Shot in an Alley: Sonny's Recovery Plan

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Thank you to the reviewers! Just so everyone knows, this chapter takes place the morning after Ric dies (I love being able to write that).

--------- Corinthos Penthouse

To the casual observer it wouldn't be apparent what the past weeks had been like for the family inside the penthouse. In fact if you went around in each room you would think these were normal people.

A neat and clean living and dining room - the kitchen was spotless.

Most normal of all, perhaps, were the people sleeping upstairs.

A little redheaded boy in a blue and green room - toys everywhere. One wall was completely painted as a map with different places starred. Pictures of family lined a shelf that also held many books. Lots of them were easy to read travel books. The little boy was sleeping peacefully clutching a teddy bear.

The next room had a couple inside of it. The room also had pictures inside of it - some of the little boy in the room across from them, others of a woman with blonde hair, another of a different woman redhead. The man and the woman in the bed were spooned against each other. The woman was clearly pregnant. The man's arm protectively draped over her stomach. Both had wedding bands.

The room that was down the hall housed another couple. There were no personal things in the room. These people would be considered houseguests by someone who didn't know who they were. The woman had her head pillowed on the man's shoulder, her arm around him and soft brown hair covering a small wound on her head. She was sleeping with a small smile on her face. The man was sleeping just as peacefully as the others in the house. Covers pulled up to hide taped ribs and bandaged stomach, but without the knowledge of what was under the covers the man looked young and healthy.

The penthouse was quiet. That would change later, but now, they were just a normal family.

--------- Two Hours Later

Sonny moved quietly down the stairs. The rest of them were asleep. Sonny was used to the early mornings by now. He usually came down alone and cooked breakfast before everyone else came down.

He finally let his mind go over last night. He had killed Ric. He was amazed he didn't feel as guilty as he would have thought. There was only one nagging thought that got to him whenever he thought about Ric: His mother.

She had always loved her family completely and totally. She even loved Deke despite what he had done to her. He remembered being a little boy and sitting down at the table with her. She had always told him to do what needed to be done for the sake of the people he loved. That was what he had done last night, but he had sacrificed her son because of it.

That was what got to him. He saved her grandchildren, someone she would have come to consider a son if she was still alive, her daughter in law and a young woman Sonny thought that she would respect and even enjoy the company of. Was that enough to justify what he had done? Sonny broke an egg into the frying pan. The eggs were the last thing he was making for his family. He glanced around the kitchen and noticed that he had made an amazing amount of food while he was stuck in his thoughts. That was okay, though, they would be eating every last bit of it anyway. He would make damn sure of that.

He let his thoughts drift again. His mother was a smart woman. Would she have seen away to ensure Ric's life while making a hundred percent guarantee of his family's safety? That was all he would settle for – a hundred percent.

She wouldn't have been able too, just like he hadn't been able to. So he was back to his original question. Would she be able to forgive him?

Sonny's head snapped up as he heard his son's laughter and Carly's soon joining. He had his answer.

His mother would forgive him. She had already done it.

--------- Twenty minutes later

Jason looked down at Elizabeth's peaceful face. He had been awake and watching her for a good few minutes now. It hadn't been the battle he had expected when he told her that he was sick of the couch. He had seen enough of that thing to last him a lifetime. Maybe if he mentioned it to Carly she would see it as an excuse to go shopping and buy a new one.

Jason's thoughts moved back to Elizabeth. His eyes settled on the cut on her forehead from where she hit the table last night. She had been defending him. Seeing her lying there unconscious had scared the hell out of him. He could have very well lost her. He was going to take good care of her from now on.

She moaned in her sleep and Jason went back to looking at her face. Soon she came back into the world. Her eyes were sleepy as she looked up at him. "Morning." He whispered.

She smiled even more. "Good morning. How long have you been up?"

He shrugged, "A little while."

He could tell she wanted to add more to the conversation but the door opened a crack to reveal a tiny bit of red hair. Once the spy sent from downstairs saw that the two were awake he burst through the door and climbed on to the bed in a second. "Uncle Jason! 'Lizabeth!"

Elizabeth laughed at the interruption. "Hey Michael."

Jason ruffled the little boy's already messy hair. "Hi Buddy."

"Daddy made breakfast and he wanted me to see if you guys were up cause he made a lot of food and he doesn't want it to get cold. So are you coming downstairs?" Michael asked in one breath. Jason suspected that he could have gone on longer if not for the necessity of air.

"Sure Michael, just let us get out of our pajamas." Elizabeth told him, amazed that anyone could be that energetic when they had just woken up.

"Okay!" he said simply as he hopped off the bed and ran to the door. Michael paused for a second before turning around and running back to the bed. "Lizzy can I ask you a question?"

"Of course Michael." She responded.

"Can I call you Aunt Lizabeth?" Michael said with a shy smile.

Elizabeth felt honored to be considered an aunt to Michael. "I would love that… but maybe you should ask your mommy first?"

Michael shook his head. "I already did. She said she thought it was a great idea. And that if she had anything to do with it you would be my real aunt soon anyway."

Jason shook his head. That was Carly.

Elizabeth looked like she might fall over if she wasn't already on the bed.

--------- Downstairs, Dining Room

Sonny sat down to the table after he finally managed to fit all the food on to it. Carly, he noticed, was eyeing it all with an odd expression on her face. "You have to eat your full share." He informed her.

"That was what I was afraid of."

Before Carly was given another eating lecture their son came bounding down the stairs. "Uncle Jason and Aunt Liz are coming soon." He announced.

Carly smiled. "So she said it was okay to call her Aunt Elizabeth?"

Michael nodded as he sat in his seat. He didn't seem to mind the feast set before them. "She said that she would love that. But she got really white and quiet when I told her what you said Mommy."

Sonny turned to his wife slowly. "What did you say?"

Not even bothering to cover it up Carly told him. "That I planned to get Jason to make that official soon anyway."

Sonny groaned at her. "You didn't."

"Why not Sonny? The muffin proved herself with this whole thing. I don't hate her anymore. Jason has finally said that he loves her. It works out perfectly."

Sonny shook his head. There was no point in telling her differently. He knew it was a losing battle before they even declared war.

All three turned to the stairs when they heard a groan and a voice, "Oh god. Sonny please tell me that you are having the guards over for breakfast."

Sonny turned to his best friend and Elizabeth. "What do you think?"

Jason said nothing as he and Elizabeth took their places at the table. Carly was smiling at the two. That proved just how much that Carly was grateful to Elizabeth. She was willing to let her "have" Jason. There weren't many women on the planet that could say that they had Carly's support, not talons, on their side.

Jason and Elizabeth stared to load their plates up as Michael spoke up. "Is Grandpa Mike coming over?"

All the adults looked to Sonny. They hadn't been out of the penthouse in a long while, nor had he mentioned to them about Mike. Sonny shook his head at the redhead, "No, Michael."

The little boy shrugged in a rather Jason-like manner and went back to his overloaded plate. Jason leaned across the table to Sonny.

"How is Mike?"

Sonny sighed. "Not so great, but it's getting better for him."

Carly shook her head a bit. She had a soft spot for her son's godfather. Sonny spoke again, clearly uncomfortable with the subject. "How do you guys feel?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Like little men are jack-hammering in my skull but a few aspirins stopped them."

Jason looked slightly confused about that for a second before giving up. "I'm okay."

Carly shook her head with a knowing expression on her face, but no one felt the need to call him on it.

Carly finished her first plateful and attempted to just let it sit there without eating more. Sonny noticed.

"Have some more food Carly."

Jason, Elizabeth and Michael shared a secret smile. This was a regular occurrence, but it was still fun to watch, no matter how many times they had witnessed it.

"I'm not hungry anymore Sonny."

"But the baby is."

Carly rolled her eyes. "I think I would know better than you. After all, the baby gets hungry I get hungry."

"You need to eat good." Sonny said. He was not backing down.

"Sonny! How could I not with you looming over all my meals?"

Jason laughed quietly at this. When Sonny's eating target wasn't Carly, it was him. According to Sonny they both ate crap. Not to mention his habit of forgetting to eat. So that kept Sonny busy cooking for him to prevent it. Whenever he was getting lectured Carly could barely breath she was laughing so hard. And for the first time while she was getting the food lecture he let out a chuckle.

The whole table stopped to stare at him. The sound of Jason's laughter was almost nonexistent to them.

"What?" he said.

"He laughed." Carly said faintly. "That's almost three times in the span of a few days."

Sonny was looking at Jason strangely too. Then he looked at Elizabeth, who was completely unfazed by the whole thing, and smiled.

--------- After Breakfast

Jason finished drying the last of the plates. The women had gone shopping while Michael was in school. Luckily he hadn't missed too much but he couldn't stay home anymore.

"I think we need to talk about last night." Jason said.

Sonny nodded, he had been waiting for this to happen. "Okay."

"You killed Ric." Jason stated bluntly. Sonny would have been taken for surprised by that had it been anyone else, but by now he was used to that part of Jason.

"Yes, I did."

"Why?"

Sonny looked up in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Jason looked genuinely confused over Sonny's final action to end the conflict with Ric. "You're all about family Sonny. Ric was your brother. Why would you kill him? I mean. Carly and Michael weren't down there being hurt."

"But you and Elizabeth were."

Jason still had the confused look on his face so Sonny decided to elaborate. "I came in there and saw you both laying there. You could have been dead. And there was Ric, standing over you. I could finally see the truth."

Jason nodded for him to continue.

"I realized that I have one brother Jason."

"Ric." Jason supplied.

"No, you."

Jason's confusion seemed to grow.

"You are the only brother I have. I had Stone, but he's gone now. I couldn't protect him and I lost my little brother then. I got in that room and saw Elizabeth, and then I saw Ric. He was standing over you. I knew then that I had to protect you even at the cost of Ric, because you're my brother just like Stone had been."

Jason smiled. The confusion was all gone from his face.

--------- Kelly's

Carly and Elizabeth plopped down in their chairs. They both wanted some good coffee.

Elizabeth decided to ask what she had wanted to for a while now. "Carly? What did Michael mean about Jason and I this morning when he asked if he could call me Aunt Elizabeth?"

Carly shook her head. "Isn't it obvious?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "No."

"It may have taken everyone involved a long time to get it but you two belong together."

Elizabeth let out a relived sigh. That was it, no ulterior motives from Carly – nothing to worry about.

However, Carly wasn't finished, "And I intend to make sure Jason gets a move on with the proposing."

Elizabeth shook her head, now it was time to worry…

--------- Corinthos Penthouse, Two Hours Later

Elizabeth walked into the bedroom she had been using since she had gotten there. She smiled, sitting on her bed, was Jason.

"Have fun with Carly?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Shopping with Carly is a definite experience."

Jason smiled. "She always wants to drag me with her, but even if I don't go she buys me things."

"Don't look on the couch downstairs."

Jason groaned in mock annoyance. "She did it again didn't she?"

Elizabeth laughed at him. "Yeah." Then she lowered her voice to a whisper, "I helped her."

"Traitor!" Jason said as he leapt up and grabbed her.

Elizabeth let out a shriek and started to struggle to free herself.

"Don't even try it. I have you now." Jason said in her ear.

"Promise?"

Jason smiled as he turned her to face him. He leaned down to her level and spoke quietly. "I promise."

Elizabeth smiled then she captured him. Well, part of him. Her lips went against his for a kiss. Jason tangled his fingers in her hair. After a minute or so they both needed to breath and broke apart.

"You, Mr. Morgan, are an extremely good kisser."

Jason smirked. "And you, Mrs. Morgan are exceptionally good too."

Elizabeth laughed until she realized what Jason had called her. "Mrs. Morgan?"

"I think it suits you."

Elizabeth didn't even want to hope. "Jason, could you say what you mean?"

He smiled, "I'd really like it if other people started calling you Mrs. Morgan."

Elizabeth waited for him to continue.

"And I want you to call your self, Mrs. Morgan."

When he didn't continue Elizabeth couldn't help but be sad. She had really though he would do it. She turned from him and took her coat off. When she turned back around she nearly fainted for the second time that day.

Jason was standing there on one knee, holding out a ring. "Do you want to call your self Mrs. Morgan?"

"Jason, what are you doing?" she whispered.

"Finally what I want. What I need. I need you and I want to marry you. That is, if you want to marry me?" he said, looking down. He seemed to be losing his nerve.

Elizabeth got down to her knees too and raised his face back up with her hand. Jason's eyes were hopeful. How he had gotten a ring so soon was beyond her, but still, he had gotten one, he was on one knee. He was asking her to marry him. Everything she had wanted for the last four years was kneeling right in front of her. All she had to do was say yes.

"I want to marry you too Jason." She said, not a whisper but almost a full yell. She wanted him to get the message loud and clear.

Jason smiled. Not a small smile - a full on, show teeth smile. It was beautiful. It would be hers soon.

Elizabeth held out her hand for Jason to slip the ring on. Her breath caught when she saw it. There was a good-sized diamond in the center of rubies. The band was gold. The ring was beautiful. Almost as beautiful as Jason's smile.

"Emily came by when you and Carly were out. She brought this with her. It's a present from Lila. She said that it was her mother's engagement ring. She wants us to have it."

Elizabeth felt tears leak out of her eyes. Jason kissed her again and she couldn't think of anything else.

--------- Hour Later

Jason and Elizabeth came down the stairs. Carly had no idea what was going on. Sonny knew he had the ring but figured that Jason wouldn't use it for a long time. The two were grinning from ear to ear.

Carly noticed that right away. "What's got you two so happy?"

Elizabeth had wanted to draw this out but there was no way she could do it now. "Oh, I was just telling Jason how much I love his gift."

Sonny spit out his drink. Carly was getting more than curious now. "Then let me see it."

Elizabeth stuck out her hand.

Carly grabbed it to inspect the ring. "This is an... "

Jason spoke for the first time since they had gotten downstairs. "Engagement ring?"

"You proposed?"

Jason and Elizabeth smiled. "Yeah, I did."

"I can't believe you did it!" Sonny said as he came over and grabbed them both in a hug.

Carly whipped around on him. "You knew!"

"Emily came over with the ring while you were out. I didn't think he would do anything with it so soon!" Sonny explained, more than a little shocked.

Carly gave him a look clearly saying that this wasn't over before turning back to Jason. "I am so happy for you."

"Really Carly?" Elizabeth asked.

She smiled. "Really."

Elizabeth said jokingly, "Because if we need you to give Jason away then you need to say it now."

Carly smiled. "Nah. I can handle this."

Sonny watched his wife embrace Elizabeth. The younger girl looked shocked but recovered to smiled and put her arms around Carly also.