Baby Book
by SexisFan

Chapter 11

Alexis held the piece of glass between her fingers, massaging it as if coaxing memories from beneath the smooth surface.

In spite of the fact that Alexis had all but shut down her law practice for the time being, the week after Thanksgiving had been a busy one. She and Sonny had taken a trip into Manhattan to shop. Shopping wasn't particularly high on Alexis' list of favorite things to do, but when he invited both Kristina and Courtney along for the fun, Alexis found herself susceptible to their contagious excitement.

Their younger sisters had done a lot of damage to their budgets, and invested quite an amount of time in the process of doing such damage. Alexis, with Sonny in caretaker mode, had taken it a bit easier. They had made shorter trips out to the stores, with plenty of rest periods scheduled in between. Most of the time they'd stop in to a restaurant for a cup of cocoa or some hot herbal tea. Once or twice they headed back to the hotel so that Alexis could nap. They took a carriage ride through Central Park one day, sat on the benches at Rockefeller Center to watch the ice skaters another.

The city was awash in festive holiday decorations and Christmas carols played in the background of every shop and eatery. There was a buzz of holiday excitement in the air that Alexis couldn't resist.

Their first day in the city, she and Sonny began the shopping safari by purchasing ornaments for the popcorn laden tree in Alexis' front window overlooking her lake. Alexis liked the idea of having an array of unique ornaments on the tree, which necessitated a lot more leg work than would have been required if several boxes of matching colored balls would have sufficed. They were assisted in their hunt for ornaments both beautiful and distinctive, as their sisters returned from each foray of their own with several gorgeous baubles to add to the collection.

The other item to accomplish on their agenda was gift shopping, which meant some switching of shopping partners now and again. Alexis spent an afternoon with Kristina and Courtney, keeping an eye out for a gift for Sonny while helping Courtney, who was nearly clueless as to her brother's tastes and what he might appreciate from his sister. Alexis knew that simply having Courtney wanting to give him a gift was the greatest gift he would receive from her, but she was more than willing to lend whatever help she could to Courtney's determined plan to find something for Sonny that he would like.

For his part, Sonny went out solo on what Alexis assumed were his gift-buying excursions. But while he didn't take along an advisor when he shopped, Alexis did notice that there was an awful lot of whispering going on between him and their sisters whenever they were all gathered as a group. Whether it was early in the morning when breakfast drew them to the main room of their suite, or later in the evening when they met for dinner at some posh restaurant, Alexis noticed that each time she entered the room or returned from the powder room, hurried whispers were quickly hushed and knowing smiles were exchanged.

Someone was up to something. She'd known it for sure. It was a while, though, before knew everything that was going on in those secret strategy-setting sessions.

One of the answers was revealed to her after they got back to Port Charles. Alexis and Sonny had set about decorating the tree one of their first nights back, admiring each of their fragile finds as they hung them one-by-one on the soft pine branches.

When the tree was finished, Sonny plugged in the Christmas lights while Alexis turned off the lights in the room - and in the warm glow of firelight meeting the tree lights, they stood back and admired the final effect.

"It's perfect," Alexis sighed, thinking that this was the happiest she'd ever been for a holiday, which was quite an accomplishment for someone who had originally bonded with Ned over a shared hatred of holidays, Christmas in particular.

"Not quite," Sonny replied, his face etched with a soft frown.

"What's wrong with it?" Alexis asked, looking at him with a hint of defensiveness. She thought her first real Christmas tree was ideal.

Sonny stepped back, moving to stand behind her, eyeing the tree from over her shoulder. "It's missing something."

"How can it be missing something, Sonny?" she asked in exasperation. "There isn't an undecorated inch on the poor thing!"

"There better be," Sonny replied. "Because we need to find room for this."

Alexis looked down as his hand reached from behind her, a small box of deep blue velvet resting in his palm. The box was tied with a silver foil ribbon embossed with the initials of a fine jeweler in Manhattan.

"What's this," she asked with a smile, lifting the box from his hand.

"Open it," he whispered against her ear.

Alexis shuddered as the moist warmth of his breath sent a shiver down the spine against which his body was pressed. His cheek brushed her hair and she could feel the smile that had spread across his face as her body responded to his proximity. With quivering fingers, Alexis worked the silver ribbon loose from the box and lifted the top.

Inside, on a bed of blue velvet, lay a tiny silver rattle just the perfect size for an infant's hand. The polished surface of the toy sparkled with the reflected lights from the tree. Attached to the handle was a thin ribbon of pink silk.

Alexis lifted the rattle from the box with two slender fingers, holding it up for inspection. "It's beautiful," she sighed.

Sonny reached an arm around her and pointed to a spot on the head of the rattle, a small oval area with a brushed matte finish. "That's where we'll have her name and birthdate engraved," he explained.

Alexis let the rattle dangle by the soft, pink ribbon, admiring the gleam and glitter of the silver as the toy spun round. "I love it," she proclaimed, turning toward Sonny and placing a quick kiss on his mouth. "Let's put it on the tree."

Sonny gave her shoulders an affection squeeze as he stepped toward the tree. Silently he reached up and moved a few ornaments, clearing a spot of honor at eye level. Alexis, rattle in hand, stepped forward and gently slipped the loop of ribbon over the tip of the pine branch. They each then took a half step back, leaning against each other as they admired the effect and let their thoughts drift to the arrival of their daughter.

Sonny's arm wound its way around Alexis' waist, and her hand dropped to cover his, holding fast to his embrace. Several moments passed in silence before Sonny leaned his head toward hers and whispered.

"I have another surprise for you."

Alexis laughed softly. "I'm not sure I take any more surprises," she teased.

"You'll like this one. I promise. Wait here." With that, he was gone from her side.

Alexis watched as Sonny took the stairs two at a time. She could hear him run down the upstairs hall to the guest room, where he kept his belongings even though each night he spent at the house was now spent in Alexis' bed. She heard something scrape on the floor, and then his hurried footsteps as he retraced his steps.

When he finally came back down the stairs, Sonny was carrying a brand new piece of luggage, the size of a carry-on bag, decorated with a bow tied at the handle. Laying it down on its side on the coffee table, he sat on the sofa and smiled up at her.

"What do you think?" he asked enthusiastically.

Alexis seated herself on the sofa next to him. "It's. . . it's very nice Sonny. Luggage is. . .always a. . .uh. . .surprise as a gift."

"Open it," he grinned, gesturing toward the bag.

Alexis looked at him skeptically. What was he up to?, she wondered.

She reached over and opened the bag, a look of confusion crossing her face as she eyed the contents. One by one she lifted the items from the bag. A bottle of sunscreen. Sunglasses. A deck of cards. A tiny umbrella. A casino chip.

"Puerto Rico?" she asked, turning a questioning gaze toward him.

Sonny smiled broadly. "Puerto Rico."

"When?" Alexis asked, still dumbfounded.

"Tomorrow," came the unexpected reply. "Or as soon as possible after today."

"Sonny, I can't just jet off to Puerto Rico!"

"Why not?"

"Why not? Well, because. . ." Yeah, Alexis. Why not?

Sonny reached out and took her hand. "Come with me, Alexis. You've been so busy around here with holiday and baby preparations. You need a break. We'll get away for a little while from the ice and the snow. We'll enjoy some warm sand. . ." his fingers started to trail a path along the bare skin of her arm. "We'll swim. . ."

"Right, like I'm going to put this body in a swimsuit," she snorted.

"Then go naked," Sonny smiled, purposely missing her point. "I have a private oceanfront estate leased, our own stretch of beach all to ourselves. . ."

"Sonny, what about the holidays?" Alexis tried to protest, feeling her resolve weakening.

"We'll come back for Christmas. I promise. And we'll have a big Christmas Dinner right here that will make Thanksgiving look like a midnight snack. Your last chance for a vacation before the baby comes. . ."

Alexis looked into his smiling brown eyes and felt herself melt. They were going to Puerto Rico. Tomorrow.

***** The trip was glorious. It was perfection. She hadn't known how much she needed it. But Sonny had.

The estate he leased was luxurious. There was a pool, gorgeous gardens, and a short path down to a white sandy strip of beach fringing clear blue waters. Some days she slept in. Others she was up early to walk the beach in the dawning sunlight. She slathered herself with sunscreen, with Sonny's assistance, and spent some time each day in a chair on the beach. Sometimes she read. Sometimes she napped. Sometimes she sat with Sonny and they shared their dreams of their daughter-to-be. They swam. Sometimes even with suits. They ate tropical fruits with every meal. Hand in hand, they walked the beach at night, looking up at the stars and relishing the cool ocean breeze that blew over sand still warm from the afternoon sun. They visited Sonny's casinos, where Alexis won and lost fortunes - coming out roughly even in the end.

And they danced. Alexis would have laid odds that he'd not be able to get her up on a dance floor to lumber around in her condition. But the combination of the Latin beat and Sonny's killer charm would have made her a loser on such a wager.

The first time they ventured onto the dance floor, Alexis had felt awkward and self-conscious. Sonny had remedied that by leading her onto the patio where the music was carried outside into the moonlight and they could dance in privacy. Alexis laughed as Sonny carefully twirled her around in the night, following the pulsing beat of the music. And when the tempo slowed, he spun her around and stepped as close to her as possible, plastering himself against her from behind. Wrapping his arms around her, he swayed seductively against her hips. His hands roamed her arms, trailing his hot touch against her bare skin, as his lips tickled the sensitive curve of her neck. Alexis leaned her head back against his shoulder and moaned softly, giving thanks for the privacy they enjoyed as her response to the dance matched the arousal she felt him press against her hips.

Alexis giggled remembering the maneuvering it had taken to get creative in the back seat of the limo that night. But they had managed, and managed it quite well. In the limo. On the beach. In the pool. In the ocean. In the shower. She couldn't tell which had been the greater aphrodisiac for Sonny, their proximity to water or the expanding size of her pregnant belly.

Yes, the trip had gone perfectly. Until their last night on the island.

That was the night that Alexis couldn't sleep. Restless, she left their bed and went down to the beach. She was settled on the sand, listening to the lulling sound of the ocean waves and weeping when she heard the soft sound of Sonny's steps shuffling through the sand. Without a word, he sat behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple and simply rocked her as she cried.

He waited for the flow of tears to slow before he spoke. "What's wrong, Alexis?"

"Everything," she sniffed.

She heard him sigh. "I thought you were having a perfect time in paradise," he whispered against her ear.

"I was," she hiccupped, a few tears dawdling on her cheeks.

Sonny offered a gentle laugh. "Then how can everything be wrong?"

"Because it is, Sonny. This isn't real. Perfection is an illusion, and paradise doesn't exist."

"Well, we have to go home but we can always come back, if that's what you mean. . ."

"I mean that this isn't real life. This isn't your real life. This is the illusion that allows me to pretend that you are simply a successful coffee importer, a savvy business investor." The tears started to flow again. "But that's not who you are, Sonny. And this isn't your life. Your life is brutal. And dangerous. It's something that scares me and sickens me. It's not a life I want my baby anywhere near. It's not a life I can allow myself to pretend doesn't exist.

Sonny rested his chin on her shoulder and sighed. "I know, Alexis. I know."

"What do we do, Sonny? What do we do?" she begged.

His answer was quiet. "I don't know Alexis. I just don't know."

They'd sat on the beach like that for hours, two people facing what seemed to be an unsolvable puzzle.

As was the case whenever this topic arose, they eventually pushed their fears and questions under the surface and went on with the pattern their life together had taken on. They returned to Port Charles late on Christmas Eve, taking the limo in from the tarmac where Sonny's private jet had landed.

The drive out to the lake was a long one, and Alexis found herself beginning to nod off by the time they turned into the drive of her little house just after midnight. As they neared her home, Alexis was surprised to see lights on inside and smoke rising from the chimney. She supposed, wrongly, that Sonny had sent on of his men over to prepare the house for their arrival. What she found instead upon entering her home was her sister, Kristina, and sonny's sister, Courtney, waiting with huge smiles and open arms.

"Merry Christmas!" the two young women rang out cheerily as Sonny and Alexis stepped through the door.

Alexis couldn't help but notice that Sonny didn't seem particularly surprised by the presence of their sisters.

"What's going on here?" Alexis asked, sensing a conspiracy.

"Can't your sisters give you a homecoming welcome without you getting suspicious, Alexis," Kristina asked. Courtney giggled and Kristina shot her a friendly look of "shhhhhhhhhh".

"No, you can't," Alexis answered with a smile. "Not when you are one of the sisters in question, my dear." Alexis reached out and drew Kristina into a hug before greeting Courtney with a hug of her own. "Now, what is this all about?" Alexis asked, eying the two.

"We have your Christmas present ready. . ." Kristina began.

"And we couldn't wait for you to see it!" Courtney finished.

"This must be some Christmas present," Alexis answered wryly.

"I hope so! Come on, we have it upstairs!" Kristina took one hand, Courtney the other as they pulled Alexis toward the stairs. Sonny followed closely on the footsteps of the three women as they all climbed the stairs.

Upstairs, Alexis found herself facing the door of the nursery, a huge pink bow tacked across the entire door.

"Your present is in there," Courtney pointed, stating the obvious.

"Go ahead, open it!" Kristina urged.

Following their instruction, Alexis tugged at one edge of the giant bow, pulling it free of the tacks that had held it in place. Placing her hand on the knob of the door, she twisted and pushed the door open.

Alexis gasped in surprise when she saw the gift prepared for them by their sisters. Between the two of them, they had taken their ideas for finishing the walls of the nursery and made those ideas a beautiful reality. By the soft glow of the overhead light set on a dimmer, Alexis took in the wonder that would be her daughter's room.

She hadn't been particularly thrilled when their sisters had talked of paneling in the baby's room, but she hadn't envisioned something as soft and feminine as the finish she found on the panels lining the lower third of the nursery walls. It was a soft gray, the color, as the girls had described, of gently weathered wood. It reminded Alexis of the color of the driftwood she'd find on her morning walks along the Puerto Rican beach. Over the soft gray was a light translucent wash of white that purposefully didn't cover over the weathered-look of the gray grain. There were random hairline strokes of white highlighting the wood grain, highlights that were drawn out even more by the white enamel finish of the chair rail topping the paneling, the crown molding where the walls met the ceiling, the baseboards, and the woodwork of the door and windows.

At the bay window hung billowing floor length curtains in white lace, tied back with pink ribbon. On the window seat was a long cushion upholstered in a feminine floral of pink and green. And on the white rocker, the only piece of furniture Alexis yet had for the room, were new cushions of a coordinating fabric in a pink solid. Alexis noted that both the chair and window seat cushions were reversible, with the floral print on one side and the solid pink on the other, allowing Alexis to change the look at her whim.

The hardwood floor had been cleaned and buffed to a warm sheen. All in all, the room was perfect. . .and ready for her to furnish.

Alexis stood speechless as she surveyed the magic that their sisters had created in their absence. Suddenly she understood one of the purposes of their sudden trip to Puerto Rico.

She turned to Sonny, tears of joy trickling down her cheeks. "You knew all about this, didn't you?" she asked softly.

Sonny nodded, silenced by the emotion he felt as he watched her in all of her beauty in the room where she would bring their daughter.

In a flash, Alexis found her way to his arms. She laughed and cried in his embrace, thanking him, Kristina and Courtney over and over for their wonderful gift. She was finally going to be able to get ready for her baby - their baby - to come.

***** Alexis was still fondling the piece of sea glass, retrieved from a white Puerto Rican beach and carried back to Port Charles to remind her of a time in paradise. Only, it had come to remind of so much more. This little piece of glass reminded her of the wonderful gift Kristina and Courtney had given her, and of how much she was loved by all of the people in her life.

Alexis wiped away a stray tear as she slipped the sea glass back into the box. There was one last memento in the box - one last memory that marked her journey so far with her baby. Lifting it out, she held it in her hand and smiled. This was perhaps the best memory of all so far.

Funny how a pair of shoe laces could mean so much.

chapter 12