A Drunken Man's Words
by SexisFan

chapter 11

Alexis climbed the steps to the deck, passing by Sonny and heading directly for the grill where Beau was busy over breakfast.

"Mmmm. . .smells delicious," she complimented the tall blonde.

"It won't be fancy, but it'll be hot," Beau teased as he turned the bacon in the cast iron skillet.

"I'm sure it'll be great," she replied. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to a metal contraption on which three pieces of bread were propped on edge.

"Campfire toaster," Beau answered with a grin.

"Ingenious," Alexis remarked, continuing to eye the little device. She could feel Sonny's eyes on her and knew that she couldn't avoid talking to him forever. Feeling very vulnerable and more than a little embarrassed after the previous night, she decided that the best defense was a good offense.

"So, Sonny," she began, turning to face him, "you never did tell me how you found me. Or how you got here in the middle of a hurricane."

Sonny continued to lean against the deck railing and casually crossed his arms across his chest. "Well, you never did tell me how you disappeared without a sign," Sonny replied.

"I asked first," Alexis reminded him.

"But I'm much more controlling and stubborn than you, and I'm not answering until you answer me," he retorted.

Beau listened to their exchange with barely contained amusement. They wanted each other so bad it wasn't even funny. Actually, it WAS kind of funny he corrected himself silently.

Alexis sighed and conceded. "Fine, I'll tell you. It wasn't that hard. Once I got rid of the guards, I traded my car in for a new one. I avoided traces on my calls by using my cell phone. And I used an alias for renting hotel rooms."

"What did you use for money? You didn't use your credit cards or bank card," Sonny pointed out.

Beau cocked his head, curious, wondering how Sonny would know this information.

"I didn't use Alexis Davis' credit cards or bank card. I used accounts I have in another name," she replied calmly.

"What accounts?" Sonny blurted.

"Sonny, you are not the only one who has to be prepared for danger. I'm the bastard princess of exiled Russian royalty with a psychopathic step-mother who has plotted my death on a regular basis. I have contingencies that allow me to go into hiding."

Alexis and Sonny both turned at the sound of Beau's hearty laughter.

"What's so funny?" Alexis snapped.

Beau gasped for air as he wiped tears from his eyes. "You, Alexis. I swear. I'm thinking that if you're a dull, unexciting strait-laced librarian type in comparison to Sonny's 'wild' and 'dramatic' women, then Port Charles must be one hell of a scary place for a man to date."

"Beau!" Alexis exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock as Sonny joined the taller man in his laughter.

"He knows," Beau choked out between his fits of laughter. "He heard it all when we were talking this morning."

Alexis turned and glared at Sonny, "Why am I not surprised?" she asked angrily.

"Alexis. . ." Sonny began.

"Come on, Alexis," Beau interrupted, his laughter starting to fade. "Forget how it happened. All the cards are on the table, where they should be. Makes life a lot easier."

Alexis was silenced, though not particularly happy about the situation. I'm just so happy that I can amuse you gentleman," Alexis remarked sarcastically, her pride stung.

Sonny covered his smile with his hand and fought to regain his composure. With a sigh, he attempted to turn them back to their conversation. "Okay, so you had accounts in phony names to finance this little escape? Why didn't Nikolas tell me about that when I went to him scared out of my head?" he asked.

"Because Nikolas wouldn't know about the precautions I have in place. Only Stefan would have known."

"Damn! I knew I should have tracked down your brother. . ."

"Well, you found me just the same. So tell me, how did you do it?" Alexis asked.

Sonny shrugged. "A tap on your phone got me the information that you were on Hatteras. And some information finally surfaced in the DMV, showing your registration being transferred to your new car. That's how I knew what you were driving. Benny sent some of the guys down to look for where your car was parked, and that's how I got the address."

"Incredible," Beau interjected, marveling at how Sonny made the whole process sound as routine as getting dressed in the morning.

"You're going to burn that bacon," Alexis warned Beau, nodding to the pan on the grill.

"Alexis, you don't cook," Sonny chided.

"No, but I eat! And I know when something smells burned," she shot back.

Beau shook his head and laughed again, "This is going to be one long week," he sighed.

"Week? What do you mean by that?" Alexis asked, not even attempting to mask her surprise.

"A barge broke loose in the storm last night and rammed the bridge off the island. No telling when it'll be repaired. We'll have ferry service for residents as soon as the emergency needs are taken care of on the island. But it looks like that'll take close to a week," Beau explained. "In the meantime, it looks like the two of you will have plenty of time to argue. And to make up."

With that, Beau lifted a pan of bacon and one of eggs from the grill, and turned back toward the cottage, leaving Sonny and Alexis on the deck to face each other in stunned and awkward silence.

Sonny dropped his gaze and began to grin.

"What are you smiling about?" Alexis asked, irritated.

Sonny shrugged and looked up with a twinkle in his eye. "I was just trying to figure out how much fighting we have to do before we can make up like last night," he drawled suggestively.

Alexis was quick, but Sonny was just a little quicker, ducking as a warm slice of toast whizzed past his head.

*******

The trio gathered around the dining table, plates heaped with a hearty breakfast (though Sonny's plate WAS missing a slice of toast). Little was said as they dined. Beau was in an obvious hurry to finish, while his guests picked a little more self-consciously at their meals, each trying to avoid the other's eyes.

"Since the phones are out, when breakfast is done, I'm heading over to my mom's to check on things over there and to let her know we made it through okay," Beau announced.

"Oh, my!" Alexis exclaimed. "I totally forgot! Your family must be beside themselves with worry, considering we left to walk the dog and never came back!"

Beau shook his head, gently. "Naw, I called them last night while you were in the shower, just before the phones went out," he explained. "They knew we were safe and staying here for the storm." Beau shifted his gaze from Alexis to Sonny. "While I'm there, I might be able to find you some clothing more your size. My brother is closer to your size, and I'm pretty sure he'll have something to fit you better. And a pair of shoes," he added, glancing down toward Sonny's still-bare feet.

"Thanks," Sonny nodded. "Based on what I saw from the deck, shoes would be a good idea with all that debris out there."

It was Beau's turn to nod. "Yeah. When I get back with the clothes and shoes, we can get to work unboarding windows and getting the place cleaned up," he answered Sonny.

Alexis sat in silence, marveling at how easily the two men seemed to have fallen into a comfortable guy-ship with each other. In fact, she was starting to feel a little left out.

"So, Sonny," she jumped in, "You never did tell us how you got onto the island last night."

"Took a boat," Sonny answered matter of factly.

"A boat?" Beau voiced his surprise.

Sonny nodded. "Yeah. The bridge was closed by the time I drove all the way down here from the airport. So I found someone with a boat and hired him to bring me over."

"Who in the world was that insane?" Beau asked.

"Not insane," Sonny replied. "Just enterprising enough to know when a profit is worth the risk," he grinned.

"How did you survive the waves in that ocean?" Alexis asked breathlessly. "You could have been killed!"

"We didn't come in on the ocean. He said he could make it on the, what is it, soundside?"

"Yes," Beau agreed. "The sound is much more protected, and would have been calmer than the ocean. . .but it still must have been a pretty rough ride."

"I WAS feeling a little green when we got to shore," Sonny admitted. "But it was worth it," he smiled, gazing warmly across the table at Alexis.

Alexis blushed and fidgeted uncomfortably, dropping her eyes from Sonny's intense scrutiny.

"Anyway," Sonny continued, "I had a bit to walk, but it wasn't too hard to find the street and then the house."

"How did you get through the flood on the road when the electrical lines were downed in the water?" Beau asked.

"That must be what that was," Sonny answered, realization clearly written across his face. "I guess I was already here when the wires came down," he replied.

"But you weren't here when WE got here," Alexis interjected.

"I got to the house, but didn't see your car. I knocked anyway, but no one answered. I thought you might have evacuated, even though the guys were supposed to be watching the bridge for you on the other side," Sonny explained. "I thought if I could find a way in, I could figure out whether you'd packed up and left the island. I was looking for a window with a loose board, or a door I thought I could kick in, when I ran into Quincy there." Sonny waved his fork toward the little black dog sitting at Alexis' side, waiting for scraps.

"Quincy?" Alexis asked in surprise.

"Yeah. He was on the deck, scratching at the boards over the doors. I was coming around the corner of the house when there was a crashing sound and a bright flash of light. It seemed like it could be lightening, but didn't seem like it came from the sky. I don't know if it was the sound, the light, or me that spooked him, but Quincy took off for the beach like a bat out of hell. I had no idea he was your dog, of course. But I knew it was too dangerous out there for a little thing like him, so I took off after him. I guess that's when the two of you must have been going in the house through the front."

"YOU rescued Quincy?" Alexis exclaimed, feeling tears well up at the memory of her fear when she thought she'd lost him - and the relief she'd felt when he'd come through the front door as if on his own.

"Guess so," Sonny shrugged. "I caught up with him on the beach and carried him back here. I figured I'd better get both of us inside. I thought maybe I could get the lock on the door open, but when I got here there wasn't any need. The door was unlocked. And the rest you know."

Alexis couldn't believe it. While she'd been grieving the loss of her pet, Sonny was out in the hurricane bringing him back to her - and not even knowing that he was doing this great thing for HER. All this time she'd been somewhat put out that Sonny had tracked her down and followed her out here, and yet if he hadn't, Quincy might not be alive. Kristina would have called it fate or synchronicity or some other such thing. Alexis simply found it nothing short of miraculous.

Beau had clearing the table and stacking dishes in the sink as Sonny told his story. He stopped now and shook his head in amazement. "Well," he proclaimed, "I guess some things are just meant to be."

With that, he gave Sonny a friendly pat on the back, smiled at Alexis, and headed out the door to check on his family.

*******

Sonny and Alexis had finished their breakfast in an awkward silence, neither knowing what to say to the other now that Beau's mediating presence was gone. Alexis finished first and went to work tidying up the kitchen. Mindful of the need to conserve their hot water, she drew only a shallow bit of dishwater and set Beau's dishes, then hers, to soak. Sonny finished eating and cleared his place setting from the table, adding it to the stack in the sink.

"I'm - um - going to see if I can get through to anyone on my cell," Sonny offered shyly.

Alexis nodded but said nothing. She didn't trust her voice to work without shaking. She'd never felt this way around Sonny before, so exposed and self-conscious. Glad for the distraction of cleaning up from breakfast, Alexis deliberately took her time with the task. She wiped the table clean of crumbs, then turned to slowly wash the dishes. One by one, she cleaned plates, glasses, utensils and finally pans, setting each one aside on the counter to be rinsed later. When the washing was done, she drained the sink and wiped it clean before drawing another shallow sink of clean water. Still taking her time, Alexis carefully rinsed the dishes, stacking them on the opposite side of the sink to be dried.

Throughout the task, Alexis let her mind drift back to Beau's words early that morning. He'd challenged her to live life in the moment, to let go of having to plan everything out based on assurances of what would be most likely to succeed. There are no guarantees, he'd told her, and she knew that he was right. Alexis thought of Chloe and the bright future that had seemed so certain for her friend - the future that was taken from her by Alexis' own brother. If anyone knew that life should be lived for the day, it was Alexis. But still. . .

"Can I help?" Sonny asked, lifting a dry dish towel from where it hung on a hook near the sink.

Alexis' head came up in surprise at his appearance by her side. Glancing at him and then quickly back to the last of the dishes she was rinsing, Alexis answered shyly. "Sure."

Without a word, Sonny went to work drying the dishes while watching Alexis surreptitiously through his lashes. She was so beautiful. And so scared of what they'd shared the night before. Sonny wished he could gather her into his arms and make her promises about the future, promises that would but her mind at rest and open her heart to him. But he knew it wasn't possible. And if he tried, Alexis was too smart to believe him.

"Did the phone work?" Alexis asked, remembering that he'd been trying to call out on his cell.

Sonny shook his head. "Nope. Can't get through," he answered.

Sonny was still trying to form something else innocuous to say to Alexis when a knock sounded at the front door, startling both of them.

Alexis turned to Sonny and managed a tight grin. "Will that be Johnny? Or Benny?" Or Carly, she added silently, not putting an appearance on the island past Sonny's determined ex-wife.

Sonny forced a chuckle. "Only one way to find out," he replied, turning to answer the door.

Alexis watched, curious as to who might come calling just hours after a hurricane.

Sonny swung the door open. "Officer! Good morning," he greeted heartily when the door opened to reveal a uniformed sheriff's deputy.

"Mornin' folks," the deputy answered, tipping the brim of his hat politely.

"What can we do for you, sir?" Sonny asked, reminding himself silently that he was far away from Port Charles and that there was no reason for the local law to be interested in him.

"Just making rounds, checking for problems. Everyone okay after last night?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

Alexis shot a quick glance at the deputy, her mind suddenly filled with images of making love to Sonny - and confused questions about how this man would know about it.

"We're fine," Sonny assured him. "That was some storm, though," he smiled.

The storm. Right, Alexis thought. Shaking her head at her own one-track train of thought she wondered if there would ever be a day in the rest of her life when she didn't have at least one memory of what she'd shared with Sonny in her bed last night.

"It was a good'un, alright," the deputy agreed. "Power will be out for a while, phones too. The bridge took some damage last night and will stay closed for awhile, but the ferry will be running in a week. If you have an emergency, though, we got radio contact with the mainland. . ."

"Could we use the radio to call for a boat? I have a business to get back to and a week is a long time to be out of circulation," Sonny explained.

The deputy considered this request. "Have to ask the sheriff, but I don't think he'd have a problem with it," he answered finally.

"Great! Thank you officer. We appreciate your concern," Sonny replied, politely dismissing the man to continue his rounds.

"Sure thing," the deputy said, tipping his hat again as he said his goodbye and went on his way.

"Okay," Sonny exclaimed, rubbing his hands together in satisfaction. "When Beau gets back with those shoes, I'll get him to point me to the sheriff's station. I'll get us a boat and we can be out of here and back home in no time," he said, laying out his plan to Alexis.

"Forget it," Alexis replied.

"What?" Sonny asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You go ahead and get your boat. I'll wish you a nice trip home," Alexis said. "But I'm not leaving this island."

chapter 12