AN: Sorry that this wasn't out a little sooner, but I'm working now and it's kinda hard to write, although I have been trying. So don't worry, this story will still progress, but not as fast as it could, unless it's a weekend… =D I'm glad everyone likes this story, it makes me feel special.

Happy 4th to all the Americans out there!!! =D

Now onto the story…

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Golden Child

Chapter Two

Alexis looked at me for a moment, as if trying to decide where to start. "Kristina, this is a long, complicated story."

I nodded. "I figured that."

She smiled weakly, inhaled, and then began, "I was–still am–a lawyer. Back in the day, I had many prestigious clients. One of them, however, stuck out at me. I began to find myself becoming attracted to him, but I knew he was involved, so of course I didn't do anything to jeopardize his marriage." She closed her eyes, as if she was reliving the memory.

"However, even though he was married, he flirted, played games with me, and one night, somehow, one thing led to another, and a few weeks later, I learned I was pregnant." I scowled, knowing what my mother was trying to say. I was very grateful, however, that she spared any details. "But you know, he was–still is–married, so I couldn't really tell him. His wife at the time wasn't able to conceive, which added insult to injury, and so I lied and said that someone else was your father to protect your biological father and his wife." She looked at me expectantly, trying to read me. I furrowed my eyebrows because I was coming to realize something that Alexis wasn't stating directly, but was implying. I let her continue before I asked her anything.

"I was dealing with some other stuff at the time–your aunt and namesake, Kristina, had just died–long story–but anyway, I guess all the extra stress made me start contractions earlier, and you were born, many months too early, and I was scared you were going to leave me too... everyone else already had." Alexis breathed deeply, apparently trying to compose herself. "Anyway, finally, after months in the ICU, you were released, but your father–the person that everyone had come to believe was your father–was battling for custody rights; after people found out that I killed the person I thought killed your aunt, they didn't think I should be allowed to raise you, and so to stay out of jail, I pretended to be schitzo. Kristina, I did it all out of love for you, but no one could see that. So when Ned got full custody of you, when you were three, I couldn't stand it anymore. I moved away, moved away from the place that was full of so many bad memories, started over in a new town, changed my name, built up my reputation as a lawyer... in fact it got so reputed, one of the Quartermaines–Monica, I think–asked if I could be their personal attorney, and so I came back. But I never, ever forgot you, Kristina, never. I just knew that you had a good life and I didn't want to take that away from you–I have always wanted what's best for you."

"So..." I said slowly, absorbing all of this, and beginning my questions, "today–when you came to the house--you came to see Monica?"

Alexis nodded. "I mean, I knew subconsciously you'd be there, but I didn't expect you to answer the door... and when I saw you... I mean, it's been nine years, Kristina, you've grown up so much... it just took over me."

I sighed, not knowing what to make of this. And then another question–the big one that had been bothering me the whole time–came into mind. "Wait, so you're saying that Ned Ashton isn't my biological father?"

"That's correct." I raised an eyebrow–I guess my mother really was a lawyer. Wait, did I just call this woman whom I barely knew, who let me be raised by people who weren't my blood, my mother? Whoa.

"Then..." I only had one more question–I could understand the desperation she went through, given the events that happened right around my birth. Maybe this was because I really am my mother's daughter... but anyway, I finally voiced the inevitable question that hung in the air.

"If Ned Ashton isn't my biological father... then who is?"

Alexis took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and said, "Sonny Corinthos."

Sonny Corinthos.

I lay on my bed that night, pondering over this revelation.

Sonny Corinthos.

After hearing that, I widened my eyes in shock, then got up and ran. I don't know how I did it, but I ran and I ran, ran with Alexis shouting "Wait!" after me, ran past a startled Nikolas in his chair, ran past the huge doors, ran onto the docks, ran onto the waiting boat that had somehow turned up, and sat, catching my breath, as I wished for the boat to somehow go faster, to zip up onto the mainland so I could start running again, running away from the truth. I finally made it to my room, lay on my bed, the thoughts running just as fast as I had been. I knew him. Well, I didn't know him personally, but I knew his daughter, Bellatrix*–she had been in my classes in my schools. She had said her father didn't want her in danger, so he sent her off. We had hit it off right away when we both discovered, even though we were miles from home, that we came from the same place. Realizing the irony of the thought, I sighed. We did come from the same place. We were sisters.

And Hope Morgan**, Bella's best friend and cousin, was my cousin too. Heck–she already was my cousin [she's Jason's daughter, with Sonny's sister, Courtney]... this was just really weird. I had know her too, in my school days. This was just too weird for me.

"So now," I said, half out loud and half to myself, "my full name is... Kristina Rosemary Hunter Quartermaine Ashton Cassadine Davis Corinthos... very interesting." Even though I wasn't related to the Quartermaines by blood, I still considered them family. Kind of like my mother–I mean step-mother. This was weird. Can't I just have two mothers?

I lay there knowing that I wouldn't get that much sleep that night, when another thought hit me.

You have your father's eyes.

So that's what Alexis meant. I got up and looked in the mirror again. I had remembered Bella saying something about how she inherited a lot of her father's looks, and I realized that she and I looked a lot alike. Maybe this is what Jason was talking about, I thought to myself. Yeah, I did look a lot like Bella, except my hair was a little lighter than hers. Wow. I wondered why we had never noticed this before.

So many questions were running through my mind—like, where would I live now? I knew Edward didn't like the people who were not blood-related and were living in his house, especially my mot–wait, stepmother. And since I wasn't blood-related on either side of my family… what was I gonna do? I had too many people that I was related to that could take me in, yet I didn't really know any of them, except the Cassadines, and I didn't really want to live there either.

Finally, my mind was too tired to think anymore, and I fell into a shallow and restless sleep.

The next morning dawned bright and clear, and for a moment I thought that the previous day's events were just a dream, until I saw my reflection in the mirror again and remembered. I sighed heavily and sat on my bed, just thinking, until there was a knock on the door.

"Can I come in?"

My stepmother peered into my room. I nodded and she sat down on the bed next to me, stroking my hair. "Where did go you go last night? We were worried about you."

I looked at her but still didn't say anything. "Are you okay, Kristina?"

I shrugged. "I know everything, Mom. I know things I bet you don't even know."

"Well," she said in a soothing voice, "tell me what you know."

"I'll make this simple for you," I told her, as her eyes narrowed and she gave me a look. I really didn't care, though—I was feeling quite irritable and didn't really want to deal with anything this early in the morning. And besides… she wasn't my mother anyway. "My full name? It's Kristina Rosemary Hunter Quartermaine Ashton Cassadine Davis…" I saw her make a face as I trailed off, then saw her expression contort into one of shock as I completed my thought. "… Corinthos."

"What?"

"You heard me. Dad—Ned—isn't my biological father. Sonny Corinthos is."

"But… how…"

"A one night stand… an affair… whatever you want to call it, but yeah, I'm sure you know how that works."

"Don't get started with me, young lady." Mom—Skye—was eyeing me in "mother mode." "Just because I may not be your biological mother, it doesn't mean you can talk to me in that tone."

I tried to resist the urge to roll my eyes; I didn't want that much trouble. So I sighed instead. "I'm sorry… it's just that this is all so overwhelming, you know? I couldn't sleep well last night."

Skye nodded in understanding. "It'd be hard for anyone, after finding that out."

I looked at her and unwanted tears filled my eyes. "Where am I going to live now? Great-grandfather is going to kick me out, isn't he?"

Sighing heavily, she replied, "I honestly don't know, Kristina. It's a wonder he didn't kick me out—it's only because I'm married to your father, and even then he doesn't quite approve."

I sighed also. Great-grandfather Edward and I didn't get along quite well, to say the least. "So do you think I should tell him? I mean, I don't feel right somehow staying here, but you're the only family I've ever known…"

"Kristina, honey, if you're not kicked out—if you are, I'm going to fight it tooth and nail—but if you're not kicked out, of course you can stay. We love you… you're the daughter I never had… you are and always will be my daughter, even though we're not blood related."

A wave of emotion came over me—a rare occasion; I'm known to be very stoic—and I rushed to give Skye a hug. "Thank you…"

We stayed there for a while, just holding on to the shreds of the reality that we knew would change very soon.

(*) To the readers that have known Hope as Amanda, I changed her name because of the whole Journey situation right now on the show. It seems unlikely that Courtney cannot have children, yes? But she conceived, and they have a daughter [in this story], that gives them hope. Thus, the name Hope. [I use that name in way too many of my stories. LOL]

(**) For all you Harry Potter fans out there—I had to use that name somewhere, it's an awesome name. =D But she's not bad like her namesake in the book.

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