A/N: Hey Everyone! I know, It's been a while. Been super busy with work and had a little bit of writers block but I'm back now- hope you're all still interested in reading!
Please let me know what you think. I'll be posting Ch. 4 tomorrow. Enjoy. :)
Chapter 3: I Can't, I'm Busy
"I gotsta lolly… I gotsta lolly!" Danny's sing-songy voice echoed as he skipped through the halls of General hospital with his mother following behind, vigorously leafing through her purse.
"Danny, slow down." Sam sighed as she stopped, setting her purse on the nurse's station counter, "Daniel, come back here please!"
"What?" Danny turned his head in the direction of his mother, before colliding with a tall body, "Oh! Sahwee…"
"It's okay, Buddy," Patrick smiled, chuckling slightly when Danny's eyes lit up.
"Emma daddy!" He excited turned back to his mother, "'Yook, mommy! Emma daddy!"
"Hey…" Sam smiled as she pulled her keys from her bag and walked in their direction, "Sorry about that…"
"It's fine. I've had a lot worse happen to me," Patrick ruffled Danny's hair, "What do you have there?"
"A lolly!" Danny smiled, showcasing his wrapped candy, "I sabe fer layder."
"Oh, I see…" He smiled back to the little boy's mother who was standing back. "How've you been, Sam? I haven't seen you around lately."
"I'm good," She nods cordially, "I've been busy… with work… and Danny of course never stops going."
"Aunt Tissy comed home!" Danny exclaimed, stretching his neck to look up.
"Oh yeah?"
"My sister came home to surprise mom for her birthday…" Sam answered as she crossed her arms and kept her distance.
"That's great! I'm sure your mom was happy." Patrick smiled.
"She was. And really surprised. So… I mean, that's why I haven't really been around. Been doing a lot of family stuff, you know."
"Yeah… yeah. I've uh, I've missed seeing you guys around." Patrick studied her carefully as she avoided eye contact.
"I know… we have to get together. Get the kids together again…"
"Definitely." Patrick agreed with a nod before drawing a preparatory breath, "If you're not doing anything this afternoon, I'm actually ending my shift…"
"Oh… uh… no." She paused, "I mean… I have to get to work… I just had to bring Danny for his appointment…"
"Oh, okay…" Patrick was quick to understand before kneeling to Danny's level, "Emma really misses seeing you. Maybe soon we could all get together to play?"
"Yeah!" The little boy turned excitedly to his mother for affirmation, "Pway wiff Emma, momma!"
"Sure, honey. We'll figure something out." Sam smiled as she took her son's hand, "Say bye…"
"Bye Emma daddy!"
"Bye, Danny…" Casting his eyes upward, he finally made contact, "Bye Sam."
"Bye," Sam nodded, leaving Patrick to watch as they disappeared into the elevator.
"I have something I'd like you to look into," Sonny looked at the paper in his hands. "I want you to see if you can find an operation in the Manhattan area… the last name is Newman… or Moreau- M-O-R-E-A-U. Yeah. Just let me know what you can find…" A knock at the door brought him to attention as his daughter's head peeked around the door, he smiled and motioned for her to enter, "I'll give you a call tomorrow. Thanks." Hanging up the phone, he held his arms open for his daughter.
"Hi dad." Kristina smiled as they leaned back to look at one another.
"What brings you by?"
"Well… Mom and I went shopping and now we are headed to Kelly's for lunch!" She watched as Sonny looked past her.
"Your mother's here?"
"Yeah…" Kristina nodded, "Garrett called as we walked in so she's down the hall talking to him. She said she had some papers to drop off to you."
"Oh, all right." A smile crossed his face as he wrapped his arm around Kristina, "It's nice to have you home."
"It's nice to be home. I've missed everybody so much." Kristina sat down in the seat that her father guided her to, looking up to where he sat in front of her on the edge of his desk.
"You're mother's really missed you. You picked a good time to come home."
"Yeah… Is she okay?" His daughter's face was suddenly riddled with concern.
"She says that she is but I think Garrett being in New York is maybe bothering her more than she's letting on."
"She keeps saying that she trusts him… so it's fine." Kristina shook her head, "But it's not all about trust. I mean, it's okay for her to just generally be sad that he isn't around right now- you know, just to miss him. But she just keeps reassuring herself that she trusts him."
"They've been through a lot."
"I know," She concedes, "She's just not acting like herself… I talk to her and it's like she isn't even listening."
"I'm sure that's not true…"
"I know that she has a lot on her mind, but it's just not like her…" The young girl shrugs, "I guess I'm just worried."
"Well she's distracted. It's understandable. Try not to worry… your mother is a strong woman. She can take care of herself." Sonny reassures just as Alexis breezes into the office.
"Sorry about that!" She smiles as Sonny and Kristina both looked up to meet her.
"It's okay," Kristina smiled, "Dad and I were just catching up a little bit."
"Well, that's good." Her mother smiled as she held out the large folder to her father, "All six contracts are ready for you to look over. Make sure I'm present when they are signed, please."
"Sure," He nods, flipping through the folder, "Wow. Thanks… you've been busy."
"It's my job," She shrugs, before turning to Kristina, "You ready? I'm starving."
"Yeah! Me too." Kristina smiles, rising from her seat to hug her dad, "It was nice being able to drop in on my dad."
"It was nice having you, baby girl."
"See? Isn't this all just so nice?" Alexis wraps an arm around her daughter as they turn toward the door, "If you would move back home again then you could do this all of the time."
"Yes, mom. I know," She rolls her eyes before walking out the door.
"Hey, Lex," Sonny calls hastily causing her to turn around before leaving, but now was not the time, "Uh… thanks. Thanks for these."
"Sure," She nods with a smile before leaving.
"Mistuh Yuke!" Danny came bounding through the door to Kelly's that Sam held open and made a direct bee-line to his favorite restaurateur, holding up the day's prized possessions, "I gotsta lolly!"
"Hey, there! You do. That's looks like a good lollipop."
"Mmmhmm." Danny nodded as Sam made her way up to the counter to stand behind him, ruffling his hair.
"Samantha." Luke nods with a smile.
"Hi, Luke." She returns the sentiment with a half hearted smile.
"What can I get you two?"
"Fwen Fwies," Danny announced excitedly.
"We're going to wait a little bit to order." Sam smiled. "I'll just have a glass of water, please."
"Momma, I wan' fwen fwies!" Danny looked up at her curiously before looking past to see the door open, "Gwamma!"
"Hey!" Alexis smiled brightly, watching as Danny came running towards her. Scooping him into her arms and showering his face with kisses, she hugged him tightly, "My handsome boy. I didn't know you would be here!"
"I gotsta lolly!" He leaned back from her embrace and held the small treat in front of her face.
"You did! Were you a good boy at the doctor?" She watched carefully as he nodded.
"Yep!" He nodded happily, "I gotsta lolly and sawed Emma daddy!"
"Oh!" Alexis raised her brow in surprise and met eyes with her daughter, "Emma's daddy, huh?"
"Yeah. We gonna go to pway gwound." Danny exclaimed excitedly.
"I see…" Alexis nodded with a smile before kissing his cheek.
Sam watched her mother as she leaned over to set Danny on his feet and appeared to lose her balance, gripping the side of the table to stay steady. "Mom?" She studied her carefully, "You okay?"
"Hmm? Yeah…" Putting a hand to her head, she took a cleansing breath and straightened out slowly, catching Danny's concerned stare; she was quick to reassure him, "I'm fine, baby."
"Danny, honey… here" Sam handed Danny a quarter, "Go get some bubble gum, okay? But you have to save it until after lunch."
"'Kay!" The little boy smiled as he set his lollipop on the table a scurried over to the candy dispensers.
"Mom?"
"What?" Alexis could see the concern on her daughter's face.
"What the hell just happened?" Sam waited for an answer as they both took their seats at the table, "Did you eat today?"
"I… I guess not… Kristina and I rushed out to go shopping this morning." She brushed a hand through her hair and Sam noticed her trying to catch her breath.
"Well, obviously your blood sugar is low. You probably haven't eaten since your birthday, knowing you."
"Sam, come on." Alexis chuckled, "I'm okay! Please! I just need a cheeseburger."
Sam pushed her glass of ice water towards her, "Here, drink this."
"Thank you… Honey, I'm fine, really. Let's just order some lunch." Alexis sipped the water as Danny came back with his hands full of chiclets.
"Gum!" He smiled brightly holding out his cupped hands to his grandmother.
"Mmm, here let's put it on this napkin and we can save them for after lunch." After dropping his treats on the napkin, he held up his arms and Alexis happily lifted him onto her lap with a kiss to his head. "What do you want for lunch, squishy?"
"Fwen fwies!" Danny smiled as he pointed to the small picture on the menu.
"Really? You don't like French fries, do you?"
"Yes I yub fwen fwies!" Danny exclaimed happily drawing giggles from his mother and grandmother.
Sam never tired of watching her mother and her son interact. She never ceased to wonder what it would have been like if she had her mom at Danny's age. How things would have been different. She couldn't thank God enough that she had her now… and that her son had her in his life. After so many years of being on her own, at this stage- she didn't know what she would do without her mom and her family. They mean everything to her.
"Sam?" Alexis called her daughter's name for the 3rd time finally pulling her from her daydream, "What are you ordering?"
"Oh, sorry," Sam focused on the waitress standing beside the table, "I'll have the chicken sandwich."
"Sure thing. That'll be right up." The waitress smiled before collecting their menus and leaving the table.
"Where's Krissy?"
"She got a phone call, she's outside." Alexis sipped the fresh water that was placed in front of her as Danny colored on his kids menu. "So, you saw Patrick this afternoon?"
"Yeah… at the hospital after Danny's appointment."
"And?" Alexis raised a brow, bringing about a roll of her daughter's eyes.
"And what, mom?"
"Well… you two were spending some time together and now…"
"And now I've been busy!" Sam looked past her mother to see her sister enter, "Krissy's here…"
"Hey!" Kristina's face lit up when she saw her older sister and nephew at the table, "I didn't know you were here!"
"Surprise!" Sam smiled as she hugged her before taking her seat, "Danny had a doctor appointment and we came here to get some lunch."
"The only one missing is Molly!" Kristina frowned.
"She'll be disappointed that we had lunch together while she was in school…" Alexis smiled, eyeing both of her girls, "Maybe we should have dinner tonight, too!"
"Fine with me." Sam complied, "As long as you're not cooking."
"I won't cook…" Her mother rolled her eyes before noticing Sam look past her, "What?"
"Hey… long time…"
Alexis watched as Sam smiled and followed her gaze to find Patrick had made his way to their table, "Patrick, hi!"
"Hi, Alexis." He turned his gaze to the younger Davis girl, "Kristina, how are you?"
"Good, thanks…" She watched as Danny looked up swiftly, smiling to meet his favorite doctor.
"Hi, Emma daddy… again!"
"Yeah," Sam chuckled uncomfortably.
"Well, uh… I have to grab my order. It was good to see you all."
"You too!" Kristina smiled brightly as he walked away, before noticing her sister shrink three sizes, "What the heck, Sam?"
"I told him I was working…" Sam sighed as she watched him leave with his take-out.
"What?" Alexis was confused.
"He asked if Danny and I wanted to get some lunch with him and I said that I had to go back to work."
"Busted…" Kristina chuckled before sipping her water.
"Sam, is there a reason why you're avoiding him?" Her mother's concern was evident and this was not something that Sam wanted to get into.
"No!" She protested, "I just… I'm just busy. I do have work to do… and I want to spend time with you guys!"
"You didn't even know that we would be here…" Her sister reminded, prompting a stern gaze from the elder.
"Not now, Krissy…" Sam was relieved when the waitress arrived at their table with food.
"Fwen fwy!" Danny clapped as his grandmother cleaned up the crayons and the waitress set his food down. Kristina pulled a chair between her and her mother.
"There ya go, Danny… You can have your own seat!"
"No!" The little boy protested, his signature scowl crossing his face, "I sit heyah. Wiff gwamma."
"Danny, baby." Sam soothed, "Grandma needs to eat her lunch, too… where's her food going to go?"
"Wight heyah!" He pointed to the spot next to his chicken fingers and French fries.
"Honey, you're a big boy. Come on, you can sit in your own chair." Sam cajoled again, only to be met by the stern face of her son.
"It's okay," Alexis reassured before kissing her grandson's soft wavy hair, "He can sit here… we'll manage."
"Mom…" Sam sighed before turning to her sister, who was laughing at the exchange, "Every day…"
"This is what happens when you move out…" Alexis spoke matter-of-factly between bites of her French fries.
"And we start…" Sam chuckled as she embarked on her meal.
