"You have a child!" his voice was raised, mostly in disbelief.
"Don't yell at my mother" The girl shouted as she came down the stairs to stand between Ned and Alexis as though she were trying to protect Alexis. Sonny realized he liked this kid, and not just because she told off Ned. Taking pity on the obviously upset child he spoke softly to her.
"Hello my name is Sonny, I'm sorry if we startled you but we're just a little surprised." In truth Sonny would have been less surprised to find out Alexis was quitting law to join the circus, but now was not the time to overreact. He had trained himself to stay cool in tough situations and this definately qualified. He glanced over at Alexis who still seemed a bit dazed and so he continued, "What's your name?"
"Jillian Whitney Davis" was the girls reply.
The sound of it seemed to knock Alexis out of her daze and she spoke, "Jillian I, I need to talk with these people for a few minutes, why don't you go get ready and we'll go out for breakfast later."
Seeing that her mother was in no real danger Jillian gladly retreated upstairs away from the angry looks and tense silence below. Once again Ned was the first to speak.
"We were almost married and you never told me you had a child? How could you do that to me?''
"Ned, calm down,she's obviously been hiding her from Helena, right Alexis?" Jax asked Before she could answer Ned was at it again.
"She could have told me I would have helped protect the girl."
"She couldn't risk Helena finding..."
"Do I even need to be here for this conversation? Listen to the two of you. You accuse Sonny of speaking for me and you two are having an entire conversation with me without actually letting me speak... And don't you dare laugh at me Sonny." Alexis turned her angry glare at him. She realized she would have to explain Jillian to them but the three of them were getting on her last nerve and she was tempted to throw them all out without an explaination.
"Alexis" Kristina innterupted her mental rant "Do you want to tell us about it?" For a moment Alexis was tempted to say no but she knew the question was retorical, she had to tell them.
"I suppose it will be easier to tell it to you all at the same time, you might want to get comfortable its a long story."
Ned and Jax sat on one sofa, Kristina sat beside Alexis on the other, Sonny remained standing. "Jillian is my adopted daughter, or she will be once the papers go through. Right now I'm just her legal gaurdian. Her parents, Sam and Judith Whitney, were friends of mine in New York. I met them a few years before Jillian was born, we lost touch when I moved to Port Charles. With everything that's happened in my life lately I wanted to get in touch with them but I discovered they had been in a car accident three years ago and were killed. Jillian hadn't been with them in the car and since neither Sam or Judith had any family Jillian was put in the foster care system. I hired someone to find her and he did, that was the call I got, so I caught the next flight to New York. I just wanted to make sure she was alright to see if there was anything she needed. The place she was staying... it wasn't horrible or anything but the woman had three other foster children and not enough time for any of them. I couldn't just leave her there so I offered her a choice, I told her I would send her to one of the best schools in the country or she could come home and live with a woman who would never be a great mother but would try. I honestly expected her to pick the school but, well, she didn't."
Each of those listening to Alexis' story knew enough about her childhood to know she saw herself in Jillian and had tried to offer her the one thing she wanted most at that age, a mother's love. They sat there in silence for awhile until Ned finally spoke.
"I think you'll make a wonderful mother," he paused before adding softly "I always have."
"Sure" Jax was quick to agree, "as long as you don't try to cook for her you'll do just fine."
"As long as auntie Kristina is here the kid won't starve," Kristina added.
Sonny didn't say anything he just stared at the amazingly generous woman standing before him and smiled. Alexis was terrified at the prospect of motherhood but she had done it anyway, she never failed to surprise him.
Soon all the men left giving Alexis a chance to be with her sister and new daughter. Alexis and Kristina were talking on the sofa when Jillian came back downstairs.
"Are we going to get some breakfast, I'm starving."
"How about if we stay here and I show you how to make my famous pancakes." Kristina aked eager to spend time with her new niece. Jillian readily agreed. Kristina and Jillian headed off to the kitchen with Alexis following close behind. She watched as they searched though the cupboards for the ingrediants which Kristana had stocked them with. This was a life she never thought she would have and yet there it was right in front of her. No one would take this away from her, she would make sure of that. Her fear was what caused her not to tell the whole truth about Jillian's past. She had not lied, the Whitney's were Jillian's parents. They had loved her and raised her as though she were their own and for that Alexis knew she would owe them forever. Alexis was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear anyone knocking at the door until Kristina yelled at her.
"Alexis are you going to get that?"
Alexis made her way towards the door convinced that one of her earlier visitors had returned. However when she opened the door she came face to face with Stefan.
"Where on earth have you..." Stefen stopped short as his eyes fixed upon the young girl standing in Alexis'living room. The young girl who was the exact image of her mother at that age. Alexis saw the shock on Stefen's face and she knew he had discovered her secret.