An Eye for an Eye
by Cowgirl

part 3

Another court appearance in the Corinthos vs Corinthos custody hearing was well underway and Sonny sat in the witness stand as Alexis questioned him. Sonny's heart beat furiously as she hammered him with question after question about his childhood and his life with his mother and stepfather. How could she do this? He thought to himself, fighting the urge to just get up and exit the room. Why was she doing this? She knew how difficult it was for him to talk about those things and here she was making him air his dirty laundry in front of everyone. In front of his loved ones, in front of his enemies and total strangers. He sat and forced himself to answer in the most vague way possible, pretending this wasn't bothering him. He watched Alexis, tried to look her straight in the eye, but she would barely look at him. She would make the smallest of eye contact and then glance away. There was the tiniest bit of comfort for Sonny in the fact that this seemed to bother her as well.

It was a circus. Alexis would ask questions, Carly would stand up and shout at her to stop. Justus would object and the judge banged his gavel to silence the melee. Sonny couldn't gather why Carly was trying so hard to prevent Alexis from doing her job and he couldn't fathom why Alexis was so hell bent on destroying him. Sure they weren't friends any longer and she held him partially responsible for her sister's death, but he never, in his wildest dreams imagined Alexis using the information that they had so intimately shared with one another against him. No, there was more to this than he was seeing in front of him. There was something entirely different driving Alexis' motivations and Sonny believed that he just might know what those motivations were.

He sat silently at his table and willed himself to calm down as everyone else left the courtroom. Justus told him they would meet again tomorrow before the trial, Jason left to go and find Courtney to try and salvage anything that was left of their marriage and as he glanced around the almost vacant courtroom, he noticed Alexis and Carly huddled together. Alexis didn't look happy at all and she seemed to be giving Carly a piece of her mind. He got up and walked out of the courtroom into the hallway. He needed to talk to her. He needed to get her to explain why she was suddenly back in the middle of his problems with Carly when she had taken such painstaking steps to remove herself from his life. He leaned against a wall, partially hidden by a column and waited for her to come out. Minutes later she burst through the door, her anger with Carly clearly still running it's course through her.

He stepped out from his hiding spot. "Alexis," he said casually as she tried to stride past him. "Can I talk to you a minute?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carly moved furiously down the corridor determined to find Alexis and give her a reminder of just why it was she was representing her and what she stood to lose if she went through with this little stunt of hers that she pulled today in the courtroom. She rounded a corner and stopped at the sound of Alexis' raised voice. She hugged the wall and remained hidden behind a pillar. She carefully stole a look and there was Alexis, her face charged with fury having a heated discussion with Sonny.

"Just what are you trying to pull here Alexis?" Sonny's voice questioned.

"I'm not pulling anything Sonny I'm just trying to get you and Carly to realize that neither of you are even thinking of those boys. You're both so angry at one another that you'll do anything to one up each other and it’s going to cost your children the most in the end."

Sonny squinted in frustration and raised a hand. "I can't believe you...you of all people would bring up the things that you did today. I...I told you things...things about my childhood that I've never told anyone," he stammered, his voice breaking.

"Sonny, I was hired to plead a case and you know better than anyone that I don't lose. Not in the courtroom."

"Why are you really doing this? Is this your way of punishing me for your sister? For turning my back on you when you came to me for help with Kristina?"

"No Sonny. Believe it or not, not everyone in the world counters bad behavior with a revenge plot." She ran a hand through her hair and heaved a sigh. "To tell you the truth? The way you and Carly have acted lately, I'm not sure those children would be safe with either of you."

"My kids belong with me...I love my kids!" Sonny shouted. He pointed. "You hate Carly...you would never do this. You would never put yourself back in the middle of this."

Alexis sighed. "I'm not discussing this with you. I'm opposing counsel and this is unethical," she said and tried to push past him.

He stepped in front of her. "What is she holding over you Alexis?"

"Nothing all right? Now please let me pass."

"Yeah, she's got something on you all right." He said studying her face. "What is it Alexis?" He asked his tone softening. "Maybe...maybe I can help."

"Help? You want to help me? That's priceless Sonny," she said and tried once more to walk away.

"Alexis...Lex...come on. It's me...Sonny."

Alexis stopped and Carly watched as she took several deep breaths. God, she wouldn't tell him...she looked like she might tell him. Carly was panicking; if Alexis told Sonny the truth then it would be all over. She was about to step out and interrupt when Alexis' voice stopped her.

"I used to know Sonny Corinthos," she said in an even tone. "I used to know a Sonny Corinthos who had a big heart underneath the tough mob boss exterior, who cared about the people around him. He didn't show it to everyone, but if he loved you then you could see it." She turned to him. "I don't know you."

"Maybe if you slowed down and took the time to try and get to know me again and stop trying to destroy me at every turn..."

"How have I destroyed you?"

"I said try," Sonny snapped back. "Come on Alexis, what does she have on you? Does it have to do with me? Is she threatening Kristina? What?"

Alexis looked away from him exasperated.

"Come on...it's gotta be bad or you wouldn't be doing this."

Alexis looked at him long and hard for several minutes and then laughed bitterly. "You're right. Carly has successfully coerced me into representing her, but trust me when I say that if I told you why my life would get a hell of a lot more complicated and I just don't need that right now."

Sonny nodded and brought a hand up to his mouth, wiping at the stubble that marked his face. "I know Carly Alexis, I know how to get to her and I can make her stop whatever she is doing to make you do this."

Alexis closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. "It's fine Sonny, I can handle it."

Sonny chuckled and looked at the floor. "Maybe I can't."

Alexis stared at him.

"See, right now Carly has the best attorney in New York." He shrugged. "You don't think I know that you'll win this? I can't lose my kids Alexis."

She gave him a sympathetic look. "Then compromise Sonny."

"Not while she's with him."

"Then you're risking everything."

"I guess I'll have to take my chances."

"Sonny, I have to go. You do what you feel you have to do, but know that I have to do what I have to do." She sniffed and her eyes darted around the corridor before landing on the floor. "I just want you to know that for what ever it's worth, I don't think you deserve to have your kids taken away from you either. I know you love them."

There was a silence as they both contemplated her statement. Finally Alexis looked up and gave him a strained smile. "I'll see you in court," she said briskly and turned to leave.

She got a few steps away when Sonny's voice rang out. "If you know I love my kids, then why are you keeping one of them from me?"

His tone was calm, even emotion filled, but the weight of what he just said froze Alexis in her tracks.

Carly sucked in a breath and fought the urge to run out and stop this. She felt dizzy and prayed that what Sonny had just said didn't mean what she thought it meant.

Alexis turned slowly, her eyes wide with terror, her mouth hanging open just a bit. She took several shallow breaths and the empty hallway they occupied seemed to get even quieter if that was possible.

Sonny licked his lips nervously and nodded his head several times. "It took me a while to get it, but I figured it out. The first time you came to me to ask for help with the Quartermaine's. I couldn't understand for the life of me why after all that had happened between us that you would come to me. Then it dawned on me and I did some checking. I know about the paternity test Alexis."

Alexis breathed slowly. Her body frozen to the spot she stood in. Don't say anything Alexis. This could just be a ploy, he couldn't know. She cleared her throat. "I'm not sure I understand." She said shakily.

Sonny sighed and squinted. "Kristina," was all he said.

"Wha...What about Kristina?" she said, her breath faltering.

He took a few steps closer to her and whispered. "She's my daughter."

A small whimper escaped Alexis and she moved on unsteady legs over to a bench against the wall, sinking down onto it.

Sonny followed and sat down as well, careful to keep some distance between them. He waited for her to respond but realized that she wasn't going to. "She's mine, isn't she?"

Alexis' head swung slowly to him and she met his gaze. She expected rage, she expected anger and hate and loathing, but didn't see any of those things in his eyes. "Yes," she said almost inaudibly.

Carly slumped against the wall not believing her ears. It was all over now. She would lose her kids for sure.

Sonny cleared his throat. "This is what Carly had over your head?"

Alexis nodded.

"She's known all along?"

"No...I don't think so. I told her about it when we were trapped in the elevator during the fire."

Sonny nodded. "Okay, so now it's done. You don't have to represent her anymore."

Alexis stood up slowly and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why aren't you screaming at me? Why aren't you angry?"

Sonny looked up at her. "I passed angry a long time ago. You know when I...when it was confirmed to me that she was mine I destroyed one of my safe houses. I tore it apart for hours. I thought about ways I could destroy you...I thought about how I would take her away and never let you near her again."

A spark of horror ran through Alexis and a pained expression crossed her face. "Please Sonny...please she's all I have in this world. She's the only thing that held me together this past year." She begged, tears streaming down her face. "Oh God Sonny don't take her from me."

Sonny stood up and moved to Alexis standing right in front of her. "I'm not going to do that Alexis," he said softly.

"You didn't let me finish. I wanted to hurt you so bad...then I realized that I already had...so many times over the last two years that I couldn't remember them all. Once I calmed down and thought about it I knew that you did it to protect our daughter. I couldn't wrap myself around the idea that you would keep my daughter away from me just to hurt me. Not you...not even after everything we said and did to one another."

Alexis blinked hard, her head feeling light. She couldn't believe he was reacting this way. She kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Her eyebrows furrowed into a deep crease. "You knew," she stated.

Sonny nodded.

"You knew and yet you turned me away when I came to you not once...but twice?" She paused and looked at him.

"You refused your own daughter?"

Sonny looked ashamed for a moment and then shook his head. "You chose to keep her from me Alexis. I allowed it, I knew that you had your reasons...even if I hated it...if I didn't agree with it." He ran a hand over his scalp. "I respected your wishes Alexis, one thing I never ever forgot about you is that you are smart. I saw how you were getting jerked around by everyone, Ned and Quartermaine's and their paid for judge... by Scott Baldwin. I knew you were hurting, but you know what?" He stopped and looked at her. "I never doubted that someday you would tell me. I knew you wouldn't keep me from her forever. It's not in you Alexis. But I couldn't respect your wishes to stay away and then jump in and get involved if you weren't willing to come clean with me. It was unfair of you to expect that of me." He shrugged. "Part of me feels that if I'd only handled finding out about you being pregnant differently...if I hadn't come to your place screaming and yelling..." He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know...maybe you wouldn't have felt like you had to lie."

"I never meant to lie. When Ned jumped in and said the baby was his..." she stopped.

Alexis put the heel of her hand to her forehead. "What do you want Sonny?" she asked warily.

Sonny took a step closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eyes. "I want to know my daughter. I want to be a part of her life and I want to raise my sons."

Alexis fought back tears. "I'm so sorry," she barely got out before breaking down.

Sonny wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him and she fell into his embrace, her arms coming up around his waist. "Can you forgive me?"

Sonny nodded. "Only if you can forgive me." He closed his eyes suddenly feeling overcome by having Alexis back in his arms. He stepped back and smiled at her. "I forgot how good it feels to hug you."

Alexis smiled back. "I miss my friend."

"We can work on that," he said as a finger came up and stroked her chin.

Her face grew serious. "Sonny, for the sake of those boys...work with Carly."

A pained expression crossed his face. "She knows about our daughter. She's going to make things hell on both of us and that includes trying to keep me from my sons."

"You have to work with her. That’s the only way Sonny. Your sons should have a good relationship with both of their parents." She looked at the floor and then back at him. "If its one thing I've learned it's that children need their parents." Her eyes watered again. "I never kept her from you because I thought you'd be a bad father Sonny."
Sonny nodded. "I know that." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "So...what now?"

Alexis cleared her throat. "Well, I'm going to stay on as Carly's attorney because I want to help the two of you work this out. Those kids need this to end and for it to end peacefully." She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled. "And then I'm going to take my stiletto and ram it down Carly's throat for what she's put me through lately."

Sonny chuckled. "I meant with us...with our daughter...how do we do this?"

"I think we should get this custody thing settled first and then we can talk about what we need to do."

Sonny nodded his agreement and closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm...you know I'm glad that we got this out in the open Alexis. I've missed my friend for a long time now."

"Me too."

There was a silence that hung in the air as both of them stared at one another with relief. It was over. Their feud was done and they both felt the weight of it lifted from their shoulders. Sonny sniffed. "You think...you think that you and me can ever be good friends again?"

Alexis bit down on the corner of her lip and nodded. "I think that over time that can happen, yes," she answered giving him a tiny smile.

Sonny heaved a sigh and rubbed his chin. "Okay, good. Look, tell Carly that I'm willing to work something out."

"Good choice Mr. Corinthos," Alexis smiled at him.

"Yeah, good choice." He smiled back. "I'll see you soon counselor."

"Okay." She watched as he turned to leave. "Sonny." She called before he got too far.

He turned and raised an eyebrow.

"Would you like to see her?"

"Now?"

Alexis shook her head yes. "I mean, we can do it whenever..."

"No, I mean I'd like that."

"I'll be home all night...um...you remember where I..."

"I remember. I'll be there."

"Okay then. See ya." She said and walked past him down the hall.

When Sonny had made his exit and the courthouse hall was completely clear Carly stepped from her hiding place, fury and rage etched into her features. This was all wrong, they were not supposed to be friends again. Why hadn't he torn her apart? Why didn't he threaten to take her child away? Because it was Alexis that's why and Alexis could do no wrong in Sonny's eyes. It had always been that way and always would be.

She had watched as they hugged and it was blatantly obvious that what used to be between them was still there, and if she didn't put a stop to this reunion, Sonny would remember why he and Alexis had created that kid in the first place. He would remember what Carly had known for years, he would remember that he loved Alexis...if he ever really forgot that at all.

She pounded her fist on the marble wall next to her. No, she wouldn't let Alexis get under Sonny's skin again. Not this time. She had one more card left and she was going to use it. She dug her cell phone out of her purse and dialed. "Lorenzo? I need to talk to you right away. Meet me at your place."

part 4