Chapter 2 - So You Can Cry

I know there seems to be a bit of animosity between Jason and Alexis and even her thoughts toward Sonny, but she'll soften. I promise. Hope you enjoy.

Kristina Cassadine was a free spirit; a little too free sometimes, as Jason was just about to learn. Her face lit up as soon as she saw Jason on the other side of the door. "Hey there, I'm Kristina. You were here yesterday."

"Right." Jason assumed the vibrant redhead was Alexis's long-lost sister. Sonny had mentioned her in passing once. "Is Alexis around?"

"Yes." Kristina took him in, assuming from his demeanor he was an associate of Sonny's. "I am curious, though. What do you want with my sister? I mean, I'm not quite sure the two of you are friends. Particularly not since she referred to you as her worst nightmare."

As the young woman chattered incessantly; Jason remained silent. He attempted to wrap his mind around the idea that Alexis had a sister. The resemblance was clear enough, but neither Sonny nor Alexis ever mentioned that Alexis had a sister when he was in town before. The truth was he couldn't think because her nonstop babbling was giving him a headache.

"Kristina!" He heard Alexis call out from somewhere behind her. "Would you please stop interrogating, Jason?" Then more to herself, she mumbled, "he gets enough of that as it is."

"Fine. I'll just give you and your nightmare some privacy."

Alexis moved to the door, blocking Jason's entrance with her body. She frowned. Jason was just a reminder of what lay ahead: Sonny. "Are you here to hound me about talking to Sonny? Because when we spoke yesterday, I was under the distinct impression that I had a week and not 24 hours."

"I didn't come to harass you." Jason dropped his head. He hadn't meant to upset her with his visit. But when he left, he couldn't get her off of his mind. Alexis was a beautiful, capable woman and he was almost certain she could handle anything. Almost. He remembered how she shied away from holding Michael when she would visit when he was a baby. Sure, she talked to him sweetly, but she never handled him. He wondered if she was scared. "I came to see if you needed anything. You know, for the baby."

"Shh…" Alexis quickly looked over her shoulder. She relaxed when she saw Kristina was engrossed in her yoga video. She would tell Kristina about the baby, soon. She just wasn't ready, yet. "Let's go for a walk."

Alexis walked a few paces in front of Jason until they were out of earshot. Once outside and away from any windows from which Kristina could listen, she spun on her heels and faced him. There was fire in her typically warm brown eyes. "I don't know what you're trying to pull here, but –"

"Look Alexis, if you need help…I owe you: for bailing me out a hundred times in the middle of the night and for helping me fight for Michael." He crossed his arms in front of his body. "Sonny is my friend and he deserves to know about the baby, but I don't want to cause you any trouble."

Alexis began to walk once more across the grounds of the condominium complex. She stopped at an elaborate gym set. She let out a deep sigh, "I moved here because of this. I saw it and I pictured my daughter, with a head full of dark curls, laughing as I pushed her on the swings. But now, every time I close my eyes I see her surrounded by one of her dark-suited "uncles" who carry guns. I see other parents keeping their children away from her."

Jason noticed she was shaking. He moved to touch her shoulder, but she pulled away.

"I see her going to visit her dangerous father and her crazy stepmother and always feeling like an outsider. Despite all the promises I made that I would never make a child live through the same thing I went through; here I am. So, if you've got a way to help out of this then do it. If not, leave me alone." Alexis lowered herself onto the swing.

Jason sat in the swing that was next to hers. "Sonny will love your baby. And Carly --"

"Sonny is a violent, temperamental, egomaniac who has bursts of kindness and random times. And Carly…I won't let Carly within fifteen feet of my child. I swear she is the most manipulative, whiny, self-centered—"

"Alexis," he stopped her mid-sentence. "I understand they hurt you, but—"

"Why would I be hurt?" She crossed her arms in front herself. "No matter how many times Sonny told me he was over Carly or that he trusted me more than anyone, I knew the truth. He still loved his ex-wife. The truth is, I made an irresponsible choice and now I have to deal with it."

Turning his swing toward her, he said softly, "They hurt me, too."

She turned her swing toward his. "And yet, you have this unyielding devotion toward them both. How did you get past it all?"

"I hid in a boxcar. I couldn't pretend to be okay around everyone for awhile."

She smiled sadly, revealing more than she intended, too. "See, that's where we differ; I'm a master at pretending. I don't need to hide." She released a deep breath. "How long did you stay in the boxcar?"

"Until Elizabeth found me and took care of me." As she listened, the sadness in her chocolate brown eyes became almost too much for him to bear. He dropped his head. "If it were safe, I'd show it to you." There was no way he was taking a pregnant woman to the rail yards. "Having her to talk to probably saved my life."

"So, Elizabeth saved you and now you want to save me?"

"I guess." By her raised eyebrow, he could tell she was skeptical. "You've saved my butt more than once."

Alexis rose from her swing. She touched Jason's cheek. Her voice was soft, though her words were not. "Jason, I really do appreciate the offer, but leaning on one ethically-challenged mobster got me into this predicament in the first place. I don't intend to make the same mistake a second time."

Jason watched as she walked away. For the first time in the three years since they'd hurt him, he was furious with Sonny and Carly. Alexis was a decent person. She'd been good to Sonny and all of his employees and Jason was determined he would find a way to make it up to her.

Alexis walked back into her apartment. She was physically exhausted. In six days, her life would change forever. She knew Sonny would hound her about moving back to the Penthouse. She also knew he would want to impose himself in her life; meddling with everything from her nutritional needs to her work schedule. In six days, Carly would go berserk. And because of that she needed backup.

That evening over a spontaneously arranged dinner at Wyndemere, she broke the news to Kristina, Stefan and Nicholas. Kristina was thrilled, Stefan was furious and Nicholas seemed almost confused. Still, each vowed that Alexis would not go .through her pregnancy alone. And each vowed to spoil her child like none other before had been spoiled. For a moment, she felt content.

The next morning, Kristina surprised Alexis in the kitchen with a big hug. "Do you need anything? Can I make you breakfast? When are you going to tell Sonny?" Kristina got lost for a second in her own head. "A baby? This is so awesome."

Alexis felt overwhelmed. The ringing of the doorbell was suddenly a welcome surprise. She excused herself, not at all entirely sure that Kristina even heard her leave the room. On the other side of the door was Johnny, Sonny's trusted bodyguard. In his hand, he held a shoe box. She'd always been fond of Johnny, but still she wasn't thrilled to see him. "Hi Johnny, what can I do for you?"

"Nothing Miss Davis, Jason told me you left this at your Penthouse."

She suspected Jason was mistaken because she'd never owned the sensible shoe brand that was advertised on the side of the box. Still, she thanked Johnny and took the shoebox from him. Once he was gone, she opened the box to find a toy train boxcar and a simple note. "Just in case you need a place to hide."

Kristina walked out of the kitchen and saw Alexis holding the toy boxcar in her hands. "Hey, what do you have there?"

"It's a gift," Alexis smiled to herself, "from a friend." A friend she'd forgotten she had.