Second Chances
by Susanne

Chapter 8 -- Expressing the Pain

Sonny and Alexis simply continued to stare into each other's eyes, until Sonny broke the silence by asking

Sonny: "May I come in?"

Alexis: "Sure…But only for a little while."

Sonny: "All right!" He replied, as he entered Alexis' apartment and Alexis closed the door after Sonny followed by her asking him

Alexis: "What are you doing here?"

Sonny: "I thought that would be obvious by now - I know!"

Alexis: "I'm sure that you know a lot of things Sonny but what they would have to do with me is still unclear."

Sonny: "Fine - if that's how you wanna play it! I know about your 'darling' husband using you as a punching bag, and I know that the two children you're trying so desperately to protect are mine!"

Alexis: "Come again…" She replied with an iron voice, as she passed him on her way to the couch where she began rearranging the items she'd earlier put on the coffee table.

Sonny: "I had Benny do some research - that research made the last pieces of the puzzle come together. After having witnessed you talking with Mike, and then later finding out that you'd talked to Jason - well…Let's just say that I had a feeling that you were in trouble - and I was right."

Alexis: "I have no idea what you're referring to! I'm merely in town visiting Jax and Brenda, and I thought that it was about time MY children got to know their Grandparents; Edward and Lila."

Sonny: "Really? As far as I recall both your parents and mine are dead so that really wouldn't make it possible for OUR children to visit their Grandparents would it?"

Alexis: "Like I told you years ago then Ned is MY children's father - not you!"

Sonny: "Oh please Alexis…You would never hurt Kristina that way - you don't have that in you, and you were queasy even before your and Ned's little get-together at Brenda's cottage!"

Alexis: "Ned is…"

Sonny: "The hell he is! I'm Christopher and Kristina's father! They were conceived April 23rd, 2002 - don't even try and deny it.

Alexis: "They were conceived June 14th, 2002 buddy - and nothing you'll ever say or do for that matter will change that!" She exclaimed walking up behind Sonny remembering what had really
happened between her and Ned that evening - how they'd talked about their friendship but also how Alexis had come to realize that Sonny wasn't the man she'd dreamed him up to be - he was extremely dangerous and lethal.

*** FLASHBACK ***

Ned: "You're definitely not telling Sonny?"

Alexis: "At first I thought it was the right thing to do. I've changed my mind. No, I'm definitely not telling Sonny."

Ned: "OK."

Alexis: "They got a big kick out of me in the pharmacy trying to buy the pregnancy kit. I was acting as if I were buying illegal drugs. And, of course, I've been in that pharmacy a thousand times and I never run into anyone I know, and this time I run into Bobbie, then I run into Scott and -- when I got home, I stared at that pregnancy kit for hours, knowing that the result could possibly change my life forever."

Ned: "Have you seen a doctor yet?"

Alexis: "I'm seeing dr. Meadows. She talked about alternatives."

Ned: "And?"

Alexis: "I'm having the baby. I want it."

Ned: "So, what about Sonny?"

Alexis: "I tenaciously held on to a belief that he was a more honorable man than he actually is. He lives a dangerous life and suffers for it and so do the people around him. And then Carly came back and then I saw Zander and then you can say, 'I told you so' at any time."

Ned: "Why would I do that?"

Alexis: "Because you have every right to. Because you've been right all along. The world that Sonny chooses to live in is a world that I don't want a child of mine anywhere near. He inflicts pain on the people he claims to care about. Sonny's never going to know that this baby is his."

Alexis: "If you think I'm going to change my mind, I'm not. It won't happen."

Ned: "I believe you."

Alexis: "Can you imagine how obsessed he would get? I saw what he put Carly through. He tried to control everything -- every bite of food she ate, how many hours she slept. He practically took her out of the Quartermaine house dragging her by her hair."

Ned: "Oh, I know."

Alexis: "And he forced her to move in. He would probably try to get me to stop working. Now, that would be interesting just to see him try to do that. Do you think he'd ask me to marry him? That would be funny. I'm sorry."

Ned: "If you want to raise this child alone, Alexis, Sonny can never know that he's the father. You and I both know that Sonny simply takes what he wants. And we also know what happens to the women who are intimately involved with him…Disaster. Brenda, Lily, who was pregnant at the time of her death. You were already caught in one shootout."

Alexis: "I'm glad you're on my side."

*** FLASHBACK ***

Sonny: "Do you actually love your wife-beating husband that much? That you're willing to pass by a chance to get out while the getting is good?" He asked, as he turned around to face Alexis amazed that this was the Alexis Davis he used to be represented by, who would rather live a life in fear than take the easy way out for both herself but also for her children.

Alexis: "My reasons for not wanting to accept your offer has absolutely nothing to do with my husband! It has on the other hand something to do with the dangerous and reckless life you've been leading for the past couple of decades."

Sonny: "I know that I don't lead a picture perfect life but there has to be something inside of you that wants to be helped by me otherwise; why did you come back to Port Charles and me?" He asked challenging, as Alexis giggled.

Alexis: "You're really something you know that? Despite what you may think then this world that we're living in doesn't revolve around you! I have friends and family still living in this town, and if I feel like visiting them with my children then that's exactly what I'll do - got it?!" She snapped at him, as she walked past him continuing to have her back turned to him.

Sonny: "I'm just trying to look out for you, OK? Something that old Candy Boy hasn't been doing much of lately."

Alexis: "Jax is pretty much the only friend I've got left in this world at the moment. So just remember that when you insult Jax, you insult me too!"

Sonny: "He's known about John all this time, and still he did NOTHING - just like always - Jax can talk the talk, but he can't walk the walk."

Alexis: "Look who's talking? You've also made some pretty big promises in your life, and most of them you still have to make good on."

Sonny: "Like?"

Alexis: "No matter how much you promise not to hurt people that's ultimately what you'll end up doing."

Sonny: "Is Jax feeding you this nonsense?" He asked with a tilted head.

Alexis: "Jax doesn't have to feed me anything when I've experienced it first hand. You promised endlessly how our 'liaison' or whatever you'd like to call it would never hurt me - well it did Sonny - in more ways than you'd ever know."

Sonny: "Really? How so?"

Alexis: "God! If only I had listened to Jax, Ned, Kristina - even Carly then I wouldn't be in this horrid situation right now!!" She exclaimed placing her hands in front of her face trying to keep her cool in front of the one man she couldn't afford to lose it in front of.

Voice: "Mommy? Is something wrong?" Sonny could suddenly hear a little boy's voice behind him, and when he turned he saw the spitting image of him as a child.

Alexis: "Sweetie…What are you doing up?" She asked, as she hurried to shield Christopher from his father's view.

Christopher: "Who is he? Is he here to take us home again?" He asked scared.

Alexis: "No honey, Sonny is just…An old acquaintance of mommy's, OK? Uncle Jax knows him too. Why don't you go back to bed, huh?" She asked squatting down in front of Christopher.

Christopher: "Are you sure?" He asked, as the loyal protector he'd assigned himself to be for his mother.

Alexis: "I'm positive - you've got a long day ahead of you tomorrow - so scoot!" She exclaimed, as she watched him enter his bedroom and closing the door.

Sonny: "Cute kid! Reminds me of me when I used to try and protect my mother from Deke - you know I…"

Alexis: "That's all very well and good but Sonny…I want you to leave right now, and to never come back."

Sonny: "Come again…"

Alexis: "Listen carefully because I'll only say this once: I don't want yours, Jason's or Benny's help, OK? I don't want you to come by any longer - I just want to be left alone with my children - got it?"

Sonny: "I'll go - but I will be back - you can count on that!" He exclaimed exiting the apartment, while a bewildered Alexis Davis was left alone wondering what she was going to do now.

chapter 09