CHAPTER FORTY NINE

Alexis had never experienced a small town American country fair before, so she was almost as wide-eyed and as excited as the girls as they all walked down the fairway. As for Sonny, he got to experience the newness of it all through them. And watching Alexis' wide eyed enjoyment simply sweetened the moment.

For Alexis, part of delight of the evening was that to everyone else they weren't anything to be stared at and wondered and gossiped about; to everyone around them, they were just another group of friends and family out enjoying the evening. She wasn't Alexis Davis nee Natasha Alexandra Cassadine, scion and chief counselor of the great Cassadine financial empire, and Sonny wasn't Michael Corinthos Jr, feared and alleged coffee importer with mob ties ... they were just Alexis and Sonny, mother, father and friends...walking, talking and laughing under the bright lights - the same as everyone else.

Other families walked by, smiling at them, at Sonny holding Molly in one arm and Kristina walking between them holding both of their hands chattering away happily. In the midst of all this happy anonymity, they rode the rides, laughed with the girls at the side shows and the carny games and ate cotton candy, candy apples and sampled all kinds of foods that Alexis was sure held no nutritonal value whatsoever.

But value wasn't always quantifable or the least bit measurable - the air of contentedness surrounding us - all of us, and that included Max, Milo and their lady friends as well - more than made up for anything else. It was priceless, in fact.

Sonny had kept glancing up at the sky, keeping an eye on the time and the clouds that had been thickening overhead as evening turned into night. He could feel the promise of rain in the air, even if it wasn't imminent. "We can stay for a little while, but we will really have to think about getting back on the road soon." he said, with a regretful look at Alexis. "We don't want to get caught in any storms driving back too late. These back roads are no place to get caught on in the rain."

"Well, why don't we get these little ladies cleaned up before we go?" Grace said. She reached out her hand to Kristina, who took it easily. At the same time, Joanna offered to take Molly with them. Both women smiled at Alexis knowingly before they took the girls with them to the ladies room, purposefully giving Sonny and Alexis a little time alone. Milo followed them, while Max took up a guard position a slight distance away from Alexis and Sonny, enough so that they could pretend they were alone.

They didn't speak for a moment, content to just be close to each other. Looking around, Sonny saw a oddly familiar sight and his face lit up. He took Alexis by the hand and guided her to a nearby food stand.

"Sonny, I don't think I could eat another bite - of anything." she tried half-heartedly to protest, but it came with laugh.

Sonny laughed with her but wouldn't relent. "A carnival ain't a carnival until you've had a funnel cake."

"And what would you know about carnivals, Mr. I-love-New-York?"

"Ever heard of a little place called Coney Island?" Sonny said with a grin.

Alexis flushed slightly. How silly of her to forget about that. She laughed again, graciously conceding his point. "Okay, you win."

I did, didn't I? Sonny thought to himself. From the moment you agreed to come with me... "Remember you said that." he said aloud and gave her a look that said he wouldn't be forgetting it anytime soon.

And I'm sure it was something that he wouldn't let Alexis forget either. Well, actually that will be two of us reminding her...

Before she could give him an answer, he continued. "Now allow me to introduce you to the imcomparable joys of funnel cake.." Sonny and the baker exchanged a knowing smile.

"Which kind should I try?" Alexis asked. She studied the choices laid out on the counter; there were at least five different toppings to choose from and they alll looked delicious.

Sonny offered his opinion. "When I was a kid back in Brooklyn, we used to go to Coney Island, there's this place called Nathan's. Had the best funnel cakes, hot dogs, all kinds of stuff." He pointed at the funnel cake with the powdery white topping. "Powdered sugar - that's the original real deal. If this is your first taste, then you need to go with the original."

"Then that's the one we'll have." she watched as the baker, per Sonny's order, prepared a fresh one, swirling the batter into the hot oil and before she knew it, he was handing it to her, fresh and steaming hot, with what had to be the most impossibly delicious scent rising from it.

"Wait." Sonny said. He tore off a piece and smiled at her.

Without any further urging, Alexis closed her eyes and parted her lips. A moment later, she literally gasped as something incredibly light and sweet passed over her lips. "That is absolutely delicious! Mmmm - more!" she demanded.

Sonny laughed as he obliged and fed her another piece. "You said that like you were surprised. Don't you trust me?"

Alexis licked her lips, savoring the light and airy sweetness of the hot pastry. Then she looked at Sonny with such honesty that it took his breath away. "Of course I trust you." And they both knew that it was more than the funnel cakes she was talking about. " It's just so... just so good!" She looked at him impishly. "It's almost the most delicious thing to happen to my mouth today."

"Almost?" He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"You heard me." She returned the gesture.

"Yes, I did." The look in her eyes was an invitation that Sonny couldn't resist. He stepped closer to her. The sights and sounds of the night seemed to recede a little, leaving them alone in their own little world. He smiled at Alexis, watching the dimples dance mischeviously in her cheeks.

She knew the two of them must look silly, standing there grinning at each other like teenagers, but somehow she didn't care. "Allow me to return the favor." Alexis said. She tore off a piece of funnel cake and lifted it to Sonny's lips, feeling the pleasure in the moment as he nibbled first at the pastry, and when he was done, her fingers. She laughed softly at the sweetly tickling sensation.

Sonny didn't care if the two of them were standing there loking like two idiots grinning at each other like there was no tomorrow. Maybe because right now, there was no tomorrow as far as he was concerned. Today was all he was concerned with and he found himself almost wishing that tomorrow would never come. Right now was as good as it gets. He grinned at Alexis. "That was good...and almost the most delcious thing to happen to my mouth today."

"Almost?" Alexis parried his own question back at him with a little smile that lit his insides with a happy glow.

"Would you care to enlighten as to just what it was that topped the funnel cake?" he asked softly.

"Well, if I had to tell the truth..." Alexis grinned another teasing little smile at him that melted right through him like the sweet powdered sugar on his lips. And it left him wanting more...even if they both knew the answer to the question, he wanted to hear her say it...

Alexis opened her mouth to tell him the truth, but before she could speak, Kristina came dancing up to them. "Daddy, I know you said we had to go, but can we ride the carousel one more time..." Of all the rides tonight, the ice-cream colored merry-go-round with its gold and silver gilded prancing animals had been her favorite. "Please?"

Sonny was lost, the moment his little girl smiled up at him. If he wasn't careful, Kristina was going to figure out that she could wrap him around her little finger with one flash of her own dimples and those great big beautiful brown eyes.

Just like her mother.

He chanced a glance at Alexis. She was looking at him, an indulgent light in her eyes as though she could guess at what he was thinking. She probably could. But then again, maybe Kristina had figured it out already as well because she didn't bother waiting for an answer but instead grabbed him by his hand, and started pulling him towards the merry-go-round. Alexis retrieved Molly from Joanna, and in a moment, they were just one more family once again, a part of the laughing crowd stepping onto the carousel.

Kristina skipped ahead of them, just inside of the wooden platform, grabbing the reins of a cotton candy pink and gold horse. Sonny caught up to her first. He took her by the waist to swing her up to sit astride it. Alexis, right behind them, settled Molly on the swan that was situated right next to her. She settled Molly's warm chubby fingers around the golden pole, cupping her own over hers just as the music began. Molly laughed, a sound of pure uninhibited joy as the lights above began to dance, the music swelled and the carousel began to spin.

Alexis laughed along with her baby daughter; for no reason whatsoever except that she was happy. She looked over at Kristina, her heart full to overflowing as she watched her daughter's eyes sparkling as she looked up adoringly at her father.

And Alexis may not know it but Kristina wasn't the only one with the adoring look in her eyes. And don't think that Mr. Corinthos didn't notice it either.

As Alexis watched Kristina and Sonny together, Kristina suddenly began bouncing up and down in her seat excitedly.

"Look, Daddy, look!" she was pointing at something beyond the spinning edge of the carousel, where all the world was a dancing blur. Alexis watched, puzzled, as Sonny smiled down at their daughter, nodding in agreement with something and then turned his gaze outward, following her outstretched arm.

He waited as they spun around again and then he reached out. Alexis watched him, not knowing what he was about until he turned back to her and held out his hand.

And in his fingers, he held the brass ring. And an eruption of cheers exploded around them, while a second explosion of happiness let loose in Sonny's chest. His eyes sparkled because he didn't have to say a word, it was all right there in the palm of his hand.