Hi all. This is the last chapter of this series. I hope you enjoy. As always replies are appreciated.
New Beginnings
Sonny spied Alexis across the crowded Kelly's dining room. She'd run from him, emotionally, not physically, after Jason and Sam interrupted them in the courtroom. Part of Alexis's reluctance to speak about what happened was probably based on Sam's refusal to now leave her side. Based on their own sordid past, he was certain he could add Samantha to the list of people who wouldn't want to see him and Alexis together. During the limo ride over, he felt Sam's eyes burrowing into his forehead. The similarity between mother and daughter was so evident to him sometimes; and yet, there was a part of him that kicked himself daily for not noticing it immediately.
His mind wandered to the courtroom where he'd kissed Alexis, leaned her back on counsel table and gone so far as to have her half-way out of her shirt before…
Jason interrupted his thoughts. "It might be easier to go talk to Alexis."
He frowned at Jason as he thought it might be easier if Jason quit interrupting his moments with Alexis, including the imaginary ones. Still, he knew Jason hadn't been a purposeful irritant, so he simply sighed and said, "I don't want to scare her off."
"From what I saw in the courtroom, Alexis doesn't scare easily. She's tough. Besides she's still here after Sam and I caught you and Alexis with her shirt off."
"Yeah, speaking of that, I saw you checking her out. That can't happen again, Jase."
Jason ruffled his brow in an attempt to look confused. The truth was, he had noticed that Alexis still had a penchant for wearing sexy lingerie as she had in the poster that circulated so many years ago. Still, he would rather not mention to either Sonny or Sam that he'd caught an eyeful. Admittedly though, he was now very grateful that he and Sam had reunited and that genetics played a large part in aging.
Carly interrupted what was quickly becoming an awkward moment between Sonny and Jason. "Congratulations." She engulfed Sonny in a hug before retreating, as always to Jason's side. "I'm so glad we can put all of this behind us."
"Yeah, me too." Sonny looked beyond Carly toward Alexis and the dining room.
Sonny's distance was not lost on Carly. "Why are you so distracted?" She followed his eyes to Alexis who was now talking with Robin and Diane. "Oh no…you've gotta be kidding me. Sonny! Of all the women in this town you want to be with Alexis?"
He avoided Carly's now piercing gaze. "The two of you get along now."
Carly pushed her hands on to her hips. "We barely tolerate each other."
"Kind of like me and Candyboy…guess the shoe's on the other foot now."
"Ha, ha," Carly snarked. "Alexis just saved your butt. You know what you're feeling has more to do with gratitude than anything else."
"Leave it alone, Carly." Jason deadpanned. Sonny was finally ready to admit that he wanted Alexis. Anyone who looked carefully enough at either of them could see there was always something between them, bubbling beneath the surface.
"Fine." Carly looked near the jukebox where she saw Alexis now talking to Jax. Alexis's close relationship with Jax still secretly irked her, particularly now that she and Jax were struggling to get along. "Care to dance?"
"Sure. Right after I dance with my lawyer."
In the corner of the dining room, about a foot from the jukebox, Alexis listened dutifully to her friend. She sighed as Jax continued to ramble about how Sonny was a bad influence on Michael and Morgan. "Didn't we already have this talk?"
"No, we talked about how you should be careful now that Corinthos has designs on you. Now we're talking about how he's jeopardizing my stepsons' futures." Alexis narrowed her eyes at him, which caused him to laugh.
She crossed her arms protectively in front of her body. "Besides if it makes you feel any better, Sam already gave me the "beware of Sonny and his intentions" speech…so, we're good."
"Then why is he walking over here?"
"Because maybe he knows this time, I'm only listening to my heart."
Sonny walked past them both the jukebox where he carefully selected the song assigned to C2. Then he moved to where Jax and Alexis stood and he obviously ignored Jax. "Hey," his voice graveled, his attention directed solely at Alexis.
"Hey yourself." She smiled at him shyly.
"Care to dance?"
Alexis tilted her head then exposed a dimple. "Why not, it's what we do best."
He couldn't help laughing; and yet, the laughter disappeared the second he took her hand. He kissed the back of it before he brought it to his cheek. They stood on the small square of the dance floor in front of the jukebox like a couple of teenagers. The music began to play as she brought her head to his shoulder. He whispered in her ear, "They're playing your song."
Halo (by Beyonce and Ryan Tedder)
Remember those walls I built
Well baby they're tumbling down
And they didn't even put up a fight
They didn't even make a sound
I found a way to let you in
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now
It's like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breaking
It's the risk that I'm taking
I ain't never gonna shut you out
Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby, I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace
You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby, I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away.
I can feel your halo
I can see your halo
Alexis was the first to speak, "So, I guess we should talk about what happened at the courthouse today."
"Yeah, I got a second chance." He deepened his dimples as he peered into her eyes.
"I wasn't talking about the trial."
A chuckle escaped him, "Neither was I."
She socked his arm. "You are so arrogant."
"You like me that way." He pulled her more tightly into his arms and once more she rested her head on his shoulder. After a minute or so, he whispered, "You do like me don't you?"
It was a conversation that took her back to the morning after Kristina was conceived; so, she answered the same way she had that morning. "I tolerate you."
He couldn't stop laughing. For the first time since he was a teen, his life felt like it held endless possibilities. "So, are we really going to do this…you know, us?"
"As long as we take things slowly." For a moment, their eyes connected them. "Can you do slow, Corinthos?"
"Better than a snail." He twirled her before pulling her back into his arms and back into their shared trance.
Sam had seen just about enough. Since she'd been in town, Sonny had gone through women like she'd gone through shoes. It didn't help that she was one of those women. And though she knew it was totally hypocritical after all the lectures she'd given her mother about letting her live her own life, she intended to put a stop to what seemed to be an increasingly romantic dance. After taking one step forward, she felt a strong grasp on her arm.
Jason pulled her into his own embrace. "Leave them alone. Trust me when I tell you that Sonny and Alexis have had enough interruptions to last them a lifetime."
Sam watched her mother and Sonny dance and they were clearly oblivious to the rest of the world. Alexis looked calm and contented and Sonny was actually laughing. "Okay Jason, you win. No more interruptions…tonight."
