Chapter 10

Ric's body was rolled into the autopsy room of General Hospital. Jason caught up to the attending medic and got one last look at Ric before the sheet was draped over his head.

"What's next?" Jason asked the medic before he closed the room.

"Figure out cause of death." The medic removed his gloves and tossed them into the closest trash bin before leaving Jason alone outside the autopsy room.

Monica rounded the corner. "Jason, what happened to him?"

"I went to see Luke and instead found Ric dead in Luke's chair."

"Where is Luke?"

Jason shook his head. "I don't want to think the worse. Luke was in a bad place which is why I went over there. But you know Luke…he comes and goes. I don't see him having any kind of beef with Ric."

"I was going to head to Sam's baby shower, but I got the call. I'm guessing no one there has been informed?"

Jason crossed his arms and took a look at Ric's sheet-covered body through the glass. He wished it was all just a bad dream. "I told Sonny and he didn't really respond. But Alexis has Molly and Kristina to deal with. How do you explain death to a child?"

"Those are odd questions coming from you, Jason. But I remember when your mother was killed."

"I guess when you become a parent, you find yourself having to answer those questions. When someone stole Alexis' necklace from the penthouse, Spencer knew something was wrong. So lately I've had to explain to him how someone came into our home and took something that meant something to us. I don't think I ever apologized for what I helped do to AJ. I let people including myself come into your home and take someone that belonged to AJ."

"AJ wasn't perfect. And I don't believe that human beings belong to anyone."

"And neither was Sonny. Neither was I. You're right. Michael didn't belong to anyone but we sure treated him that way. I'd like to prevent that from happening with Spencer, but I said the same thing about Michael."

"I see he's going to therapy. I hope it's working out for him."

When Sonny arrived at the Greystone, he got out of his limo and spotted Sam out front admiring a tiny motorcycle. He wanted to be happy for Sam and Jason, but seeing Sam almost due to give birth took him back to losing Baby Lila and Ric's presence in the midst of the confusion. It was a nightmare of a day for him. He felt like a bystander in his own life for both Baby Lila, the child he'd never know, and Kristina, the little girl he had just barely gotten to know. As he watched Sam stop examining the bike to greet him, he remembered Ric and the anger he felt towards his brother for taking his place in both Alexis and Kristina's life.

"Do you see what Kelly and Epiphany got the baby?" Sam pointed behind her noticing something was off about Sonny. Since he and Jason "fell out", Sam tried to maintain the peace. She liked Sonny and felt bad for his increased loneliness. If there was a scorecard in Sonny vs. Jason, Sonny was close to playing on a team of one.

Sonny touched the shiny paint of the toy motorcycle. He wanted to believe there were memories of his brother etched somewhere, but he couldn't recall any at the time. "I need to practice forgiveness."

"I kind of figured something was bothering you." Sam took Sonny's hand. "Everyone is gone. It's just me and Kristina."

"Ric is dead." Sonny looked at Sam not sure how she'd react. As minor as it was, Sam had a connection to Ric even if it was straddling each other on Alexis' lake house living room floor. Their relationship was contentious at best, but it was a relationship nevertheless.

"How?" Sam asked.

"His body is at GH for an autopsy. Jason found him at the Haunted Star."

Sam touched her stomach.

"You ok?" Sonny asked.

"I haven't felt great all day really."

They went into the house together where Sam took a seat hoping it was just a moment of shock rolling through her belly. Sonny poked around at the debris of gifts strewn around his living room. He picked up the Faberge egg stowed away in its gift box.

"That's a Cassadine heirloom given to me by Lulu via Nikolas. He gave it to her when she was a baby. When Lulu tells me the story of Nikolas donating his bone marrow to her, it gives me hope for the living and then someone dies."

Sonny vigilantly coveted the sparking egg in his hand. "Ric and I don't have any family traditions that I can share with Molly. It's always been a competition with us. I choke on my words to say anything nice to her about my brother."

"Well Ric and I were hot and cold. When were both alone in our misery, we loved the company. He used to like to insinuate that I was a slut as if he had room to judge. We got over that eventually. I do think he got to a point in his life where he didn't compete with you."

Sonny sat down and raised his brow at Sam. "Really? He was Alcazar's attorney. He worked for the Zacharra's…"

"But Ric knew the Alcazars even before he gave a crap about Sonny Corinthos and some sinister plan to one up you. Even I came to town with not the best intentions, but people change. Just admit you were cut from the same cloth. Maybe you two were just so much alike that it seemed like you were different."

As much as Alexis enjoyed spending her time with each one of her children, business as usual was never far from her grasp. Like her father, the wheels of retribution never stopped turning. After settling Mikkos and Molly in at Wyndemere, she hurried to General Hospital to achieve at least two things, berate her brother and hope to catch a glimpse of the man of the hour—Franco. It became her obsession to once and for all put Franco in his place. Knowing he was lying in a hospital bed, chained and bound, she felt a sense of control she'd never felt before.

As Alexis stepped off the elevator in search of Stefan, she found him congregated with Nikolas and Patrick in front of the nurses' station.

"Stefan, stay out of my personal affairs." Alexis grabbed Stefan by the arm to force him to pay her attention.

"What is this about?" Stefan asked.

"You hired Dr. Collins to implant his mind control and I won't allow it."

Patrick grew uncomfortable. "This is a family matter. We can discuss the Franco issue later." He walked away.

Stefan pulled Alexis aside. "We must talk."

Alexis jerked her arm away from him. "You've been gone for a very long time. Too long to understand that I don't need to lie on a couch and talk about my feelings."

"Alexis, Ric is dead." Stefan didn't mince his words.

Nikolas leaned on the desk not wanting to even look her way.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Alexis looked to Nikolas for a less frigid brokering of the news.

"I can take you to his body if you wish." Stefan was reminded in his tone that sometimes he couldn't color gray and his ability to humble himself to Alexis was stunted. They either battled vying for their dead father's distant affections or suffered the self-filling prophesy of longing for one another in a way that would make an outsider squirm.

Nikolas cringed at insensitive gesture. He was the perfect combination of emotionally detached Stefan and warm, passionate Alexis. And in his dreams, cold and calculating Stavros crept in leaving him wondering who he really was when he woke up in the morning. He went to Alexis and wrapped his arms around her wanting to cry for her and for the setback that Ric's death would cause her already scattered disposition.

Alexis couldn't cry. It was unreal to her. She held tight to Nikolas wondering if it was possible that Ric could be dead. Her presumed deceased brother was standing before her eyes. In her world, anything was possible and she wasn't willing to believe it.

She had gotten used to life without Ric and moved on to the next one. But Ric managed to color her world ever so often. They were slowly working their way back to friendship and he even became a bit of a prankster. But she also remembered the times where Ric made her feel utterly inadequate as a mother, as a wife, and even as an attorney.

She pulled from Nikolas and kissed his cheek still not sure of what to say. "How? Do we know how?"

Stefan warmed up a bit. "He was found dead at the Haunted Star by Jason and Ethan."

A wave of bewilderment went through Alexis' body. It was real. "Dear God. Kristina was just there yesterday. What if she had been there today? What about Luke?"

"Not to be insensitive, but we can't worry about Luke right now." Nikolas said.

Stefan rested his hand on the small of her back. "I have to agree with Nikolas. The goal needs to be finding Ric's killer."

Sam tried to busy herself by organizing everything before heading home. Kristina went downstairs just as Sam sat down again still exasperated by the combination of Ric's lost and the feeling that maybe it was time at a bad time.

"You ok?" Kristina asked.

Sam slipped down to the ground and tried to fake okay. "Yea. I just don't feel well. Bad news."

"Bad news you don't feel well?"

"No. There's bad news." She took a deep breath. "I just think I'm a little stressed and overheated."

Kristina rushed over to Sonny's bar and poured Sam a glass of water. "Should I call 911?"

Sam took a sip of water. "Ric was killed."

Kristina kneeled down to Sam. "Killed how?"

"I don't have the answers." Sam took a couple deep breaths hating she even breeched the conversation.

The front door slammed and Lorenzo walked in. Sam and Kristina both were jarred with Sam especially on edge knowing the possibly of a killer being on the loose.

"There were no guards on the door." He said. "I came by hoping to find Alexis."

Kristina stood up. "I thought you were in jail? My dad went to Wyndemere with Max and Milo, but I got them on speed dial."

Lorenzo was humored by Kristina's tenacity. "I'm out on bail. I still have to face a judge during my next court date so don't worry your pretty little head. I'm sure I'll be fitted for the orange jumpsuit soon at your pleasure." He looked over Kristina's shoulder and noticed Sam resting her head on the edge of the chair. "Is she alright?"

Kristina dropped back down to Sam. "I think we should call 911."

Sam was alert again. "No. I just feel overwhelmed right now."

"Sam, any level of stress is not good. You should call 911 Kristina."

Kristina complied and quickly went to Sonny's desk to call. Lorenzo sat down on the floor next to Sam.

"Are you proud of me?" He asked. "I suggested we call 911 this time."

Sam forced a smile. "You eventually learn." She rested her head on Lorenzo's shoulder. "It's just a precaution."

"Yes. You and the baby will be ok." He did his best to reassure her.

Kristina hung up the phone. "The ambulance is on its way."

"Do you know about Ric?' Lorenzo asked Kristina.

"Sam just told me. Do you know what happened?"

"I don't wish to scare you any more than I already have."

Sam perked up. "Krissy, just in case, don't forget the blanket."

Kristina leaped up from the chair and searched for the pink cashmere blanket. Lorenzo recognized it as she pulled it from the box.

"That used to be Lila Rae's. May I?" He asked.

Kristina handed him the blanket. "Yeap. It's the same one. Back when you had a heart. If you ever had one."

"Krissy." Sam muttered as she drifted off on Lorenzo's shoulder.

Wyndemere was already a dark place and no amount of candles and lamps could lighten the rooms. When Alexis arrived back in halls in her family's dungeon home she tried to pick a room to settle in that wouldn't temper her already solemn mood. She couldn't face Molly-a precocious child that would know Alexis' frame of mind without words needing to be said.

She chose the Great room. It was supposedly the center of Wyndemere with its majestic paintings that graced the high-ceiling walls of none other then her Queen Helena-young, blonde, blue-eyed with forever the sparkle in her ear and around her neck. The largest painting in particular; the dress Helena wore was lined in rare diamonds so bright that they accentuated the painting like spotlights. Alexis longed to destroy the paintings in a fit of therapeutic rage, but knew doing so would send a message to Helena conjuring up demons she didn't wish to battle.

Sonny had the same idea of hoping to find solace in the darkness. Alexis picked up a lit candelabrum from the hall and opened the doors to Helena's room of self-worship. She found Sonny helping himself to vials of vodka.

"Be careful." Alexis placed the candelabrum on the table. "Those might be poisonous."

The warning didn't stop Sonny. He took another double shot and dropped the glass to the ground to a shatter. "I hate it when I don't feel anything. My mother would be ashamed of me right now."

"I don't feel anything for Starvos. You're not the only one fighting the disconnect gene."

"Ric wasn't Stavros."

Alexis seemed surprised. "You made peace with your brother's villainous side."

"I have it too." Sonny picked up another shot glass of vodka, sucked it back, and dropped the glass to the ground.

"Ms. Landsbury will not be thrilled with me in the morning if you keep doing that."

"Remember I taught you how to break things?" Sonny took off his jacket and tossed it onto a chair.

"I was capable of tantrums before you taught them to me. Thank you very much."

Sonny pointed at Alexis. "You're doing that thing that I hate. That polite thing you do when I know you want to..." He looked around. "…you know soil that painting of... who the hell is that anyway?" He pointed to the painting and squinted.

"It's Helena." Alexis was as stiff as a schoolgirl on her first day in a room full of strangers.

"Damn. She was hot." Sonny lifted his shot glass to Alexis. "You gonna let me drink alone?"

"Only to wake up in the morning to Ric still dead and a nasty hangover. No thank you." Alexis walked away from Sonny and was lured to the painting. "I feel like this woman is responsible somehow. Ric was supposed to meet Nikolas, Lorenzo, and me in Greece. He was supposed to be on that plane to Port Charles. We couldn't reach him. It's not like him to not respond to calls. Why didn't I guess that something was wrong then?"

"No amount of going back over the day is going to bring him back."

Alexis turned to Sonny. She realized the man standing in front of her was as subtle and as frustrating as he could be. She had internalized her hurt of his inability to say that he loved her and came to grips with the reality that it just wasn't something that he did. Showing up on her dark doorstep like a lovesick puppy was the Sonny Corinthos way. It was as understated as him waiting by her door of Penthouse Two for her to come home so he could help her open her broken lock. She never fixed it because she wanted him to be there just waiting for her.