Note: I am so running out of chapter titles now.
Story-
Port Charles Park-
While Carly had requested that Sonny take the boys out, he didn't do it alone. Courtney was with him. He actually didn't ask her to go, but she asked if she could tag along. Jason wanted her to get out and do something since she had spent so much time worrying about him when she didn't need to. Michael didn't mind, it let him be around two people that he knew cared about his big brother very much. Sonny held Morgan in his arms, bundled up to counteract the beginning fall chills. It had been a long time since he had spent some time with his young sons. There was always something that was going on in his life that would take him away from them. Sonny hated that aspect of his life, but he couldn't get away from it. He had tried already, and failed.
Michael had ran to the restroom, leaving the two adults to wait for him on the nearby bench. Morgan looked up at his father, his eyes filled with questions that his mind couldn't even possibly begin to comprehend. Sonny just smiled. Even in the face of everything that was going on, holding his infant child made him feel like he had accomplished something in his life. He knew he had left a legacy: Damian, Michael, Morgan. He didn't want them to carry on his life, but he wanted them to carry on what he had believed in. He wanted his children to grow up and be something more than he ever was. Damian already was. With his help, maybe, just maybe, Michael and Morgan could do the same.
"Sonny?" Courtney said his name softly.
"Yeah?"
"You don't say anything when Michael's around because you want to protect him and make sure that his mind isn't flooded with worry, but I can see it in your eyes. What's eating at you?"
Sonny peered at his little sister, "You have to ask that question? I would have thought it would be obvious."
"It is," Courtney admitted. "I just needed to hear you say what it was that was bothering you. It makes it easier for me to help you."
Sonny disagreed, "You can't help me, Courtney."
She was a little shocked, "What do you mean? You're my brother. I won't just let you fight this alone."
"I don't want there to be a fight at all," Sonny said.
"I didn't mean it like that," Courtney defended herself. "You're going to be going through a lot in order to clear him, we both know it. I want you to know that you'll have me at your side if you need it."
"Thanks," Sonny said honestly. "I just wish everyone could be as supportive as you."
"Carly..."
"She's still being her typical self," Sonny muttered. "She can't see past what she believes he's here for to see why he really is here."
"She'll come around," Courtney said in a comforting tone.
"We might not have that long to wait," Sonny stated with a long sigh.
"You'll beat this," Courtney smiled. "You always get past any hurdle that they throw in your way. You got Carly away from the panic room and then got her back from Alcazar. There's nothing that you can't accomplish, Sonny."
Sonny stood up, "There are a lot of things that I can't do, Courtney."
Courtney's face showed her concern. "Sonny, don't. We need you to be strong right now. If you slip into a depression it will only make everything worse."
"I'm worried." Sonny shook his head and corrected himself, "I'm more than worried, Courtney. I'm scared."
"Of what?" She asked.
"Of failing my son again," Sonny admitted. "He looked to me for honesty once, and I didn't give it to him. I lied because I've lied so many times in the past and it just became so easy for me to lie, even to people that I love. Now he wants to beat the system because of his innocence, but we both know that isn't how the system works. Damian's clouding his judgment with his morals. I respect that he wants to do that, but... sometimes believing something doesn't mean it's going to happen."
"We all know he's innocent."
"Yeah, we know that. It won't stop the people who want to see me suffer from putting him away for something that he didn't do, though."
"You've always known that your enemies were going to strike at you through your family, Sonny."
Courtney and Sonny looked at Ric, who had walked up. Courtney sneered, "Speak of the devil."
"I'd like to speak with our brother alone, Courtney," Ric said.
"You think I'm just going to leave you with him?" Courtney asked. "How demented have you gotten."
"Please, I just want to talk."
"Courtney..." Sonny let his voice hang as he gave her Morgan. "Take the baby and wait for Michael. When he comes out, take him to Kelly's for something to eat. I'll meet you there."
"Sonny," Courtney tried to be defiant.
"Courtney..." The voice hang again and Courtney did not do anything to make him say her name a third time.
"Come on, Morgan," Courtney made her voice lighter and happier around her infant nephew, even though she was still very afraid of what could happen. "We're going to go get something to eat."
Sonny and Ric watched Courtney walk away. She turned back once, but kept on going. Sonny was thankful. She listened better than anyone, although she could let her morals cloud her judgment the same way that Damian had.
"You didn't need to send the baby with her."
"You tried to steal my baby once before, Ric," Sonny said. "You tried to take him while he was still in his mother's womb. It's a whole lot easier to steal Morgan now than it was when you tried it the first time."
"I wouldn't dream of trying to do that again."
"Do you really believe that?"
"Why is it so hard for you to accept that maybe, just maybe, I've become a better person?"
"Because I don't believe that people can all of a sudden change, Ric. I trusted you once and you betrayed me. I would have killed you, and there have been many other times when I would have killed you, but our mother spent hours giving birth to you. I won't take a life that came from that woman. Ever."
"Mobster with a heart of gold," Ric smirked. "Someone should really try and sell your story to Hollywood."
Sonny brushed the sarcasm off, "Why the hell are you here, Ric?"
"To tell you that I know Damian didn't do what we're trying to charge him with."
Sonny smiled, "You think I'm just supposed to believe that? You come up and tell me that everything is going to be okay and I'm just supposed to believe it. No questions asked? You know me better than that."
"I don't really know you at all," Ric said. "None of us do."
"The people that I can trust know me."
"Do they?" Ric wondered. "How much of yourself do you give to them, Sonny? How much do you share with anyone? Even Carly? You have too many secrets in that dark mind of yours, there are things that you would never tell anyone. I know how you work."
"Because you're just like me."
"In some ways, yes," Ric sighed. "I wish otherwise, but it's the truth."
"Get to your point, Lansing."
"I'm going to make sure that Damian doesn't get tried for doing something that he didn't do."
"Is this the part where I get down on my knees and thank you for defending your family?" Sonny wondered.
Ric brushed it off, "I'm trying to do the right thing for someone that I consider to be a member of my family."
"You don't consider anyone to be your family," Sonny remarked.
"No, you don't consider anyone in your family to be part of my family," Ric quickly countered.
"With good reason," Sonny started to walk away.
"I never knew how you could get someone like Damian to come out of your genes, Sonny. I'll never understand why you always get handed the people that are so loving and accepting towards someone who doesn't deserve anything but hatred. You know what, though? It doesn't matter. You can hate me all you want, you can convince everyone else in your family that I'm this evil twisted demon who is only going to bring you pain, I'm still going to do what I can to keep your son from being punished for something you did."
"You've got no proof that I did anything."
"I don't need proof, Sonny. I know you did it. I might not be able to convince anyone else that you did, but that doesn't mean that I don't know it was you."
"Leave my daddy alone!" Michael ran up to Ric, his hands balled up into fists.
Sonny grabbed his son, "Michael, you were supposed to go with Courtney!"
Courtney came up, panting. "He saw Ric... I couldn't grab him in time."
"Go away, bad man!" Michael ordered. "Leave my family alone!"
Ric turned, "If there are any changes in this case, I will inform you. I suggest you take my call should I make it, Sonny. It can be highly advantageous to all of us."
"Just go," Sonny demanded.
"Why did you talk with him, daddy?" Michael asked. "You said that I should never talk to the bad man."
"You shouldn't, Mike," Sonny said. "But I'm an adult, I can handle myself. You shouldn't have run away from your Aunt Courtney like that."
"He's going to take Damian away from us again, isn't he?" Michael looked worried. "He stole mommy from us, and now he's going to take Damian. I know it."
Sonny shook his head, "I don't know what's going to happen, Michael. I really don't know."
"But you always know the answers, daddy," Michael hugged his father, looking for support.
"I'll find a way to make this right, Mike. I promise." It was a promise that Sonny intended on keeping.
Story-
Port Charles Park-
While Carly had requested that Sonny take the boys out, he didn't do it alone. Courtney was with him. He actually didn't ask her to go, but she asked if she could tag along. Jason wanted her to get out and do something since she had spent so much time worrying about him when she didn't need to. Michael didn't mind, it let him be around two people that he knew cared about his big brother very much. Sonny held Morgan in his arms, bundled up to counteract the beginning fall chills. It had been a long time since he had spent some time with his young sons. There was always something that was going on in his life that would take him away from them. Sonny hated that aspect of his life, but he couldn't get away from it. He had tried already, and failed.
Michael had ran to the restroom, leaving the two adults to wait for him on the nearby bench. Morgan looked up at his father, his eyes filled with questions that his mind couldn't even possibly begin to comprehend. Sonny just smiled. Even in the face of everything that was going on, holding his infant child made him feel like he had accomplished something in his life. He knew he had left a legacy: Damian, Michael, Morgan. He didn't want them to carry on his life, but he wanted them to carry on what he had believed in. He wanted his children to grow up and be something more than he ever was. Damian already was. With his help, maybe, just maybe, Michael and Morgan could do the same.
"Sonny?" Courtney said his name softly.
"Yeah?"
"You don't say anything when Michael's around because you want to protect him and make sure that his mind isn't flooded with worry, but I can see it in your eyes. What's eating at you?"
Sonny peered at his little sister, "You have to ask that question? I would have thought it would be obvious."
"It is," Courtney admitted. "I just needed to hear you say what it was that was bothering you. It makes it easier for me to help you."
Sonny disagreed, "You can't help me, Courtney."
She was a little shocked, "What do you mean? You're my brother. I won't just let you fight this alone."
"I don't want there to be a fight at all," Sonny said.
"I didn't mean it like that," Courtney defended herself. "You're going to be going through a lot in order to clear him, we both know it. I want you to know that you'll have me at your side if you need it."
"Thanks," Sonny said honestly. "I just wish everyone could be as supportive as you."
"Carly..."
"She's still being her typical self," Sonny muttered. "She can't see past what she believes he's here for to see why he really is here."
"She'll come around," Courtney said in a comforting tone.
"We might not have that long to wait," Sonny stated with a long sigh.
"You'll beat this," Courtney smiled. "You always get past any hurdle that they throw in your way. You got Carly away from the panic room and then got her back from Alcazar. There's nothing that you can't accomplish, Sonny."
Sonny stood up, "There are a lot of things that I can't do, Courtney."
Courtney's face showed her concern. "Sonny, don't. We need you to be strong right now. If you slip into a depression it will only make everything worse."
"I'm worried." Sonny shook his head and corrected himself, "I'm more than worried, Courtney. I'm scared."
"Of what?" She asked.
"Of failing my son again," Sonny admitted. "He looked to me for honesty once, and I didn't give it to him. I lied because I've lied so many times in the past and it just became so easy for me to lie, even to people that I love. Now he wants to beat the system because of his innocence, but we both know that isn't how the system works. Damian's clouding his judgment with his morals. I respect that he wants to do that, but... sometimes believing something doesn't mean it's going to happen."
"We all know he's innocent."
"Yeah, we know that. It won't stop the people who want to see me suffer from putting him away for something that he didn't do, though."
"You've always known that your enemies were going to strike at you through your family, Sonny."
Courtney and Sonny looked at Ric, who had walked up. Courtney sneered, "Speak of the devil."
"I'd like to speak with our brother alone, Courtney," Ric said.
"You think I'm just going to leave you with him?" Courtney asked. "How demented have you gotten."
"Please, I just want to talk."
"Courtney..." Sonny let his voice hang as he gave her Morgan. "Take the baby and wait for Michael. When he comes out, take him to Kelly's for something to eat. I'll meet you there."
"Sonny," Courtney tried to be defiant.
"Courtney..." The voice hang again and Courtney did not do anything to make him say her name a third time.
"Come on, Morgan," Courtney made her voice lighter and happier around her infant nephew, even though she was still very afraid of what could happen. "We're going to go get something to eat."
Sonny and Ric watched Courtney walk away. She turned back once, but kept on going. Sonny was thankful. She listened better than anyone, although she could let her morals cloud her judgment the same way that Damian had.
"You didn't need to send the baby with her."
"You tried to steal my baby once before, Ric," Sonny said. "You tried to take him while he was still in his mother's womb. It's a whole lot easier to steal Morgan now than it was when you tried it the first time."
"I wouldn't dream of trying to do that again."
"Do you really believe that?"
"Why is it so hard for you to accept that maybe, just maybe, I've become a better person?"
"Because I don't believe that people can all of a sudden change, Ric. I trusted you once and you betrayed me. I would have killed you, and there have been many other times when I would have killed you, but our mother spent hours giving birth to you. I won't take a life that came from that woman. Ever."
"Mobster with a heart of gold," Ric smirked. "Someone should really try and sell your story to Hollywood."
Sonny brushed the sarcasm off, "Why the hell are you here, Ric?"
"To tell you that I know Damian didn't do what we're trying to charge him with."
Sonny smiled, "You think I'm just supposed to believe that? You come up and tell me that everything is going to be okay and I'm just supposed to believe it. No questions asked? You know me better than that."
"I don't really know you at all," Ric said. "None of us do."
"The people that I can trust know me."
"Do they?" Ric wondered. "How much of yourself do you give to them, Sonny? How much do you share with anyone? Even Carly? You have too many secrets in that dark mind of yours, there are things that you would never tell anyone. I know how you work."
"Because you're just like me."
"In some ways, yes," Ric sighed. "I wish otherwise, but it's the truth."
"Get to your point, Lansing."
"I'm going to make sure that Damian doesn't get tried for doing something that he didn't do."
"Is this the part where I get down on my knees and thank you for defending your family?" Sonny wondered.
Ric brushed it off, "I'm trying to do the right thing for someone that I consider to be a member of my family."
"You don't consider anyone to be your family," Sonny remarked.
"No, you don't consider anyone in your family to be part of my family," Ric quickly countered.
"With good reason," Sonny started to walk away.
"I never knew how you could get someone like Damian to come out of your genes, Sonny. I'll never understand why you always get handed the people that are so loving and accepting towards someone who doesn't deserve anything but hatred. You know what, though? It doesn't matter. You can hate me all you want, you can convince everyone else in your family that I'm this evil twisted demon who is only going to bring you pain, I'm still going to do what I can to keep your son from being punished for something you did."
"You've got no proof that I did anything."
"I don't need proof, Sonny. I know you did it. I might not be able to convince anyone else that you did, but that doesn't mean that I don't know it was you."
"Leave my daddy alone!" Michael ran up to Ric, his hands balled up into fists.
Sonny grabbed his son, "Michael, you were supposed to go with Courtney!"
Courtney came up, panting. "He saw Ric... I couldn't grab him in time."
"Go away, bad man!" Michael ordered. "Leave my family alone!"
Ric turned, "If there are any changes in this case, I will inform you. I suggest you take my call should I make it, Sonny. It can be highly advantageous to all of us."
"Just go," Sonny demanded.
"Why did you talk with him, daddy?" Michael asked. "You said that I should never talk to the bad man."
"You shouldn't, Mike," Sonny said. "But I'm an adult, I can handle myself. You shouldn't have run away from your Aunt Courtney like that."
"He's going to take Damian away from us again, isn't he?" Michael looked worried. "He stole mommy from us, and now he's going to take Damian. I know it."
Sonny shook his head, "I don't know what's going to happen, Michael. I really don't know."
"But you always know the answers, daddy," Michael hugged his father, looking for support.
"I'll find a way to make this right, Mike. I promise." It was a promise that Sonny intended on keeping.