***Author's
Note: This takes place several years into the future. Helena's come
back, with a vengeance...and Alexis must do whatever she can to
protect herself and her child, even if it means turning to her sworn
enemy...***
Alexis knelt on the cold frozen ground in front of the grave. Snow
was beginning to fall, the first snow of the Christmas season. "A
blessing for Nicholas' grave," thought Alexis, although she
hardly felt in the mood to be grateful for blessings. She was filled
with hate and rage, and terror.
She heard footsteps behind her and knew whose they were. Ned and
Jax, her faithful friends, had been waiting for her for more than
an hour after Nicholas' funeral had concluded. She couldn't bear
to leave her young nephew's grave, though. Her anger over his death
was monumental. It was more than the fact that he was a young, wonderful
man who'd had his future taken violently away. It was that she knew
who'd killed him. His own grandmother. The vile snake who'd claimed
to love him all his life.
"Come on, Alexis. It's freezing out here," Ned said, putting
a hand on her shoulder.
When Alexis didn't move, Jax said, "I'm not sure it's safe
for you out here, either. Now that Helena's gotten to both Stefan
and Nicholas, you're the last of the Cassadines."
At that, Alexis rose to her feet. Jax had hit upon the greatest
motivation Alexis had to get up and move, get up and take action.
"But Jax," she said, her voice low and breaking, "I'm
not the last." She turned and her wide brown eyes met his worried
blue ones. "I'm not the last of the Cassadines."
*****
Sonny stood up anxiously from the couch as soon as he heard Johnny's
voice outside the penthouse door.
"Hi Ms. Davis. I was sorry to hear about your loss," Johnny
said.
"Thanks, Johnny. Is he in?" Alexis asked.
"He's expecting you," the bodyguard answered.
For a moment, just before Johnny opened the door to let Alexis in,
Sonny wondered if he was really ready to face his old friend. They'd
spent the past three years as enemies. There'd been their muddled
non-fights following Carly's return from the dead, her resignation,
her sister's death, and then the blow-outs following the DNA tests
that proved he wasn't the father of her child. To this day, Sonny
still didn't know if his anger had been inspired by Alexis or by
the fact that he wasn't the father. It didn't matter. The reality
was they avoided each other at every turn. But now that he was about
to face her again, at her request, Sonny realized their feelings
for each other had never been settled in any satisfactory way, and
he wasn't sure if he was ready to deal with them, and her, right
now.
"Hi," a familiar honey voice said, and there she was,
after all these years, the face that had once been the one he looked
for every day, the voice whose reason he'd relied on for his strength
and sanity. I've missed you, he realized all of a sudden,
surprising himself completely.
What he said was, "I see you're not alone." Clutching
Aleixs' hand tightly, in a forest-green coat that made her look
like a little princess, was her dark-haired daughter. Little Kristina.
Sonny had never seen her up close, though he admitted to himself
that he'd always wanted to.
"I won't leave her. Not after I realized what Helena...what
she was doing. Is, um, your wife here?" Alexis asked, glancing
around the penthouse.
"I sent her away. But Michael's upstairs, playing with Leticia.
If you want, I can ask Leticia to look after Kristina while we talk,"
Sonny suggested.
Alexis was anxious at the thought of letting her daughter out of
her sight, but decided it would be better if Kristina were in a
different room while she discussed her business with Sonny.
After Leticia had come to take Kristina upstairs, Sonny invited
Alexis to sit on the couch. They both sat, at opposite ends, as
far apart as they could manage.
"I know my call to you was unexpected," Alexis said, and
Sonny nodded in acknowledgement. To hear Alexis say the words 'I
need your help' was the least likely thing that had occurred in
years. "But my situation is dire, and I don't have the luxury
of pride. My daughter and I are in danger."
"When I heard about how Stefan was killed in Milan, and then
when Nicholas died in the Windermere fire, I wondered if it was
Helena," Sonny said.
"Yes. She's finally given in fully to her lifelong tendency
toward psychopathic behavior. Evidently, she's decided that since
the Cassadines aren't with her, we're against her...which has always
been true...but for some reason, she's decided that now we have
to die. She murdered her own son and grandson in the most gruesome
ways imaginable. I'm not even her flesh and blood. I don't think
even you can begin to picture what she has in store for me. But
if it were just me, I'd stay and face her, fight her."
"But you can't. You have your child to think about," Sonny
supplied, beginning to guess at Alexis' reasons for calling him.
"Exactly. She'll take pleasure in destroying Kristina, probably
before my very eyes before she does away with me. I need to get
my daughter out of here, now. Tonight. Can you help me?" Alexis
said with serious, pleading eyes.
Sonny didn't answer right away. "You have a lot of powerful
friends. Ned. Jax. They could help you disappear." Why me?
Sonny was asking.
"I couldn't ask them because they're my friends. Helena will
look for us first in all of their properties, with all of their
contacts. She knows you and I hate each other, Sonny. She won't
think of us having forged an alliance. Not right away."
"Is that what you're proposing? An alliance?" Sonny was
grave when he said, "We were allies once, a long time ago.
We used to be good at protecting one another."
"I know a lot has happened between us. But I'm asking you to
protect me one more time. Not for my sake, but for Kristina's. Please.
I'm desperate." Sonny could tell she needed his help badly,
but even though her voice was intent, she still held herself straight
and regal. Composed to the end, he thought. She may be
the bastard daughter, but she should've been the heir.
"Allies, then," Sonny said, and held out his hand. Alexis
shook it; they both shivered slightly when they touched, for the
first time in years. She closed her eyes in relief, but opened them
abruptly when Sonny added, "There's a condition, though. I'm
going with you."
