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Alexis the Surrogate

Chapter 21

Sam asked Alexis to meet her at the lake house. When Alexis got there, she remembered that she missed her former home. There were no guards. And everything was serene. She didn't think she would be ok with moving away from Penthouse #2 and no longer just across the hall from Penthouse #4, but there was a breath of independence in her move to the lake house.

When Sam walked in she felt as if she was invading in on her mother's quiet moment. She found Alexis lying on the couch and lost in her latest baby book.

"Do you ever get tired of reading those stupid books?" Sam asked.

Alexis didn't flinch. "I read them so I can disagree with them." She closed the book mid-air. "Why did you want me to meet you here?"

"I love Diane, but she likes to interrupt and there are too many ears at Sonny's place."

"This sounds serious."

"Not really. I just want to be able to make decisions for myself that might not be ideal, but it's what I want to do. Make sense?"

Alexis rested her head on her arm. "Uh. I was kind of thinking of that concept myself. Like I miss this place as unsafe as it may be, but I love living with Sonny and being waited on hand and foot, but I feel like I'm in a bubble sometimes."

"Exactly." Sam said. "I love Jason, but he's too concerned."

Alexis sat up and grabbed Sam's hand. "Are you joking? You were almost my deaf daughter. Molly wanted to invest in a seeing-eye dog after we almost lost you. His feelings are valid. I'm an attorney. There's something else going on here. I can sense you're lying to me."

"I need to go to California for a case and I know Jason is going to fight me on it. So I'm not going to tell him where I'm going."

"Bad idea. I can't be an accessory to that type of reckless behavior."

Sam jumped up. "Really? Are you all forgetting who I was when I first came here? I wasn't afraid of anything or anyone…"

"But you're about to be a mother. Everything changes Love."

Sam wiped away a tear. "I'm trying to be connected to this whole thing and I'm just not there yet. Call it pre-post-partum. I don't know what to call it, but I'm just not there."

Jason waited patiently for Spinelli to arrive back at the docks after his trip to Wyndemere. Spinelli saw Jason and tried to keep his head down hoping to elude Jason's eyesight. Jason threw his hand up to wave.

"Stone Cold!" Spinelli caught the wave and knew he was doomed. He rushed over to Jason. "I just spent an amazing time with The Princely One. Would you be opposed to me restoring the security systems at Wyndemere?"

"Will it take up your time from Sam? I can't have her taking too much on."

Spinelli shook his head. "Oh no. Of course."

"You kind of abandoned her when you started writing that stupid book."

Spinelli laughed. 'Uh. It's called The…"

"Secret Life of Damien Spinelli. I'm aware of the title." Jason took a deep breath. "Was Sam at Wyndemere as well?"

"She was. But she left to meet The Goddess Mother. Did Fair Samantha alert you that she and I will be venturing on a trip?"

Jason slowly shook his head trying to recall. "No. I don't think so."

Sam rushed down the stairs in a huff of fury. She stopped at the sight of Jason and Spinelli.

"Did you just come back from Wyndemere?" Sam asked Spinelli.

Spinelli wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Yes Fair Samantha. The Princely One is all set and ready to go over the proposal for the new security system. Our trip should be a success. I am off to pack." Spinelli raced away from the tension-filled space between Sam and Jason.

"Where are you headed?" Jason asked.

"So I got this call that a politician in California is possibly cheating on his wife and they called us to investigate. I can't pass this up."

"You should stay here. Send Spinelli. You can deal with him remotely." Jason knew there was a possibility he overstepped.

"Look I know Franco is running around somewhere and Helena is a pain in the ass, but I can't take you telling me what to do."

"Now you're sounding like Brenda." He blurted out.

Sam was taken aback. "Did you just compare me to Brenda?"

"You're doing that thing where you're refusing protection when you need it the most. And running over to Wyndemere is running into the snake pit. Helena could show up at anytime. We talked about Courtney dying and leaving behind her son. Your family can't bear to lose you too."

"I'm useless to you. I can't even carry your child so I don't think it matters that much. This job is giving me purpose and I'm going on this trip with or without your support.

"I don't think it's possible that I can piss off all three of my children today is it?" Alexis asked Sonny as he closed Romeo and Juliet and repositioned a passed out Molly in her bed.

"If you wake this one up, you might succeed." Sonny handed the book to Alexis. "I hate this story by the way."

"Molly used to hate it when I'd read to her. She wanted always to do it herself."

They both left Molly's room and made their way down the stairs.

"Rough day?" Sonny asked.

"My daughters are very independent. But you have brought something out of them. It's this vulnerability. Molly wants a story from you every night. Kristina wants you to cook her dinner instead of her running to that grease pit at school. And even Sam seems more tame and at peace when she's here for Sunday brunch."

Sonny flashed his dimples. "Who knew I was capable of world peace."

"I wouldn't take it that far. Sam is mad at me because I told her that Jason only wants to keep her safe. She's had way too many close calls. Don't you think?"

"Jason's not usually overbearing. He likes to give a big enough cage so the bird can fly around."

"What are you a poet now?"

Sonny laughed. "There's something else going on."

"Her behavior is very erratic."

"Jason said she's been going to Wyndemere a lot."

Alexis threw up her hands. "Great! Helena's got her under mind control. Protect your queen, Lucky."

"I don't think it's that deep. But you might need to lean on Nik to find out what's going on. There's no way he's selling Sam out to Jason."

Lorenzo handed Franco a drink.

"Thank you Brother." Franco said with a cheers clinch of Lorenzo's glass.

Lorenzo observed Franco enjoying his drink. "You clean up nicely."

Franco smoothed out his crisp buttoned shirt and slacks. "We can't break bread with me looking unworthy to cook your meal."

"I didn't invite you to stay. One drink is all. And then you need to leave."

"Ok Mate. I can take a hotel nearby."

"It's just that…I can't be seen or associated with you. Maybe we'll do business or maybe we won't. Either way, no one can know our connection."

Franco stood up and held up his drink glass. "Understood. But let's be honest. You're hoping all goes well with Sam. Because if she sees me, it's all going to go to hell. I get it."

Lorenzo flashed a nervous smile. "You couldn't be more wrong. Helena will deliver the paternity results. Either way, I can't be a father to Sam. It just won't work."

"Not as long as she's involved with Jason?"

"That's one element. There are others. But Jason's a problem."

Jason barged into Sonny's mansion. He found Sonny at his desk reading one of Molly's books.

"What are you reading?" Jason asked.

Sonny quickly closed the book and put it away in his top drawer. "Nothing."

"I got 99 problems."

"Is Sam one?" Sonny asked.

"I don't want to present it that way, but she accused me of comparing her to Brenda."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"I don't want to squeeze her too tight, but crazy stuff is going down around us and I have no control. The last thing I need is the baby to come and Sam, like Brenda, decides she needs to take our kid and leave me behind." Jason put his hand on his mouth. "I'm sorry. That was mean."

Sonny leaned back in his chair visibly uneasy. "It's the truth. You need to worry. Something is definitely going on with Sam. Alexis and I were just talking about it."

"Jake died…"

"At the hands of Franco. We know this now." Sonny said. "So we can't even use the 'it was an accident' argument anymore. The kid was murdered. And honestly, we don't even know what Alexis is carrying right now. Franco could be the daddy for all we know so now Alexis is a target."

Jason squirmed.

Sonny put his hands on Jason's shoulders. "I don't mean to go there, but we gotta be realistic and so does Sam. She and Alexis are both in danger."

Lorenzo picked up the empty glass that Franco left behind. The condensation had barely dried. He looked out towards his shuttered windows and saw what was left of the sun slowing hiding into the clouds. He heard the sound of his door click open. He immediately reached for his gun. He swiftly turned until his met the barrel of Sam's.

She held her gun steady hoping Lorenzo wouldn't shoot.

"How did you get here?" Lorenzo asked.

"I got help. I have the results. Robin got them to me right before I left." Sam's arms grew tired mostly from her long flight and the whole time uncertain of how it would all end up.

"I'll put mine down if you do the same." Lorenzo loosened his grip on the gun and let it dangle from his index finger.

Sam dropped hers to her side. "So I guess…I'm certain you donated sperm to my mother. I don't want to call you my father 'cause you're not. I mean you are, but you weren't apart of my life. Actually you were. You tried to kill me and the man that I love more than anything. And again, because of you, I'm sacrificing my relationship with him."

"I didn't ask you too."

Spinelli appeared through the cracked door behind Sam, but Lorenzo's first impulse was to shoot first and ask questions last. A shot was fired from Lorenzo's gun and both Sam and Spinelli dropped to the floor.

Lorenzo stared at them in his disbelief. The sight of blood seeping onto his floor threw him into a panic. He tossed his gun aside and fell on his knees to the ground to attend to the injured party.