Chapter 19

Alexis and Johnny sat in silence for a few minutes after Sonny left with Michael. They both knew they were about to ride into a storm and needed to mentally prepare for it. As if reading each other's mind, they stood up, took hold of each others hand and headed back toward the penthouse.

It was exactly 4:00 when they heard her knock on the door. It actually sounded like an assault on the door rather than a knock. Johnny looked at Alexis gave her a smile, winked at her and left to go to the bedroom as they discussed earlier. Johnny never actually entered the bedroom; he stayed just out of sight, not willing to go any further away from Alexis than he had to.

Alexis went to the door and opened it. Carly was wild and out of control. Alexis grabbed the door to keep from being knocked down as Carly busted into the room screaming at the top of her lungs, "Who the hell are you and what do you have to do with my husband?"

Alexis very quietly closed the door and followed Carly into the living room. She had changed from her casual attire and was now dressed in her favorite power suit and if Carly had enough sense to take in the total air that exuded from Alexis, she would have known from the moment she entered the penthouse that she had already lost.

"As I told you, Mrs. Corinthos, in the park the other day. I am your husband's attorney and I am representing him in his desire for a divorce from you and sole custody of your son."

"If you think that you can walk into this town and take from me what I've fought so hard for then you aren't as smart as you pretend to be. Sonny will not get a divorce from me and you had best stay away from my son if you know what's good for you."

"Mrs. Corinthos, this whole problem can be resolved very simply and very quickly, but if you choose not to handle it in that manner then believe me I can make it very difficult for you."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, I am simply telling you that I have more options right now than you do. I have had an investigator watching your every move for the last two weeks. I know who you've spoken to, I know every place you've been, I know how much money you've spent and I know what you've spent it on. I also know every phone call you've made and have recorded tapes of each of them. I know how many men you've slept with and have photos to back it up. I know that you have'nt set eyes on your son in two weeks other than maybe catching a glimpse of him in the park a couple of days ago. Need I go on?"

Alexis watched Carly's face go from black anger to, fear, and back to anger again. She also noticed that Carly had slipped into a self-preservation mode. And that is what Alexis was waiting for and why she wanted Johnny in the other room. Carefully watching Carly, she didn't wait for a response.

"I further know that you have spent the better part of the last two days looking for Jason Morgan and Zander Smith. You won't find them. They were arrested 3 days ago."

Alexis saw Carly reach for her purse and just as she was pulling her hand out of it recognized what she held. Carly was pulling out a gun.

"Carly, you don't want to do that. If you kill me, you will loose twice in one day." Carly had her back to the bedroom door and didn't notice Johnny coming up behind her.

She screamed in pain as Johnny took hold of her arm, forced it behind her back and wrenched the gun out of her hand. He caught her neck and slowly began to strangle her.

Seeing what Johnny was doing, Alexis stepped forward. "Johnny, let her go."

He didn't respond so she stepped closer and laid her hand gently on his arm.

"Johnny?"

He slowly turned his head toward her without loosening his hold and met her gaze.

"Johnny, let her go."

As he relaxed his hold around her throat, he heard Carly gasp for air. Looking back at the filth he was holding he shifted his hold on her and literally threw her into the chair a few steps away.

"Don't give me a reason to kill you. You know me; you know I'll do it. For your own sake, you best listen very carefully and very quietly while Miss Davis finishes with you."

"Thank you, Johnny. Would you please take a seat on the sofa while we wrap this up. Mrs. Corinthos, I have here a list of the charges the police can file against you at this moment. If you would like to see them..."

Alexis handed Carly the list and watched the color fade from her face.

"You can't prove any of this."

"I can and have. Both Jason and Zander have a similar list filed against them and as I have already told you, they have been arrested. The only reason you haven't been is because of your son."

"What do you mean, my son. What's he got to do with this?"

"Mr. Corinthos, because of Michael, is giving you a way out of this mess. He doesn't believe it to be in the best interest of the child to know that his father sent his mother to prison. So he is giving you a choice. You can either sign those divorce papers relinquishing any ties you have to Mr. Corinthos and Michael Corinthos or you can go to jail. The choice is yours."

Looking from Alexis to Johnny she arrogantly stood up. "It doesn't look like I have much of a choice, does it?" Carly knew she had been beaten. She knew she would go to prison if she didn't sign the papers. "Where's the pen?"

The only way Johnny could tell that Alexis was satisfied with the way things were going was the small twitch her mouth made as she handed Carly a pen.

Carly signed the divorce papers, stood up and glared at Alexis. "Am I through here?"

"Not quite yet, there's just one more item of business we need to deal with." Alexis reached behind her and picked up the envelope that lay on the table. She handed it to Carly.

"This is a restraining order. You are not to be found within 100 yards of Michael Corinthos. If you are, you will be promptly arrested. Is that understood?"

"You bitch, you can't keep me from seeing my son." Carly reached up and grabbed Alexis by the wrist and twisted it painfully. Her anger was so hot and quick she forgot Johnny was still in the room.

Johnny stood abruptly. He was not going to allow this piece of trash to talk to Alexis that way much less lay a hand on her. He picked her up bodily and slammed her against the wall holding her there as her feet dangled unable to make contact with the floor. He could feel Alexis hand on him trying to restrain him.

"Johnny if you hurt her I'll lose you. Don't. Please."

Johnny slowly released her and stepped back.

"Carly, I would suggest you watch your language. Whether you are capable of recognizing it or not you are in the presence of a lady and I will not allow you to speak to her in that manner. And for the record, if you ever lay a hand on her again, I'll kill you."

Carly looked toward Johnny and saw that he wasn't bluffing. She sent Alexis a venomous look.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, Mrs. Corinthos, it is."

She watched as Carly turned and slammed her way out of the penthouse. Alexis, took a deep breath and found the nearest chair to fall into. She had turned white as a sheet. Alexis had been on the receiving end of such threats before, but she thought that she had finally gotten to a place in her life where she could handle it. But Carly, within the space of seconds, brought back the terror that Alexis thought was finally locked away. What frightened her the most was the moment Carly grabbed her wrist she recalled a memory from her past. The memory of someone who still held the ability to destroy her whether she wanted to admit it or not. Alexis, felt such an intense fear at that moment that she started to tremble.

Johnny saw Alexis drop into the chair and saw the fear come over her. He dropped to his knees beside her and put his arms around her. What he felt going through her body took his mind back to a time he wanted to forget. He remembered holding his own little sister like this feeling the same trembling in her small body. Johnny couldn't help himself. He began to cry. "Lexie, little Lexie. Come back. I need you here." He was stroking Alexis' hair as he called out to his little sister. He couldn't tell which sister he was calling out to anymore, all he knew was the terror that was gripping him. Would he have to relive it all? Was he going to lose another sister?

Alexis was jolted back to the present by Johnny's cries and turned to him. She had never before seen such agony on anyones face before. Her heart went out to him. "Johnny? Johnny? Its okay...its me. Its Alexis. Hey, I'm okay." She reached out to cup his face in the palms of her hands and continued to soothe him with her words until she knew she connected with him.

He looked into her eyes to make sure for himself that she was ok and once he realized she was, he gently laid his head on her shoulder and allowed her to comfort him. He felt her hands rubbing his back and the more she did, the more he relaxed until he completely regained control of himself.

Alexis held her brother in her arms for as long as he needed her to. When she finally felt him move away she once again placed her hands on his face to look into his eyes. "Johnny, you and I are eventually going to have to sit down and talk. We both have stories that need to be told. If we are going to stand together against the world... don't you think it best know each other well enough to know what war weapons we'll need to slay the monsters of the world?"

"Yea, Lexie. You're right. But, not tonight, okay? I need a breather from all this serious stuff. Can we deal a few hands of poker instead?"

Alexis laughed long and hard. She so loved this man. "You get the cards and I'll go call Sonny."