Game Day
by Cowgirl

chapter 34 - The Winner's Circle

Sonny and Alexis stood in the elevator, hands interlaced, waiting for it to stop on their floor. Alexis found herself suddenly nervous at the prospect of facing her sister in a few short minutes. Sonny sensed her anxiety and squeezed her hand. "Hey, it's going to be fine."

Alexis nodded. "I know."

"Now that we're back in town, are you having post wedding jitters?" Sonny asked.

She looked at him. "Of course not. I'll never regret marrying you," she said earnestly.

The elevator ding signaled that they were at their floor. The stepped out and stood in the hall facing one another.

Sonny took her hands in his own. "Ready?"

"I'm ready ... I think," she said nervously. "Is that offer to get on your jet and fly away still open?"

"No," Sonny smiled. "That offer expired. Your sister will be shocked, but she'll be happy for us. She wants you to be happy."

Alexis leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his. "I know, I'm being silly."

They stared at one another, smiling at the thought of their new life together when the door to Alexis' penthouse opened revealing Kristina with her trademark grin. "I thought I heard the elevator," she said, obviously overjoyed to catch them in a moment of intimacy.

"And you rushed right out here to see what you could find out," Sonny teased.

"Well I was expecting Alexis back today ... I was anxious to see her," she said defensively.

"Kristina, is Alexis back?" Ned called as he entered the hallway, stopping, a look of bitterness crossing his face as he took in the sight of Sonny and Alexis pressed up against one another, hands intertwined. "Have a good ... business trip?" he asked sarcastically.

Alexis rolled her eyes and moved into her penthouse, followed by the others. "Actually Ned, it was all pleasure this time," she said and winked at Sonny.

Kristina smiled at her sister. "So, I take it that it was a nice weekend?"

Sonny moved forward and clamped his hand on her shoulder. "It was the best weekend," he said his gaze never leaving his wife.

Ned looked disgusted as he digested the playfulness between Alexis and her client. "So you're taking weekend trips with this goon now?" Ned asked, his gaze piercing through Alexis.

Alexis shook her head and moved her hands to her hips. "And just what business is it of yours whom I choose to go away with for the weekend?"

Ned sighed and moved toward Alexis. "Alexis, representing him is one thing, living across the hall from him is bad enough ... but going away for the weekend?" He let out a snide chuckle. "You just seem bound and determined to make everyone think you're crazy for associating with a known criminal."

Alexis held up a finger. "Alleged criminal, he's never been convicted of a thing. And like I said Ned. It is no business of yours."

Ned threw up his hands. "Fine. You want to ruin your career by cavorting with him? You go right ahead."

Sonny and Kristina stood by watching this heated exchange between Ned and Alexis. Sonny slightly amused and anxious to see Alexis lower the boom on ol side burns and Kristina rapidly growing impatient with Ned's Alexis obsession.

Alexis smiled. "Gee, you think people think less of me because I ... " she held up her fingers to simulate quotation marks. "Cavort with Sonny?"

"That's right. I do," Ned replied angrily.

Alexis nodded. "Well, then it will really sully their opinion of me then when they find out I married him, won't it?"

Alexis watched intently as Ned's face went through an interesting array of colors. It started out chalk while, then progressed slowly to a pink, eventually blooming into a bright crimson, and then finally a bluish purple. "What?" he spit out.

"Oh, my God Alexis," Kristina let out in a shrill voice. "You and Sonny are married?"

"That's right. Mr. and Mrs. Sonny Corinthos," Sonny chimed in happily, a smile widening across his face as he looked at Alexis.

Kristina stood for the first time in her life, speechless. Ned looked like an oscillating fan, his head sweeping side to side as he looked back and forth between Alexis and Sonny. He finally set his gaze on Alexis. "How did he get you to agree to this? What did he threaten you with Alexis?" He pointed a finger at her. "You know lots of judges, you can get an annulment."

"Not really," Sonny said rather smugly. "See, in order to get an annulment ... well, lets just say it's too late for an annulment." Sonny smiled at Alexis. "Isn't that right, dear?"

Alexis blushed and shook her head at Sonny's outright cockiness. "Yes, sweet heart ... " she said through her teeth. "You're not helping dear."

Kristina moved forward. "Alexis ... are you ... " she made a motion over her stomach.

"No, I'm not pregnant and I married Sonny of my own free will, and I was not under the influence of anything. I married him because I love him and he makes me happy and I was tired of playing around about it."

"I love to hear you say that," Sonny beamed.

Ned breathed out air through his open mouth in ragged puffs. "Are you crazy, Alexis?"

Alexis smiled and moved to Sonny wrapping her arm around his waist. "Yes. Crazy in love with my husband." She looked at her sister. "Kristina, I know I just dropped a bombshell on you, but I'm exhausted and need a nap. We'll talk later?"

Kristina nodded and moved to her sister, pulling her into a hug. "I'm so happy for you ... and you bet we'll talk later."

She winked.

Alexis nodded and turned her attention to Sonny. "Take me home?"

Sonny gave her a half smile and grasped her hand. "Lead the way."

Kristina cleared her throat. "Um, Sonny?"

Sonny stopped and looked at her.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks Kristina." He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. "I promise you that I'm going to take care of your sister."

Kristina smiled and kneaded her eyebrows together before looking at Sonny. "I can't believe you're my brother-in-law."

Sonny chuckled. "Yeah ... well, that's going to take some getting used to." He pulled his hand away from her started out the door for his place.

Kristina motioned for a steaming Ned to stay put and stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. She touched Alexis' arm, who motioned for Sonny to go ahead inside. She turned to Kristina. "What's up?"

Kristina looked at her in amazement. "I know you said we'll talk later but ... " She held up her hands. "I'm flabbergasted. How on earth did Sonny get you down the aisle?"

Alexis smiled her eyes sparkling with something Kristina hadn't seen before. "He said yes."

Kristina's mouth dropped. "You mean you asked him?"

Alexis shrugged and held up one hand. "Guilty."

"I can't believe it."

"Kristina, you know how I feel about Sonny. You've always known." She held up her hands. "As weird as it may be I finally admitted to myself that as mismatched as Sonny and I appear on the outside ... " She shook her head. "He's the one that I belong with. He's the one who's always been there to fill the void in my life, to listen to me and my ramblings with patience. I know you're not around when he and I are alone together, but no other person on this earth has ever made me feel this loved and somehow I know he always will."

Kristina's eyes glistened with tears. "I'm so incredibly happy for you ... for both of you." She hugged her sister. "Go be with your husband."

Alexis smiled and watched her disappear into the penthouse before turning and walking into her new life with the man she was head over heals for.

chapter 35