren't they?"

"Yeah Frankie's with him, it's just ...." Alexis remembers the man she met in the elevator and became overly scared for her husband.

"Alexis .... what's wrong?" Viola noticing that something Alexis remembered rattled her so.

"Nothing, he's fine .... he's got Frankie and if there was any trouble we'd hear from him." Alexis replied as she tried to dismiss the notion the man she saw was going to finish the job he started.

"Ric's going to get well, and come home to you and the children ... he will." Viola said trying to comfort Alexis with reassurance.

"Yeah I know, I'm just being overly afraid for him, I guess."

"You have every right to feel that way, Alexis. Ric is your husband and he was shot last night. Nothing wrong with feeling this way."

"He wouldn't of been shot last night if he would just leave this life he so wants to live." Alexis blurted out not wanting to lay her problems with Ric onto someone else.

"Have you talked to him about that .. leaving the life, I mean?" Viola asked her in a soothing voice.

"Yeah I have and as every time before, it ended in an argument. He's not leaving this life, Viola. I don't know why I waste my breath."

"Because you love him and you are afraid for him, Alexis."

"He just doesn't understand how this all effects me and the children, it's like it's this life or nothing. He tells me he's in too deep, even if he left the business we'd still be in danger from his enemies. Either way, leave or stay, he's always going to have a target on his chest. This time someone didn't miss their mark, thank God he's alive but what about next time. And we all know there's going to be a next time. He might not be so lucky. I almost lost him last night, and it didn't even phase him that he almost died and left his children without a daddy!" Alexis unloaded her feelings on Viola, who sat and listened to her fears. "I'm sorry ... I shouldn't be dumping all this on you." Alexis apologized.

"No no, please unload if you have to. It's not healthy to keep this all bottled up inside. I'm here for you, Alexis. Please know that." Viola replied letting Alexis know she could always come and talk to her.

"Thanks, but right now I think I want to go and see the children." Alexis replied and stood up from her chair, taking the last sip of tea in her cup.

Viola watched Alexis go till she disappeared up the stairs. She cleaned off the table and washed the dishes that were left in the sink from when she fed the children lunch a few hours prior.

Alexis walked up the stairs to see Kristina and Emma before she went back to the hospital to be with Ric. She first checked on Kristina who was sleeping peacefully in her single bed. She walked over to her and kissed her on her cheek. She tucked the child in and whispered to her how much she loved her. As she left the room, she closed the door quietly and than walked down the hall to the nursery. Emma sleeping as well, she quietly peeked in on her. Alexis snuck out of the nursery and headed to the master suite so she could freshen up before going back to town.

The feeling that Ric was in danger was still with her, she couldn't shake the notion. As soon as she freshened up, she hurried down the stairs and asked to be taken back to the hospital to be with Ric. Greg drove the car around and she climbed into the backseat. Before Greg pulled away, he radioed Frankie and told him Alexis was coming back to the hospital and someone should meet her in the lobby. When Greg arrived at the hospital, Ian was waiting for them just outside the hospital entrance. Alexis thanked Greg for the ride and climbed out of the back seat. Ian escorted her to the elevators and rode with her up to the 7th floor. He walked with her to Ric's room as he had been instructed to do. Ian passed Alexis to Frankie and she gave him a nod of thanks.

"All's quiet here, Frankie?" she asked as she peeked in at Ric.

"Yes Maam, all afternoon." Frankie replied. "He's been asking for you, ever since you left."

Alexis smiled and walked into her husband's room. He was awake and smiled when he saw her come in.

"So I hear you missed me ..." she smiled.

"Of course I did, I always miss you when we're apart." he replied as he reached for her and she came and sat down beside him.

"The kids are fine, and Viola and I had a nice long talk ... but I couldn't wait to get back to be here with you." she replied not mentioning the brut of a man she ran into as she left the hospital earlier.

"I need you to be careful, okay..."

"I have Greg, Ian and Davis ... I'm as safe as I can be."

"I know but ...." he replied worried about her safety, especially now that he's considered very vulnerable.

"You're suppose to be resting now worrying about me."

"You can't tell me you're not afraid for me, yourself or the children?"

"Of course I am, it comes with being a wife and a mother."

"Don't give me that, Alexis ... I can feel your afraid when I hold your hand and I see it in your eyes ... this is more than just being a mother or a wife. Talk to me .." Ric replied as he saw how much she was afraid when he looked into her eyes and he could feel her hands shaking when he held it in his.

Alexis sat quiet, unsure about telling him about the man who scared her earlier. "Alexis, I can't protect you if you don't tell me who or what has you so afraid."

"When I left earlier, there was this man in the elevator with me and when I met with Greg in the lobby, the man watched us as we left the hospital. He just freaked me out a little, that's all." she dismissed the notions again about the man she saw.

"Frankie ....." Ric called.

"Yes sir ..." Frankie said as he came into the room.

Ric looked at Alexis ..."You tell Frankie what this man looked like .."

"He was a big man, about 6'2, dark hair, wearing a dark gray suit ... I didn't recognize him but Greg seemed to know him." she replied describing the man she saw.

"I want you to find out who this man is and why he is following my wife ...." Ric ordered.

"Yes sir." Frankie replied and went back out into the hallway. He called a few of the other men to find the man who scared Alexis earlier that day.

Alexis felt a little better knowing that she wouldn't have to worry about the man following her anymore. But it didn't take away the fear she still felt for her husband and the children. She guessed that fear would never go away, she was the wife of a mobster, the fear came with the job.