Chapter 14

Sonny paced the length of his bedroom for a good 20 minutes before giving up and deciding to check on the kids. It had taken the better part of an hour to calm Sam down. Finally she and Alexis had walked back to her room. Sonny wanted to talk to Alexis…her response frightened him. He was counting on her faith in the legal system, in the adoption, in her own ground work, instead she had panicked. He tried to tell himself she was reacting as a mother rather than an attorney, but he knew those two roles were almost inseparable to her, they made her who she was.

Sonny peaked in on his first born. She was curled up with Lamby. Her brown hair fanned out across her pillow. Kristina was their 3rd child, their 2nd girl, but she was Sonny's first in so many ways. The first he loved before she was born, before he knew her name, or even if she was a she. She looked just like her mother and sister, but Sonny saw someone else in her at times. Kristina laughed like his mother and had the sparkle that had once lived in Adela's eyes. He held that sparkle sacred and would be damned if he ever let anyone diminish it.

Across the hall Sonny looked in at his clone. That's what Sam called Morgan, his Mini-Me. He slept in his racecar bed, his thumb firmly in his mouth. He wondered how Morgan would react to losing his role as the youngest Corinthos. Sonny accused Alexis of babying him, but the truth was, they all did. Michael was pretty much the only one that didn't, and that was because Morgan was always following him and driving him crazy. Michael was good with him though…protective. He remembered coming home from the hospital and telling Michael and Sam that Mom had a boy.

"Finally!"

"Finally?" Sonny repeated holding Kristina in his arms.

"I've been waiting my whole life for a brother." Not quite six year old Michael sighed dramatically as he collapsed on the couch.

Sonny laughed at the imaged. He gently pushed open Michael's door, this time he walked over and sat, his soft laughter threatening to turn to sobs. His boy. He owed him so much…they would have never been a family without Michael. There would be no Kristina, no Morgan…Alexis would be his attorney, and Sam little more than an acquaintance. Michael shifted in his sleep, revealing his Gully. Sonny smiled again.

"He won't stop crying…I don't know what to do Alexis?"

"Did you change him?" Sonny nodded.

"Give him a bottle?"

"Of course."

"Does he have a fever?"

"God, no…Alexis you've done this before…why aren't you better at it?" Sonny snapped.

Alexis lifted the baby to her. She bounced him gently and smiled at Sonny. "Are you kidding, I was horrible with Sam…I had no idea what I was doing…it amazes me she's made it this long. Pure survival skills…"

"I don't believe you." Sonny teased, Michael was still fussing but seemed calmer in Alexis' embrace.

"Mama?" A sleepy eyed Sam appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Samantha, why aren't you asleep?"

"It's too loud." She slumped down a few steps, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "What's a matter Mikey…Oh!" Sam's eyes brightened, she turned and ran to her room. A minute later she was rushing down the stairs with a yellow blanket in her hand. "You want your Gully don't you?"

Sonny stared open mouthed as Michael took the blanket and nuzzled it. He was asleep within minutes.

"Sam why did you have Michael's blanket?"

"He left it here when Sonny came and picked him up, I found it behind the couch…Sorry Sonny, I was going to take it back over after dinner, but I forgot."

"That's ok…what did you call it?"

"His Gully." Sam said simply, she yawned. "That's what Michael calls it."

She was right. Sonny had realized almost immediately that whenever Michael would hug his blanket he would babble something like "gullygullygully".

"Hey Dad. What's up?" Michael asked, one eye half open.

"Hey Buddy…not much, I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"You weren't gone that long…I'm okay though…"

"Okay, sorry to disturb you, go back to sleep."

"'K."

"I love you Michael." He said as lightly as he could.

"Right back at ya Dad." Michael mumbled before falling back asleep.

Sonny completed the circuit at Sam's room. As he suspected both Sam and her mother were asleep on her bed, Sam's head resting on Alexis' shoulder. Both faces etched with fear. Those Davis women loved fiercely, nothing mattered to them like family. Sonny hadn't told Alexis everything…he would…he probably would have told her tonight if they hadn't discovered Sam.

Helena's inquiries weren't just about Michael's natural father. Sonny had every reason to believe she was looking for Sam's as well. Sonny had never pushed Alexis about that. When he asked to adopt Sam, she was reluctant…but eventually allowed it. He wasn't sure what scared him more. Possibly losing Michael to his father…or losing Alexis to her first love. If there was one thing he knew about Alexis, it was that she had been in love once before. He knew it because when he fell in love with her, her heart was shattered into too many pieces to trust it or reciprocate it.

This was his family dammit. He'd fought for everything all his life…he would fight for this, for them, and God help any fool who stood in his way.