The Convenient Wife
by Kelly

chapter 50

After the chaos that had rocked their worlds and caused them to
dramatically alter the course of their lives, the end came with
stunning brevity and two very simple words:

"Case dismissed."

The hearing had been scheduled for ten and had started on time.
Justus had finally gotten through to them at nine that morning. So
there had been no time for shock, only a blur of movement. The two of
them in the shower, then donning clothes that looked presentable,
respectable, sober. When they felt anything but.

She was a raging amalgam of emotions. She had awakened imprisoned in
his arms where she had been held all night feeling languid, sated,
heavy with lack of sleep. Now there was conflict, worry, and nervous
tension knotting her stomach…making her spine stiff and straight as
she walked into the parking garage of her building. The emotions came
in waves on the way over in the limousine. Until finally they faced
the court, literally filled with reporters and Quartermaines
alternately on each row.

Alexis had seen Jax sitting in the back, and when she entered he'd
given her a reassuring, if nervous smile. She'd smiled back,
appreciating that his fear was for her. He knew the devastating blow
the loss of Sonny would be to her at this point. And he didn't want
her to go through such anguish again.

Of course, no one was surprised to see Carly there, playing her role
of bitter, put-upon, betrayed ex-wife to the very hilt, but Alexis
saw the tinge of anxiety in her eyes. No matter how volatile her
emotions or how highly idiotic the things the woman would say, there
was no doubt in Alexis' mind that she cared about Sonny enough NOT to
want him in prison. Even if he had left her.

And then in the back on the other side of the courtroom was Ned, a
totally stoic expression settling on features she'd once thought
handsome. Not a glance her way. Not a word of greeting. Just a cold
and cutting glance at Sonny and then his attention was taken by the
woman on the bench.

Grayson did his level best to argue against Justus' motion; with no
help from an all but immobile Ric at his side, the federal prosecutor
even referenced a quote from Shakespeare for Marion Long. But Alexis
could feel the case shift, sensed the subtle change in the legal
winds that only an attorney of her brilliance could detect. She was
afraid to hope, to believe her instincts, but somewhere inside her
heart began to sing.

Could Sonny beat this?

In the end, Grayson had to admit that even the hit man had bailed on
his statement. Then the moment they had awaited arrived. In front of
her, she saw Sonny's shoulders lift and tense. He leaned forward, his
fingers folded together onto the table as he endeavored—she knew---to
calm himself. Then he turned, ever so slightly, and looked over his
shoulder at her. Their eyes met and held.

His message was unspoken as was hers, but they each read it clearly
in the other's face: "I love you."

He did. She did. They did. And at the moment that love was enough.

"Case dismissed."

Alexis fell in love with Judge Long, who clearly knew a lame duck
case when she saw it. There was an explosion of noise from the Press
Core, from the gallery. The judge attempted to stop it with her
gavel, then shrugged and made to leave the bench. Her responsibility
was done, her eyes said to Alexis.

Sonny pumped Justus' hand vigorously, true gratitude in his eyes. But
his next contact was Alexis. And she was enveloped in his strong arms
and anchored to his body as if he were willing her never to leave.
And she had absolutely no problem with that. His mouth pressed
lovingly to hers, as he held her face tenderly to his for one of
those kisses that went on forever even in front of the unwanted
company that swirled around them.

When he lifted his mouth simply for breathing's sake, he still held
her to him. And it was over his shoulder that she saw Carly leave in
a huff. Jason, who'd been standing by the door, barely acknowledged
the woman as she passed though she touched his arm, pouted, and
leaned into him clearly expecting support. Finally, she gave up and
left; Alexis couldn't scare up any empathy.

Jason's solemn blue gaze met her own and he actually smiled. She
smiled back. He nodded and was gone like the mist after a foggy
morning.

The peace of the moment was bound not to last with the riotous lot
that was gathered n the courtroom, from journalists firing questions
at them to Quartermaines hurling insults destined to be printed on
several front page editions.

"That's it?" she heard someone yell. "He gets to plan my murder and
just walk away? That's the kind of justice you dole out, Your Honor?"

AJ. His words stopped Marion Long in her tracks. She turned and
leveled a cautionary stare at him. "I rendered a verdict based on
evidence or lack thereof, Mr. Quartermaine," she told him
coldly. "Your disappointment notwithstanding, don't ever talk to a
federal justice in that manner again or you may find yourself in
contempt of court and in a jail cell."

She exited but her absence did not stop the front page seeking of AJ
Quartermaine. "She calls that justice? That's what the American court
system calls fair? I'm glad as hell that I live in Europe then!"

Justus smirked wryly. "You should be, cousin. Otherwise, your behind
would be in a jail cell for embezzlement, now wouldn't it? Don't say
the American court system never did you any favors!"

"Well, he's certainly right there," Tracy piped in.

"Indeed," Edward said, eyeing his grandson coldly. "If we had any
sense, we'd press charges against the little thief before he gets on
a plane for parts unknown again."

Furious, AJ stormed from the room into the waiting hands of myriad
reporters.

Tracy spread her hands questioningly toward her family. "Well? What
are you waiting for? You're all just going to stand there while AJ
takes off?" she demanded. "Forget Sonny. I'm tailing the crook. Maybe
I can find some of my money."

And she left the court posthaste, Tracy—as always—looking after
Tracy. Justus shook his head. "Ah, Quartermaine family solidarity.
Nonexistent."

"Look what you did, Edward," Monica scoffed. "Ran my son off once
again. Maybe we could have talked…negotiated something. He's still
family."

"And he's also still a little thief. Who didn't even come to Lila's
funeral," her father in law rebuffed. "Don't ask me to forget that…or
to forgive it."

There was a tense silence among them as Monica swallowed, having a
hard time answering that accusation herself. Finally she gave up
trying and tried another argument. "You're confusing the point,
Edward. The issue is that Sonny Corinthos goes free again with the
help of your other grandson!"

"Yes, Father," Alan intoned. "You don't have any censure for the man
who betrayed his family to defend this thug yet again? To help the
man who stole one son from me then tried to murder the other?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Justus knows damn well what I think of his
choice of clients. He's a fool if he believes Corinthos will help his
career."

Justus' lip curled. "Make no mistake, Sonny pays an excellent
retainer. And the media certainly ran wild with this story, which
gave me great publicity. But once again, my shortsighted and self-
engrossed family, you've missed the entire point. Maybe this wasn't
about money or notoriety. Maybe it was about trying to get someone a
second chance. Maybe it was to show you all that I have my own
ethics, my own goals, and I make my own decisions. That I'm not about
to get dictated to like the poor minority relation. I live my own
life. Get used to it."

Alexis gave a secret inward cheer for her lawyer; she'd fought the
same battle for her self-identity when she'd been engaged to Ned. And
the only way to win it had been to run. She was proud of Justus for
fighting them head to head.

As if her thoughts had summoned him, Ned himself walked forward into
the fray, his eyes more distant than she had ever seen them as they
swept over her. "Don't you know what's going on here, Alan?
Grandfather?" he queried, sarcasm thick in his tone. "Justus is one
of the Pod People now, one of the Sonny Lover's Club. He has no mind
of his own. They all surrender it to Sonny; it's part of the bylaws."

Alexis sighed, eyeing Ned, her husband, and the blocked path to the
doorway alternately. This was sure to be ugly.

"Ashton—"

"No, Sonny," Alexis told him, a delicate hand placed on his
arm. "Ned, just stop this. Your family is intact. AJ is alive. You
don't like the verdict; make an appeal to the judge. You'll get
nowhere, but it's your right to try."

She turned to her husband. "Let's go."

"Running away again?" Ned sneered, stopping her cold. "You've done
that your whole life. Can't you ever stand your ground, Alexis?"

And though she knew with all her heart that she should ignore him and
go, she was unable to back down from that kind of challenge. It just
wasn't in her. He had crossed the line with his criticism: they had
been lovers for years and he still knew nothing about what made her
who she was today. This man would not be allowed to pass judgment on
her life. Not even once more.

Alexis turned back to him and froze him with her eyes.

"Oh no, Ned," she said, her voice rapier sharp, "I'm not running.
You'll never make me run anywhere ever again."

chapter 51