The Golden Chain
by Abelard

part 6

Sonny awoke early on Friday, but he sensed the entire house was already humming with anticipation. The ball would begin at eight o'clock that night, and then every resident of the mansion would decamp the next morning for Russia. Sonny knew there was a note of fear in their anticipation, too: everyone wondered if Sonny's enemies would make another attempt on his life. Alexis used to tell him that death and danger followed him around like shadows. He had to admit that, if they could follow him across an ocean and break into the Cassadines' stronghold, her suspicion might be justified. He was worried about exposing Alexis and Kristina to the threats that trailed him. He had a million reasons to go, rather than continuing to seek shelter with them.

But he was staying. Because he could not find within himself the will to leave them.

When he joined the advisors and Alexis in their usual meeting room, all present cordially bid him a good morning, save one. Hunter Raleigh stood as soon as Sonny took a seat. "Your Highness," Raleigh addressed Alexis, "I must object to the continuing presence of this man." Raleigh looked briefly at Sonny. "As long as he remains in your retinue, you and the Princess Kristina will be subject to the best attempts of assassins."

"Your objection is noted," Alexis said. Her tone made it clear that she had not changed her mind about whether Sonny was deserving of her protection. When Hunter did not resume his seat, Alexis added, "Thank you for your concern, Raleigh. Now, if we can begin with the first item on our very crowded agenda…"

"I am not making myself clear, Your Highness," Raleigh bit out. He looked agitated, as if he were restraining great emotion. "If he stays, then I will leave your service immediately."

"Hunter…." Alexis began.

Menshikov rose from his chair with surprising alacrity for an old man. "How dare you present Her Highness with an ultimatum! You have no right to make such demands!" His white brows were deeply furrowed. He was obviously furious.

Menshikov's reprimand seemed to burn Raleigh's fuse to its base. The younger advisor rushed madly at Alexis; Sonny and several others sprang up to defend her if Raleigh attacked. But the Englishman only fell to her feet and gazed up at her with longing and anger equally expressed in his contorted features. "I have served you in every way you have asked. In every way you would allow me! I have done all that you asked and I have tried to do even more. You would choose this thuggish lout over me? This piece of common garbage? Why?! How could you?!"

"What the…" Alexis looked around her as if for help, shocked and horrified.

Menshikov raised his right foot very slightly, placed it on Raleigh's left shoulder, and with precision, kicked the man backwards, away from Alexis. "Who is the common garbage, and who is the Prince?" Menshikov said threateningly. "Leave now, while I am yet in the mood to allow you to leave on your own power."

Sonny's gaze shifted all around the room, but every other advisor simply sat back down as if nothing of great import were taking place. Evidently, they all knew that Menshikov's word was law, and that Raleigh would obey it even in disgrace.

Raleigh looked with desperation at Alexis once more. "A word alone? Just a few moments, I beg of you!"

Alexis said nothing. She knew she did not have to. Menshikov answered for her. "No," he said. Raleigh emitted a small cry of defeat, then fled the room without sparing a glance for anyone else.

****

A few hours into the day's schedule, a question arose which had stymied the group for more than a week. It concerned a set of land leases near St. Petersburg. The Russian government was refusing to even set a price for the lease renewals, but the Cassadines had several major construction projects that had to begin within three months in order to meet their budget and completion targets. All week, Sonny had been arguing a daring, confrontational strategy. However, the advisors, while admiring his thinking, shied away from implementing it. Finally, Sonny, exasperated by the circular discussion on the topic, said, "Let me handle it."

Alexis and her team looked at him and blinked. Hakari, the quick-witted advisor from Kyoto, said, "Excuse me, Your Highness?"

Sonny cleared his throat. He knew he was entering new territiory. "I'll be the point person. I've done deals like this before, with the U.S. government. Legally," he added, for Alexis's benefit. "Look, if I can get two of you Russian speakers - maybe you, Marevich, and you, Sandnikov - to back me up, I know I can get us a good price on these leases."

It did not go unremarked that Sonny said "us" instead of "you," but no one commented. Alexis leaned forward and said, wide-eyed, "Sonny, this is a two- or three-month deal we're talking about. If I let you take point, I won't let you back out of it before it's done."

"I understand that," Sonny replied.

"Do you understand that you'd have to be in Russia to see this through? You won't be able to work this from Port Charles," Alexis said sternly.

"Aren't we leaving for Moscow tomorrow?" Sonny asked. Alexis nodded. "Well then, I'll be in Russia, right where I need to be."

Alexis looked completely dumbfounded. Sonny could see she was getting ready to protest when Menshikov stepped in.

"Since Your Highness seems to possess the clearest vision for how to proceed, I'm sure your efforts will be successful," Menshikov said with finality. "Marevich and Sandnikov, you will begin working with His Highness as soon as we arrive in Moscow. We must resolve this matter as soon as possible."

"Yes, Sir," the Russians said. And that, Sonny noted, was that. He was going to stay with Alexis's entourage. He wasn't going anywhere.

****

Alexis wasted no time in laying into her old, trusted Vizier as soon as the group meeting concluded. As the advisors filed out, Sonny had been directed by Menshikov to hide in a small nook just outside the meeting room and inside the suite doors. Sonny realized immediately why Menshikov wanted him there: Sonny could hear everything Alexis said from where he was concealed, and all her talk was about him.

"What in the hell was that about?" Alexis raged at Menshikov when she believed they were alone. "You know he's going back to Port Charles as soon as his territory is secure. Why would you let him take the lead on one of our most important deals?"

"What if he chooses not to return?" the Vizier asked with a face of placid calm.

Alexis stared at him, then shook her head in disbelief. "You *want* him to stay. What are you trying to do, arrange my life?'

"My family has been seeing to the best interests of your family for generations," Menshikov replied with a hint of anger. "When your father cut me out of his circle, it was the beginning of his mad, futile scheming. I could have saved the Cassadines trillions of rubles and dozens of years, if I'd been allowed to remain. But you," Menshikov's voice lowered, "you were the one to rescue this empire, as I had known from the beginning you would be. Although I did not see you past your twelfth birthday, I knew you would be saner than Stavros and stronger than Stefan. You have your father's wiles and your mother's charm. You were born to lead this family into the future. And you were *not* born to lead it alone!" The old man finished like a thunderclap.

"If you mean that you expect me to take Sonny Corinthos as my permanent consort…." Alexis couldn't finish. Whether she was too enraged to speak, or if she didn't know what to say, Sonny couldn't tell.

"And why not him? Because he's done evil deeds? My dear, can you name one Prince in the long history of this family who has not done worse than he?"

"There's plenty that you don't know about him. He's stubborn and impulsive. His temper has no limits. He's capable of making the poorest decisions imaginable - you should see who he's decided to marry," Alexis retorted.

"He has made several poor decisions regarding his romantic relationships. But he is an intelligent man, and I believe he is capable of one day achieving wisdom. With regards to romance, a man like that need only make one correct decision to redeem all his errors."

After a pause, Alexis asked, "And why would I want him to stay?"

Sonny held his breath at this. This was the question that was the key to everything, for him. For them.

Menshikov answered, "Because you cannot help yourself."

Sonny had to give it to the old Russian: he had more balls than anyone Sonny ever knew. Would Alexis contradict him? Could the old fox possibly be right?

"You would be surprised at the extent of my self-control," Alexis said coldly, and left without spotting Sonny in his dark corner.

****

The ball was a lavish affair of black, gold, and silver. Alexis wore a strapless midnight-colored gown of iridescent silk. It hung straight along her sinuous figure, clinging beautifully to her curves. She wore her hair swept up in a neat chignon behind her head. Her eyes sparkled like the string of diamonds around her neck as she laughed and danced with innumerable ambassadors, ministers, presidents of corporations, banks, and trusts. She chatted easily with every woman, child, and man in the room. She flirted with no one, as far as Sonny could tell. And he watched her carefully. But he was determined to change that before the night was through.

Sonny realized he'd been nervous as hell before the affair began. He'd never been in the same room with people of such caliber. Well, except for maybe Alexis and her family. But that was in Port Charles, not in London among the European - and world - elite. Now, seeing Alexis move so easily in the world she was born to, looking like a gracious monarch, Sonny felt ashamed he'd ever treated her casually. How had he ever dared to mock and tease her, as he'd done all the time when they were friends? *Because she made you feel like you were her equal*, a voice in his head reminded him.

Luckily, since Sonny was all dressed up in princely finery, no one seemed to notice that he was just a scrappy Brooklyn kid who hadn't graduated from high school and didn't even know what a salad fork looked like until Alexis coached him a couple of days prior. Everyone treated him like he was just as royal as everybody else, even the Kings and Queens in attendance. One pair of rulers happened to be the King and Queen of Spain, so Sonny actually scored a hit by conversing with them in their native tongue for a good half hour.

The only female Sonny escorted to the dance floor all evening was Kristina. She looked brilliant in a pale pink beaded gown. She twinkled like a fairy as they danced under the chandeliers. She held her arms very high and Sonny reached down low and twirled her around and around. When he danced with her, the whole world narrowed down to just him and his little girl.

"You're a very good dancer, Sonny," Kristina complimented him, and he wondered if she would ever call him Daddy. "Are you going to dance with Mama tonight?"

Sonny raised his eyes to where Alexis stood. It looked like she was involved in some sort of negotiation with the trade minister from Beijing. "Your Mama looks pretty busy tonight, sweetheart," Sonny said, the endearment coming easily to him.

"She's always really busy at parties. But maybe you could dance with her afterwards."

Many hours later, the guests gone and the servants hard at work removing all traces of them, Sonny decided to take his daughter's suggestion. When he spotted Alexis coming back to the ballroom after checking on their now-sleeping daughter, he walked up to her and said, "May I have this dance?"

Alexis looked momentarily flustered, then smiled, "Well, I would, but the musicians have left for the evening."

"I don't need any music," Sonny said.

"Um, well, I was going to see if I could help out here…" Alexis said, glancing over Sonny's shoulder at the cleaning crew.

"It's as warm a night as you're ever gonna get in London," Sonny said. Then he did something that he knew was shameless: he grinned at her and flashed his dimples. He gave her the "look" that had worked on her years and years before. He knew it would work again. And it did.

"Fine," she said. She wasn't smiling when she agreed. That was a good sign. She was uncomfortable. He meant to unsettle her a bit.

Sonny led her out to the manicured French-style gardens in the back of the mansion, where cement paths three feet wide criss-crossed the perfect lawns. They began a slow, silent dance, drifting off under the yellow moon away from the enormous house and out under the leafy trees. Sonny could feel that Alexis got more tense as they danced farther away from the building.

"Why are you scared of me?" Sonny said, almost whispering.

"Well, there *are* a number of people trying to kill you," Alexis quickly replied.

Sonny wrapped his arm even tighter around her narrow waist, and pulled her closer to him. Their dance slowed as their bodies pressed tightly together. Their faces were suddenly so close that Sonny was breathing her sweet breath.

"You know what I mean," he said. "What are you frightened of?"

Alexis lowered her eyes. They both knew that as cool as she could appear to be, her eyes always gave her away. "We're not meant to be together, Sonny. That's all. I…I've been reluctant to…grow attached to you, when I know this is only a temporary situation."

"Is it only temporary?" Sonny asked.

Alexis's gaze flashed back to him. "Why would it be otherwise?"

"What if I said I wanted to stay?"

Alexis swallowed. Several times. She was nervous, more nervous than Sonny had seen her in all his time with her here. "I would say, that's a temporary want. Soon, you'll miss your real family. Michael, and Carly." Sonny didn't say anything for a few moments. They just moved slowly, seductively against one another under the long branches of oak. At last, Alexis said, "You see? You don't deny it."

"I'm only thinking of what I can say to you that will convince you," he said gently against her ear. "I've been with you less than two weeks, but you've already changed my whole life around. This life you've brought me into - it's completely different than anything I ever knew before. I feel like I'm in some kind of goddamn fairy tale, only *I'm* the Cinderella."

"Because I've made you a Prince?" Alexis scoffed.

"Because you've shown me what it would be like to live in your world. With a different purpose. Different means, different motivations. I see what you're trying to accomplish, and I want to be a part of that. You know I can help you, Alexis," he said insistently.

"You've been talking to Menshikov…" she said shakily. Sonny held her even closer. He knew that shake in her voice. He remembered it from long ago. And he meant to press his advantage, press it as far as she'd let him.

"Menshikov wants me to stay for the greater glory of the Cassadines. But that's the least of the reasons I'd want to. Alexis…" Sonny leaned back slightly, removed one hand from Alexis's waist, and lifted her chin so that they were looking at each other dead in the eyes. "…I'd stay for our daughter, and for you. I never knew I could live another way, but all of a sudden, here it is. And now that I know what this way is like, I don't want to go back. Don't make me leave." With that, he lowered his mouth to hers, and nearly combusted inside when he felt her return his kiss.

***continued in addendum on the adult board***

part 7