The Cassadine Princess

By: Elizabeth Perry

Cast of Characters & Ages:

Alexis Davis

Sonny Corinthos

Emily Bowen – Quartermaine Cassadine

Nikolas Cassadine

Lucky Spencer

Jason Morgan

Carly Roberts Morgan

Michael Morgan

Lulu Spencer

Kristina Corinthos

Jasper Jax

Courtney Jax

Summary: Per spoilers, I'm taking GH on a new turn. Let's say that after the train accident Ric and Alexis divorced. Emily & Nikolas are still married and working through their problems. There was never an Em/Son relationship, she just left after Carly got out of the cuckoo house and is close friends with all parties. Sam isn't in this story not because I have a thing against her but because I stopped watching GH before she came on, and she didn't play a part in anything I write so I don't know how to write her so for consistency purposes lets say she died or moved away. Courtney & Jax are remarried and working on their marriage while waiting on the birth of their child. Alexis & Ric recently divorced as he left town to pursue other job opportunities. Alexis & Sonny have renewed their friendship. This story will deal with the rumor that Helena will kidnap Courtney because she is pregnant with Nikolas's child. This story will be told primarily from Alexis & Sonny's POV with conversations from other characters sprinkled in.

Prologue:

Alexis POV

"I want you to take Kristina and Molly out of the country," I replied flatly. To say that he looked shocked was an understatement. Flabbergasted would be another way of putting it. I had always let him know how despicable I found his business to be but that was no comparison to what I was asking of him now. What I was asking was above all our stupid custody fights, our hateful words, and actions. This was life or death.

"What is wrong with you Alexis?" It would have been so easy to tell him. Confess to him the danger that now surrounded my family and his but I wasn't in a position to do so. Just as I had been bound all those years when Stavros was unleashed on the world once again and my brother had to fight him alone with Laura. Well, Stefan wasn't here and Laura was crazy so it was up to me to fight the hard fight. In order for Sonny to leave I needed to let him know something but not enough to let him know what I was facing. I was in actuality putting the life of my family in his hands.

"There is a fight that is coming to Port Charles. It is something that has to be handled. Lives will be lost probably mine but I won't risk my children's lives or the lives of the people I love for some meaningless cause. Take them, take Carly, Michael and Morgan and leave Port Charles Sonny. I never asked much of you after our night together but this I beg of you. Don't ask any questions, just know this…."

Sonny looked in my eyes and I felt my heart flutter. God, how long had I been fighting this feeling and been fighting him? This feeling of completeness, that I only felt when I was close to or with him.

I gently cupped his cheek and spoke softly, "I always loved you. I just didn't know how to show you. I was too afraid that I was still that girl on the island that Helena dominated into becoming this insecure but self-reliant person. I was on autopilot until you changed me and I didn't know how to fight for you so I just let you go. This battle may be the end of me but you know I'm not scared? I'm hopeful because I know I'll leave my girls with someone who will love them just as much as I do."

After saying my piece I gently remove my hand from his cheek and my hand immediately feels his warmth still resounding on my hand. As I walk out of the room though, I hear him calling my name from behind me. I move on, it's the only way to save them, my family.

Alexis POV

"Nikolas, we need to act." I looked coldly at my nephew to let him know that now wasn't the time for hesitancy.

Nikolas looks at me fearfully "What could Helena possibly want?"

I'm tempted to slap some sense into him but I know in these moments of fear now is not the time to regress, to regress into the haven we have been living in without Helena breathing her venom on our lives. "Courtney is missing and you know what that means don't you? It means she switched the DNA tests… why? Because the child is yours! That's why. She's on her way. Jax thinks that Courtney took off but I know better. This is Helena's doing."

The nausea that crosses Nikolas's face at the thought of his one time lover now in the hands of Helena Cassadine is enough to frighten him into action. He stands up albeit shakily and states, "What do you want me to do?"

It was at this moment Emily takes the moment to walk down the stairs. I had always admired her, she who loved so freely and had been through so much in her young life. I didn't want to frighten her but she was a Cassadine now and she needed to know the truth. Alexis waited until Emily sat down before speaking "Helena has Courtney." Emily's eyes blaze briefly at the mention of her onetime rival as Nikolas looks on at me in aggravation at my thoughtlessness.

I close my eyes trying to draw on a fountain of patience. I take a deep breath and spoke softly but bluntly "The child that Courtney carries is Nikolas. Helena switched the DNA tests and now wants the child. We have to act."

I feel the admiration of Emily move up as I watch her steel in her reserves and state "What do you need me to do?"

Nikolas, who had remained silent throughout our exchange, took Emily by the hands and stated, "You will stay out of this and protect you and our child. I don't you want in the middle of this battle."

Emily snatched her hand back from Nikolas "I'm pregnant, Nikolas and it terrifies me to think of what Helena could do to our child if someone doesn't stop her now. I want to help Alexis, what do I do?"

I smile at her briefly remembering a time when she had been a young girl chasing after Nikolas and now she was the woman who will help lead the Cassadine name into the future. I put my hand in the middle of the room and looked at their eyes closely "We stop Helena Cassadine, once and for all." As Nikolas and Emily's hand covered mine, I silently sent up a prayer to my brother Stefan and Kristina to watch over us.

Sonny POV

I was terrified and not because she said she loved me. Well yes that was part of the reason but I had never seen her so petrified as I had a couple of hours earlier. After Carly's fiasco the last thing he had wanted to do was follow Alexis's heeding and take everyone out of the country but something in her voice said listen to her. So he had and sent Jason with Carly and the children out of the country. To anyone checking flight manifests, it would look like Jason & Carly were on their honeymoon with all of their 5 children in tow. Alexis had begged him to go with their children, wanted him out of the line of fire but he was selfish. If he was going to be out of the line of fire then so was she because he would protect her with his life. The moment she had walked out of his house, he had sent Johnny & Max to follow her and ensure that she wasn't in any immediate serious danger. He now stood outside of Wyndemere knowing that whatever had happened it had to do with Helena Cassadine. The thought of that woman being once again in their lives scared him but he knew that he couldn't leave Alexis alone in this. She needed him, whether she admitted it now or not. He knocked on the door to the massive castle and waited for entrance. The door opened up and Emily stood before him beautiful and trembling with fear. I acknowledge her with a simple nod of my head as my eyes and heart zero in on my target. Her. She stood there by herself standing strong yet trembling and it wasn't until that moment that I realize her fragility and just what my choosing Carly over her must've done to her. My god, this woman had loved me completely and fought for and about me and I made the wrong choice. I watch in awe as her face reveals a myriad of emotions within seconds. Fear, disbelief, and then finally deciding on the best emotion to emote, anger.

Alexis POV

"What the hell are you doing here? Where are the girls?" I spit out fast and furiously. I hold onto anger because maybe that will calm down the beating of my heart in my ears. Why for just once couldn't he have listened to me when I said go?

He grinned at me with those dimples and I feel myself losing the anger I know what I need to do as he says, "The children are safe. You don't need to worry about them. They are away."

"Away Sonny? You were supposed to be away with them. I needed you to do what I told you, not disobey. This is not a Mob War!" I intentionally use my Kristina funeral voice. Funny isn't it? I perfected a voice meant to make Sonny back away from me and to shut down emotionally. I knew that I would do whatever it took at the time so that he would let me go back in my shell and lick my wounds in peace and that voice had done its due, which is what I was praying for again.

"Alexis! Don't talk to Sonny that way; he's only concerned about you!" I push the voice of reason of Emily out of my head as my mind continues to search for hurtful things to say that will make him go. I open my mouth to spew more venom when Sonny holds up his hand

"Don't bother. It won't work. We moved past that and you know it Alexis. I'm in this with you whether you want me to or not. I'm not letting the mother of my child lose her life fighting a battle alone. You need me and you're right maybe all of my mob connections will not help but you know that I can."

I feel the tears well up in my eyes and I'm so tempted to run into his arms and let him handle everything but I steel myself against this and instead try a different tactic. "Nikolas and Emily please leave us alone."

Sonny POV

As I hear the door shut behind me I know that this conversation will shape our relationship for the future. Her family was threatening her or somebody she loved and she was in the middle. Hell she had designated herself head of this family and was going to take Helena on her own. She just didn't know that wouldn't happen yet. "I know that you think that I'm being a neurotic, crazy person who is only looking out for herself but I want you to know the truth. Sonny, lives are in danger. People who are important to both you and me need our help. I can't have you in the middle of this war. Too many people you care about are already in the middle of this war."

I had feared that she was going to say that but I knew she still needed me so I pressed on "Which is exactly why you need me. Alexis we make a great team. We made a great child together so there is nothing we can't do together."

This quiets her down for a moment and then she said softly, "Helena kidnapped Courtney." If she wanted to make me flinch, she succeeded. I feel the anger and worry gnaw at my insides but I let the brother in me take a backseat to the man that loves her with every breath he takes.

As I look in her eyes, I realize that she is praying this will push me out the door. "All the more reason, you need me by your side."

Alexis POV

I have to hand it to him; he certainly knows how to hide his emotions. "Okay Sonny. What I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room."

I notice his stance as he looks at me; his dimples letting me know that I've pleased him by taking him into my confidence. I walk over to him and gently take his hand and lead him to the sofa. The proximity of this man to me makes me want to run screaming out of the room but I hold myself in check. There is no way that I can let him know how much he affects me even if I just admitted I still loved him. "Helena kidnapped Courtney because the child she carries is Nikolas's."

Sonny's eyes meet mine in confusion "There were 2 DNA tests as I recall that stated otherwise."

Alexis stands up and starts pacing as she blurts out the facts in a cold, direct manner "She bought the test and the physician who ran the test. She then killed him to leave no trace of evidence of her crime. I stumbled upon the whole situation by accident but now knowing what I know I can't let this one slide. What Helena was to do is monstrous and I have to stop her but on my conditions? Sonny, that means no involvement if I don't ask for it. I've called people in to help on this that you don't like and that don't like you. I have to let this battle be fought. This time it's a Spencer/Cassadine war against Helena. We can't lose; we just don't have that option." My eyes dart over his body nervously, desperately trying to read his body language to see wherein his thoughts lie.

He walks over slowly to me and pulls me in his arms and speaks so softly I have to strain to hear him "I won't let you go through this alone."

"Emily, I'm sorry that you are involved in this. If I had just…."

Emily covered his mouth with her hand in effect silencing his next apology "Nikolas, we have both made mistakes in this marriage. Mistakes that can't easily be erased but I meant our wedding vows. For better or for worse is what we swore in front of that priest. I promise you that Nikolas. I refuse to give up on our child or us. Alexis is right. Helena is a threat to everything that we hold dear. We had to usher our family out of the country in the middle of the night to keep them out of the scene of this. I love you and when I married you, I married you with all your faults. Please don't think that this is your fault. Even if you hadn't slept with Courtney, she would have been after me for our child. She's a ticking time bomb."

Nikolas nodded relishing in the wisdom of her words and the strength that she brought him just with his very presence. He pulled her into his arms and held on tight letting his thoughts drift onto what Helena was doing with Courtney now.

As Nikolas and Emily walked back into the room, they couldn't help but notice how Sonny was hovering protectively over Alexis.

Sonny looked up at the pair barely acknowledging them instead focusing on keeping Alexis afloat. "What's our course of action?"

Nikolas stared at his aunt in question, "Is Sonny a part of this now?"

Alexis smiled briefly as her hand gently touched Sonny's and stated "He has left me with no choice. Our first priority is getting Courtney back safe and sound. She needs to be seen by a doctor then taking out of the country to ensure her safety. I will be playing ball with Helena financially in the meantime to locate her whereabouts. Once I find her, Sonny will then take Emily and Courtney out of the country."

Sonny opened his mouth to protest but Alexis held up her hand "This is not open for discussion. You will get your sister and Emily out of harms way. Nikolas and I will remain behind to neutralize Helena. It's the only way. She thinks of me as expendable but she fears and hates Nikolas which is always a dangerous combination."

Sonny sat silently fuming that Alexis had effectually cut him out of the proceedings whether she admitted it or not. He wasn't giving up that easily or that quickly on insuring her safety. "How are we going to find Courtney?"

Alexis looked down; as she knew her next words would be met with firm resistance "I'm going to offer myself as exchange."