Returning to a Friend
by Cowgirl

Part 14

Alexis hurried to the Quartermaine's for her weekly visit with her daughter. The very thought made her agitated as she made her way to the front door. Weekly visits. She had to literally beg these Huns to see her own daughter.

She raised her hand and knocked on the door. It was Skye who greeted her. "Well, Alexis, it's good to see that you're on time, but I'm afraid Kristina just went down for her nap."

Alexis fought the urge to put her hands around Skye's throat. "That's all right," she said plastering on a fake smile. "I'll just sit with her and watch her sleep," she said as she tried to pass Skye and gain entrance to the house.

Skye moved to block her way. "See, I'm afraid that you might wake her up and disturb her. Why don't we reschedule."

Alexis shook her head and forced her way past Skye. "See, I don't think that you have the right to be making those decisions seeing as you're not even related to her and have no court appointed authority in this situation whatsoever. I'll just go up and see my daughter as the courts have stipulated," Alexis said over her shoulder as she passed Skye and headed up the stairs. Skye hurried up the stairs after her and laid a hand on Alexis' shoulder. "I don't think that will be best for Kristina," Skye continued.

Alexis wheeled around on the stairs, taking hold of Skye's wrist forcing her to release her grip. "First and foremost ... don't lay a hand on me." She leaned in closer to Skye. "I'm unstable remember? No telling what I might do," she said flippantly and stood up straight. "Secondly, I will go up and see my daughter as it is what the courts have ruled. Now, you are honing in on my time with my daughter and if you continue to follow me up the stairs I swear to God someone will find you lying at the bottom of them."

"Why Alexis, are you threatening me?"

Alexis shook her head. "Take it as you will Skye." Skye's eyes flashed with anger as she saw what she thought was a golden opportunity. "Careful Alexis ... we wouldn't want that nasty little alter ego of yours to pop out unexpectedly."

Alexis rolled her eyes. "I'll keep that in mind."

"I wonder if Judge Farmer would like to hear about you threatening me with physical harm," she drawled sarcastically.

Alexis stopped continued her descent up the stairs. "Call her Skye. Tell her what you want. As credible as a drunk woman's words are ... I don't think she'll be completely happy with you trying to obstruct a court order."

"I am not drunk," Skye snapped.

Alexis turned on her heel and continued her journey to the nursery. She opened the door and found her little girl wide-awake lying in her crib. She moved to her and picked her up. Instantly the child clutched at Alexis' hair with both hands, holding tiny fistfuls in her hands.

Alexis smiled. "Hi my angel," she said as she kissed her head repeatedly. "I love you so much." Alexis stole a glance at the opened door. When she was satisfied that there was no one there, she placed her mouth close to her daughter's ear. "Cameron promises me that you and I will be together very soon. Isn't that wonderful my girl?"

She spent the next half-hour or so rocking Kristina and talking words of love to her daughter. She barely noticed Ned slip in the door. She looked up at him. "I know, I know ... my time's almost up."

Ned leaned on the doorframe. "That's not why I came in here," he said in a polite tone. He cleared his throat and moved further into the room. "Have you told him yet?"

Alexis shook her head. "Not yet. Not until she's back with me where she belongs."

"I still don't think it's a good idea."

Alexis looked down at her daughter. "Noted."

"Alexis I'm serious."

Alexis sighed and stood to put Kristina back in her crib. "Ned, I don't want to have this conversation with you ... especially not in front of her."

"Well someone has to have it with you."

Alexis turned and looked at him. "And why is that Ned, because I'm a lunatic? Or is it because I'm now completely incapable of making decisions on my own?"

"I didn't say that."

"Well you following this line of conversation when we clearly discussed this matter already would imply that."

Ned shuffled his feet around and jammed his hands in his pockets. "I don't think I could get used to living without her."

Alexis closed her eyes and forced herself to keep her temper in check.

"Ned ... please, please don't start getting ideas about her not leaving this house eventually."

"I didn't say that."

"No, you didn't and it's what you don't say that worries me."

"You think I'm playing you Alexis? You think that I'm secretly planning on taking her out from under your nose?"

Alexis shook her head and motioned for them to exit the nursery. They walked down the stairs and into the foyer where Alexis turned and looked at Ned.

"Why is it so difficult for the likes of people like you and Skye and Edward to see that I'm just a mother who wants to be with her child? Don't you understand that since the day she was born we've been separated ... first by her incubator and then by this whole situation?"

"I do understand that Alexis and I respect that, but why is it so hard for you to grasp that I'm her father and I need her too."

"Ned you are not her father."

"I'm the only father that child has known since she's been conceived."

"That has to change Ned. She has a father and she has a right to grow up knowing him."

Ned's face grew red as he fought with his rage. "And her father is a criminal."

Alexis glanced around the foyer and up the stairs before returning her gaze to Ned. "We shouldn't be having this conversation here."

"Why not? Don't you want everyone to know who Kristina's real father is?"

Alexis bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming. "Pretty soon everyone will know that anyway Ned ... so go ahead. Tell everyone ... shout it from the rooftops if you so desire."

Ned opened his mouth to protest when Alexis' cell phone rang, breaking the tension in the room. Alexis dug in her purse and pulled out the phone.

"Alexis Davis."

"Miss Davis it's Max," came the voice on the other end of the line.

Alexis cast a glance at Ned. "Is something wrong?" she asked nervously.

"Miss Davis he's not doing so good."

"How's that?" Alexis replied trying not to alert Ned.

"He's in one of his moods ... breaking things."

Alexis sighed heavily. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you Miss Davis," Max said and then ended their connection. Alexis dropped her phone back into her purse and looked at Ned. "Look, I have to go, something's come up."

Ned held up his hands. "Whatever."

"Ned ... I meant it when I said I don't want things to become ugly between us."

"Fine."

"Can we get together later and talk about this?"

Ned shook his head. "Yeah, fine ... call me."

Alexis moved to the door. "Take care of her."

"You know I will."

Alexis drove like the wind and parked her car in the garage of Harborview Towers. She paced the confined area of the elevator and silently cursed when it stopped on a floor to pick up or drop someone off. Finally she reached her destination and Max approached her immediately. "Miss Davis, thank God you're here."

Alexis' eyes darted around the concerned man's face. "How bad?"

Max sighed. "I can just hear him breaking things and throwing things around. It stopped about fifteen minutes ago and I haven't heard a peep since."

"Did you try to go in?"

Max looked embarrassed. "I didn't know if I should."

Alexis patted him on the arm. "It's all right," she said reassuringly as she stepped around him and knocked on the door. "Sonny?" she said through the door. "Sonny it's me. Can I come in?"

She waited a minute and entered even though he had given her no response. Her eyes instantly fell on a crumpled up Sonny sitting on the floor by his stairway, knees drawn up, arms circled around them. His frightened eyes met hers and he lifted his head. "Hi," he said weakly.

Alexis put her hands on her hips as she surveyed the damage he had done. She sighed. "Well, this isn't too bad. There's still some furniture standing upright."

"I ... sort of lost it again," he answered. "I'm sorry," he said and laid his forehead on his knees.

Alexis went to him and knelt down, placing a hand on his back. "What happened?"

He shook his head and looked up at her. She could see he had been crying again. "It sneaks up on me you know?" he said, his eyes filling with fresh tears. "I can't do this anymore. I can't make it stop."

Alexis took his face in her hands and brought his eyes to hers. "Yes you can Sonny. You can help make it stop."

"I can't," he wailed and slumped lower. "Alexis, it's not like I don't want to ... I try so hard to fight it but it takes over ... especially ... especially when you're not here."

Alexis closed her eyes for a moment. "Sonny, did you start the medicine?"

He shook his head. "I can't."

"Sonny, I think you have to."

"You know I hate that stuff."

"I know you do, but Sonny, if you don't ... "

"I'll die."

Alexis' heart jumped. "What are you talking about? No one is going to die." Sonny's body thumped back against the wall, his head turned up towards the ceiling, a look of torture on his face as he pointed to the floor a few feet away.

Alexis turned her head and followed his hand. Her breath left her body. "Oh my God Sonny," she said looking back to him. "What were you doing?" she begged of him as her gaze moved back to the gun that lay on the floor. She rose and went to it, picking it up. "Is this thing loaded?"

Sonny nodded sluggishly.

Alexis was dizzy, her heart thumping so violently in her chest she thought it would explode. "What made you ... " Her voice cracked as she tried to form a sentence.

"I was going to do it," he said tonelessly. "I had the gun right here." He used his fingers to mimic a gun and jammed his forefinger under his chin.

"Why?" Alexis croaked out.

"Because it's the only way to get rid of this."

Alexis shook her head. "No it's not," she said raising her voice.

"I don't have anything to live for anyway Alexis. You've said it yourself a thousand times. My life is bad. I cause death and destruction wherever I go and now this ... this illness of mine is taking over and who knows what'll happen when I finally lose all control."

Alexis wiped at the tears that fell down her cheeks and slowly made her way back to him. "Sonny ... you have things to live for," she said quietly as she knelt down in front of him once more.

He rolled his head up to look at her. "Like what?"

"Like what?" Alexis repeated. "Like your family ... Carly and Michael need you and love you. Courtney and Jason need you, Mike needs you ... and I need you."

His eyes floated up to hers, the desperation mixed with anxiety swirling around behind them. "All those people ... I've let them all down."

"No, you haven't."

"I let you down."

Alexis stopped, not knowing how to respond. "We both let each other down Sonny. But that's what friends do ... they get mad at one another, they treat each other badly at times, but Sonny, true friends always work it out."

"Every person you mentioned ... including you, can fend for themselves. They don’t need me in their lives," he said regretfully.

Alexis took a deep breath. Her emotions were running so hot right now. She was afraid. She was afraid of what would happen if Sonny didn't find the will to help himself get help. She knew in her heart that this might turn out badly ... that this could send him further into a tailspin, but she knew it might also bring him a renewed sense of hope ... something to hold onto. She looked into his eyes. "Sonny, I know one person that you haven't even met yet that needs you desperately."