Chapter 13

Pacing back and forth Sonny was waiting for Zander. The boy had called and told him he was on his way and that they needed to talk. Man, he wanted a drink. Crossing to the bar he picked up the decanter of scotch then put it back down. No, I will not have my senses dulled by liquor. Not when she needs me to end this.

"Hey beautiful, you hanging around here somewhere?"

"Right here where you left me and you're doing fine. Just keep focused and everything will fall into place."

Closing his eyes he breathed easier. "Thanks beautiful. I needed that."

"Anytime, handsome."

Smiling at the insanity of what was becoming so familiar to him he crossed to the door, opened it and welcomed Zander in.

"What are you smiling at? You look like the cat that just ate the canary."

"No, just drawing on a little inner strength."

Nodding knowingly at Sonny's unguarded words he nodded his own agreement.

"Yeah, I've been doing the same thing myself all day. She's quite a classy lady isn't she."

Meeting Zander's gaze Sonny opened up a little more.

"Yeah, she is. I miss her."

"Sonny, she misses you too. She's just not ready to let go of the anger yet."

"You spoke to her. I mean about... me?"

"Well, not exactly. She refuses to discuss you." Seeing Sonny's face fall Zander figured now was as good a time as any to start the ball rolling in getting the two of them back together.

"You know Sonny, all you have to do is sit back and think about what's really going down here."

Frowning and not understanding what Zander was talking about he went to the bar again. Remembering his promise to himself he walked away from the bar and settled down opposite Zander.

"Let's not play games, Zander. What are you getting at?"

"Ok, let's start with the memorial service for Kristina. Did you not wonder why there were so few people there? It was by invitation only. The only ones who were invited were the ones she held responsible for Kristina's death, her best friends Jax and Ned, the new DA, her nephew, and the Quartermaines, Jason's family. The only other guests there were the women who support the men that have played such a major part of her life since she's been in Port Charles. She didn't even invite me. She was very selective. Did you not wonder about that, Sonny?"

Listening to Zander, Sonny began to see what he was saying.

"Why, Zander? Why did she not invite you?"

"I figure mainly because of my temper and to try to protect me from what she was planning. She knew if I heard any part of what she was going to say to the three people she held responsible for Kristina's death, then I would probably do something to mess up what she was trying to accomplish. Since she told you she was dropping you as a client, you kept getting in her face. You wouldn't let go and she wanted to separate herself from the danger that you live around. I figure by going off on you she felt that would be the best way of making you angry enough at her that you would finally leave her alone. Also, I don't think she wanted a lot of people there to witness her attack on you. I think she was in some way still trying to protect you even though she was so angry."

Giving enough time for his words to sink in Zander went to the bar and poured himself a glass of water. Wondering if he was going too far, he mentally shrugged his shoulders and reasoned that since he had gone this far he might as well finish it. He stole a glance at Sonny and winced as he witnessed the torment on Sonny's face. He figured he had best finish this fast since he still needed to tell Sonny what Alexis was up to today.

"Sonny, I'm going to get pretty personal here, but you need to hear this so you'll know where a lot of the anger is coming from that Alexis is feeling. If she didn't mean so much to me I'd keep my mouth shut, but she's hurting and it doesn't look like the hurt is going to end any time soon unless you do something."

Sonny was finding it hard to breathe. He could not believe just how far his head had been stuck up his butt. He could see it clearly. She had maneuvered and manipulated the whole service. She had every right to come at him the way she did. He deserved it. But he was so blinded by his anger at Roy's presence, his own guilt and trying to settle Carly that he didn't notice what guests were there. Even in completely losing control of herself she protected him as much as she could. Remembering her words, he saw her face in his mind. It devastated her to mention the deaths that had followed him. He could see it plainly. Even in her grief she stood with him as much as she dared hoping that enough had been said to keep him away from her. Sighing heavily he heard Zander calling him.

"Sonny?"

"Go ahead, Zander. I need to hear it."

"I ran into her on the docks the day after Carly returned. She was trying her best to act like nothing was changed, but I could see it. You hurt her bad, Sonny. She hasn't been the same since. It's like the heart has gone out of her. She's in trouble. The two people that were the center of her world are gone. First, you and now Kristina. Sonny, if you have any feelings for her at all, you need to try to help someway."

Laughing ironically Sonny stood and moved toward the balcony doors. "If I have any feelings for her at all... Zander as ironic as that statement is I find it even more ironic that it is you that will hear me say it out loud for the very first time. I love her. She's in my blood and I will never be able to shake her. I am in love with her and she wants nothing to do with me. How absolutely 'par for the course' that is for my life."

Zander reckoned he had said enough and as the day was passing he needed to get to the reason Alexis sent him back to Sonny in the first place.

"Sonny, you'll have time to fix that later, but right now I need to tell you why I am here. You need to remember the message she told me to tell you earlier though before I go on with this."

Rejoining Zander, Sonny put away his musings and concentrated on what Zander was saying.

"You mean about her leaving if I didn't back off?"

"Yea, she really knows you doesn't she?"

Punching Zander playfully to take the edge off his words he made his own point.

"Just spill the rest of it and lay off. You made your point."

"Ok, she has asked that I be allowed to be in on your meeting with Roy this evening."

"How does she know... never mind." Looking at Zander knowingly he let that one slide.

"What will be your purpose for being here?"

"Her answer to that question is 'Trust me'. Not trust me Zander, but trust her."

Shaking his head in wonder Sonny knew in that moment how Roy must have felt when taking orders from his backer.

"You know if I didn't love her and trust her with my life, this conversation wouldn't be happening."

"To be honest I'm having a little trouble believing your going with this and I'm standing right here witnessing it. Anyway, this morning Alexis had a meeting with Roy."

Swearing under his breath, Sonny stood and began pacing again.

"What is she thinking, Zander? Kristina has already died, does she have a death wish too?"

"Wait a minute, Sonny. She took every precaution imaginable. She not only had Johnny watching her back, but me and Mac were in the next room listening to her conversation by way of her cellphone that she left in her pocket. She knows everything from the beginning now. Roy told her everything. You would really have been proud of her. Hell, Mac offered to make her a detective on the spot."

"Mac?"

"Yea, but from the moment she called him to start all this he agreed to go off the record. Nothing he has heard today will end up at the PCPD."

"How did she manage that?"

"You're not going to believe this but it's the truth, she sent him a message through me, just like she did you."

"Can I ask what the message was?"

"Yea, she said it'd be ok, if I told you. Quote, 'For the three most important girls in your life... Trust me.' Unquote. And before you ask, this is what she said to Roy, Quote 'I am asking you to trust me. Trust that I know Sonny. He is ready to end this as much as we are and he will do anything, align himself with anyone to accomplish it.' Unquote. Sonny, she knows she's stepping over the line here with you, but she's asking you to believe in her just one more time. And since you are obviously having a hard time with this, I'll finish this up by telling you that Mac has agreed to join the meeting this evening as a citizen. He will leave his badge at home on this one. Oh and one more thing, she made Mac promise to reassign Taggert so he wouldn't be getting on your case through all of this."

"So she is asking me to work with an enemy, a police commissioner who has agreed to leave his badge at home and a former employee who turned his back on me and betrayed me. She must have a lot of faith in me."

Watching Sonny process everything Zander laid his last thought out there and waited.

"She does have a lot of faith in you, Sonny. She always has."