Second Chances
by Susanne

Chapter 14 -- Family

It had been one glorious surprise after another being the wife of Michael Corinthos Jr. One day didn't pass without Sonny needing to surprise his new wife with something. Sonny, Alexis, Christopher and Kristina were at the beach. Alexis was sitting on a blanket on the beach with a magazine in her hands wearing a white bikini together with a white sarong, while Sonny had Christopher and Kristina with him out in the water, as the kids loved the water just as much as their father did. When Alexis looked at her beautiful family she couldn't help but think back to a time when this scenario would have been impossible.

*** FLASHBACK ***

Kristina: "I think that you're worried about Sonny. I want you to talk to me…"

Alexis: "Sit down. Kristina, you are my sister and I treasure your presence in my life and nothing's ever going to change that. But you have got to remember something. We've only known each other for a short time and as close as we've become, there are things that you just don't understand about me. You think that I'm easy to read. I'm not. And my best advice to you is to stop trying to figure me out. I don't like being interrogated about my feelings. Where I can find them, I can't always explain them. And when asked to do that, I recoil. When pushed to do that, I lash out. I am asking you to stop pushing, Kristina, because I don't want to say something to you that I'm going to regret."

Kristina: "Regret because you're afraid you're going to hurt my feelings or regret because you don't want anyone helping you? Look, look, look, I hereby…I hereby volunteer you can yell at me, you can lash out at me, do whatever you need to do. Just please, understand how you're feeling instead of pretending that your feelings don't even exist."

Alexis: "Have you not heard a word that I just said, Kristina? I said leave it alone!"

Kristina: "Alexis, you're imploding."

Alexis: "I'm imploding because you are refusing to stop doing what I am repeatingly asking you to stop doing…"

Kristina: "And…And you're refusing to deal with the things that bother you."

Alexis: "I can't believe you."

Kristina: "You know what? I'm sure…I'm sure if I wouldn't have shown up, you would've taken the memories of our mother and stuffed them in for another twenty years."

Alexis: "You need to stop. Stop it, Kristina. I'm not kidding. I'm really not kidding. You are making me so angry right now. Please, just leave it alone."

Kristina: "Alexis, why…"

Alexis: "Why…"

Kristina: "You can't breathe…"

Alexis: "I'm breathing fine!"

Kristina: "I want you to just breathe!"

Alexis: "You want me to make you right is want you want."

Kristina: "No, people…People who are OK with their feelings can breathe. People who are comfortable with their feelings…"

Alexis: "I never said I was "OK" with my feelings, Kristina. I never said I was "comfortable" with my feelings. I said I didn't want to share them with you or Ned or Jax or anyone else. Shouldn't that be my choice? Shouldn't that be my prerogative? Is that so hard for all of you to understand? You know what I think? I think that…That you don't care at all about my relationship with Sonny. In fact, I don't think you give a damn about my feelings at all. I think you're all so damn mad at me because I'm in love with a man you can't stand!"

Kristina: "You just admitted that you love Sonny."

Alexis: "Happy?"

*** FLASHBACK ***

Alexis: "Thanks for pushing it out, sis…" She whispered softly knowing that, that was the instant that her and Sonny's relationship really had taken an unexpected turn.

Sonny: "Hey!" He exclaimed taking the magazine she'd been holding out of her hands before scooping her up in his arms telling her with his eyes what he was going to do next.

Alexis: "You wouldn't dare…" She threatened eying the ocean and Sonny just before he began running with her in his arms into the water.

Sonny: "You were saying?"

Alexis: "Sonny - DON'T!" She exclaimed, as he let her go, and she got her first dive in the Puerto Rican ocean.

Sonny: "What?" He laughingly asked, as Alexis arrived at the surface, and tucked her wet water behind her ears telling Christopher and Kristina

Alexis: "GET HIM!!!!"

Suddenly Sonny was attacked by two small children, and his wife, who all splashed him with water laughing so hard they almost couldn't breathe.

Later that evening after having tucked Christopher and Kristina in, Sonny and Alexis had left their children in Rosa's care while they went to the casino to dance, talk and reminisce. When they arrived they were naturally seated at the best table where they started with a glass of champagne.

Alexis: "If I ask you something will you tell me the truth?"

Sonny: "That depends…"

Alexis: "On?"

Sonny: "Whether I can answer it or not!" He exclaimed smiling.

Alexis: "It's about John…What exactly did Max and Johnny do to him?"

Sonny: "Why would you suddenly think about him?"

Alexis: "It's not something that's come up in my mind suddenly - I've been meaning to ask you this for some time now! I need to know…"

Sonny: "He'll never bother you again Lex…"

Alexis: "But…"

Sonny: "HE'LL…NEVER…BOTHER…YOU…AGAIN…" He replied with determined eyes wanting Alexis to grasp what he was trying to tell her - John was dead.

Alexis: "There was a time when I didn't think that I'd ever be able to get away from him, and you've managed to remove him in a matter of days."

Sonny: "Well…Having my own bodyguards helped - I've also felt responsible for John even being in your life in the first place."

Alexis: "Why?" She asked stroking his cheek.

Sonny: "If I had been more in contact with my feelings then this could have happened several years ago, but instead we wasted a lot of time. Time I would have preferred having spent with you and our children."

Alexis: "Well…Now there's nothing standing in the way of you being the kind of father for Christopher and Kristina that you've always wanted to be, and that they've always needed."

Sonny: "I'm going to make you proud of me, Lex!" He promised taking her hand to his lips and kissing it tenderly.

Alexis: "I know that too…" She smiled, as Sonny led her to the dance floor where he enveloped her in his arms, as they danced ever so slowly to the voice of LeAnn Rimes singing "I Believe In You".

'I Believe In You' performed by LeAnn Rimes

You breathe and life begins
You speak and my world makes sense
That's how it is when it comes to you
If mercy has no end you are more than
just a friend
It amazes me you feel the way you do

Chorus:
I believe in you and nothing less
I believe in you can't help myself
You're all the hope the reason that I live
I believe in you just because I don't need no
one to prove your love
From all that I have seen
It's easier for me to believe in you -
Oh no yeah

You are so beautiful
You are the miracle
I dry the tears of wounded heart
And it's so clear to see
You had everything
You were there for me
There to see me through

Chorus

Through the fire and through the rain
I know your love for me will never ever
change

Chorus X 2

(LeAnn Rimes - I Need You)

As the tunes of the song began to fade away, Sonny looked intently into Alexis' eyes, and at last he said

Sonny: "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me - I feel as if I'm dreaming being this happy."

Alexis: "Me too - isn't it only in fairytales this happens?" She smiled, as their lips found each other.

Sonny: "Well…This is our fairytale - fairy Lex - it's just you, me, Kristina and Christopher forever and ever." He promised sealing the deal with yet another kiss.

The End