A/N: Note to self, weddings suck...As an entirety they suck. From the bridesmaid dress to the high heels that make your foot look like a encased
sausage to ensuring that the future bride gets all of her wishes met including hairstyles that make you look like a hooker instead of bridesmaid stuffed
uncomfortably in a dress...So I made a decision, I've decided when the time comes, I'm eloping. Vegas here I come, I don't care if Elvis (dead or alive) is officiating the ceremony,
I'm not going through that whole thing again, and yet another dress hanging in my closet that I'll never wear anywhere else...but in the end ain't love grand?

Well, at least it is for Sexis...Next chapter, thoughts please:)

Chapter 14

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Alexis pulled back as she looked at the man that she loved in this reality, this reality where she could actually conceive them building a life together. They could actually be happy if this wasn't a dream. Michael leaned forward and cradled her face in his hands as he pressed his lips to hers again insistently, "I wanted you to come over last night but I knew that you were going to be up all night helping Samantha with her thesis and to be honest, I had my own hands full with babysitting my godson Stone."

Alexis nodded as she listened processing his words, slowly when she stopped and said, "Stone? Robin's Stone?"

Michael leaned against the edge of the desk, "Yes. You remember when you and I first met we had been pleasantly surprised about all the people we knew in common and we didn't know how it was possible we hadn't met before now. Yea, Robin and Stone were going on another vacation to celebrate their ten year anniversary and I was in charge of babysitting my godchild but fortunately tonight his Grandpa Mac takes over diaper duty so I'm free if you are."

Alexis smiled as she nodded shocked to hear that Robin was still with Stone who from her talks with Sonny she drew was the young love of her life; she liked knowing that even in this reality Michael or Sonny as she would always think of him would be able to tell the truth from simple eye contact. It was one thing that she had been cursed with and was grateful for at the same time. She decided to play up her relationship with the man she could love freely in this world as she leaned forward and pressed her body into his urgently as she took the lead in the kiss this time, gently prying open his mouth with her tongue and pulling his waist into her body tightly, loving the feel of his body so close to hers. She sighed against his mouth when she felt the sign of his arousal press into her hip as she got lost in the feel of his hands.

Michael was the one who actually pulled away and for once Alexis was grateful that she didn't see the desire flickering out but rather him trying to adjust himself. He walked behind his desk and pointed to the chair in front of his desk and instructed, "Sit!"

Alexis flinched at the tone in his voice but did as she was asked. She didn't want to look in his eyes for fear of anger but when she meet his eyes they were smoldering with desire, "Alexis, we were about to have sex in the middle of my office. My hands are shaking and I've never been this close to losing control. I've always been a controlled person, never one who was quick to short bursts of temper but when I'm with you, I'm so conflicted that I want to lock the door, screw the investigation and just screw you."

Alexis flinched at his choice of words and Michael swore, "God I'm sorry Alexis. I was raised better by my mother Adele and I know she would slap my hand if she were here. I apologize for my vulgarity but even that doesn't seem to slack off this desire that I have for you. Once this case is closed tonight, I want you to introduce me to Samantha, Kristina and the rest of your family as your boyfriend and let them know that you will only be my girlfriend for a limited time. I'm looking at our engagement to be announced at the maximum in two weeks."

Alexis gasped as she watched Sonny flip through his desk calendar with ease as he nodded as if he was pleased with the date, "Two weeks should do. I will have finished all the major cases on my books, yours was definitely the high priority and now that it's wrapping up we should have time for a month long honeymoon. I want to start on our family immediately."

Alexis felt her mouth drop open but refused to speak, instead allowing him to continue ordering her life. She was a control-freak and control was being ripped out of her hands as her life was being planned for her but for once she didn't care. The man she loved was choosing her and a life with her and she had never felt better.

The door opened as Kristina flipped her phone shut and then looked between the two of them and started to stomp her foot as she looked at the guilt on their faces and misinterpreted it, "Darn it! You guys started without me, Michael I told you to wait for me to get here."

Alexis stared at Michael in question wondering how they were going to get out of this but Michael smiled at her reassuringly flashing her his dimples as he shook his head and said, "Kristina we were talking about something personal. I haven't even taken the file out of my drawer; we've been waiting on you."

Kristina sighed as she plopped in the chair and said, "Patrick wasn't calling me to offer an apology Alexis. He just wanted my help at the Nurses' Ball. Since Lucy dropped out because she and Kevin are having another baby, he needs someone with exuberance and he thinks I would be perfect, Alan talked him into asking me since we had a prior relationship."

Alexis smiled softly and said, "You'll be great Kristina. You'll always exceed at whatever you set your mind too."

Kristina stared at her in disbelief and said, "Michael, what were you two discussing? I swear ever since she woke up this morning, she's been all nostalgic, Samantha and I are starting to think she's been working too many hours at that firm."

Michael raised an eyebrow to her but Alexis blushed and looked elsewhere as he reached for the folder and started to speak, "Well Alexis you approached me recently to help you investigate the whereabouts of your biological family after you were separated at an early age. You gave me these basic facts which I just want to review before we continue and in verifying these facts I'm also assuming that I'm giving you the right info. You told me that at the age of 12 your mother was visited by a woman who went by a name that you have blocked out and that she….."

Alexis allowed the truth to fall from her lips without forethought, "Helena Cassadine killed my mother."

Michael stopped during his dissertation to look towards Kristina in question who was staring at her sister in shock as she asked, "Alexis you always told me you blocked out the events of that night. You said it was too painful and you didn't want to try therapy or hypnosis to remember, what caused the trigger?"

Alexis refused to answer the question instead reaching for a tissue as she wiped the tears that had inadvertently fallen from her eyes as the memory of her mother's murder raced through her mind and focused on his words, "Well that completes the piece of the puzzle I wasn't sure about. You told me that after this, Helena Cassadine slit your mother's throat you took your sister and ran away. You were eventually caught and put in a foster home, but due to your age they tried to split the two of you up when Kristina came up for adoption which you wouldn't allow and always staged riots to ensure that she remained under your care. You waited until you were 16 and then you took your 5 year old sister out and started to work at an office for an older gentleman who allowed you room and board while you finished school. You were able to excel in high school where you later went to community college and got your law degree. You were never really able to piece together where your origins were from but after your scare with cancer, you decided to investigate which leads me to the findings of this report. I think I've located your family. All of them."

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Sam jumped up as she looked at the pain in Jason's eyes and felt a stab of guilt in her heart. She hadn't been doing anything bad with Cruz but her heart hadn't exactly been honest to Jason either during the conversation, "Jason, what are you doing here?"

Cruz cleared his throat as he stared at the two lovers who were obviously anxious to discuss what had just occurred and he suddenly felt like a third wheel. He dropped his arms from Sam and came from beside her and said, "I'll clean up in the kitchen and be on my way."

Sam nodded even though she wasn't focused on his words only the hurt that she saw radiating out of Jason's eyes, the hurt that she knew that she had put there. She broke their eye connection as she nodded and turned around to meet Cruz's face with a grateful smile, "Thank you for everything Cruz. I hope this won't be the end of our friendship, besides I have to keep track of my sister's boyfriend don't I?" She flashed him a grin hoping it would be enough to lighten the tension in the room as she looked back at Jason who had taken a chair and was watching their interaction with interest.

Cruz smiled, thankful that the light that had been resident in Sam's eyes before Jason's arrival came back. He was grateful so much so, that he pulled her into his arms acknowledging that he was receiving threatening glares from Jason over her shoulder that he didn't care about. He pulled back and smiled, "I'll be seeing you McCall."

Sam smiled again as she watched Cruz walk up the stairs and then turned back to Jason and stated as way of explanation, "He is just leaving."

Jason crossed his arms in front of him as he pondered over her one line answer to the fact that she and Cruz had been in an embrace. He didn't understand how things between the two of them could've gone down such a horrible track, "So I can see. Tell me Sam, what happened between the two of you?"

Sam sat on the edge of the couch as she looked at him in question not liking the tone in his voice. She had been the one to call an end to her relationship with Jason and even if she still loved the man it didn't give him the right to look at her like he was condescending down to her, "What do you mean by that? At the time, I wanted an ally to help convince Sonny that his marriage to my mother is a mistake and Cruz has always supported my mother and cared about her and my sisters so I thought he would be a good candidate."

Jason stood up and ran his arms over the back of the chair before gripping the top and looking at her pained, "And why couldn't you ask me to help you? Sam, you know I would do anything for you."

Sam snorted in disbelief at his statement and then covered her mouth in shock. She knew that her noise would be viewed as hurtful to Jason but it was the first thing that came to her mind after his last statement, "Maybe because you helped Carly keep Sonny and Alexis away before means that your priorities are just a little screwy. If there's a choice between Sonny and my mother, you will be loyal to Sonny and not my mother and that's what Cruz was willing to do."

Jason flinched at the sure tone in her voice that he wouldn't support her, "I would've been loyal to you Sam, loyal to you. If you wanted my help with Sonny, I would've helped you out of loyalty and love to you. Only you."

Sam closed her eyes as she felt the pain in his voice make the tears well in her eyes and said, "You love Carly the same way though Jason, you always have. She asked you to do this before and you didn't hesitate and maybe just maybe, I didn't want to be reminded of that fact okay. My mother has lost so much at the hands of Carly, Sonny and you that I didn't want her to lose something else and that was me breaking my promise to her."

Jason sat down again as he heard her justification and realized that even on some level there was some truth to it even though he couldn't help but point out, "We are the only ones to blame for your mother's pain? Really Sam? Alexis could've just as easily told Sonny the truth about Kristina and spared herself some of this pain."

Sam felt the anger rise in her as her mother's words filtered over her consciousness, her mother's truth the one that she hadn't even bothered to listen too before judging her. As she heard the pain and isolation in her mother's voice she let the anger take place of the sadness as she spat out, "Oh yea Jason when? When would that be exactly? When Carly was coming down the stairs in Sonny's shirt, the same shirt my mother had worn only weeks before after she made love to her soulmate? Or maybe when Bobbie threw a homecoming party for Alexis and Carly pushed her and almost caused her to lose my sister, Kristina? Or better yet, once Carly had changed Sonny so much and not for the better that he sent men, you especially to beat up Zander, a child that my mother loved like her own, a child that she had imagined that Sonny cared about too? When during all of this time could my Mom have gone up to Sonny and told him the truth?"

Cruz came charging down the stairs at the sound of the loud voices. He had packed up the last of his stuff and was headed downstairs when he heard the rising tones and became concerned. He closed the door to Molly's room first before coming down the stairs to see what was going on. He had been under the impression that he was going to have to interrupt a passionate reunion to make a hasty exit out of the house but when he heard voices starting to raise he knew that he better get downstairs and referee, "Hey you guys. Molly is still trying to sleep so if you are going to continue this fight, I suggest you take it elsewhere."

Jason scowled as he jumped up enraged that his hopes of some alone time with his girlfriend had been ruined by a bitter fight as he walked out of the room but not before shooting over his shoulder, "Don't worry I'm leaving."

Cruz waited for Sam to jump up and follow him pleading for forgiveness but she didn't which shocked him. What she did do was look down and refuse to meet Jason's eyes as he left, she instead turned to Cruz with a simple acknowledgement of his words. Her main priority had to be taking care of her sisters and it didn't do anyone any good that she was fighting with Jason within earshot of Kristina or Molly even if she was just a baby. She smiled even as she felt the tears ready to start anew as she turned to Cruz and said, "Thank you. I'll go check on her and Cruz thank you again for everything." She ran up the stairs eager to complete her mission, she was going to check on her sister, Molly, and then she was going to her room, alone to ponder over what the fight with Jason really meant.

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Sonny sighed to himself as he reviewed the plans that Alexis had for the clinic that was to be setup in remembrance of her granddaughter and Lila Quartermaine. Everything already appeared to be in order, she had handled all of the legal aspects of the clinic ensuring that all of the proper permits had been obtained; his next goal was to get it completed, even though his heart was telling him that he needed to wait for Alexis to have the ribbon cutting ceremony. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice that Jason had entered the room disgusted and plopped down in the chair in front of him.

His conversation with Lainey about forgiveness made him realize that even though Jason had been wrong so had he and he didn't have the right to hold a five-year grudge against the man he loved like a brother. A brother that he needed to care for and Sam's conversation about getting of the mob was currently pounding on his head. Should he get out of the mob? Would it make his life easier? He knew it would make Alexis respect him even more and that was currently the reason he stopped for every decision he made.

He looked at the look of frustration resident on his friend's face and asked, "What's up Jason?"

Jason slumped down further into the chair and said, "Sam just chewed me out for the pain Alexis went through at all of our hands. She didn't even want to listen to reason and her only concern was protecting her mother and not what that doing could do to our relationship. What do you think about that?"

Sonny leaned back and nodded as he pondered over the last statement she had uttered his way, "Sam wants me out of the mob and Lainey asked me if I had ever thought about getting out."

Jason paused in his own sulking and looked at him, "Have you? I mean seriously thought about taking the steps to get out of the mob. It would mean a completely different lifestyle for you."

Sonny looked at him and knew that he couldn't lie to the man in front of him, his brother Jason so he said, "A lifestyle where the woman I love is not cowering in fear that something is going to happen to her or our children because of my business dealings. After everything she's been through, Ric, Sam and the cancer I want her to have this, it gives her a peace of mind and to tell you the truth, it gives me one as well."

Jason sighed as he leaned forward and looked at his friend trying to decide how serious he was about going out of the business and asked, "Okay you want her to have peace of mind and I respect that but what will you do Sonny? What will be your living for the rest of your life? Will you make yourself content to just be by Alexis's side and not have anything to do with this life anymore? This life that you created from the ground up out of nothing when you had nothing and considered yourself nothing? I want out just as badly as you do but have we ever stopped to think about the consequences?"

Sonny closed the manila folder in front of him and pondered over whether he was right or not to let Jason in on Alexis's plan. He debated and then finally decided that he needed to know how much Alexis really loved Sam; he slid the folder across to him and instructed, "Read that."

Jason looked at Sonny in confusion but opened up the folder and started to get choked up as he reviewed the contents, "Alexis has been creating a memorial for Sam's daughter? Sam doesn't know about it, I'm sure but Sonny this is, this is amazing. This is wonderful."

Sonny nodded as Jason closed the folder and slid it back across to him and said, "This is Alexis. Amazing, stubborn, beautiful, and so very worthy of having everything I own left at her feet if she so chooses. If she was able to look past everything I did, Sam did and see the good in people why can't I?"

Jason cleared his throat as he tried to rationalize with his friend, "This proves that Alexis has a big heart. She also has the ability to forgive and she can move on, but even if she married you do you think she wants a life with you? Sam believes that Alexis was preparing for her death and not her life, if she was preparing for her life she wouldn't have chosen you. What if you make all these sacrifices and she dies or worse yet, what if you make these sacrifices and she wakes up and doesn't even want you?"

Dude, so next chapter we delve back into the drama/angst and it holds for about 3-4 more chapters while I figure
out how to pull my girl out of this and reunite her with her man!