"What is your relationship to MS Davis?"
Sonny stared blankly at the attorney unsure what to reply.
"Um, she's my friend," he said at last hoping that it was true. He and Alexis had at the very least been friends, and despite the difficult year they seemed to be getting back to that.
"When was the last time you saw MS Davis, before she was brought to the ER by Mr. Smith?"
Sonny looked at Alexis then back at her attorney.
"Two days earlier, in the park..."
Sonny walked through the park thinking about all that had happened recently. He had lost his business, his money, his wife, everything that he thought he needed and was now learning he could live without. Ric had come to town determined to ruin Sonny but by the time he was in a position to do so Ned and Faith had already stripped Sonny of almost everything he owned. He wasn't sure if bedding Carly had originally been part of Ric's plan or was just a last ditch effort at revenge once the rest of his plans were ruined. Either way it had worked out for the best as far as Sonny was concerned. Carly probably would have left him anyway once she realized his money was gone. He had made himself promise not to leave her after the accident but since the decision was hers he gladly let her go.
Stopping suddenly he saw Alexis with her daughter at the playground. She had a cast on one arm and was having difficulty putting Kristina in the baby swing.
"Here, let me help you with that." Sonny offered rushing forward.
"Thank you." She replied nervously, not really looking at him.
"What happened?" He asked indicating her arm, once Kristina was settled in the swing.
"I was in a car accident, I'm fine." She quickly assured him when she saw the worried look on his face. Her reasons for telling him a different lie than everyone else were complicated yet she had done it automatically. She didn't want him to know that someone had inflicted the injuries she suffered. She didn't want to see the pity in his eyes. She was also worried that if she told him she had been mugged he would use his contacts to discover who had done it and would then discover the truth.
Sonny looked down at the little girl in the swing, she was her mother. She had her mother's eyes, her mouth, even her dimples. What he could not see because of her hat was that she had her father's dark curls. He could tell that Alexis was nervous and at first he thought she didn't want him near her child. Then he saw her glancing at two men who were standing near by watching.
"Who are they?" He asked even though he knew, years of experience told him exactly who or rather what they were.
"Um, they're bodyguards. Ned worries, about Kristina's safety." She explained. He couldn't help but remember the unease Alexis had always felt when he insisted one of his men keep an eye on her. Still given Ned's recent business endeavors he was glad Alexis was being kept safe. He didn't know the guards were there not to protect Alexis but to keep her from running.
"She's getting big." He stated looking at Kristina. In truth she was the tiniest sweetest little girl he had ever seen but he needed to say something. He just wanted a few more minutes with them.
"She's almost caught up to where she should be right now," Alexis told him proudly. He stood there watching as Alexis gently pushed the swing trying to find the right way to ask his question. Words had always come so easily to her, it was one of the things he admired most. She had told him that he was good with words too. How ironic he thought that two people, who were such capable speakers, had never once been able to vocalize their feelings for each other.
"Alexis?" He began tentatively, waiting until she was looking at him before continuing. "Why did you move in with Ned?"
"What?" She asked caught completely off guard. She didn't even know Sonny was aware of her living arrangement.
"You're not together," he continued. "I mean everyone knows he's um seeing Faith. And why would you agree to live in the main house, you told me yourself that would be an awful place to raise a child. What's changed?"
"I have." It was not the answer either of them had expected and he looked at her questioningly. "I've learnt that sometime you do things you never thought you would and you have to live with the consequences." She had lied to Sonny. She had trusted Ned. Now she was paying for both mistakes.
He didn't understand what she was talking about but the look in her eyes was so sad he couldn't help himself from reaching over and taking her hand in his. She seemed to welcome his touch even squeezing his hand slightly as though drawing strength from its grip. Then she let go suddenly and he assumed she had remembered that it was him whose hand she was holding and that she still hated him. In truth she had remembered the guards who would no doubt report everything they had seen to Ned.
"We need to go." She told him reaching down to pick up Kristina. He helped her get the baby into the stroller and said goodbye. He hadn't asked her to stay. He hadn't confronted her on her nervousness. He was so convinced that she could not forgive him and would not trust him that he had done what he always did where she was concerned. He let her make the choice, and watched with regret as she walked away, again.
She planned to Ned about her run in with Sonny as soon as she got back to the house. She knew the guards would tell him anyway and she was hoping that she could explain before he got angry.
However when she walked into the nursery, Kristina in her arms it was obvious he had already heard.
"I tried to make this work Alexis I really did but you're just not listening." He began angrily. Alexis gently laid Kristina in the crib and moved to stand between it and Ned. "You've been planning this all along haven't you? You and Sonny are going to try and take my daughter away."
"It was an accident. We didn't plan..."
"Shut up, just shut up," he yelled causing Kristina to begin crying. Alexis reached down to pick up her daughter but Ned put a restraining hand on her arm. "We need to talk, she'll be fine," he said as he forcibly led Alexis out of the room and into the bedroom.
As soon as they were in the bedroom she wrenched her arm from his grasp. Taking a deep breath to soothe her nerves she then fixed him with her best Cassadine glare.
"Ned this is going to stop, all of it. Kristina and I are moving out of this house. I will tell Sonny the truth and live with the consequences." She told him before turning to leave the room.
"I'm beginning to think Faith was right, you are more trouble than you're worth." His words stopped her in his tracks and she could only listen incredulously as he continued. "I mean any nanny worth her salary could do what you do. And Faith has always wanted a daughter."
The implications of what he was saying were almost too unbelievable for Alexis to comprehend. It wasn't even the fact that Ned had basically threatened to off her, but the image of her daughter being raised by that murderess slut was too much. She grabbed a letter opener that was on the desk and lunged towards him. He moved at the same time so that she ended up stabbing him in the shoulder just before he grabbed her hand and twisted her around.
"You shouldn't have done that," he warned her softly before everything suddenly went dark.
When Sonny walked into the hospital room he was overwhelmed with guilt. The idea that someone had hurt her purposely, had caused her pain was unbearable. He sat down in the chair beside her bed and wanted to hold her hand but was afraid to hurt her. He could not see any skin that was not marred by bruises.
"How's Kristina?"
"She seems fine, Skye's hovering over her like a mama bear, you'd be proud." He told her with a grin.
"Good." She replied smiling a little herself.
"Sonny I need to tell you..."
"It's okay; whatever it is can wait." He interrupted her gently. "Right now you just concentrate on getting better."
"Please let me, I need to." He nodded not wanting to upset her.
"Kristina is your daughter." She told him feeling an enormous relief that the truth was now out. He said nothing in response but she could see his shock.
"I'm sorry I should have told you sooner. I wanted to..."
"You were going to tell me the truth, that's why he did this?" It wasn't a question. He already knew he was right. Still when he saw the tears on her cheeks his heart broke for all that she had been through.
"Hey," he chided her gently wiping the tears. "It's okay, you're okay and that's all that matters, everything else can be figured out later." He assured her gently with a smile. The truth was he wanted to go find Ned and make him suffer for all he had done to Alexis. Instead he held her hand until she was able to fall asleep and then carefully slipped from the room. Walking down the hallway towards him was Skye, holding Kristina.
"How is she?" She asked Sonny anxiously.
"She's asleep. I can, I can hold Kristina if you want to go in and sit with Alexis for a while," he offered.
Though she could see he wanted desperately to hold the infant he had left the choice up to Skye. Knowing that what she had suspected must be true Skye handed the baby to her father and went into the room to see Alexis.
Sonny held Kristina looking into her eyes, Alexis' eyes. She was studying him quizzically just as her mother had so often done.
"Hi Kristina, you probably don't remember me but we've met before, in the park. Kristina, I'm your Daddy," he confided softly. "Mommy is, she's not feeling very well right now but I promise you she's going to be better soon." He knew she was too young to understand and he was grateful. He never wanted her to be afraid, never wanted her to see her mother hurt. He didn't want her to suffer as he had. He was once again hit with the image of Alexis' face just moments before. At the thought of it he held his little girl tighter as though she could make the pain stop.
"I'm so sorry Kristina, I should have protected Mommy, I should have been there for her, God knows how many times she's saved my ass, I mean um sorry Daddy didn't mean to swear." He told the little girl who smiled understandingly.
Looking at her now he could see she was his daughter. She had more his coloring than Alexis' and of course the dark curls made it obvious... If only he had been paying attention. He had spent so much time trying to convince himself that he was happy with what he had he didn't dare look at what he truly wanted. He had avoided Alexis, pushed her away, and even threatened her, all in some misguided attempt to protect her. No that wasn't true he admitted ruefully he was trying to protect himself. Anyone who quoted the old "better to have loved and lost" idea had obviously never really been in love he thought. He could not risk loving her or at least not admitting his love, for he was certain it would mean losing her. So he looked the other way and almost lost her forever.
Next Chapter (Coming Soon)
Story Index
Home