Alexis slammed the phone down in it's cradle, furious with herself for letting Ned get her all riled up again. She placed her hands on the desk and took a few deep breaths. After giving herself a few minutes to calm down, she turned to the closet behind her. She locked the front door first, then carefully opened the closet door. Reaching up, she placed her hands on either side of the sleek wooden box. It took an extra ounce of strength on Alexis' part to bring it down from the shelf. Kicking the door closed with her foot, she headed over to the couch, and set the box in front of her on the coffee table. She pushed the sleeve of her sweatshirt up before opening the box and reaching inside for the papers it contained. Clasping her hands around the aged papers, she leaned back into the couch, and crossed her legs, indian-style. Her eyes re-read the words for the thousandth time, her mind dragging her back to the past. Looking intently at each paper, she finally reached the last one. Her fingers lingered over the photo that was paperclipped to the document.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered.
*****
Elizabeth looked around her new apartment. It wasn't much, but it reasonably priced. And the landlord had even offered her a job at his coffee warehouse. Things were beginning to look up for Elizabeth Webber.
*****
Jason stood next to Sonny's desk, hoping Carly wouldn't come home before he could make a quick escape.
"Are you going to stick around for awhile?"
Jason shrugged, averting his eyes from Sonny's, "Yeah, I don't know. There's not a whole lot to really keep me here." His mind drifted over the few people for whom he truely cared about, Monica, Lila, Emily, and yes, even Carly.
"I'm sure Carly would like for you to stick around," the older man suggested.
Jason chuckled, "Yeah, I'm sure. You just want to make sure she stays out of trouble."
Sonny flashed his dimples, holding his arms out in the air.
"Hi Johnny."
The bodyguard did a double take when Alexis approached Sonny's penthouse in a pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt, her auburn hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail.
"Miss Davis," he greeted with a nod.
She pointed toward the door, "Is he in?"
Johnny jerked towards the door, "Sorry." He knocked on the door and opened it, glancing back at the withdrawn lawyer. "Mr. Corinthos, Miss Davis," he announced, moving aside to let her by.
She slipped past him and murmured a thank you, waiting until he closed the door before she spoke to her client. Clasping her hands behind her back, Alexis' eyes flicked towards the stairs. "Is Carly around?"
Sonny shook his head, swallowing the last of his scotch. "Deception business." He let out a loud sigh before speaking again. "What do you need Alexis?" His hands were shoved into his pockets, a slightly annoyed expression on his face.
Alexis' attention was drawn from the stairs to the man standing before her. It was as if she was seeing him for the very first time. He'd never seemed annoyed with her before, but she'd be damned if she would annoy him again.
"You know what," she turned back to the door. "Forget it, I'm obviously interrupting something." She flung the door open, catching Johnny off guard.
"Alexis-"
She slammed the door before he could finish his sentence.
Sonny smiled to himself, admiring Alexis for her stubbornness, even if it was a bit trying at times. He sauntered over to his door, and across the hall to her penthouse. "Alexis?" Sonny's knuckles rapped softly on her door. He waited a full minute before trying the knob, grinning when it opened up to him. "Alexis?" he asked again, spotting the top of her head peeking out over the back of the sofa. He entered fully, closing the door behind him, his hands seeking the protection of his pockets. before he approached the couch.
"Alexis, I'm sorry. It was Benny." His hand slipped out of his pocket to drift up towards his nose, pinching the bridge of it tightly. "What do you need?" When another minute went by without an answer, he let his hand drop to her left shoulder. "Alexis? What's wrong?" he asked again, his voice laced with concern.
Alexis brought her sneakered feet up to rest on the coffee table in front of her. "It's nothing," she answered finally, her voice mimicking the annoyance he'd showed her only moments before.
Sonny came around the couch to look at her, when his eyes landed on the large wooden box sitting open at her feet. "Nice box he commented, his hand returning to his pocket.
Alexis felt a laugh involuntarily bubble up her throat and out of her mouth. "Thanks."
"Alexis." Her name came out as a sigh. "What is it?" He perched himself on the arm of her other sofa, a warning to her that he wouldn't leave until she confided in him.
They sat like this, Sonny staring at Alexis, Alexis staring at the box for five minutes, until finally, Alexis uncrossed her arms, and held her left hand out to him.
With his eyes transfixed on her face, he didn't notice the papers in her hand until she shook them. His fingers grasped the slightly yellowed papers, his eyes falling on the top of the first sheet. "Birth certificate?"
He looked back up at her profile, waiting for an explanation.
Alexis' eyes remained focused on the box as she spoke. "I need
your help."