"Alexis listen to me. Helena was trying to mess with your mind. You are nothing like her. Helena didn't kill to protect her children; she did it because she liked it, and because she was crazy. Your mother was willing to die for you and Kristina just as I'm sure you would do for Kasey, but she didn't chose to die Alexis. If she had been able to I'm equally sure she would have killed Helena. You are your mothers daughter Alexis, and you did what any mother including your own would have done."
"Do you really think so?" She asked looking up at him tentatively.
"I know it." He assured her leaning over to kiss her forehead. He knew it wasn't over but Alexis was beginning to come through. "So, tell me about our daughter," he said smiling. He wanted her to think only of happy thoughts. It worked as Alexis smiled brightly at the thought of her daughter.
"What do you want to know?" She asked.
"Everything." She laughed at his answer but he persisted. "I'm serious Alexis I want to know everything I missed, her first word, her first step, everything." Alexis frowned at Sonny's excitement and felt a sharp pang of guilt for all she had denied him. "Hey, I'm not mad at you, I understand. Please tell me about our daughter."
"Okay well her first word was Mama, oh Sonny you wouldn't believe how it affected me. We were sitting together in her room and I was telling her about my day and she looked up at me and she said Mama. And I just started crying. It was as though everything in my life had been leading to that moment."
"Yeah, that's kind of how I felt when she called me Daddy, like she was the one thing that made everything else worth it."
"Sonny I know you love her and I want you to know I would never try to keep her from you. I'm sure we can work something out."
"Alexis she's not the only one I love, you know."
"Sonny it isn't a good idea," she said quickly.
"What isn't?"
"Us. It won't work out; it has disaster written all over it. It's better if we just..."
"What? Pretend that we're not in love with each other? Alexis we love each other and we have a beautiful daughter together, forgive me but I'm having a little trouble seeing the disaster sign."
"It's there Sonny, trust me. There are just too many complications."
"Like what?"
"Your job, my job, the fact that we haven't seen each other in three years... Sonny I'm tired can we please talk about this later?"
"Sure," he replied only because he could see she honestly was exhausted and he didn't want to push her. "I'm going to check on Kasey," he told her.
Leaving the room Sonny was more frightened than he had ever been in his life. He was this close to having everything he had dreamed of but Alexis wasn't ready to trust what they had. Her brain had been working over time to come up with reasons why they could not be together. Well he may not have gone to Harvard but Sonny Corinthos was a master of thinking of ways to get what he wanted. It was time for Alexis to realize she had finally met her match.
Kasey he called as he entered her room.
"Daddy," she smiled up at him.
"I'm getting a surprise ready for Mommy, you want to help?" He asked picking her up. "Bawoons?" She asked.
"No balloons this time but it'll be fun."
"Okay," she agreed and he carried her downstairs to get started.
Three hours later Sonny marveled again at what one could get accomplished with unlimited recourses and unlimited determination. He had even managed to make dinner. He was just about to bring it upstairs when Alexis came downstairs.
"Hey what are you doing out of bed?"
"I'm fine, Sonny, I needed a change of scenery. Besides something smells delicious down here."
"Ah yes that is dinner."
Alexis sat down at the table and was soon joined by Kasey and Sonny. As they sat around the table eating it dawned on Alexis that they were acting as a real family, anyone on the outside wouldn't have known the difference. She was beginning to have trouble herself. As they were finishing dinner Sonny looked over at his daughter.
"Sweetie, maybe Popcorn should wait for you to finish dinner on the sofa. The furry creature was quickly becoming covered in spaghetti sauce."
"But I love Popcorn." She whined.
"You sound just like your mother."
"Hey, I don't whine." Alexis objected with a bit of a whine. Sonny, barely containing his laughter gently took Popcorn from Kasey and put him on the sofa.
"Daddy, you love Popcorn?"
"Of course sweetie, just not at the dinner table."
"Okay," she agreed reluctantly.
"So what did the two of you do this afternoon?" Alexis asked.
"We made a pwan."
"A plan, for what?" Alexis asked Sonny suspiciously.
"Nothing." Father and daughter both replied with innocent looks. Okay now I know something's going on... Luckily for Sonny his phone rang at that moment. He all but ran to the phone, silently thanking whoever it was.
"Hello."
"Is Alexis there?"
"Jax." Alexis moved to the phone before Sonny could say anything else.
"Hi there..." While Alexis spoke with Jax, Sonny and Kasey cleared the table with some help from Johnny who Alexis did not notice when he entered the penthouse. By the time she got off the phone the table was clear and there was no sign of Kasey or Johnny.
"What's going on?" Alexis asked Sonny who had come to sit beside her on the sofa.
"I know you Alexis I know you like logic and well thought out ideas therefore I have come up with a presentation."
"A presentation?"
"That's right, please have a seat. Now the topic of my presentation is ten reasons for marrying me, by Sonny Corinthos." Alexis started to interrupt. "Please hold all questions until the end of the presentation," he instructed having way too much fun with the situation. "Now my first three reasons will be explained by my lovely assistant." Sonny looked towards the kitchen door but nothing happened. "My lovely assistant," Sonny repeated this time a little louder but still nothing. "Kasey sweetie that's you." He called and soon she came from the kitchen all smiles and climbed onto the sofa beside her mother. "All right reason number ten is..." He looked at Kasey, who finished his sentence,
"Daddy good cook." Sonny smiled proudly at his daughter.
"Number nine is..."
"Daddy good Daddy," she replied promptly and again Sonny smiled.
"And number eight is..." Both Sonny and Alexis waited as Kasey tried to remember number eight, finally she looked over at her father clearly not remembering. Sonny smiled at her and suddenly she remembered
"Oh yeah, Dimples."
"Dimples?" Alexis asked laughing.
"Come on you got to admit you love the dimples," Sonny told her laughing as well.
"I admit to nothing," she told him still smiling.
"Fine, moving along to number seven, number seven," Sonny repeated a little louder and this time it was Johnny who walked though the kitchen door.
"Number seven is Johnny? I must say that's very evolved of you Sonny." Her comment caused both men to color, Sonny with jealousy, Johnny with embarrassment. "Seriously Johnny, as in a bodyguard? No offence but I really don't see that as a positive."
"That's because it's not Johnny as in a bodyguard, but as in babysitter." It was only then that Alexis noticed Johnny had Kasey's jacket in his hand.
"I'm glad your feeling better Ms. Davis." He said before turning to Kasey, "you ready to come get some ice cream with me?" He asked and she nodded enthusiastically.
"Johnny I can't let you take her out..."
"Alexis..." Sonny interrupted. She stopped him with a look and then continued talking to Johnny.
"As I was saying I can't let you take her out unless you finally start calling me Alexis." Johnny smiled.
"Yes Ma'am, Alexis." With that he picked up Kasey and the two of them left in search of ice cream.
"All right now we move on to the PG-13 reasons."
"PG-13?"
"Well give or take a few years. Anyway number six, I'm no longer in the business."
"What? Then why do you still need Johnny?"
"I'm going to overlook your preoccupation with Johnny this evening and answer the question anyway. Johnny was offered a job with Jason; he turned it down so he works for me. For the last three years his main job had been helping me look for you and keeping me from breaking everything in the penthouse every time we got a false lead."
"Three years?"
"It took a while but I started distancing myself from business about a month after you left. Eventually I got out, well I handed it over to Jason, it wasn't easy but everyone knows I'm out so we're not in danger."
"Why."
"Why what?"
"Why did you leave it? I mean that power meant everything to you, it was who you were."
"You're right, for a long time that was true but it's not anymore. You are everything to me, you and Kasey and as long as I am her father and the man who loves you, hopefully your soon to be husband, I'm happy. Alexis I knew I loved you before you left, I knew I wanted to be with you and even before Kasey I knew I wanted to have children with you. I realized you and our children deserved to be safe, that's why I left." Seeing that Alexis was wavering Sonny decided to bring out the big guns, so to speak.
"Number five requires some interactive audience participation," he told her leaning over to gentle massage her neck. Once she began to relax he began to kiss her quickly deepening the kiss until Alexis was lost. When he did stop he smiled at her with a cocky grin, "I think number five speaks for itself."
"I think number five is getting ahead of himself."
"Anyway moving on, for now, we come to number four. You are my best friend Alexis. I can tell you anything, and you listen. I can trust you completely. I've never had someone like you in my life and even if there were nothing more to our relationship that friendship you would still be the most important person in my life. What?" he asked when he saw the odd look on her face?
"I can't believe you put friendship ahead of sex."
"Which brings me to reason number three. I know you extremely well, I know what is important to you and what you value."
"So you did that because you thought I would like it."
"Honestly yes. Alexis I do value our friendship more than anything and in the spirit of friendship I want to be honest with you and tell you that often when I'm with you I want nothing more than to make love to you until neither of us can walk for a week."
"Oh."
"Well you wanted honesty." He told her. "So we're now at number two. I've said this before Alexis, I told you I needed you but it wasn't until you were gone that I realized how much. I thought that I needed you as a friend, someone to talk to and confide in but it's so much more. I need you to challenge me, to make me become a good person, the man you see in me. I need you to call me on it when I'm being a jerk. I need you to make me laugh, your the only one that can make me laugh at myself you know. I need you Alexis as my friend, my lover, the mother of my children and my wife. I could list all the ways that I think you need me but honestly I can't think of one. You used to need me, but it's been three years and you obviously did okay without me. Your a strong capable woman and mother, I know that. The thing is, I'm hoping maybe you missed me and maybe you might need me too. And finally number one, I love you."
Alexis sat silently looking at the man she loved, the man she had once accused of being emotionally closed off. He had just bared his soul to her and all he wanted in return was her love.
"Very impressive argument," she told him trying not to reveal the tears in her eyes.
"Impressive enough?" He asked.
"Sonny," she began trying not to laugh, "you had me at Dimples." He stared unbelievingly at her. "I'm kidding, though I must admit I would have put them at least up to number four." Sonny began laughing partially from joy and also relief.
"Does that mean yes?"
"Well correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think you've actually asked me a question." She pointed out.
"Oh right," he said walking over ton his desk and reaching into the drawer. He pulled out a small velvet box and came back to kneel in front of Alexis. "Alexis Davis will you do me the honor of agreeing to be my wife?" He asked.
"Yes." Placing the ring on her finger Sonny took her into his arms and kissed her once more. He was careful not to hurt her as he began to unbutton her shirt.
"Sonny, Johnny and Kasey could be back any minute."
"Right, good thinking." He scooped her up into his arms and headed for the stairs.
"Sonny what about Kasey?"
"It's okay Johnny starts his new job tonight," he told her as they entered the bedroom.
"And what would that be?" She asked beginning to work on his shirt.
"He's the new nanny."