Baby Book
by SexisFan

Chapter 12

Alexis twined the length of shoe lace around her slender fingers, smiling at the memories they evoked.

The weeks after their return from Puerto Rico seemed to speed past. Christmas, as Sonny promised, was even better than Thanksgiving. While they were gone, Johnny had, under Sonny's instruction, stocked the kitchen with everything needed for a grand Christmas feast. Kristina and Courtney had made the arrangements that would allow everyone, once again, to make their rounds of family calls on Christmas morning before gathering at Alexis' in the evening for dinner.

The happiness in the little house had been almost overwhelming. AJ and Courtney were celebrating their first Christmas together, an event made even more special because it was the first time in all of Michael's life that AJ was also having a real Christmas with his son. While the adults had exchanged their gifts with each other in the morning, Michael was the recipient of a second round of Christmas there at Alexis'. Courtney and Kristina, with AJ's blessing, had apparently put quite the dent in the stock of FAO Schwartz when they were all in Manhattan shopping. An amazing array of toys all wrapped in brightly colored paper, had been crowded under Alexis' tree, waiting for Michael to be able to open them under his father's proud eye on Christmas night.

Seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child stirred Alexis' soul. Next year, she would be sitting next to another tree adorned with these same ornaments, watching as the curious eyes of her daughter took in the display of light and sparkling colors. Alexis' hand had moved instinctively to pat her belly. Next year, little one, you'll be here to see it all.

A week later, Alexis had been celebrating the arrival of the New Year with Sonny. He had wanted to take her out on the town and make a big to-do of the evening, but Alexis had begged off.

"I've never been a big New Year's Eve person, Sonny," she explained. "It always seemed like such a sad holiday.

"Sad? How could New Year's Eve be sad?" he asked.

Alexis shrugged. "Because the old year was going, and would never be back. And in its place was this new year I knew nothing about. It always scared me, wondering what kinds of bad things might happen in the upcoming year. I always thought about what kinds of tragedies I might be looking back on when the next New Year's Eve rolled around."

Sonny's voice was serious. "That is pretty sad. Most people look forward hoping that the new year will be better than the old."

"And I was always scared that the new year would be even worse. It was kind of like wishing I could just stay with the devil I knew, rather than the one I didn't"

Sonny looked at her with a piercing gaze. "Do you feel like that this year, Alexis?"

Alexis thought about his question. Did she feel like that? It hadn't occurred to her to dread the new year up until now. And even though she'd just described why past New Year's Eves had been sad for her, she had to admit that, no, she hadn't been dreading the arrival of a new year. Not at all.

Alexis returned his gaze and smiled softly. "No, I guess I don't. I think that this year, I have hope." Her hand fell to the restless mound that used to be her tummy, but had become her very active daughter's playground.

Sonny placed his hand next to hers, flattening his palm against the wall of her belly. His eyes lit up as they always did when he felt their daughter's movements. She was alive and well, and she was their hope for the future.

Alexis eventually relented on the New Year's Eve thing, agreeing to go out with him even though loud crowds were the last thing she wanted to experience that night. And as it turned out, she didn't have to. Sonny had other ideas that didn't include the No Name, the Grille, Luke's, Skye's club, or any of the other big parties going on around town. No, Sonny had his own brand of celebration planned.

Alexis was completely surprised, and completely relieved, when the limo took them not to a club or restaurant, but down to the river, stopping at a pier where there sat a yacht awaiting their arrival.

Sonny hopped out of the limo and reached back inside, offering his hand to assist Alexis out. He then escorted her up the boarding ramp, which had been graced with a length of red carpet as a welcome. On board, there was nothing but luxury to be found. There was the dining room, its table formally set with fine linen, gleaming silver, delicate crystal, fresh flowers and slender tapers. Soft and sexy instrumental tunes were piped through the sound system, surrounding them with music whether they were in the cabin or on the deck.

Outside, the deck railings were hung with boughs of greenery through which strings of tiny white lights were woven. At intervals all around the railing bunches of gardenias sprouted as if blooming from the leafy garland. The boat, in short, was a dream-world created just for Alexis.

Together, they dined on the most fabulous meal created by one of the Grille's best chefs. They danced. They walked the deck, bundled up against the chill almost-January air. And, at the stroke of midnight, they had front row seats for the most wonderful display of fireworks over the harbor. Alexis didn't have to ask who had arranged for that, either.

Sonny had suggested a walk on the deck in the last minutes of the passing year. Slyly, he'd made sure that they were perfectly positioned for the perfect view of the show. As soon as the new year arrived, the first rocket was launched, exploding over their heads with a flash of red and gold sparks. Alexis gasped in surprise, her smile sweeping across her face and into her eyes. The show went on for nearly half and hour, a thrilling spectacle. When the last rocket exploded and the final sparks were fading from the sky, Alexis felt a brief moment of sadness - and emotion that was quickly washed away when Sonny leaned into an embrace, offered a whispered "Happy New Year" Alexis, and took possession of her lips a tender kiss.

"Happy New Year, Sonny," she whispered back.

"Sad?" he asked, hoping he'd prevented that.

Alexis smiled and shook her head. "Happy," she replied simply. And then sweeping her palm across the roundness of her belly, she added, "Hopeful."

Sonny smiled, his eyes twinkling. "What would you like to name her?"

"The baby?"

"The boat."

Alexis was shocked. She hadn't imagined that Sonny had actually purchased the yacht, but had rather assumed that he'd leased it for the night. Sonny, though, did things in grand scale and that night was no exception. They'd stayed on the yacht that night, christening the stateroom in grand style.

***** The first weeks of the new year were busy as Alexis went about furnishing the nursery and purchasing the necessary baby supplies. Crib, dresser, bassinette, shelves, swing, car seat, stroller, on and on and on. Each day it seemed that there was something else to add to the growing inventory of infant accoutrements.

January passed into February as Alexis shopped, washed new baby clothes, fold and organized, cleaned. She was suddenly was a dynamo of energy, in spite of Sonny's repeated pleas to her to rest. Alexis just couldn't sit still. She thought it was, in part, a bit of cabin fever setting in. The winter had been the wettest on record, dumping snowfall after snowfall on upstate New York and making it hard for Alexis to get out and about, either for walks or for excursions into Port Charles. She didn't want to risk falling on an icy sidewalk, or having to listen to Sonny worry about her falling on an icy sidewalk. So she stayed at home and washed, cleaned, organized and re-organized.

***** It was late one night in the second week of February when Alexis awoke with a start. She'd been battling some indigestion earlier in the evening, and it had apparently worsened as she was wakened by the sudden onset of cramps.

Rolling quietly out of the bed so as to not waken Sonny, Alexis padded out of the room and downstairs to make a cup of herbal tea to calm her stomach. Alexis reached for the switch to the hallway light, only to find that flipping it on was useless. The power was out. Another storm had moved in earlier in the day, the worst one so far this season. Snow had been falling heavily for hours, regular gusts of wind driving the falling flakes into drifts that covered over roads and bridges.

Thankfully, the reflected light of the moon on snow helped to brighten the night, giving Alexis a dim light by which to navigate her way around the house.

In the kitchen, Alexis filled a cup with water and slid it into the microwave, closing the door and pressing the start button before remembering that little 'no electricity' thing. Moving to Plan B, she added a bit of water to the tea kettle and set it on the stove. Turning the dial, she watched as a blue flame burst to life, thankful that Sonny had insisted she replace her electric stove with a gas one, the only type any self respecting cook would use.

Alexis puttered around the kitchen, preparing the teabag in the cup while she waited for the water to boil. Just as the kettle began to whistle, she was doubled over by another cramp, this one even stronger than the one that had wakened her.

The realization that she was in labor hit her just seconds before her water broke, flooding the kitchen floor.

"Oh, God!" she whispered. This was not what she needed when she out in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of a blizzard, with no electricity. And no phone, she reminded herself, recalling the moment when the line went dead as she was talking to Kristina about her most recent purchases for the baby.

Sonny. She had to get back upstairs and waken Sonny.

Moving carefully up the stairs, Alexis made to the upstairs hallway before the next contraction came. Bracing herself against the wall, she waited it out before continuing on into her room.

"Sonny," she half whispered-half spoke as she entered the room. Her only answer was the soft sound of his deep breathing. "Sonny!" she exclaimed louder, her voice rising with the onset of another contraction.

Sonny was out of the bed in an instant, "What? What's wrong?" he mumbled sleepily.

"The baby's coming. Now." Alexis panted.

Sonny flew to her side, instantly awake. "Are you sure?" he asked, taking her by the arm.

"Yes!" Alexis breathed. "My water broke in the kitchen," she gasped, making her way to the bed.

"Okay. Okay. We have to get you to the hospital."

"Sonny, we aren't going anywhere," she rasped. "The snow. . ." she reminded him.

"Sh*t." He reached for the lamp on the bedside table.

"No power," Alexis panted.

Sonny tried the switch anyway, her words not registering until the light failed to come on. "Sh*t" he repeated.

He grabbed the telephone receiver, punching buttons immediately.

"No phones," Alexis whispered, another contraction gripping her.

"Alexis, what in the hell am I supposed to do?" he half-screamed, panic creeping into his voice.

"I don't know, but you better figure it out fast because I'm going to be too busy to come up with any bright ideas!" she snapped, rubbing her hardened belly.

Sonny dropped to his knees beside the bed, offering a comforting touch on her leg. "I'm sorry Alexis. I'm sorry. Don't worry. I'll handle everything."

Alexis merely nodded, too short of breath to speak.

"Okay, first thing is for you to lie down," Sonny instructed.

Alexis shook her head.

"What? Why?" Sonny was dumbfounded.

"I don't want to ruin the mattress," she explained.

"The mattress? Alexis we can buy a new mattress, just. . ."

"No!" she yelled, another contraction peaking. "I don't want my mattress ruined!"

Sonny jumped to his feet, frustration evident in his snorting breaths. In a flash, he was out of the master bedroom. Alexis could hear the clatter of metal at the other end of the hallway. In a few seconds, he was back, the shower curtain from the guest bedroom in his hands.

Alexis stood from the bed, moving to the side while Sonny spread the shower curtain on the bed and then pulled the top sheet up over the waterproof cloth.

"There," Sonny breathed, reaching out his hand to help her back to the bed.

Alexis lay in the bed, riding another wave of contracting muscles, while Sonny fumbled for Alexis' cell phone on her nightstand.

"It's dead," he noted plaintively.

Alexis nodded. "Ran out the battery. . .talking to Kristina. . .when the phones went out," she explained between gasps.

Sonny dropped the phone to the floor and went on the hunt for his own cell. Finding it, he punched the speed dial.

"Johnny. Get up here. I need you." The call was short and direct. And Alexis knew that in no time Johnny would be trudging up through the blizzard from the gardener's cottage, which had been refitted to house the men who provided Alexis with her nearly invisible security.

"Hold on, baby. Don't worry," Sonny soothed as he punched another number into the cell. Then speaking into the phone, "Yes, this is Sonny Corinthos calling for Alexis Davis. She's a patient of Dr. Bonds. Yes. Miss Davis is in labor but can't get to the hospital. I need to talk to Dr. Bonds as soon as possible." Alexis listened as Sonny recited his cell number to the answering service before ending the call.

Downstairs, the front opened with a bang as Johnny entered the house using his pass key. "Sonny!" The younger man's voice carried up the stairs.

"Up here!" Sonny called.

In a matter of seconds, Johnny burst into the bedroom his gun drawn. Alexis screamed as another contraction peaked. Startled, Johnny swung toward the sound, the barrel of the gun moving in Alexis' direction.

"No!" Sonny pounced like a cat, dropping Johnny to his knees and knocking the gun out his hands. Instinctively, Johnny threw a punch, connecting with Sonny's left cheek before realizing who had pinned him to the floor.

"Mr. Corinthos!" The fear in Johnny's voice was palpable.

Sonny got unsteadily to his feet, his left hand assessing the damage done to his face. "Get up," he ground out angrily.

"I'm sorry, Sonny! I heard a scream. . .I. . ."

"Alexis is having the baby," Sonny cut him off.

"We need to get her to the. . ."

"She's having the baby here."

"But boss. . ."

"There's no way to get to the hospital, Johnny. You're going to have to help me do this."

"But boss, I don't know nothin' about birthin' no babies!"

Sonny's eyes flashed with an anger that Alexis could see even by the moonlight. "Listen, Butterfly. . .Unless you want your ass to be gone with the wind, you get downstairs and start boiling water right now! Then you get as many clean towels, sheets and blankets as you can find and get them back here. You hear me?" Sonny's voice rose steadily as he issued orders to the trembling bodyguard.

"Sonny!" Alexis gasped, breaking his tirade by capturing his attention.

"What baby?" he asked, gently, immediately at her side.

"The phone," she whispered.

Johnny disappeared silently as Sonny dove for the cell phone that he'd dropped in the process of tackling his bodyguard. "Dr. Bonds? Yes, she's having contractions and. . .hold on." Suddenly remembering Johnny and the condition of the kitchen floor, Sonny scrambled to the doorway and called down the stairs to Johnny. "Be careful in the kitchen! The floor is. . ." Sonny's warning was cut off as they heard a hard thud followed closely by a loud grunt. "Wet."

Sonny muttered an oath under his breath before remembering the phone in his hand. "Dr. Bonds, yeah, her water broke. Time them? I haven't had a chance to time contractions!"

"Four minutes," Alexis panted.

"What?" Sonny turned to her, confused.

Alexis held up the watch that had been clutched unnoticed in her hand. "Contractions. . .every. . .four. . .minutes," she repeated.

"Four minutes apart," Sonny reported into the phone. "I don't know, about an hour? Maybe less?" Turning to Alexis, Sonny relayed another question from the doctor. "How long have you been having contractions?"

Alexis took a deep breath. "Six o'clock," she sighed.

"What! Alexis why didn't you. . ."

"Shut up!" Alexis snapped, another contraction overtaking her.

Sonny turned back to the phone. "It's been. . .um. . .eight hours I guess. Uh-huh. Okay. At this number? Thanks." Sonny ended the call and placed the cell phone on the nightstand. Stooping near the head of the bed, Sonny brought his face eye-level to Alexis. "She says you should pretty far along by now, but there's no way of telling how fast it will go. Could be an hour. . .could be. . ."

"Shut up!" she breathed angrily. "Don't you dare say it. . ."

"Alexis," Sonny wiped a gentle hand across her dampened brow. "Just br. . ."

Alexis' head rose from her pillow. "If you tell me to f*cking breathe, Sonny, I'm going to beat the sh*t out of you as soon as I can get out of this bed!"

"Ms. Davis!" Johnny's shocked exclamation sounded from the doorway.

Alexis turned her head to face the guard. "If you want f*cking Emily Post, you're in the wrong place tonight, buster," she spit out. With that, her head fell back to rest on the pillow. "Someone better get useful fast and bring me some f*cking ice!"

Johnny's footsteps could be heard clattering down the stairs as he ran for his life, straight for the kitchen.

Alexis heard Sonny's soft laughter next to the bed. "I'm glad you find this so amusing," Alexis snapped sarcastically.

"Alexis, I. . ." The ringing phone cut him off before he could say something he would most certainly regret, since nothing was going to mollify Alexis at the moment. "Doctor Bonds? Thank you. Okay. Sure, hold on." Sonny put the phone down on the nightstand again. "Alexis, she wants me to check and see if the baby's head is crowning," Sonny explained.

Alexis nodded as she panted through another contraction, sweat running in rivulets to her eyes.

Sonny lifted the sheet covering Alexis. "I need a flashlight, hold on," Sonny instructed as he ran from the room.

As if I'm going anywhere, a**hole. Alexis snapped mentally.

A few long moments passed before both Sonny and Johnny arrived in the room, Sonny with a flashlight and Johnny with a glass of ice broken into small chunks.

Sonny moved quickly to pull the sheet back again, sending Johnny spinning around to turn his back to Alexis out of respect. . .and probably some fear of fainting. Alexis saw the light flicker on under the sheet. A few seconds later, Sonny was on the phone again. "There's a small dark circle, it could be hair," he breathed into the phone. "Okay." Sonny ended the call, saving the battery, and set the phone down again.

"Johnny!" The guard appeared at Sonny's side. "I need your shoelaces," Sonny instructed.

"My shoelaces?"

Sonny's face turned up toward the guard. "That's what I said, isn't it?" he ground out. "I need your shoelaces, a pair of scissors, and the turkey baster. Then I need you to take them downstairs and boil them in a pot of water for at least twenty minutes. Then bring the pot of water up here, but leave everything in the pot, don't touch them. Got it?"

Johnny nodded as he turned as flew down the stairs to the kitchen again, returning for just a moment to put the forgotten glass of ice on Alexis' nightstand before running back out of the bedroom.

"I'm having my baby in the middle of a f*cking Laurel and Hardy movie," Alexis swore into the darkness.

***** In the twenty-plus minutes that it took for Johnny to sterilize the scissors and his shoe laces, both he and Sonny began to compose themselves. Johnny used some towels to clean up the kitchen floor, then gathered a collection of candles to carry upstairs for extra light. Upstairs Sonny focused his attention on Alexis, getting a cool, damp cloth to mop her brow, offering her ice chips in between contractions, and during contractions holding her hand and - most importantly - keeping his mouth shut. Alexis Davis, woman of words, was amazingly irritated by even the most calming words spoken to her during contractions.

By the time Johnny returned to the bedroom with the pot of hot water in which the scissors and his shoelaces were soaking, Alexis was in the throes of active labor. Johnny set the pot of water on the floor next to Sonny and went about the task of lighting candles to add light to the bedroom.

"I have to push!" Alexis ground out through clenched teeth during her next contraction.

"Don't push yet, Alexis!" Sonny warned her.

"I have to!" she answered.

"Blow, Alexis!"

"Blow yourself, Sonny!"

Sonny sighed in frustration. "Blow air out during the contraction, Alexis! You can't push until I talk to the doctor!"

Sonny punched the redial button and had Dr. Bonds on the phone in seconds. Following her instructions, he again checked for an appearance of the baby's head.

"I see it!" Sonny breathed excitedly into the phone. "Okay. Sure." Sonny held the phone out to Johnny. "Listen to the doctor. Tell me everything she says," Sonny ordered.

"But, Sonny. . ."

"Either you do the talking, or you deliver this baby. I can't do both."

Johnny grabbed the phone and held it to his ear. "Doctor? Johnny here. What should he do?"

With Johnny acting as the relay, Dr. Bonds led Sonny through the steps of delivering his daughter into the world. Thankfully, it was a textbook delivery. The baby presented in the proper position, no cord around her neck, no signs of distress.

A contraction set in and Alexis grunted.

"The doctor said have Alexis grab her legs right above the backs of her knees, like she's doing an ab crunch, and the push for a count of ten," Johnny reported.

Alexis followed the doctor's instructions, grabbing a hold of her legs as best she could given the sheen of perspiration covering her skin. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six. . .Sonny counted down for her as she held her breath and pushed.

"Doctor said push three times for each contraction, then rest in between."

"Yeah, I'll just go for a cup of coffee and a doughnut," Alexis quipped sarcastically.

When the next contraction came, though, Sonny talked her through the doctor's instructions and Alexis followed every word. After three hard pushes, Sonny reported that baby's forehead had made an appearance. Johnny relayed this information to the doctor.

"Doctor says push as hard as you can next contraction, and you should have the rest of the head out. As soon as it's out, stop pushing."

The next contraction started, and Alexis went right to work pushing. It took only two pushes for their daughter's head to appear. "Stop pushing!" Sonny breathed hoarsely. Alexis fell back onto her pillow as Johnny whispered into the phone, "The head is out."

"Doctor says, look to see if the cord is around the neck." Johnny reported Sonny's observation that there was nothing around the baby's neck. "Push with the next contraction, and the baby's shoulders should come out. Be ready, because as soon as the shoulders are out, it'll shoot outta there!"

Sonny shot Johnny a look and Alexis could see - even by candlelight - the blush rise on the guard's cheeks. "It's what she said!" Johnny defended, pointing to the phone.

Sonny's attention was drawn quickly back to Alexis and his daughter when another contraction started and Alexis grabbed her legs to push. Sonny counted the first push down, and then the second. During the third push, the baby's shoulders emerged, and very quickly after that, the baby was squirming in her father's hands.

"She's here!" Johnny exclaimed into the phone, the only person in the room able to find his tongue.

"Doctor says put her on her side and use your fingers to clear out her mouth of any mucus. You might have to use the turkey baster to suction her mouth and nose, but only squeeze the bulb in a tiny bit, then let it out gently."

It took only a few seconds to clear the baby's mouth, and as soon as he did, she took a deep breath and let out a wail that echoed throughout the house. Alexis burst into tears of relief and joy, her head falling back onto the pillow in exhaustion.

"Doctor says she sounds strong!" Johnny reported, smiling broadly. "Doctor says to take the shoe laces and tie one around the cord, about three inches from the baby. Tie the other one about six inches from the baby."

Sonny did as instructed, tying the laces tightly around the pulsating cord.

"Doctor says, use the sterile scissors to cut the cord, then wrap the baby up in a blanket and give her to Alexis."

Again, Sonny did just as the doctor ordered through Johnny. As he worked, he whispered to his wailing daughter, assuring her that all was well.

As Sonny was wrapping the kicking babe in one of her brand new blankets, a low hum could be heard outside the house. The hum grew louder as Sonny handed the baby to Alexis, placing their daughter in the welcoming arms of her mother.

Sonny watched through tears as Alexis pushed back the edges of the blanket to admire their daughter. "Look at her Sonny!" Alexis exclaimed. "She's perfect!"

Sonny climbed onto the bed at Alexis' side, slipping his arm around her shoulder. Staring in awe at his daughter, there were no words for him to speak. Instead, he pressed a kiss to Alexis' forehead, then another to her lips. His eyes met hers, and there was no need for words. Alexis' tears flowed again, and he knew that they were feeling the same rush of joy, relief and love.

As they admired their daughter, laughing at her angry wail and rejoicing at the number of fingers and toes, the low hum outside grew into a loud whine as it neared the house.

"What the. . ." Sonny started.

"It's Max," Johnny explained. "He has a snowmobile. We were out riding this weekend. I called him on my cell and asked him to go Miss Spencer. . .Bobbie Spencer."

Sonny looked at the guard in shock while Johnny held his breath. Suddenly Sonny burst out laughing, prompting Johnny to put his lings to use again. "Remind me to give you a raise," Sonny laughed as Johnny blushed.

***** Bobbie had indeed ridden in from town on the back of Max's snowmobile. Happy to turn the remaining medical machinations over to her capable hands, Sonny contented himself at Alexis' side, joining her in a tearful adoration of the life that they had created.

Alexis lay quietly on her side in her bed, the bed where her daughter had been born into Sonny's hands, dozing lightly as the memories of that snowy night faded into dreams of her daughter's birth. As images of the tiny newborn flashed through her mind, Alexis could hear her angry cries again.

"Alexis?" Alexis shifted on the bed. "Alexis?" Sonny's voice came louder, rousing her from her sleep.

"Sonny?"

"Someone wants to see you," he teased, crossing over to the bed, their daughter cradled tenderly in his arms.

Alexis propped herself up on her elbow, watching contentedly as Sonny laid their daughter on the bed at Alexis' side. Immediately the little head, crowned in ebony waves, turned toward hungrily toward Alexis' breast, her little mouth puckering as she sought out her next meal.

Alexis laughed softly as she freed her breast on her daughter's demand.

"What's all this?" Sonny asked, noticing the shoebox on Alexis' bed.

"A treasure chest," Alexis answered.

"Treasure?" He peered inside. "It looks like. . ."

"Like junk. I know. But it's not. Those are the most precious memories I have," Alexis grinned, settling into the baby's feeding.

Sonny looked back into the box. Reaching in, he began examining the contents more closely. Picking up one of the mementos, a memory flashed through his mind and he suddenly knew what Alexis meant. One-by-one, Sonny carefully removed the items from the box and laid them out on Alexis' bed, letting his own memories flow. . .

chapter 13