A Twist on the Truth
by Zandergirl

Chapter 37

Alexis gave up. It was pointless to try to sleep. Even though she promised Ric that she would think about his request, she found it impossible to even fathom putting her daughter’s safety in jeopardy for any reason. But part of her could not ignore the obvious; Sonny had known for weeks that he was Kristina’s father but he kept quiet. And now he’d saved Ric’s life and remained mum about that as well.

It wasn’t as if she thought he was incapable of heroic deeds. After all, he did hurl his body over hers to shield her from Joseph Sorrel’s men at the PCPD years ago and paid for it by being riddled with bullets.

In hindsight, she never should have put herself in the line of fire. But back then danger was something that she almost took in stride. In fact, Alexis was forced to admit that it had its attractive aspects; that rush of adrenaline she once described to Ric as, “Speeding down the highway in a limousine in the dead of night without headlights.”

However, it all ceased to be alluring one tragic night when they found her sister, Kristina near death pinned under heavy steel beams amidst the wreckage of Sonny’s warehouse.

Alexis remembered holding Kristina’s cold, frail hand in hers as she weakly pulled away her air mask and forgave her for going along with Ned’s ruse and lying to her about her baby’s true parentage. It was important for Kristina to let her know that she understood the depths of Alexis’s love and the extent of her her fear. She would carry her older sister’s words with her for eternity.

“The only other time I’ve ever felt as much love or this much protection for another human being was when you were a baby and I hid you to keep you safe…That’s how I feel about my baby now.”

By taking the secret of Sonny’s paternity to the grave, Kristina was giving her final gift of safety and protection to her namesake and Alexis vowed that her sister’s last wish would not be in vain.

She looked at Ric who slept serenely beside her, a hint of a smile on his face. He was struggling so hard to put all of the lies and pain in his life behind him and concentrate on their future. He’d even insisted upon one more enthusiastic “try” to conceive before falling asleep, a pleasure that she did not have the heart or desire to deny him.

How could Ric be expected to understand all of the nuances of her time cut short with her sister or her relationship with Sonny, especially after what he’d been through? He survived a horrific experience and now saw an opportunity to connect on some level with his brother. In Ric’s mind, for once “happily ever after” was within his reach.

Rehashing the circumstances over and over again was counterproductive. Alexis knew that.

She grabbed her lavender silk robe from the end of the bed, slipped it on and tiptoed across the bedroom as Ric moaned erotically and shifted his position. His trace of a smile was blossoming into a full-fledged grin and she looked over at him, her heart melting at the sight.

“At least I was able to give you something vivid and good to dream about.”

Making her way down the hall, she poked her head into Kristina’s room to find her sleeping peacefully. She was so excited to sleep in a “big girl” bed instead of her crib at home. That was something that they would have to remedy when they got back. And if Ric’s persistence paid off, there would be a nursery to set up as well.

She crossed her arms and leaned in the doorway allowing her thoughts to temporarily deliver her from her fears. She smiled envisioning her and Ric on a Sunday morning leisurely flipping through Parents magazine over matching mugs of coffee and herbal tea or sifting through a mountain of color swatches to pick the perfect color for the nursery.

Jumping at the sensation of the cool gel on her stomach, Alexis saw Ric’s eyes brimming with tears as he clasped her hand and kissed her, awestruck by his first look at their child in the sixteen week ultra-sound.

Then she was opening the door to a stack of boxes and Ric’s head peeking out from behind them grinning proudly after he’d purchased “one of everything” in every color.

Alexis rolled her eyes, seeing him walking out of the kitchen with a huge glass of milk and plopping it firmly down in front of her cringing face, demanding her to “drink up.”

She imagined Ric’s first official diaper change and laughed. He’d go about it methodically, with the wipes; powder and a fresh diaper all lined up neatly in a row next to the changing table. But baby Lansing would, no doubt, inherit her stubborn streak and refuse to cooperate.

“Alexis! Is he supposed to be squirming this much? Make him stop!”

All were such mundane things and taken for granted by most expectant couples. After her guarded and solitary pregnancy with Kristina, Alexis eagerly anticipated the simple joys as well as a husband to share them with.

But just as it had denied her sleep, her anxiety erased her daydreams. The dark cloud that was Sonny’s world would not let her enjoy such idealistic visions for long and soon they were wiped away in a rapid spray of gunfire. She looked over and saw Kristina wrapped in Ric’s arms, both lying on the ground lifeless and covered with blood. She then looked down in horror at the inanimate bundle in her own arms slowly seeping crimson life, creating an ever-growing scarlet stain on the pale blue blanket.

Alexis’s hand flew to her mouth in horror and closed her eyes, her lungs straining for air. Were these unfounded fears or grim premonitions? Either way, she had to confront them. She needed answers from the one person who could reassure her in some way.

Rushing downstairs she searched frantically for her purse and fished out her cell phone deftly punching in a number with her thumb then put it to her ear, letting it ring.

“Where are you?” she asked when the voice on the other end answered.

“Alexis?” Sonny mumbled, obviously awakened from a sound sleep.

“I need to see you.”

“What? Is there something wrong with Kristina?”

She faltered, stunned by his parental sounding response. “Um…no. No, she’s fine. I just want to make sure she stays that way.”

“Okay,” he yawned. “Your doin’ that thing where you’re bein’ all mysterious. What are you talking about?”

“Are you still in Boston?”

“Actually, I’m staying on the island. Ric asked me to come by later this morning.”

“He did?” she asked puzzled.

“Yeah. For a married couple it looks like you two don’t communicate very well.”

Alexis set her jaw and shot back indignantly, “Our marriage is none of your concern.”

Sonny sat up grinning and ran a lazy hand over his bare muscled chest as he pressed the phone closer to his ear.

“I need to talk to you and it’s very important.”

“Well, you’re talking to me now.”

“Sonny, I’m not playing games here!” she started to yell but stifled herself so that she wouldn’t wake Kristina and Ric.

“Alexis the last time you and I tried to have a convers –“

“I know.” she declared quietly, cutting him off.

“You know? You know what?”

“That you were the one who saved Ric’s life. I promised him I wouldn’t tell you I knew, but I had to.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

“Sonny?”

“Yeah. I’m here,” he sighed, running his hand over his face.

“There’s a lighthouse near Gay Head cliffs. It’s on the western side of the island by Devil’s Bridge Rocks and Vineyard Sound. I’m sure that any local can give you directions.”

“Give me about 45 minutes.”

“I’ll see you then.” She clicked the phone shut and looked at the mantle clock. “I’m sorry Ric,” she whispered. “Please understand that I need to do this.”

***

Kristina awoke to a ray of sunlight streaming in her bedroom and yawned, blinking miniature sleep laden eyelids several times before sliding off the bed and padding out into the hallway. She gingerly toddled to her parent’s bedroom door and listened. There was no sound, so she pushed the door open and waited as it slowly swung in on its hinges revealing a “blob” under a blanket on one side and nobody on the other.

Puzzled, she sneaked around the foot of the bed to the left side and looked up. It was her daddy sound asleep with his mouth slightly open, snoring softly. Edging closer, Kristina stretched her arm upward and her tiny hand patted his cheek.

He smiled at first and wriggled his nose.

Grinning, she patted it again, this time harder.

“Dad-dy!”

“Hmmm?” he smiled. “Alexis,” he mumbled seductively, not opening his eyes “Guess who I want for breakfast?”

“Oatmeal!” Kristina cried and Ric’s eyes popped open startled.

“Huh?”

“Oatmeal for bweakfast!” she cheered and flashed a dimpled smile.

“Hey there, sweetheart!” he rubbed his eyes and stole a glance to the other side of the bed. “Whaddya know? Looks like mama’s an early bird this morning.”

“Mama…bird?” she tilted her head, encouraging a brown spiral to fall onto her forehead.

“It’s an expression. You’ll learn it soon enough.” He reached down and brushed the curl aside. “Come here.”

She tried to climb into the tall bed and Ric pulled her up with his right arm. His left, although healing well, was still wrapped heavily in ace bandages.

Kristina snuggled close to him finding her favorite place in the crook of his arm and Ric kissed the top of her head and rested his chin there.

“Guess what honey? We’re going home today.”

“Home?” she echoed.

“Uh huh. Back to our new big house and your swing set and – don’t tell your mother – but that puppy she said ‘no’ to.”

“Puppy?” she shrieked gleefully.

“Yep. When we get back to Port Charles, you and I are going to go to the pound and you can have your pick of the litter.”

Kristina raised her head and Ric smiled down at her and then unexpectedly she craned her neck and kissed him on the lips. He could actually feel the heat rising in his cheeks. She’d never done that before! He suddenly felt more like her father than ever and also guilty as hell.

This. This was what he and Alexis were denying his brother and it ate away at him inside. Why couldn’t it have all been different? If his father hadn’t forced Adella to make that fateful choice years ago, they could have all been a family. Sure, Sonny was a handful as a boy, but in time he might have adjusted. He would have been raised in a home with privilege and opportunity and never have been tempted by the mob. Maybe he could have been friends with Josh too and ridden bikes on the dunes and gone fishing and crabbing on the Sound.

But Ric knew that such idealism was foolish and he began to second-guess his plans.

“Damn it Sonny! I wanted you to know how this feels; to hold her in your arms and feel her squirming against you. I wanted you to be able to hear her laughter and see those little eyes shine when she looks up at you as if you were the most important person in the world. But Alexis is right. The price is too high.”

“Lansing!” a voice called from the bottom of the stairs. “You up?”

“Up here!” Ric called and Kristina sat up attentive and listening to the approaching thuds as Josh bounding up the stairs.

He burst into the room broke into a broad grin. “Man, how come you always get the girls?” he joked and jumped on the bed with them tousling Kristina’s hair.

“How are you this fine morning Miss Kristina?”

“Josh!” she cried and crawled away from Ric to him.

“See?” Ric chuckled. “You have quite a way with the ladies.”

“Where’s Alexis?”

“”I don’t know,” Ric shrugged. “Wasn’t she downstairs?”

“Nope”

“That’s odd.” Ric frowned and sniffed the air. “I don’t smell anything burning, so she couldn’t have attempted to make coffee.”

“That bad?” Josh raised his eyebrows.

“Worse!” he laughed and leaned over touching his forehead to his daughter’s. “Right Kristina? Mama can’t cook, can she?” He shook his head still pressed to hers and she joined him with a playful giggle.

“Was the car gone? Maybe Alexis had to run some errands before we leave,” Ric reasoned aloud. “So, what brings you by?”

“I thought I’d stop by after dropping Mom off at the cemetery.”

“The cemetery?”

“Yes. Today’s her and dad’s anniversary. She never lets it go by without spending part of it with him.”

Ric’s jovial mood suddenly turned somber.

“Don’t worry about it Ric. She’s happy there with him. It’s where she wants to be.”

“It’s not that,” he said softly.

Josh saw that Ric was troubled and he smiled down at Kristina then engaged him seriously.

“Okay, you’ve got my attention. What is it?”

Ric’s palms began to sweat. He got up and grabbed a pair of faded Levi’s from his suitcase and pulled them on. Digging for a T-shirt, he plucked a black one from the pile in a nearby chair and pulled it over his head.

“I want to talk Sarah before we leave,” he explained gravely. “It’s about Patrick.”

“Does this have anything to do with Alexis finding dad’s ring in your hospital room?”

“What?” He looked at him confused. “What wedding ring?”

Josh passed a troubled hand through his blond curls and paused before answering.
“I guess that Alexis hasn’t told you about it.”

“Obviously not,” Ric concurred suspiciously.

“Tell you what,” Josh declared as he jumped off the bed. “Why don’t you bring this stunning daughter of yours downstairs and I’ll fill you in with what I know over pancakes.” He started for the door, then shot back. “I’m cookin’!”

Masking his concern, Ric got up and held his hand out to Kristina who anxiously grabbed onto it gleefully enjoying the ride as he swung her down from the bed. “What do you say princess? Do you want pancakes?”

“Pancakes!” She nodded eagerly and Ric smiled down at her as he led her out the bedroom door and down the hall.

“Pancakes it is! They’re much better than oatmeal, but don’t tell your mother I said that…”

***

Alexis overlapped her sweater in front and crossed her arms to secure it. Although the sun was slowly breaking the horizon and exploding into a kaleidoscope of brilliant color, the crisp early autumn air was nippy and she found herself unsuccessfully fending off the shivers.

“Alexis?” a deep hoarse voice acknowledged from behind.

She turned to find Sonny standing there holding two carryout cups of coffee. He offered one to her and she waited a minute before taking it.

“Th-thank you.”

“It’s, uh, kinda cold out here.”

She nodded, taking a sip. “The wind’s whipping off the water. It probably feels colder than it actually is.”

It was Sonny’s turn to nod. He stood there dangling his cup loosely in his hand by his side and cleared his throat.

“So…you didn’t drag me out here to go another round about Kristina, did you? ‘Cause if that’s it Alexis, I’m not in the mood.”

“I told you why I needed to see you,” she reminded him.

“To talk about Ric?”

“Among other things.”

He allowed quick flashing grin and looked out over the waves. “You said he told you about the what happened at the accident site?”

“Last night,” she confirmed.”

“I’ll bet that shocked the hell out of you, That is, if you believed it.”

Alexis narrowed her eyes trying to grasp whether or not he was toying with her, Ric or with both of them. But she trusted Ric’s memory and realized that Sonny’s opaque response was nothing more than another one of his many defense mechanisms kicking in.

“I believe that you couldn’t bring yourself to let your mother’s youngest child lie in agony by the side of the road. What I find a little hard to understand is why you would go to such, dare I say, heroic lengths to save a man that you personally loath. What’s in it for you Sonny?”

The nervous tick in the corner of his mouth gave away the fact that her question hit its mark and he fidgeted with the plastic flap on the lid of his cup.

“It wouldn’t be redemption, would it?” she coaxed him.

“I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about.”

“To try and score points with me as far as Kristina is concerned. Jason must have informed you that my marriage to Ric is authentic and not in name only. You had to have known that I’d be grateful to you for saving my husband.”

“Ah!” he laughed sarcastically. “There it is. I was waiting for the great Alexis Davis --”

“Lansing,” she corrected with intentional emphasis.

“Whatever. Leave it to you to try and take something and analyze it to death until it makes sense the way you want it to. Maybe I’m not this monster that you and everybody else in the world thinks I am. Maybe…I dunno… maybe it matters to me that Ric is my little brother more than I thought it did, that’s all.”

“Is that why you chose to keep your involvement a secret?”

“I never kept anything a secret!” he snapped defensively. “After all, you’re standing here grilling me about it, right?”

“Then why didn’t you come forward? You mysteriously showed up at the hospital after the accident and now I understand why. You had a vested interest in Ric’s condition. But what you were doing on Martha’s Vineyard in the first place?”

“I told you Alexis, I’m not in the mood to fight with you about this.”

“I’m not fighting with you Sonny. I’m simply trying to get at the truth. You came to Martha’s Vineyard to confront us about the fact that you knew Kristina was your biological daughter, right…Right?”

Sonny didn’t answer.

“You came prepared to do whatever you could to rip my family apart and stake a claim to the child that-“

“That you kept from me!” he shouted angrily.

“And a child that loves Ric,” she countered quietly but loud and clear in her point. “You implied at the hotel that our night together was more to you than a one-night stand. I admit I successfully negated that.

“I’m willing to confess that, at the time, I wanted it to be more. But after Carly saw us together and drove her car into the lake and then Zander told us she was missing, the look on your face was pure guilt. That’s when I knew that it was all a grave mistake on both our parts.”

Sonny started to reach his hand out to her but withdrew wanting desperately to explain the feelings for her that he’d never admitted to. He suspected that she knew. If not, then Ric surely told her. Instead he caught her gaze and held it long enough to say what words could not.

“I know.” she said sincerely. “And I’m sorry but I am deeply and passionately in love with Ric. And although you’ll never admit it, I think you love your brother too. That’s why you saved his life. But publicly showing that you care about him might render you weak. So you kept quiet.”

She paused, briefly contemplating the ultimate point she was trying to make.

“Do you understand now why I had to keep quiet about Kristina? I wanted you to know that one beautiful thing did materialize from our making love, but the price of validating that to the world was too high. Now, because of the accident and what you did for Ric, he feels indebted to you and he wants you to have a chance to know Kristina. I understand his compassion. I’ve even encouraged it in him on many occasions but not about this. I don’t know what to do. Do I honor him or do I protect our daughter? Tell me Sonny. If you were in my position, what would you do?”

Sonny drained his coffee cup and winced as if it were 100 proof. Damn she was good. Alexis knew him so well. In the end, she effectively eliminated herself from the equation and made it all come down to a choice between supporting the brother he’d spent years hating and protecting the daughter he’d spent years in the dark about. But Alexis was missing one crucial element.

“You do realize that he’s using me. He’s using my being Kristina’s father to hit him where it hurts.”

“Hit who?”

“Trevor. Ric asked me to come to the house to tell Trevor that I am Kristina’s real father. Guess he figured the bastard’s gloating over his newfound granddaughter and Ric won’t have it. I gotta give it to him; it’s ruthless but the old man sure as hell deserves it.”

Alexis inhaled several times trying to squelch the rising panic systematically threatening to take over her body.

“That would mean that he plans on seeing Trevor today?”

“Yep,” Sonny nodded. “And telling Sarah everything.”

“You know?” she gasped astonished. “You know what happened all those years ago?”

“I know enough,” he responded cryptically. “But it’s not my story to tell. You say you love him, then let Ric tell her the truth. He’s got to do it his way.”

Teetering on the edge of aggravation, Alexis finally exhaled and took an anxious step toward him. “Did he tell you when he was planning on doing this?”

Sonny shrugged. “Sometime before you left.”

She glanced at her watch and paced back and forth nervously, more pieces of the puzzle beginning to cascade together. “And you and Ric were going to form this united front and confront Trevor with everything and tell him about Kristina today?”

“That was his plan. It was the final nail in the coffin, so to speak.” he nodded. “But don’t get all hot and bothered Alexis. Ric said he needed to discuss it with you first.”

“I see,” she eyed him skeptically.

“Really, he did.”

Alexis apprehensively chewed the tip of her fingernail, her mind racing trying to put order to the maize of events unfolding rapidly in front of her.

“So?” Sonny asked.

“So? So what?”

“What’s it gonna be? The truth to back your husband or silence to make you feel better?”

Alexis threw her cup in a near by trash can and fumbled through her purse for her keys. “Don’t you dare make this about me! It’s about Kristina and putting an end to the chaos that’s torn our family apart for years!” She stormed down the sandy path from the lighthouse to the parking lot. “Tell your driver to go ahead. You’re riding with me!”

He nodded to the driver to go and followed her tempted to open his mouth once more but opting not to. “Our family,” he thought. “Interesting choice of words. Very interesting.”

***

“Here we go!” Josh laughed as a wide-eyed Kristina looked on. She was seated at the kitchen table on Ric’s lap totally fixated at Josh’s acrobatic version of flapjacks. From the griddle, into the air and onto her plate, he kept them coming. Although a little girl couldn’t begin to eat the stack in front of her she wouldn’t let him stop until all of the batter was gone.

“It’s funny,” Ric chuckled. “I’ve seen you make breakfast for a lot of women. Now I can safely say that your charm transcends hair color, leg length, dimensions and age!”

“Ric!” he winked good-naturedly. “In case you’ve forgotten, most of the “house guests” I was makin’ breakfast for were yours!”

“Hey!” he said hugging his daughter closer. “Do you mind?”

“Sorry,” he snickered and leaned over to Kristina. “But your Daddy was quite the ladies’ man back in the day!”

“Enough!” Ric groaned. “Really. Besides, you promised to tell me more about the ring Alexis found.”

Josh put a large pancake on the plate in front of Kristina and, in syrup, drew two eyes and a smile, finishing it with a pat of butter for a nose. She squealed with delight and slid off of Ric’s lap and climbed into her own chair ready to attack her breakfast.

“Sarah taught you well,” Ric grinned.

“Always!” Josh smiled and poured two cups of coffee before pulling up a chair.

“Back to the ring,” Ric redirected as he drew a sip from his oversized mug.

“Alexis was in the ICU with you and reached for something on the nightstand and discovered a small jewelry box. Inside was a man’s wedding ring. She didn’t think much of it at first; perhaps a former patient accidentally left it there. She took the box to the nurses’ station and when they opened it up, Mom lost it. It was my father’s ring.”

“She was sure?” Ric asked.

“Josh nodded. “It was well worn but distinctive and it had an inscription inside, ‘Forever, Your Rose.’ My dad always liked the song and it was a special thing between the two of them.”

Ric looked down and bit the inside of his lower lip beginning to tremble. So Patrick Rosewood was more than the crusty old lobsterman Trevor so often described him to be. He was a romantic man who clearly adored his wife. He would never do the things Trevor accused him of.

“Funny thing is,” Josh continued, “your father didn’t seem to be too surprised at the discovery. In fact, he started babbling on about the fact that it was time for Mom to ‘learn the truth’.”

Ric’s hand began to shake and he set his mug down spilling coffee over the side in the process.

Josh squinted at his friend, immediately noticing his intense reaction. Ric was becoming increasingly agitated, nervously dabbing at puddles of coffee with his napkin and his eyes were blinking rapidly.

“What’s the matter?” he finally asked. “Man, you’re acting peculiar.”

Sorry,” Ric apologized and cleared his throat. “It’s - it’s just that so much went on when I was unconscious. Believe it or not, some of it I actually remember. Other stuff…” his voice trailed off and then he blurted, “There was a box.”

“A box?”

“In the nightstand drawer. It was an old Filene’s box filled with my pictures and baby shoes and old report cards. It was like a timeline documenting my childhood with memorabilia and you’ll never guess who left it there.”

Josh’s mouth fell open and as the light of realization dawned in his eyes, he smiled. “Mom. It was Mom! She used to keep everything of mine and Katie’s in these Filene’s hat boxes when we were growing up,” he chuckled adding, “She even used to save our baby teeth in jars.”

Ric’s heart began palpitating wildly in his chest and he ran his hands over his face several times before pausing. This was impossible.

“Ric?” Josh asked uneasily. “Don’t be upset. Mom always considered you part of our family and she was over there all the time. It makes sense that she put a box together for you as well. I don’t know why she didn’t mention it to you. Maybe she didn’t think that your dad would approve but after the accident she decided to--”

“Sonny,” Ric explained flatly overriding Josh’s speculation.

“Sonny was the one who left the box there. He…he said that he found it among our mother’s things shortly after she died.”

Josh stopped chewing and abruptly set down his fork, glancing at Kristina who was still happily preoccupied with her pancake.

“She must have saved these things and sent them to Adella over the years.”

The realization hit Ric with the full impact of a hurricane, his thoughts swirling out of control inside his head. Sonny was right. His mother did love him! She never stopped thinking about him and she followed every detail of his childhood - thanks to Sarah.

Then the ugly truth engulfed Ric, sprouting like a tidal wave in the storm. The rain, the wind, the thunder and lightning mercilessly attacked all angles of his conscience at once. If he didn’t fight back now he would be lost.

Ric knew what he had to do. Forget Trevor and the vengeance he so eagerly anticipated. This was no longer about revenge; it was about honesty. It wasn’t about setting himself free as much as bringing closure to a woman whom had overcome a mountain of pain to endure a life full of questions with no answers; yet she was able to give him the answers he desperately craved. Telling Sarah the truth was the one way Ric could show her that he appreciated her and thank her for loving him when no one else could.

Placing his napkin on the table, he jumped up and gently laid his hand on the back of Kristina’s head.

“Will you watch her for me until Alexis gets back?”

“Sure,” Josh replied, then added cautiously. “Where are you going?”

“To see Sarah,” he reached for the Jeep keys and sighed. Of course the peg was empty. “Can I take your car?”

Josh reached into his jean pocket and pulled out the keys, tossing them to Ric. “What do you need to talk to her about?”

Ric caught them and rushed toward the door mumbling under his breath “Something she deserved to know a long time ago.”

chapter 38