Love Endures
by Susanne

Chapter 7 - Turning Away

A few weeks had passed, and in that time period Sonny and Alexis were still sleeping separately; Alexis in the bedroom, and Sonny on the couch in the livingroom. Alexis didn't feel safe enough to start sharing the same bed as her husband, as a part of her knew that that was the first step on the way for her to become pregnant again. Sonny was in the livingroom with Kristina, Zander and Courtney, while Alexis was upstairs with Michael packing for a sleepover at Zander's apartment.

Michael: "Why do we have to go? You and daddy aren't doing anything important tonight are you?" He asked sitting whiningly on his bed.

Alexis: "Why have you suddenly changed your mind regarding sleeping at Zander's?"

Michael: "Daddy doesn't like him, and I don't want daddy to be mad at me for liking Zander."

Alexis: "Michael…Your father is just trying to look out for his sister; Courtney, as I know you would for Kristina. I for one think that this sleepover will be cool!"

Michael: "Then why don't you go?" He asked.

Alexis: "Because I wasn't invited! Besides I know that you don't want to stay at home with dad and me. So I'd suggest you to find out if you like Zander or not. And there won't come a better time for that than this sleepover. Besides aunt Courtney will be there, and as far as I know Zander's got the latest 'Lara Croft' Playstation game." Alexis knew exactly what to say to get Michael to do what she wanted, and she could immediately see his sour face turn into a happy face.

Michael: "I guess it could be fun to be there, but why doesn't daddy like him?"

Alexis: "Why do you say that your dad doesn't like Zander?"

Michael: "Because he always yells at Zander, and he never does that with Jason, Benny or you!"

Alexis: "Your dad has a hard time showing his true feelings, and sometimes yelling seems better to him than to be real towards the people he's facing. Zander and your dad have known each other for a very long time, and that's also why your father is harder on Zander than on Jason or Benny."

Michael: "OK! Let's go!" He exclaimed, taking his backpack on his back, while he and Alexis walked down to the livingroom.

Sonny: "Just make sure that this one has an early night! She kept her mother up all of last night due to a stomach ache she was having." He replied kissing Kristina on the head.

Courtney: "I'll make sure of that, while I think Zander will play some Playstation with Michael! I don't hope you'd mind that Champ?" She asked, as Michael and Alexis entered the livingroom.

Michael: "No way! I'm really looking forward to sleeping over with you and Zander, auntie Courtney!" He replied drawing a surprised look from Sonny, as Michael hadn't done any thing but complain the past days regarding this sleepover.

Zander: "Then let's go, huh?" He replied taking Michael's hand in his, as Sonny gave Kristina to Courtney right after Alexis had kissed her, and Michael goodbye.

Sonny: "We need to talk sweetheart!" He replied after Zander and Courtney had left with Michael and Kristina.

Alexis: "About?" She asked harshly rearranging some papers on the desk.

Sonny: "I think you know about what! Will you just…Come here?" He replied escorting her to the couch where they both took a seat.

Alexis: "I have a lot of work I need to finish up Sonny so can't this wait?" She asked impatiently having a good feeling of what it was he wanted to talk to her about.

Sonny: "This has waited long enough! I don't know how to reach you anymore. We only spend time together when the kids are around. That's why I want to cook you dinner tonight."

Alexis: "I know that you must be tired of being forced to sleep on this couch…"

Sonny: "This doesn't have anything to do with that couch. What I want to talk about is our future - if there is one that is?" He asked questiongly.

Alexis: "What kind of a question is that? You know how much I love you Sonny!"

Sonny: "How am I supposed to know that when you won't even let me touch you?"

Alexis: "That's absurd!"

Sonny: "Really? The last time I held you was weeks ago when you'd returned from the hospital after loosing the baby."

Alexis: "OK then let's have dinner together, and get these things talked out…" They were interrupted by Johnny knocking on the door.

Sonny: "Yeah!" He yelled through the door.

Johnny: "Benny!" He replied, as Benny made his way through the door.

Benny: "Sorry…If I'm interrupting something?"

Alexis: "Not at all! I need to talk to Grace about something - bye!" She exclaimed kissing Sonny quickly on the cheek before leaving Benny and Sonny alone in PH4.

Benny: "What was that about?" He asked wondering why Alexis had been in such a hurry.

Sonny: "I'd wish I knew!" He replied sadly.

Grace: "Alexis?" She asked surprised over finding Alexis outside her door.

Alexis: "Hey…May I come in?" She asked looking completely lost.
Grace: "Sure! Come on in! What's up?" She asked, as they took a seat on the couch.

Alexis: "Why do you think that something's up?"

Grace: "Alexis? I might be deeply involved in this business development I'm going to make with Jax but I haven't lost my skills. I can still see when you're hurting just as much as I can see when you're lying to me. Is it Sonny?"

Alexis: "Alright! He started today with wanting to talk to me about our future together. I can't do that Grace! It has barely been a month since the baby died, and he's already talking about trying again."

Grace: "Wouldn't it be an idea for you to talk to Sonny about these concerns of yours? I can't help you the way that Sonny can. He's your husband Lexie; he'd want to know all of this."

Alexis: "I don't blame him for wanting to try again but still I feel that it's too soon. It was different for me than for him. I knew that I was pregnant, and I had planned to tell him about it, but then things interfered. Who's to say that it won't happen the next time I plan to tell him that I'm pregnant?"

Grace: "No one can. Listen…Has Sonny confronted Ned yet?"

Alexis: "No! He's conviently enough been away on 'business'. And I'm afraid of what Sonny's going to do when Ned returns. Especially now that he's shacked up with Faith Roscoe."

Grace: "I don't blame you but why don't you talk to Sonny about these doubts you're having, and allow him to help you. I really doubt that I can offer you anything that even comes close to what Sonny can. Sonny's the one who also lost a child Alexis, and maybe you're right; maybe it didn't hurt him as much but still he's the guy who's lost his 3rd child due to his 'business'."

Alexis: "You're right about those skills; you haven't lost a single one."

Grace: "Told you! Why don't you just go on home, and talk to your husband about what we've just talked about? I honestly think that you'll feel 100 % better once it's all out in the open, and you've been upfront with that gorgeous Latino husband of yours!"

Alexis: "I can't…Not yet!"

Grace: "Why in the world not?"

Alexis: "Because I don't know how I'm supposed to tell him that I don't feel right about giving him children. How do you say that to someone you know ONLY wants children?"

Grace: "Hold up! Are you saying NEVER? Don't you ever want to have another child? Alexis…In the 3 years you and Sonny have been married you've given Michael and Kristina more attention, loving and tenderness than anyone else. You can only offer children love and attention. If you're worried about being a good mother all you've got to do is ask Jax, Skye, Jason, Elizabeth, Courtney, Zander, Sonny or Mike and they'd tell you that you're mom no. 1. Michael and Kristina are blessed to have both you and Sonny in their lives."

Alexis: "I keep on thinking about how our childhood was. I mean…Being invisible to your own family, and then later finding out that you're the stepdaughter of Helena Cassadine. I don't want any child of mine to feel like that!"

Grace: "I seriously doubt that you could ever make a child feel like Helena made you feel. She made you feel like you were worthless and see where you are now; you're married to a wealthy man, and you have 2 adorable children and furthermore you're a very successful lawyer."

Alexis: "I also had to fight to be where I am right now!"

Grace: "I know that, and I think that Chloe, Kristina, your mother, and mine will all agree on the fact that everything you have you got by fighting for it. I mean…Who'd ever have pictured you married to famous mob boss; Sonny Corinthos? Your marriage has been through a hardship lately, and that hardship won't just disappear. You've got to keep on fighting even when it looks dark because you will reach the light!"

Alexis: "That sounds very poetic!"

Grace: "Well…It's easy to say because the love you have with Sonny is poetic; it's like nothing I've ever heard of or seen. You're a very lucky woman Alexis, and I want you to fight for what's yours. Tell Sonny how you feel, and talk about it tonight."

Alexis: "I will! Do you have any idea of how much I love you?"

Grace: "Well…I love you too!"

Alexis: "We agreed on having a quiet dinner tonight since Michael and Kristina are visiting Zander and Courtney."

Grace: "Are they OK?"

Alexis: "Yeah…We were concerned that Faith Roscoe would come after Zander but after Jason went down, and talked to her there hasn't been anything. Sonny obviously believes that both Zander and Courtney are safe now?"

Grace: "How does Sonny feel about Zander and Courtney being together?"

Alexis: "He's started to warm up to the thought. He of course has to be the overprotective brother all the time but I think it'll be OK in some time!" She replied on her way out the door.

chapter 8