This is pretty short...

Chapter 28

Alexis took a short detour to her room to change out of her suit. She needed to cool her head before talking with Sam. She pulled on her pajama bottoms and an old tee of Sonny's and went in search of her oldest daughter.

She stopped outside Sam's door when she heard Sam's voice.

"Don't know yet…"

"Whaddya do?" Alexis heard Michael ask She positioned herself so she could see them through the crack in the door.

"That's none of your business, now is it?"

"Hey, I just want to know what NOT to do." Michael replied. Sam threw a pillow at him, but he caught it easily and arranged it behind his back.

"You okay, with all this Quartermaine stuff?"

"I guess…"

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know…I just…I thought it would be different." Michael answered softly. "I…thought I'd know…ya know?"

Sam considered briefly. "I think so."

"He just turned around and went back to Phoenix. I mean I haven't even talked to him since…"

"You've only known for a day…you have the rest of your life to get to know him."

"Maybe he doesn't want to get to know me."

Sam smiled and rolled her eyes. "Oh please. Who wouldn't want to get to know you…Mr. Perfect?"

"Shut it. It's so weird."

"Yeah…it is. You going to call Em…Auntie Em now?"

Michael groaned. He pulled the pillow out from behind him and blasted it at Sam. "Why do I even talk to you…" He got up, Sam threw the pillow again and it landed hard against his back.

"Because I'm your big sister and you love me and you'll never forget that, understand Squirt?"

"Thanks Sam." Sam looked a little embarrassed. "I really needed an extra pillow." He darted out of the room, running straight into a choked up Alexis. "Sorry Mom."

Alexis held out a hand and he reluctantly filled it with his ill gotten gains. "Homework done?"

"Mostly…I need to read some more for my book report."

"You are two books ahead already."

"Oh…well…I can still read right? Frodo is about to…"

"1 hour…then lights out."

"Okay." She kissed him on the cheek, resisting the urge to pull him into her arms and smother him with hugs. She sent him on his way, and peered in at Sam. She had a text book open in front of her and was now wearing her pajamas.

"Knock, knock."

"Hi Mom." She sat up straighter and tugged nervously on a strand of hair.

"I overheard you and Michael."

"Oh…I was just teasing him…"

"It was more than that Sam. Thank you…I think you reassured him in a way your Dad and I never could."

Sam shrugged. "I didn't really do anything."

Alexis settled herself down on the bed next to Sam. "You want to tell me what happened today?"

"Not really." Off Alexis' look Sam quickly added. "But I will…"

She told her about Liz and the crowd and Lucky and her desire to crawl under a rock for the rest of her life. "At this point if Dad threatened to send me to Saint Mary's I wouldn't object."

"Running away doesn't solve anything Sam."

"I know…it just creates new problems. I hate Liz."

"There will always be a Liz in your life."

"Ugh...thanks for the pep talk."

"This isn't a pep talk…it's more like a non-pep lecture."

"Thanks for clearing that up…" Sam smiled. "Don't be too mad at Dad…"

"Don't change the subject."

"We stopped and got you a milkshake."

"Strawberry?"

"I think so…"

"Mmmmm…that sounds perfect." Alexis stood and kissed Sam. "We'll talk about punishment tomorrow, do I need to say that this will not happen again?"

"No…Dad did and I won't."


Alexis crept down the backstairs hoping to find the kitchen deserted. She padded over to the fridge, and opened the left hand side. A Kelly's bag sat on the second shelf from the top. She quietly pulled it out and light flooded the kitchen.

"Oh, I see how you are." Sonny smirked. "You were going to take that shake and not even say thank you." He walked toward her purposefully.

"I was…I was not…I didn't even know…"

"Liar." He was right in front of her, backing her into the freezer. "You are a horrible liar."

"Sonny! Let's not forget who is mad at whom." She said sternly. "Let me go…my backside's freezing."

"What's the magic word?"

"Couch?" She snapped.

Sonny laughed and pulled her toward him, swinging the door shut with his hip. "Close enough."

"Thank you for the shake."

"You're welcome."

"It's frozen solid though."

"I'm sorry."

"It will thaw."

"True, but what will we do in the mean while?"

"I'm still mad at you."

"I know."

"Never again Sonny."

"Never again Alexis…now can we have make up sex?"

"What's the magic word?"

"Couch?"

"Close enough."