Cameron
Lewis was teasing Alexis mercilessly. "I know my birthday present's
around here somewhere. Come on, tell!" He was smiling and taking
long strides all through her apartment. "Did you hide it in
the chimney?" He bent over and looked into the fireplace. "Nope.
What about the oven? I know you never use it, so that'd be a great
hiding place!"
"Stop it, stop it!!" Alexis said, laughing on the couch.
She'd made such a fuss over finding the perfect gift for Cameron's
upcoming birthday, and now she was learning how dangerous and difficult
it was to keep a secret from a psychiatrist. Those types of people
were evidently hard-wired to root out the truth. "You'll spoil
it!" she called after him as he walked into every room. Finally,
he entered her bedroom.
"I'll bet I'll find it in here…" he called. Alexis
heard the sound of her closet doors being opened and shut, then
her dresser drawers. *Yeah, fat chance, buster,* she thought, knowing
she'd hidden the present safely at Zander's apartment. Then every
one of her muscles tensed as she realized what *was* concealed in
her bedroom dresser.
Leaping from the couch, Alexis called, "Cameron, wait…"
Too late. Cameron emerged from her bedroom holding nine small jewelry
cases. Some were long and thin, some were flat and square. One was
obviously a ring box. "What are these, Alexis?" Cameron
asked, one chestnut eyebrow arched.
"Just some jewelry," Alexis said. She warned herself not
to say too much too quickly. She was a terrible liar, and Cameron
was a walking lie detector.
"Hm. Do you mind if I take a look at what's inside these boxes?"
Cameron asked, suddenly solemn. When Alexis was about to protest,
Cameron added, "Or, is there some reason you wouldn't want
me to see your jewelry?"
When he put it like that, of course she couldn't refuse him. If
she did, it would be just as good as admitting that she was hiding
something. "Go..go ahead," she said. From the way Cameron
looked at her then, she knew she was caught. He could hear the shakiness
in her voice as she said just those few words.
With more trepidation than he cared to admit, he walked over to
the couch, sat next to Alexis, set the cases on the coffee table,
and opened them one by one. Each of the pieces were obviously incredibly
expensive. A necklace of diamonds and one of rubies, a bracelet
of sapphires, another of emeralds, earrings that matched the larger
pieces, and finally, a ring with an enormous yellow diamond that
made Cameron gasp lightly. In his mind, a dim suspicion began to
rise to the surface of his consciousness. A story began to take
shape. Turning to Alexis he asked, "Will you tell me what these
are about, or shall I?"
More afraid than she had ever felt in her life outside of the presence
of Helena Cassadine, Alexis couldn't find words to speak. Cameron
nodded and said, "Very well, I'll tell you what I think. These
jewels aren't part of your family's fortune, because their settings
are new and they're recently polished. I don't know much about your
clan, but my guess is, they like their jewels to have some history
behind them. And given your disdain for everything Cassadine, you
would never take the time or effort to keep them looking shiny.
Moreover, you would never even bother keeping them in your home,
readily accessible to you.
"These also aren't from Ned Quartermaine," Cameron continued.
"I know that Ned gave you some jewelry over the course of your
relationship. But you keep his gifts on top of your dresser, in
your jewelry box, along with all of your other - public - jewelry,
such as your mother's necklaces. You wouldn't hide Ned's jewelry
in a drawer. Nor would you ever have them polished, since you never
wear anything he gave you. And we both know these aren't presents
from me," Cameron said in a slightly self-deprecating tone.
Alexis looked away from him, miserable. Unable to face him.
"So, now that we've ascertained what these are *not*, let's
talk about what these *are.* They are jewels you're interested in
wearing, but not for other people, or at least, not for many people,
to see. I've never seen you wear them. But the fact that you keep
them in such good condition and that you have them in your bedroom
tells me you do put them on occasionally, or you mean to, in the
near future. And then, one has to ask, when do you wear them? And
for whom?
"This is a leap," Cameron went on, "but the logical
hypothesis would be that you wear them for the person who gave them
to you. And only for that person. You wear them when only that person
can see them and enjoy the sight of you in them. This person, and
those times you are with this person, are secrets you've been keeping.
The fact that they're secrets are explained by the fact that you
keep these jewels hidden; that I've never seen you wear these; and
that you've never told me about them, when clearly they are important
to you in some way. So, what kind of person would give you jewelry
of this sort, and then expect to see you wear it in secret, private
meetings? Clearly, it's someone of means. Each of these pieces alone
is worth a fortune, and together, they're worth a bank.
"And what else does this jewelry tell us about its giver? The
person who gave you this jewelry, Alexis, wants desperately to control
you, but is also afraid of you. They bestow lavish presents on you
as a way of claiming ownership, but also as a way of meeting what
they feel are your standards. These jewels are what someone who
grew up poor would think someone who grew up wealthy expects. So
this person feels very inferior to you, and fears that at any moment,
they might lose you. These gifts are that person's way of dominating
you and tying you to them - note that most of these are just elaborate
bonds: collars for your neck, tags for your wrist - and also they
are a way of apologizing to you, making up to you for the vast difference
in worthiness this person perceives between you two.
"We're talking about someone who has millions of dollars in
ready cash, who has an incredibly complicated set of feelings towards
you, who has a need to dominate as well as an inferiority complex,
and who meets with you often enough to give you these kinds of tokens
and to see you wear them. And you reciprocate at least a modicum
of this person's feelings, enough to assent to private visits and
to wear the jewelry. And all of that evidence leads to only one
conclusion: You've been seeing Sonny Corinthos. You've been his
lover for some time, at least several months."
Alexis sat trembling next to him, weeping silent tears. A massive
tangle of thoughts flew through her mind, but she could say nothing.
Cameron had found out the darkest secret she'd ever kept. Her affair
with a married man, an enemy, a mobster, Sonny Corinthos. She had
never, never meant for Cameron to discover this. Never. She felt
like she'd rather have cut off her own arm than have Cameron find
out this lurid, lying part of her.
"Alexis, I…" She sensed Cameron was about to touch
her arm, so she jumped up from the couch. She wouldn't look at him.
She stood, wiping the tears from her face at half the rate they
were falling. "We need to talk about this," Cameron persisted.
"An affair with a man like Sonny Corinthos happens for a reason.
I don't want to judge you, I just want you to tell me about it."
He was drawing on every last inner reserve of strength he had to
remain open and calm in this situation. He wouldn't let himself
think about the fact that he loved Alexis Davis more than he'd ever
loved any woman before. He refused to dwell on the fact that her
love for him was obviously a sham. A skyscraper built on air; a
construct of their minds. At the moment, he simply saw someone in
great pain, who had kept her pain buried for a long time. "Let
me help," he said, and stood so he could embrace her.
"No, Cameron, please!" Alexis fled to the corner of the
room and put her hands and forehead facing the wall. She began to
cry loudly, unable to hold back her miserable sobs. "I can't
bear this, I can't bear to look at you! Please don't help me! I
don't deserve it." How could she have betrayed a wonderful
man like this? A man whom she cared for so deeply, and respected
so much? In so many ways, she had been sure Cameron would someday
be the love of her life. But now this, this horrible thing was exposed
to his eyes, and she couldn't expect him to see her in the same
light ever again. "Please go. Just please go. I can't talk…please,
for your sake, Cameron, go away."
As soon as she heard the door close behind him, Alexis collapsed
to the ground and folded up into the smallest, tightest ball of
misery possible on her apartment floor.
****
Sonny was worried. He sat in the living room of his penthouse with
a scotch, mulling over the possible reasons Alexis could have for
being out of touch for five days. He'd left twenty messages on her
cell phone, and had heard nothing. He hadn't seen her around Port
Charles, either. Usually, over the course of a week, they'd run
into each other at least two or three times by chance. Once, one
of these unplanned encounters turned into something steamy, quick,
and memorable in an unlit alley. But this week, nothing.
He'd tried to keep his ears open to the gossip and random conversations
around him. When Felicia, Cameron, Baldwin, Zander, Ned, Jax or
Luke were anywhere near him, he'd listen for Alexis' name. Was she
ill? Did an emergency come up? He felt like she'd have told him
in advance if she'd known she was going to be out of town. Wouldn't
she have? Sonny realized he wasn't sure whether his status as her
lover earned him the right to know her whereabouts at all times.
Johnny knocked on the door and Sonny bid him enter. "Dr. Lewis
here to see you, boss," said Johnny.
Cameron Lewis? There was only one interest Sonny and the doctor
had in common. Sonny rose and stepped into the hallway. Johnny shut
the door behind him. "Can I help you with something?"
Sonny asked.
"Have you seen or heard from Alexis recently?" Cameron
asked. He looked agitated.
Sonny's heart stopped with fear. If Lewis didn't know where Alexis
was, then…but Sonny wasn't supposed to care even a little about
Alexis Davis' well-being. "How would I know where…"
he began.
"I know about you and Alexis, Sonny," Cameron interrupted.
"I found out your - secret - last Saturday. Alexis didn't tell
me; I deduced it from some clues." Sonny had no idea how to
react to that. Should he deny it? Something in the doctor's defeated
expression told him not to bother. The man didn't look like a fool,
and Sonny wouldn't treat him like one. Cameron cleared his throat
and said, "I don't really want to discuss that with you. I
only came because the day that I confronted Alexis about the truth
of your relationship was the last time I saw her. Apparently, that
day she asked Felicia if she and the girls could take Kristina for
a week, and Felicia agreed. Alexis has called several times a day
to check on Kristina, but she's refused to tell Felicia where she
is or why she's gone, and no one else has heard from her."
Sonny shook his head. "She hasn't called me, either."
"Okay," Cameron said, looking defeated. "Thanks.
I just had to check."
As Cameron pressed the elevator button, Sonny said, "Look,
I know this is too much too ask, but if you hear from her…."
"I'll let you know. I'd appreciate it if you did the same."
"I will." The two rivals nodded at each other. They had
too much enmity towards each other to shake hands, but they each
understood the other's need to know that Alexis was safe.
Sonny walked back into the penthouse and called Benny. Alexis had
left right after Cameron found out about their affair, so she was
upset. About him, about them. She was thinking about what to do.
Sonny could feel her uncertainty, even though she was probably miles
away. It was as if he could almost *hear* her wondering whether
to break it off with him and go back to Cameron. From the doctor's
face, Sonny knew that Cameron was so in love with Alexis that if
Alexis accepted his proposal tomorrow, he'd forgive everything in
a heartbeat. But maybe, if Sonny could get to Alexis first, he could
plead his case…
"That's right, Benny. Try aliases, too. Cassadine, Davidovich.
Her mother's name was Bergman. Her sister was raised under the name
Carter. We need to look internationally, too. Check passenger lists
for flights that left five days ago for Milan, or the Cassadine's
island in Greece. Okay, thanks."
"What are you doing?" Carly asked from the staircase.
"What were you talking about?"
Sonny hung up the phone and didn't turn around. "Just business,"
he said over his shoulder.
"Oh, please. Don't give me that. It was about your whore, wasn't
it?" Carly's voice had turned deadly.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Sonny asked, frowning
and picking up his scotch where he'd left it.
"Those names - Cassadine, Davidovich. And I know you were talking
about a woman. You're looking for Alexis!"
"So what if I'm looking for Alexis? Her boyfriend was just
here saying she's been missing for five days. He asked if I could
help, so…"
"That's bull. I know you've been calling her late at night,
when you think Michael and I are asleep. I've heard you say her
name. And sometimes, after you've called, you leave and don't come
back till five in the morning. I think you've been having a goddamn
affair with that goddamn bitch!"
Sonny turned and faced her. "You don't know what you're talking
about! I'm not gonna discuss with you right now!"
"Why?! Because it's true?! You bastard, if you think you can
cheat on me with that…"
"Watch your mouth!" Sonny yelled. The phone rang and Sonny
answered it. "Benny?"
Carly stomped down the stairs. "How dare you answer that phone
while I'm…"
Sonny held up a finger to shush her. "Where? What did you say?"
On the other end, Benny said, "A beach house on the Jersey
shore. She's been there by herself since Saturday night, under the
name 'Kristin Bergman.'"
"That's it," Sonny said, and scribbled down the location.
"I'm heading there tonight."
"Okay, but, Sonny…" Benny's voice trailed off.
"What is it?" Sonny prompted.
"This may be the last trip you take for a while. Our friend
in the Justice Department says they're ready to indict you for racketeering
and fraud."
Sonny swore under his breath. "When?"
"Two, maybe three days from now. You sure you still want to
go to Jersey?"
Sonny thought about the dangers of using this time to go to Alexis,
instead of preparing a defense against a federal indictment. But
he only thought for a second. "I'm going. Thanks, Benny."
The instant he hung up the phone, Carly faced him, hands on hips.
"If you go to that woman now, you won't have a home to come
back to."
"I'm going somewhere on business, and it's not your concern
who I'm meeting with. I'll see you in a couple of days," Sonny
said. He walked past her up the stairs, packed a small bag, and
left the penthouse without saying another word to his wife.
****
"I thought you might come." Alexis was standing out on
the private deck of her rented bungalow, enjoying the midday sun
that showered heat all over the ocean and shore. She wore shorts
and a t-shirt and sunglasses and she was still in mourning over
what had happened with Cameron. She was facing the water, and she
didn't have to turn around to know who'd just entered the house
uninvited and unannounced.
Sonny put down his bag. He shed his coat and laid it on top of the
bag. Then he cautiously approached Alexis, not knowing what to expect
from her after she'd had six days' time to think about their situation.
He sat down on the edge of her deck chair and looked at her profile
in the bright sun. The setting was so summery and relaxed, but he
could see how miserable she was, even through her sunglasses.
"Why did you think I'd come?" he asked.
Alexis sighed out onto the breeze, then walked over and sat beside
him on the long seat of the plastic chair. "Because I think
maybe you're a little obsessed with me. A lot of men - powerful
men, especially - are fascinated with their mistresses. It's only
natural."
Sonny felt anger rise inside him. "You think that's all this
is? I'm obsessed with you, and that makes me just like all those
other scumbag politicians and tycoons who keep women on the side?
You think I'm just like your father?"
"Well, what else is it?" Alexis took off her sunglasses.
When he could see her eyes, he saw how filled with shame and self-loathing
she'd become. He saw signs of a week's worth of tears. "Look,
Sonny, what are we to each other, really? For the most part, we're
ex-friends who are on opposite sides of the law. I'm trying to shut
your organization down and you're trying to escape that fate. That's
what we are. As for the rest, I'm willing to put it down to poor
judgment, induced by an attraction of opposites, if you are. I'm
tired. We need to put this to rest."
"But that's not all it is." Sonny reached over and clutched
Alexis' hand. He tugged her towards him; to his relief, she didn't
fight against the natural gravitation of her body to his. When her
face was close, he kissed her. He thought he tasted salt - from
the sea or from her tears, he didn't know - in her kiss.
They kissed long, and slowly, and sweetly, but when Alexis drew
back, she looked unhappier than before. "Then what the hell
is it?" she pressed. "You keep saying that there's something
between us, and we can't fight it, even if we can't define it. But
Cameron knows, Sonny," she said, her voice dropping a whole
register. "He knows, and we can't just keep running around
in the dark hoping no one will find out and we'll never have to
face this thing between us."
Sonny nodded. "Carly knows, too."
"What?" Alexis couldn't appear more shocked. "But…you're
here, and…you're still breathing."
He gave a little hollow laugh. "Yeah, well, she doesn't know
for sure. She suspects."
"Then, even more reason for us to decide this once and for
all. No more evasions, Corinthos. What do you think is really going
on between you and me?"
He saw the challenge in her expression. It was a dare, but it was
a bluff. She didn't think he'd have the guts to say…anything.
She thought he'd sit there and mumble and try to avoid the question,
or give her more vague words. But on his chartered flight down to
the shore, and his drive out to the beach, hell, all the while they'd
been carrying on their secret affair, he'd had a chance to think,
too. And now was the time to surprise her with his thoughts.
"I think it's love," he said simply.
Alexis was stone still for five long seconds. She stared at him.
Disbelief and denial were writ large all over her face. Then, like
an implosion, her expression dissolved into tears and she practically
ran into the house with her hand over her mouth. "Oh my God.
Oh, God," she said.
It was, by far, the most terrifying thing he could have possibly
said to her. Sonny seemed to know this. When he came near her where
she sat crying on her bed, he moved slowly, as if he were cornering
a wild animal and didn't want it to startle. Alexis looked up at
him, horribly afraid. Sonny frowned and sat gently beside her atop
the bedspread. "Why is that so bad?"he asked.
"Because we're not supposed to be in love! Sonny, I'm supposed
to be in love with someone else - a wonderful man who wants to marry
me! And you, you're in love with Carly, you always have been and
you always will be! If this is love, then, then…I don't even
know the world I'm living in!" Alexis said in a panicked rush.
Sonny felt the fear radiating from her like heat off the sun. But
he didn't have any answers to soothe her with. He'd only said the
truth of what he thought and felt. That didn't mean he knew where
the feelings led. "I know," he commiserated. "If
it's true, then everything is different from the way we thought
it was." Alexis nodded, hopeful that he would back down. Those
hopes were dashed when Sonny added, looking at her with his soulful,
dark eyes, "But I think it's true."
"Then what are we going to do? What will we do?" she whispered.
He shook his head. "You've got the feds coming for me, Alexis,
I've got to make a decision soon about that. And people know about
us already - we can't ever go back to how it was." He put a
strong hand on her bare thigh, just under the hem of her shorts.
"Run with me," he pleaded.
"No." She shook her head and rose from the bed. "No,
I…I can't put Kristina through that." She took a breath
and held it. She was about to propose something that she had never,
in any conscious or subconscious part of her imagination, thought
she would ever suggest to this man. "What if you cut a deal
with the Justice Department, and became a government witness, like
you said a few weeks ago? Could you deal with that?"
"If it meant I'd still be able to see you, yes," Sonny
said earnestly.
"It would mean you'd have to leave Carly. For good. Could you
do that?" Alexis' voice grew smaller with every word of her
last question. They both knew they were getting to the hard and
rocky no man's land of whatever journey they were on.
"Could you leave Cameron, for good?" Sonny asked in reply.
"You'd have to leave the family you built with her and Michael.
You'd have to turn your back on them, like you swore you'd never
do. You'd be following in Mike's footsteps," Alexis said.
"You'd have to walk away from the healthiest relationship you've
ever had. You'd have to turn down a good man who loves you. You
could never have the life you thought you'd have with him,"
Sonny responded.
"You'd lose your power, and most of your fortune. You'd live
under the threat of death for the rest of your life. You'd have
to guard yourself against assassins every night and day. You'd have
to start all over again, go completely legit."
"You'd be the laughingstock of the New York Bar. You'd be ostracized
by Jax, Ned, most of your friends and colleagues, for being with
me. You wouldn't be taken seriously; people would think you'd let
yourself be taken in by a known criminal. You'd expose Kristina
to all that. And there's no guarantee that I'll be a safer bet gone
straight than I am now, crooked. Like you said, they'll always be
after me, if I turn on them."
"Could you do it?" Alexis asked.
"Could you?" Sonny retorted.
The questions lingered in the air as the waves crashed against the
sand.
****
Two days later, a few diligent reporters jutted their microphones
and camera lenses into the tight circle of federal agents that surrounded
Sonny Corinthos as they guided him up the Port Charles Courthouse
steps. "What are you going to say in your deposition today,
Mr. Corinthos?" "Why are you giving your deposition now,
Mr. Corinthos? Isn't it true you weren't originally scheduled for
another two weeks?" they asked.
Neither the feds nor Sonny spoke a word. They moved silently, a
tight group, up the steps and into the inner recesses of the courthouse,
into a chamber with a large oak table, government lawyers and agents
in suits, and multiple documents and tape recorders. Sonny was seated
in a chair on one side of the table. All of the government's attorneys
sat on the other. The men who'd escorted him stood against the wall
directly behind him, looming over his shoulders.
"Mr. Corinthos, if the phone call you placed to the Attorney
General's office last night was genuine, shouldn't you have a lawyer
present?" asked the suit who seemed to be the lead guy.
"My lawyer will be here any moment," Sonny said. He sounded
confident, but he wondered for an instant how sure he should be.
There was still time for her to get out of their bargain…if
she didn't show today, that would be as good as a street sign telling
him where she stood…
"Gentlemen, I apologize for my tardiness," Alexis said
as she walked through the door, looking just as stiff and straight
as any of the men in the room. *Except a hell of a lot sexier,*
thought Sonny, suddenly ashamed of doubting her word even for a
moment. "I'm Alexis Davis. I'm representing Mr. Corinthos in
this matter."
"Ms. Davis," said the lead government attorney, "your
client is asking to do something which has no precedent. For a crime
boss of his rank to turn state's evidence, without entering into
the witness protection program, is unheard of. Have you apprised
him of all the attendant dangers of his decision, and is he sure
this is his choice?"
Alexis took her seat next to Sonny. It was the first time she'd
been at his side - on his side - publicly in years. Despite the
dozen men surrounding them, the papers and recorders and guards
and the dire circumstances that would put both of them in perpetual
danger, he smiled at her.
Her brown sugar eyes melted at his look, even though her somber
expression didn't change. Turning to the federal lawyers and agents
on the other side of the table, she said, "I have made him
aware of the consequences of his decision, and yes, he is sure."
****
Three hours later, on the courthouse steps, Alexis and Sonny hid
behind a pillar from the few members of the press who were following
the federal agents to their cars.
"How do you feel?" Alexis asked.
"I'm not sure," Sonny said honestly. "I never thought
I'd do what I just did in there."
"I know what you mean." She looked away, nervous about
asking him her next question. "Did you tell Carly?"
"I did. I slept at the warehouse last night. She was, you know,
a little upset…" Alexis laughed at what was probably the
understatement of the millennium. "…but she got that she
didn't have a choice in the matter. Michael was staying at Bobbie's.
I'm gonna go over there and see him right now."
"I'm sorry," she said, touching his arm.
He nodded his thanks. Telling Michael would be the hardest part
of all of this, even harder than turning in his own crew. But he'd
be a better father to him if he were with the woman he loved. Already,
after having told Carly, his heart was lighter.
"What is it?" Alexis asked, seeing the wistful look on
his face.
"I don't know. I feel as if I'm shedding my skin. I'm becoming
a totally different man than I was just a couple of days ago. I
thought I had the life I wanted, the family I wanted, but now, when
I look at you," he said, brushing a loose strand of her hair
back behind her ear, "it's as if that was all a dream world,
and I'm just waking up today."
She threaded her fingers through his. "Are you sorry you chose
me?" she asked.
He shook his head immediately, then said, "I'm not even sure
if I ever had a choice about you. When it comes down to the wire,
it's as if there isn't any other way for me, except you." She
smiled, a little teary. He smiled back, but then grew serious again.
"I'm sorry about you and Cameron. I know he probably won't
recover for a long time."
"Yeah," Alexis agreed, a single tear making its way down
her cheek.
"You'll recover, though," Sonny promised. "I'll help
you."
"Yeah," she said again, and smiled a little, certain he'd
make whatever effort was necessary.
"Did you bring what I asked you to?"
"Oh, here it is," Alexis said, digging into her coat pocket
and pulling out a small box.
"Okay, let's do this," Sonny said. He didn't ask her a
question. He simply took out the five-carat ring from the box and
placed it on Alexis' finger. They both admired the yellow diamond
gleaming on her hand, both slightly stunned at the sight. After
a moment, Sonny said, "Ready?"
"Wait a second. There's one more thing." Alexis reached
into her briefcase, pulled out a manila folder, and handed it to
Sonny.
"What is it?" he asked, taking out a piece of paper from
the folder.
"It's a DNA test on Kristina. It reveals the identity of her
biological father."
Sonny read the results, then gave Alexis a look that would kill
a lesser mortal. "You're gonna pay for this, Ms. Davis."
"I've already paid. Don't you think we've both paid enough,
for all the hate and anger we've felt towards each other? And where
did that get us?" She asked, her voice tinged with regret.
"Danger, divorce. We've each broken someone's heart. You've
lost everything. And I'm about to lose every ounce of credibility
I have in this town."
"You're right. And all you get is an ex-crime boss with control
issues. Raw deal, I guess," Sonny said.
"I guess so," Alexis said. "Do you really love me?"
she asked.
"More than my life," he answered. "Ready now?"
"Yes." And together, they stepped out onto the middle
of the courthouse steps, where the handful of reporters could see
them. They embraced, Alexis' ring shining in the afternoon light,
and the kiss they gave each other made for photographs that sold
out the next morning's papers in record time.
