Second Chances
by Susanne

Chapter 1 -- Five Years Have Gone By

Alexis Davis-Benson was sitting in her home office thinking about where her life was headed, and if she intended to have an impact on its course. She had been through a lot over the years. She'd been forced to leave a town she'd come to call home due to her sister's sudden and untimely death.

*** FLASHBACK ***

Sonny: "Give Ned a minute, and I'll see that you get in there."

Alexis: "You'll see that I get in to see my sister? Thank you, because I don't know what I would do without you. I don't know what anyone would do without you seeing to everything. I mean, that's what you do. You are the all-knowing, almighty, all-powerful mobster. Do you even care that you're poison? That anyone who goes near you is risking their life?"

Sonny: "Alexis, you have every right to be upset."

Alexis: "Don't you tell me what I have a right to feel or not to feel. You don't know what I'm feeling. You don't know what I'm feeling. And you don't care how I feel. You don't care how anyone feels. Women die, and you don't even notice. You just put the past behind you and you go on about your life. You don't make any effort to change. You don't take any steps to protect the people around you. A vibrant, beautiful woman just died in there for no reason other than she went to the warehouse to speak to you. Someone tried to kill you, and my sister lost her life instead. Isn't that what happened to your first wife? Why couldn't it ever be you? Why couldn't it ever be you? Why aren't you lying under a white sheet in the I.C.U.?"

Ned: "Shh, don't do this. Don't do this. Now is not the time."

Alexis: "No, really, turn around. Seriously. Look at him. He's not even reacting. He doesn't even react. You know why? Because he's used to this, this is par for the course."

Ned: "Come on…"

Alexis: "No, really, seriously, look at him."

Ned: "Think about the baby…"

Alexis: "Look at him! No, watch him! He's not even…"

Ned: "Come on, sweetheart."

Alexis: "He doesn't care."

*** FLASHBACK ***
Alexis could still remember very clearly why she'd been forced to leave Port Charles. After 4 years of friendship with the local crime boss of Port Charles, Sonny Corinthos, their relationship had taken a surprising turn when they'd decided to forget about their surroundings and just concentrate on the two of them. This had then led to Sonny's ex-wife, Carly, driving her car of a cliff leaving Sonny and Alexis blaming themselves for the 'accident'. Sonny had gone back to Carly after Alexis had realized that she'd never be the woman he'd want. Alexis had then found out through a home pregnancy test that she was carrying the result of her and Sonny's mutual love. Ned Ashton, a past lover of Alexis', had on a whim declared that he was the father of Alexis' baby, as Alexis after several attempts of telling Sonny that he was the father had decided against it given his lifestyle. When Alexis' sister Kristina had found a letter in which Alexis told Sonny that he, not Ned was the father of her baby, Kristina went to Sonny's warehouse where a bomb exploded, while Kristina was inside, and this ultimately killed her. Alexis couldn't stand being in Port Charles after feeling like her secret had killed her sister so she moved to Florida where she'd intended to start her new life.

Alexis then received the most beautiful gift a woman could ever receive on February 14th 2003 when she gave birth to a twin boy and girl, which she as promised named after her sister -- Kristina - Christopher Alexander Davis and Kristina Emily Davis. A year after having given birth to Christopher and Kristina, whom she merely called Chris and Krissy, Alexis met a man she'd thought of as being her ticket to happiness. They'd married in a local church but a year into the marriage she'd discovered the truth to be just the opposite. John Benson had turned out to be what you'd normally refer to as a 'wife-beater'. He'd started to both physically and verbally abuse Alexis, and a few weeks ago he'd started in on the children too, and now Alexis was desperately looking for a way out.

*** FLASHBACK ***

John: "You're nothing, you hear me? And don't try throwing that mobster's name up in the air because it won't impress me, OK? He hates you, and pretty soon those brats will too!!" He screamed into her face, as he was holding her tight by the arms, his fingers gnawing into her skin, as Alexis' cheeks were wet from tears, as she was unable to block out the hurtful words her 'loving' husband was using against her.

Alexis: "Please don't!" she begged him, not wanting the children to hear what he was saying about them and their mother.

John: "Shut up!!" he screamed in rage, slapping her hard on the left cheek before throwing her into the living room wall so that all the china ended up on top of Alexis' still body.

*** FLASHBACK ***

She'd gotten a nasty cut on her scalp from the encounter with the living room wall, and that had happened 2 years ago after John had lost an important client, and had decided to take it out on her.

Alexis made her way upstairs into Kristina's room where she kissed her daughter goodnight before making it into Christopher's room, whom she also kissed goodnight.

Alexis: "No matter what I'll protect you two, my sweet angels - no matter what!" she vowed before turning in herself.

Sonny Corinthos was sitting next to Michael's bed where the boy was lying with a bad case of pneumonia, and Sonny couldn't stop thinking about both his past and how his impending future would be. After Alexis had left town everything had gone downhill for Sonny. At first when Alexis had left it had seemed like the only thing she could have done, but to tell the truth Sonny missed his best friend, who understood him like no one else.

*** FLASHBACK ***

Alexis: "You have the most vicious double standards I have ever encountered in a lifetime of dealing with questionable people. You won't lie to Carly, but you'll order someone to lie to Carly for you. You won't tell your sister about the hell you lived through all your life, but you will punish your father relentlessly for allowing it to happen."

Sonny: "That's right."

Alexis: "You have an impossible code to live up to. It's not because you expect people to meet them but because you don't. I mean, you can't wait to push people away. You can't wait for people to screw up, and it's sad, it's destructive. It is. But, you know, apparently…"

Sonny: "I'm sorry. I'm…I'm sorry."

Alexis: "What did you say?"

Sonny: "I said I'm sorry."

Alexis: "For firing Zander?"

Sonny: "For…For everything."

Alexis: "Define "everything.""

Sonny: "You know what? I…I know better than to make assumptions. I mean, you know, simple things can get complicated if you don't pay attention…Like with you."

Alexis: "Ah…Whoa. You know, I'm not the boy you fired, and I am not the sister that you bullied. You have a whole long list of people-related problems. I'm not one of them."

Sonny: "You're important to me, Alexis. Ok? And I have not been listening to really what you're saying."

Alexis: "To what?"

Sonny: "Do you under…To what? To, you know, what you say, how you say it. The expression on your face when you say things."

Alexis: "My face…The expression on my face? What does the expression on my face have to do with anything?"

Sonny: "Well, because I haven't really…"

Kristina: "Alexis, why did you leave the gym so fast? I really wanted to talk to you about some…"

*** FLASHBACK ***

One month after Alexis had left town everything in Sonny's life had fallen apart. Ric Lansing had become his attorney, and a few months later Carly had become pregnant. Sonny had had his doubts in connection with the paternity but he'd trusted Carly when she'd promised to be as honest as she humanly could when it came to them and their family.

When Carly had been 6 months pregnant, Ric had arranged for Sonny to overhear him and Carly talking about their night together. Sonny had yelled and screamed at Carly and finally she'd told the truth: Ric made her feel something that had been missing from her life for ages, and she couldn't live in this lie with Sonny anymore. Sonny and Carly now shared custody of Michael, and Ric and Carly had married in the local church, and were now the parents of a cute little boy.

Sonny had always ached for a woman like Alexis but it had never been as urgent like now. He needed someone to spend the rest of his life with, but he knew that a man with his lifestyle wasn't someone whom Alexis wanted to spend her life with.

Sonny: "With my lifestyle it's also better to be alone - no one the competition can take advantage of or threaten. Carly did the right thing - Ric is safe." He thought to himself, as he stroked Michael's forehead.

Johnny: "Sonny?" he asked quietly, knocking slightly on the door.

Sonny: "Yeah - what is it Johnny?" he asked turning to Johnny, who was standing in the doorway of Michael's room.

Johnny: "Ms. Olsen from the 'PC Pharmacy' just dropped these off. They're for Michael and his pneumonia - the instructions are in the bag."

Sonny: "OK…Thanks Johnny. My meeting with Benny is still tomorrow, right?" he asked, getting up, and taking the pills from Johnny.

Johnny: "Yeah…He's coming in time for lunch!"

Sonny: "Good! I need to know that I at least have some control over my business, as it's pretty obvious the opposite is the case in my personal life." He replied, as he sat back down next to Michael's bed, while Johnny made his way downstairs again thinking that if Ms. Davis didn't return soon his boss would be one sorry mess.