Luke and Sonny are standing outside Alexis' apartment door. Luke is dressed like a coach in sweats and with a whistle around his neck.

Sonny: What are we doing here?

Luke: You need to see Alexis.

Sonny: Why? She hates me.

Luke: There's something they want her to tell you.

Sonny: Who are "they," Luke?

Luke: Don't sweat that. Most of them only want good things for you.

Sonny: From Alexis?

Luke: Come on. Knock. They won't wait forever.

Sonny: Oh -

Sonny knocks on the door and Alexis answers.

Alexis: You're here.

Sonny: Yeah. I guess you wanted to see me. Can I come in?

Alexis: Ok.

Sonny walks in. Alexis stands with her back against the door eyes closed and muttering to herself.

Alexis: I can do this. I can do this. I'm going to be ok.

Luke is already in the apartment. He walks up to Sonny and grabs his arms as if to give him moral support. Then Luke rushes out the door. Alexis closes it.

Sonny: Um --

Alexis: Sit down. (Sonny heads for the couch) Make yourself comfortable.

Sonny: Ok. Uh -

Alexis sits down and gestures for him to sit.

Alexis: Oh, here.

Sonny: All right.

Sonny sits next to her .

There's an uncomfortable silence as Sonny waits for Alexis to speak. He looks at her . She suddenly gets up off the couch and walks over to the bar.

Alexis: I have scotch. I have vodka. I have bourbon. I -- I don't have rum. I apologize. I know how much you like rum. I like rum. I just don't drink it anymore -- for obvious reasons. (She spots the wine rack across the room) Uh -- wine. (She heads for the rack and starts pulling bottles off of it as she speaks) I have -- oh, my gosh, I've got so much wine. I've got red wine.

Sonny gets up off the couch and watches her.

Alexis: I've got white wine. I've got Italian wine. I've got Californian.

She turns around and walks back toward him with her arms full of wine bottles.

Alexis: I don't have beer, though, because I always forget to buy it when I go to the store.

Sonny: (Grabs the bottles from her) Right.

He puts the bottles down on the coffee table one by one as she speaks nervously.

Alexis: Which is probably no surprise to you because I -- I don't go to the store very often. I'm not very domestic. How about sparkling water?

Sonny: Sit down.

Alexis: All right. (She sits and he sits next to her) You know, Port Charles tap is -- is surprisingly good, I'm told, because of the aquifers in upstate New York. I've read about it. It's interesting, actually.

Sonny: Will you breathe? Just -

She inhales deeply, pauses, then exhales.

Alexis: It's been a long time since you told me to breathe.

Sonny: Yeah, it's been a long time since I heard you rant.

Alexis: The last time was at my sister's funeral.

Sonny: Well, that was different. You know, you were grieving.

Alexis: But I still meant every word of it.

Sonny: Well, yeah. Most of it was true.

Alexis: What I regret, most of all, is that you trusted me with your feelings, and I used them against you.

Sonny: It's over. It's all over.

Alexis: Not quite.

She gets up, grabs a couple of wine bottles and brings them over to the bar.

Alexis: I was devastated by Kristina's death for obvious reasons, but partly because I felt responsible. Not that you weren't. I mean, you were culpable. (He stands up) But there were extenuating circumstances.

Sonny: What are you trying to say?

Alexis: I'm -- I'm -- I'm trying to --

Sonny: Just say it. Just say it. Just say it.

Alexis: Say I was afraid that you would hurt my daughter.

Sonny: How would I hurt your daughter?

Alexis: Because of who you are and what you do.

Sonny: Well, you took care of that -- you cut me out of your life.

Alexis: (She closes her eyes and tilts her head down) I'm trying to explain. It's just hard.

Sonny: It's your call. It's your daughter, right? I mean --

Alexis: I wanted so much to be able to tell you the truth.

Sonny: The truth?

Alexis: You're Kristina's father.

Sonny: What?

Alexis: You're the father of my child.

Suddenly Luke blows whistle. Alexis is frozen in time.

Luke: Corinthos, off the field!

Sonny and Luke move over closer to the door.

Sonny: What happened?

Luke: I stopped time - (holds up his whistle) one of the perks of gate duty.

Sonny: You were listening in?

Luke: I have to listen -- I have to audit.

Sonny: Luke, you're my friend, but you know what? I don't appreciate people listening in to my private conversations.

Luke: Sonny, try to grasp this -- I'm in heaven, you're still trying to get in, I got gate duty. That means you do what I say. Now, let's go.

Luke leads Sonny out of the apartment. They end up back at the gates of heaven where Luke is acting as gatekeeper.

Luke: You slept with Alexis?

Sonny: Once.

Luke: Man, I never would've guessed that. Hmm. (He gets out a laptop and starts typing) Actually, I sort of felt maybe Alexis and I might -- well, you know -- but I was married, and she's a Cassadine. We never got the timing right.

Sonny: Yeah, neither did we. It was one night, and things got confusing.

Luke: There's nothing here about adultery.

Sonny: Well, Carly and I were in the process of getting a divorce.

Luke: Oh. Well, that's a sweet technicality.

Sonny: Carly got into a car accident that night, and, you know, I just -- I've never been with Alexis again. It was just one -- once.

Luke: But there is a child.

Sonny: No. No, no. They did a D.N.A. test. The baby's Ned's.

Luke: Are you sure?

Sonny: I'm positive.

Luke: Ok, then go back. Finish this off. Good luck, brother.

Sonny suddenly appears back in front of Alexis.

Sonny: Alexis?

Alexis: Kristina was conceived the night that we slept together.

Sonny: The D.N.A. test shows otherwise.

Alexis: Ned set it up. Edward was about to find out the truth, and -- and Ned rigged the D.N.A.

Sonny: Why would Ned claim someone else's child?

Alexis: To help me. To keep Kristina away from you, because we knew it wasn't safe. Ned and I haven't been -- slept together in -- in a long time. She's yours. Kristina is your daughter.

Sonny: (He pauses) My daughter?

Alexis: There's no question about it.

Sonny: (He is on the verge of tears. He looks down) That's why you didn't want anything to do with me?

Alexis: That's why.

Sonny: That's why you came at me at the hospital. You wanted to protect your child.

Alexis: I did.

Sonny: Well, that's -- that's amazing, isn't it?.

Alexis: I -- I want you to understand.

Sonny: I do, completely.

He grabs a pitcher of water, pours himself a drink and drinks it as Alexis speaks.

Alexis: Then you'll understand why it's in Kristina's best interest that you continue to keep your distance, because it isn't safe. And if you want to see her from time to time, I will go out of my way to make that happen. And when she's -- she's old enough to look out for herself, you can tell her or not. It'll be up to you.

Sonny: It took a while, but you've been completely honest with me.

Alexis: Yes.

Sonny: So I'm going to -- I'm going to be completely honest with you.

Alexis: Ok.

Sonny: I will not be separated from my child. (Alexis breathes in hard and tries to speak) If you agree today, right now, we can share custody.

Alexis: Your life is too dangerous.

Sonny: I will always keep my daughter safe!

Alexis: You can't guarantee that!

She walks away from him.

Sonny: There are no guarantees in life, but I tell you what -- I will make you a reasonable offer.

Alexis: There's nothing reasonable that you can offer me!

Sonny: You fight me on this, you keep me separated from my daughter, I'll get sole custody!

Alexis: The courts will never grant you sole custody. I will never grant you custody of my daughter!

Sonny: Our daughter! You fight me, you'll lose.

Alexis marches to the door and opens it. Luke is standing there.

Alexis: I want you to leave.

Luke blows the whistle and makes a baseball umpire-like call.

Luke: You're out! That's the game. Let's go, let's go.

He jogs over to Sonny and starts to lead him out the door with his hands on his shoulders.

Luke: Let's go, pal. Let's go. There we go, there we go.

They walk back up to the gates of heaven.

Luke: Guess you were wrong about the D.N.A.

Sonny: She lied to me!

Luke: Corinthos, check the files. (He opens the laptop) You've told some whoppers yourself, including a full year of swearing to Brenda that you're not in the business.

Sonny: What does that have to do with Alexis trying to keep my baby from me?

Luke: You hear yourself? They wanted you to find a way to work it out with Alexis.

Sonny: Even if she thinks I'm tainted?

Luke: So you're tainted! They love you anyway!

Sonny: Alexis doesn't. She'll turn my own child against me, and that's not good for Kristina. I'm not going to let it happen.

Luke: Corinthos, the only way into heaven is to do what they want.

Sonny: I will burn in hell before I give up my child.