Baby Book
by SexisFan

Chapter 8

Alexis held the slim white envelope in one hand, the contents in the other. The night that Sonny learned about their child was a beginning of sorts. Or maybe it was just the continuation of a journey that had started the first day she and Sonny had met. In any case, that fact that she was pregnant with his child and that he knew it changed everything - and nothing.

The next morning Sonny was already making plans. By the time that Alexis made it downstairs to the breakfast that he'd prepared, Sonny had mentally packed Alexis up, carted back to the Harborview Towers, moved her in - and probably had a ring on her finger (though he was wise enough not to mention that to her at the time).

Alexis, though, was not going to have any part of his plans. "I thought you had the right to know about the baby, Sonny. What I'm doing from here - where I'll go and how we might work out a parenting arrangement - I don't know."

Sonny was stunned. He'd assumed that Alexis would fall in line with his plans and that they would create a family together. In the same home. "At least move back into your penthouse, Alexis. That way I can protect you and the baby. You'll both be close to me, and we can work things out from there."

But Alexis was stubborn. She liked her little house. She liked her spot on the lake. She liked the trees and the yard for the child that could someday play there.

Sonny was just as stubborn, but he determined quickly that he shouldn't push too far, too fast. He had other things to deal with, as Alexis knew well. There was Carly. And Jason.

A couple of days after Sonny had arrived on her doorstep dripping wet and revealing his knowledge about Carly's lies and secrets, Jason showed up. It was early morning and Alexis was about to leave for her daily walk along the lake when she opened the door to find Jason waiting for her on the porch.

"You can ring the bell, you know," she teased him with a smile.

Jason shrugged. "You were coming out soon anyway," he replied simply.

Alexis shook her head. He really was something different.

"I was going to take a walk."

"I know."

"You want to walk with me?"

"Sure."

They walked together along the lakeside path, enjoying a comfortable silence. They covered a good half mile before Jason spoke.

"Sonny has men out here protecting you."

Alexis nodded. "I know."

"He knows about the baby?"

Alexis nodded again. "I haven't told him that you knew."

It was Jason's turn to nod. "I'll tell him if you want."

Alexis sighed. "Whatever you think is best. I don't mind telling him myself. I only worry about making him doubt your loyalty even more."

"He's pretty mad at me already for keeping Carly's secret from him."

"I know." Alexis replied simply.

"Your secret was different, Alexis. And you weren't keeping it from him forever like Carly would have. I tried to get her to tell him."

"I'm sure you did," Alexis answered.

"I had a duty to Sonny and I let him down because my feelings for Carly got in the way. Maybe he shouldn't trust me."

Alexis stopped and placed her hand on Jason's arm, stopping him in his tracks. "You would never hurt Sonny. Not intentionally."

Jason nodded. "This life is complicated, Alexis."

Alexis dropped her gaze to the dusty path beneath her feet. "Yeah. I know."

"Can you live that life with Sonny and your baby?"

Alexis lifted her eyes to his in steely resolve. "I can do almost anything, Jason. But I will never choose to live the life that you and Sonny have chosen. I care about both of you, but I will not live like you do. And neither will my child."

"It's Sonny's child, too."

Alexis chewed her lip and nodded.

"So what are you going to do?"

Alexis looked up at him with misty eyes. "Jason, I honestly don't know."

*****

"So. What did you do today?" Sonny asked.

"Drop the act, Sonny. We both know that you know," Alexis replied, continuing to set the table as she spoke.

"What did he want?" Sonny snapped.

Alexis shrugged. "Nothing really."

"He just stopped by to talk a walk in the woods?" he asked sarcastically.

Alexis slammed the remaining silverware down onto the dinner table and stood, hand on her hip, to address him eye to eye. "Sonny, I've had a long day. If you want to be a snot, then go to Jake's and pick a fight with someone. Go to Carly's and read her the riot act. Hell, go down to the docks and get Taggert to harass you so that you can take a swing at him. Get yourself arrested, for all I care. Just don't call me to bail you out!"

Alexis stormed out of the dining room, past a stunned Sonny, up the stairs to her bedroom, slamming and locking the door behind her.

This was just too much. Just too, too much. He was attempting to control every single aspect of her life and it was making her crazy!

"If he keeps it up, you'll be an orphan before you're born, Little One," Alexis muttered.

She needed a bath. A warm, bubbly bath. And candles. Soft music, too. She needed a Calgon Moment. And she would have it.

Wasting no time, she started filling the tub, making sure that the water wasn't too hot. It had been hard getting used to water that was more on warm side and less on the hot - but that was one of the accommodations one must make for pregnancy.

As the tub filled, she added a good portion of bubble bath, mixing it well in the water and thrilling to the sight of the bubbles that began to form immediately. This was going to feel so good!

Next she chose the CD for the evening, turned on the stereo, and set about lighting the candles in both the bedroom and the bathroom. Finally, she piled her hair on the top of her head and fastened it with a clip.

Ready for her bath, Alexis stepped into the tub and slipped beneath the water and bubbles.

This is more like it! she thought as the tension of the day began to dissipate.

She'd been soaking for a good while, having reheated the water a time or two to keep the bath comfortable, when there came a soft knock on the bathroom door.

Alexis started at the sound, knowing that she'd locked her bedroom door.

"You've already picked one lock! Why bother knocking now?" she asked irritably.

The bathroom door swung open slowly.

"I brought you dinner," Sonny answered sheepishly, nodding to the tray he carried before him.

"I'm not very hungry," Alexis replied sulkingly.

"You have to eat, Alexis. You're. . ."

Alexis lifted her eyes to his and glared. "If you tell me one more time that I'm eating for two now, I swear before God that I will kill you."

Sonny failed in his attempt to suppress his smile. "I'm sorry, Alexis. I don't mean to hover."

"Yes you do, Sonny. You very much mean to hover."

"Okay. You're right. But I don't mean to piss you off so much while I'm hovering," he answered honestly as he set the tray on the side of the tub and dropped to sit on the floor beside her.

"Sonny, you just gotta back off some," Alexis sighed.

"I need to be involved, Alexis." Sonny picked up the cutlery from the tray and began cutting Alexis' meat.

Alexis reached out and stayed his hand, slipping the utensils from his grip. "You can be involved in ways that don't make me want to throttle you, though."

"How?" he asked.

"Instead of monitoring every minute moment and movement of my life, get involved in the important stuff."

"Such as?"

"I'm scheduled for a doctor's appointment next week. They're doing an ultrasound and amniocentesis. If you can keep from making me nuts until then, I'd love to have you there with me."

Sonny smiled and cocked his head, the candlelight catching the gleam in his eye. "Consider me officially backing off," he remarked.

Alexis returned his smile. "Thank you," she replied. Alexis laid the silverware down on the tray. "Could you take this into the other room?" she asked gently. "I've soaked enough and I think I'd rather eat in bed."

Sonny shrugged. "I don't know. Would that be hovering?" he grinned.

"Not when I ask," Alexis clarified teasingly.

"Ohhhhhhhh. . ." Sonny nodded. "I think I see how this is shaping up. So what would you like me to un-hoveringly do to help you relax tonight?"

"Oh. . .I don't know," she shrugged in return. "Maybe. . .rub my feet?"

"Uh-huh."

"And maybe. . .rub my back?"

"Uh-huh."

"With that nice scented oil?"

"Uh-huh."

"And maybe brush my hair?"

"You've got a real racket going here, lady," Sonny laughed, chucking her under the chin as he rose from the floor.

"Well, I've got my leverage for only a few months. I figure I should make it work to my advantage while I have it," she teased.

Sonny leaned down and dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I don't think you need to worry about losing your leverage with me, Alexis." He lifted the tray and turned with a wink and smile.

Maybe this wouldn't be such a horrible evening after all, she grinned to herself.

***** Sonny was on his best non-hovering behavior for the next week, earning Alexis' deepest gratitude by the time they arrived at the doctor for their appointment. The examination went off without a hitch, as did the actual ultrasound.

Alexis lay on her back, her attention darting from the little monitor screen to Sonny's face as he watched their child. As excited as she was to see their baby, she knew that with the videotape the technician was making of the exam, she'd be able to review those scenes of the baby over and over. The priceless expressions on Sonny's face would be recorded only in her memory. So more often than not, Alexis found her focus drifting to the man at her side, the man holding her hand and gazing in wonderment at the images of their baby.

For the first time, Alexis realized just how precious the gift of this child was to him. She could see the love - and the worry born of that love - written on his features that day. With a lump in her throat, Alexis vowed to be a more understanding of his tendency to hover.

Later that night, Alexis was settling into her bed when a knock sounded at the bedroom door.

"Sonny?" He'd gone home hours ago, but who else would it be?

"Yeah, it's me," he answered softly. "Can I come in?"

"Sure."

The door opened quietly. "I'm sorry to bother you. . ."

"You're not bothering me," Alexis assured him. "What's wrong?" There was something in his tone that concerned her.

"Nothing's wrong," he replied, his answer stilted.

Alexis patted the bed beside her. "Tell me."

Sonny's shadowy form moved closer to the bed, his features taking shape as her eyes adjusted in the dimness.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" he asked simply.

"Oh, Sonny. . ." They hadn't been intimate since the night he'd learned of the baby. Neither of them knew just what their relationship would end up being, and sex they had decided was a complication they didn't need while they were trying to figure it out.

"I just need to hold you - both of you - tonight."

Alexis recalled his face as he watched and re-watched the tape of their ultrasound. Each viewing seemed to only deepen the sense of reality for them. They were having a baby. A real live human being who would have life because of them. She'd watched his face take on even more love and concern than she'd seen there during the actual ultrasound. He loved this child deeply. And after losing two children already, that love inspired profound fear.

Alexis understood. The baby was more real than ever tonight. And he needed to know that both mother and child were safe.

Alexis reached over and pulled back the covers on the other side of the bed, inviting him to join her. In no time, Sonny was stripped to his shorts and settled beside her under the sheets. Spooning as they'd done after their two nights of love, they prepared for sleep. Alexis snuggled into Sonny's embrace, silently thankful for the comfort of his arms around her, his gentle hand laid protectively over their child.

***** Alexis looked down at the blurry still photograph taken during their ultrasound. Watching Sonny fall in love with their child had been a treat for Alexis. It has also been a trial for her. For each day that his love for their baby deepened, so did Alexis' love for her child's father.

She tried to be sensible. She tried to keep a bit of emotional distance. She tried to tell herself it was just hormones, that it wasn't real emotion or devotion. She tried to maintain "friendship" boundaries.

She failed.

Placing the ultrasound photo back into the white envelope, Alexis returned it to the shoe box.

There was a day when she just couldn't deny to herself any longer that she was falling totally and completely in love with Sonny Corinthos. Alexis reached into the box and pulled out another memento, this one commemorating that day of realization and acceptance.

It wasn't a very romantic memento, this splotchy scrap of wood. But the day that it represented was one of the most important in her pregnancy.

chapter 09