Authors Notes: Thank you everyone who has given me feedback. Please continue to give me comments. Once again, I would like to say a special thanks to my beta reader and general sounding board.

Disclaimer: General Hospital and all it's characters belong to ABC, Disney, etc.

In the Best Interests of the Child

Chapter 11: Lay Me Down to Sleep

She stood just outside of the room. Michael was asleep in the middle of the king sized bed. The bed made Michael look smaller then normal. He had seemed so tall coming out of the elevator just a few days ago. Now, he reminded her more of the baby she had promised Jason and Bobby to defend. He was curled up on the bed just like he used curl up in his cradle. However, now instead of clutching a favorite stuffed toy, Michael was clutching Sonny's hand.

Sonny was sitting on the edge of the bed clutching Michael's hand just as hard as his was being clutched. He was so intent on watching his son sleep that he hadn't even noticed her standing at the partially opened door.

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He knew she was watching him. He could feel her gaze. However, he couldn't turn around and face her. He couldn't stand to see the hatred, disappointment, and fear that he was sure was in her eyes now that the shock had worn off.

He couldn't pinpoint the day Alexis' opinion had become important to him. At first he just wanted the best lawyer money could buy. No one in Port Charles would have argued with his choice. She didn't like him or his business, but that hadn't mattered. She was the best, and he only worked with the best.

So he had used Taggert and Dara's dislike of him to spur Alexis to his defense. Even then she had not intended to take him on as a client. He still had that $100 bill he had used to hire her and she had returned to him that first day. Still, he had gotten what he wanted and she had become his lawyer.

Alexis becoming his friend had never been part of the plan.

Alexis becoming a target had also not been part of the plan.

She had become both.

So rather then face her, and the end of a relationship he had started and had become to depend upon, he kept watching his son sleep.

As had become customary for them, it was Alexis who moved to break the stalemate first. She finally entered the room and came to sit on the chair the housekeeper had placed next to the bed, but he had rejected as being too far from Michael.

After a minute she whispered, "Taggert is gone. You will need to have Michael talk to him tomorrow, but he is satisfied with my statement for now."

To spare himself for another minute he kept looking at his son as he whispered his response, "Whatever time you are free tomorrow will be fine for us."

She didn't give him the luxury of a full minute when she immediately responded, "I can't be there."

So it was over. His life had cost him someone else. He had always somehow expected it to end like this. He knew how she felt about his 'other' business. He would live with it; he had no choice.

However, there was no way his children were going to pay for his mistakes. So he interrupted her list of replacements and said in a firm, quiet voice, "I am not having Michael interrogated by Taggert with only an inexperienced attorney to protect him."

She met his gaze steadily. "I am the other witness Sonny," she answered. "No one is going to allow me to be there when they take his statement."

She was the only other witness. He had almost forgotten. No, that wasn't right, he had needed to forget. He had needed to concentrate on Michael. He had needed to function without his brain conjuring up pictures of Alexis bleeding to death next to Carly.

However, now that Alexis had reminded him, it was all he could see; Alexis lying on the ground dying. Alexis' tombstone placed next to Lily's. Another one of his children dead, without a gravestone to mark that he ever existed.

Suddenly Alexis took his hand and placed it on her abdomen. "We are both alright. I am fine. She is right here. She is warm and safe and loved."

He just sat there and stared at her pressing his hand over the child she carried. He felt a bit of the fear begin to recede just a little. He concentrated on solid warmth he could feel surround his child. He wished Alexis was far enough along that he could feel the baby move. He wanted that reassurance that his son was still alive.

"Have you seen a doctor?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

"I will tomorrow," she answered.

He raised his head and opened his mouth to demand she go immediately, but she covered his mouth with her other hand.

"I feel fine and my doctor said that since I didn't do anything more then flee the scene there shouldn't be anything wrong. I am going in first thing in the morning and I will go to the ER immediately if anything changes before then," she argued.

He wished she was going in immediately, but if the doctor thought it was fine he would let it go for now. "Call me when you are done," he ordered, his voice returning to normal.

She sighed a little, but nodded her head. She sat up a little and moved her hands to the armrests of the chair.

He reluctantly withdrew his hand. They just sat in silence for a moment.

Still, even in the silent room he almost didn't hear her question. "Have you heard any more about Carly?" she asked.

"She is still in surgery. Bobbie said that her vitals have been consistently strong though. They will know more once the surgery is complete," he answered trying to keep his voice calm. "Even then it will probably be 24 or 48 hours before anyone will be able to say for sure."

Alexis nodded her head, but suddenly wouldn't meet his gaze.

He knew exactly what she was thinking. "You did the right thing," he tried to assure her.

Alexis didn't acknowledge his comment.

Sonny reached out and gently forced her to meet his gaze. "You got Michael away safely. Staying with Carly wouldn't have helped her and would have probably gotten you and Michael shot as well. You did what you had to do to protect the children. I am very grateful that you did. I know Carly is too."

She nodded a little against his hand. He noticed that one of her hands had once again rested on her child. She forced a smile on her face. "I can't wait to read her thank you card," she joked weakly.

Sonny forced an answering grin on his face. The guilt wasn't entirely gone from behind Alexis' eyes, but it was better.

He knew it was time for him to take Michael home and return to his hospital vigil, but he didn't want to disturb the peace. When he left this room there would be too many demands on the time to just enjoy the fact that these three people were still alive. So he stayed where he was and watched as Alexis finally gave into the exhaustion that she must have been dodging since Carly was shot.

He stayed there and watched and hoped that when he gave into his own exhaustion that his sleep was as peaceful as hers.