The Break

When had he become so self-centered? Sonny wondered to himself. Every situation had become about him. When his son showed his daughter compassion, he allowed it to mean that Dante was softening to his presence in his life. Why couldn't he see it was Dante caring that his sister, whom he'd only come to know, was beaten? Worst of all, Sonny had been so self-absorbed that he'd totally missed the break: not Kristina's, but her mother's.

He sat beside her bed at Shadybrook. "Alexis?"

She didn't answer. She hadn't answered in three-quarters of a year. Not since she'd confessed to Kristina that she was responsible for Keifer's death. Kristina lashed out at her. She yelled that both her parents were monsters and there was no hope for her. She'd said cruel things. He tried to stop her much the way Alexis had tried to stop Kristina's anger toward him. But it was too late. Alexis retreated somewhere deep inside herself to a place where she no longer allowed him.

Diane got her acquitted on the basis of temporary insanity and she'd been sent to Shadybrook to recover. The only problem was there was nothing temporary about her current state. She'd been here for eight months and there had been very little change.

Ric returned to Port Charles to stake his claim to Molly. But he couldn't let his brother take Molly from her sister. Kristina had lost too much; he would not allow him to take her baby sister too. And so, he used the force of his organization to back his brother down and back out of Port Charles.

He removed a brush from the dresser and began to brush her hair. His mind flashed to a time when the poisonous chemo forced most strands from her scalp. Tears ran down her cheeks as she told him how her hair had been the one thing about her that she'd known was beautiful. He hoped this brought her comfort.

"Remember when you moved next door to me? Ned got mad and you got drunk off the champagne I brought you to celebrate. You kept rambling about losing all your clients because you were working for me. You were so full of life…and a little crazy."

He kneeled in front of her chair. "I know you're still in there. Your daughters need you to come back. I need you…to come back."

Alexis continued to stare straight ahead. A warm tear slid down his cheek. He raised his hand to wipe it away. Suddenly, he was surprised by her hand on top of his. He searched her eyes, but in place of the warm chocolate pools all he saw was hollow, dark shadows. It was a place he'd visited himself during his worst times, but he'd never stayed away as long as she'd been gone.

The door opened behind him. Dr. Winters and Dr. Collins entered the room. They'd been Alexis's doctors ever since Sonny made a sizeable donation to the facility. He needed to insure he weeded out the Cassadine influence before she spent one night in that place.

"How is she?" Kevin pulled out a flashlight and pointed it at her eyes.

"She touched my hand. That means she's getting better, right?"

He saw a look pass between Kevin and Lainey and he heard their silence. Lainey was the first to speak, "Keep talking to her, Sonny. All the visits from her family and friends help. It lets her know she has a lot of love to come back to."

Sonny knew Lainey was right. Kate still brought Alexis new outfits every week. Diane brought her gossip. Nikolas and Molly brought her hugs. He brought the meals. It reminded him of a time when they were close. Some days she would eat. Some days she would not. Today had been a good day.

He was surprised to learn that even Dante visited her. They'd seemed to have some sort of rapport when he'd seen them together…before the break. Apparently, his son had been drawn to her much the same he had been once upon a time. Kristina was the only person who didn't visit. She blamed herself for Alexis's state. After the first visit, she simply refused to come again.

Kristina and Molly lived with him now. He knew Alexis would hate it. He told her the second they were settled. He'd hoped it would provoke her into screaming at him or demanding that he give her children back to her. It didn't happen. The girls had been a joy to him. There was something special about girls: their willingness to hug, their constant chatter and their general delicate nature. It took Kristina longer to warm up to him than Molly, but Kristina had gotten there. Now, they were like a real father and daughter. And to his surprise, she was slowly bringing Dante along for the ride.

"I want to take her out of here for a couple of days." He'd been thinking about it since his last visit. "I think she needs a change of scenery."

"Do you think that's the best idea?" Lainey spoke up first.

"The kids need their mother and she's not coming back in here."

Lainey wanted to object once more, but Kevin stopped her. He, like Sonny, had been through his own mental health issues. Both men understood that a change in a patient's surroundings could work wonders. "It's worth a try."

"Be back tomorrow." He kissed Alexis's cheek. He noticed her hair smelled like strawberries and not the gardenia scent to which he was accustomed. He wondered if it bothered her to not to have her own things. Everything she had now was something picked out by someone else. That would change during their time away.

No sooner than he left the room, he dialed Kate, then Sam. He asked them both to pack two weeks worth of clothes for Alexis. Then he dialed Bernie. "Bernie, it's Sonny get the jet ready."

"Where you heading boss?" The older mans coarse voice scratched over the phone.

"I'm taking the family on a trip."

"Sure boss."

He paused as he thought of the grief he was sure to get from Jax, Nikolas and maybe even Sam. He didn't care. Port Charles wasn't the same without Alexis Davis in it and neither was his daughter's life. How could he look his little girl in the eye if he didn't do everything possible to save her mother? It was the reason Alexis had fought to join his defense team during his trial. At the time, he was too stupid to understand or appreciate what she was doing."

He walked into Greystone and immediately heard the sound of their giggles: Kristina's, Molly's and Dante's. This is what he wanted to give her.

Molly was the first to his side, greeting him with a big hug. "Hi Uncle Sonny." Kristina followed suit. Dante stood his ground and mumbled, "hey." It only made him smile. Dante reminded him more and more of himself everyday.

"How would you ladies like to take a family vacation?"

"That would be awesome." Molly hugged him once more. He kissed the top of her head.

"I think I'd like that too, Dad." Kristina added.

"Great. Go get packed."

"Where are we going, Uncle Sonny?"

"We're going to Puerto Rico…and we're taking your Mom."

Kristina stared at him with an intensity she must have inherited from him. "Forget it. I'm not going." She then stormed upstairs.