-1This is an AU one shot about Ric Lansing and Sonny Corinthos. About their lives as brothers, enemies, fathers and begrudging confidantes when they are forced to work together. In this Sonny is married to Brenda with two children, Susie and Brandon while Ric is married to Carly with daughter Charlotte. Carly also has Morgan with Sonny and Michael with AJ.
What Are Brother's For!
"What was so important that I had to drive over here in the middle of the nigh?" A cross Ric Lansing asked his half-brother Sonny Corinthos. He was not in a pleasant mood, having been dragged away from his comfortable bed next to his beautiful wife.
"Trevor. Your crazy father is threatening my family. I know it's too late for us to bond as brothers but I would hope we could bond over a common enemy. I want to take Trevor down and I need your help to do it," Sonny explained seriously and handing his brother a cup of coffee that the taller man gladly took.
"Why me? You could have gone to your trusty hitman Jason to help you take out my dear old dad." Ric asked, his interest piqued.
"I don't want to involve Jason to this. He has a family to take care of now; I promised Elizabeth that I wouldn't. He has nothing to gain from this, only things to lose. You and me, well, we both want the bastard dead." Sonny said matter-of factly, remembering how the distraught Liz had come to him, begging him to keep Jason away from the business because of Jake.
"I have a family as well. I have Carly and I have Charlotte. Why isn't my family as important as Jason's?" Ric asked angered, once again, feeling how his brother was only reaching out to him because Sonny wanted something from him.
"Carly understands how the game is played. And you know I would never let anything happen to her, we do share a child after all, Morgan is important to both of us, like Charlotte is important to you and Carly. Trevor will come after both of our families if we don't stop him, you know that." Sonny said explaining thoughtfully, practically piercing Ric with his gaze.
"I don't want my wife or my child anywhere near my father. Therefore, I guess we do have a common interest so to speak big brother. What do you have in mind?" Ric said relenting. He understood where Sonny was coming from, he might not like him but he knew Sonny loved his family as much as Ric loved his.
"Trevor's crazy and he's way too powerful for my liking. Your father actually had the nerve to come over here today when I wasn't at home and he scared my wife half to death. I need you to lure him to somewhere were my men can take him out. Call him to meet you somewhere and then take Carly and the kids out of town for a few days." Sonny uttered angrily, his blood boiling at the thought of that sick bastard Trevor threatening Brenda in his own home.
"That's it? A simple phone call is all you need me to do? Well, thank you for your vote of conference big brother that I can manage to pick up a telephone and not screw that up." Ric sarcastically voiced and then took a sip of his coffee.
"There is no time for me to soothe your fragile ego Ric. You want your father out of your life for good, then do this for me. No, better yet, don't do this for me, do this for your daughter. Don't force Charlotte to live in fear. I haven't asked a whole lot from you, but this is something that I need you to do." Sonny said, looking Ric straight in the eyes.
"If you're going to kill my father, I want to be there to witness when that bastard takes his last breath. I want to be there to see that he dies for sure." Ric replied, just as seriously as Sonny had.
"You think this is a game Ric? I will make sure he's dead, but you need to leave town with the kids and Carly. I need you to make sure my son is safe. When Trevor's dead, you and me are the number one suspects, but if you are out of town and I have a strong alibi, we can get away with this."
"What's your alibi going to be exactly? You and Jason running a 'coffee' empire or possibly you're busy housetraining Spinnelli?" Ric replied with a laugh, considering the conversation too absurd to be real. If you would have said to him last year that he and Sonny would end up plotting Trevor's dead together in the dead of night, he would have laughed in your face.
"I'm taking Brenda out to dinner to the Metro Court and I'll make sure everyone sees me having a grand old time with my beautiful wife. I know what I'm doing; you just handle your end of the bargain." Sonny said finishing his coffee, looking at Ric with a self-satisfied expression on his face. Ric was sure when you looked up the word smug from the dictionary, you would see Sonny's face at this very moment right next to it.
"Honey, Ric. Is this a private brotherly chat, or can anyone join?" Said the sleepy voice of Brenda Corinthos dressed in a deep red pajama and yawning slightly. She was gazing curiously at the two dark-haired men huddled together speaking intently.
"Sweetheart, go back to bed. Ric and I are just finished discussing some important business. I'll join you shortly," Sonny said winking at Brenda and sending a loving smile in her direction. Before Brenda could utter a response, there was a loud knock on the door.
"Sweetie, go back to the bedroom now. Ric, are you carrying?" Sonny said, his mind racing to the worst possible alternative, that Trevor had came back to finish what he had started tonight.
"Open this door right now Sonny Corinthos or so help me god. I know my husband is there and you're trying to talk him into one of your murderous plans. Dammit, Sonny let me in!" said the shrieaky voice of Carly Lansing, who again pounded her fist into the door when it didn't open.
Brenda rolled her eyes and briskly walked to the door and opened it despite a strong urge to slam it shut.
"Carly, is everything okay? Is it the boys or Charlotte?" Ric asked concerned when he observed the look on wife's face. To say that she looked murderous was an understatement of the year, she was practically seething.
"I'm fine, but Sonny here is not. Are you out of your mind trying to lure my husband into one of your illegal plans? What, do you need him to be a scapegoat and take the fall for something you'll do," Carly said nearing Sonny and looking at him with fury.
"Carly, this has nothing to do with my business. My brother and I were just discussing how he wants to take you, Morgan and Charlotte out of town for a few days."
"Right and I'm the Queen of England. You summoned my husband out of bed because he needed to share our nonexistent holiday plans with you? How stupid do you think I am? This bullshit might work with your dear, brainless Brenda but it doesn't fly with me. I know you, you're a cold, manipulative son of a bitch who kills everything in his path and I will see you dead before I let you drag my husband down with you." Carly raged sending death glares in the direction of both Sonny and Brenda.
"Why are you in my home, insulting my husband and belittling yours Carly? You need to feel important by telling everyone what to do?" Brenda said, gently pushing Sonny out of the way so that she was no facing Carly, head on.
"I'm here to make sure my husband, the DA of this town, isn't dragged into Sonny's business. Brenda, you still have your blinders on when it comes to Sonny. You see what he wants you to see, I see him for exactly what he is. He's a criminal and a too bit hoodlum who makes his living by destroying other people's lives. I let him rule my life for years until you brought your pretty little backside into town and stole my husband. I think I need to thank you Brenda, now he's your responsibility and your burden, not mine." Carly said acidly while taking Ric's hand and squeezing it tightly.
"Carly sweetie, I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself. I know Sonny; he can't affect me anymore, not when I have you, Charlotte and the boys. You look incredibly sexy when you're upset and I think we should go home to use your aggression for something nicer than shouting at my brother." Ric said wrapping his arm around her midsection and gently rubbing circles around her lower back with his fingers.
"Sure, let's get out of here. I cannot take anymore of those two. All this hypocrisy is causing me to break out in hives." Carly said and with one last deadly glare, she started guiding Ric out of the apartment.
"Sonny, I will get back to you just before we'll go to Disneyland and give you a detailed travel program so you don't have to worry about Morgan's safety. I'll be sure to make that phone call that we discussed," Ric said with an amused twinkle in his brown eyes and followed his wife out.
"What was that all about? Carly should look into finding a good shrink and leaving us alone." Brenda said casually leaning against her husband.
"That's just Carly being Carly. You don't have to worry about it. Now, let's go to bed." Sonny sighed. With a last glance to the door, Sonny retreated to his comfortable, earth-toned bedroom with his wife trailing closely behind. Maybe this could be a new leaf in his and Ric's relationship, he wondered and it felt strangely good to picture a future where he did not hate his only brother.
The End.
Thank you so much for reading and please, please tell me what you think. I love to read your comments!