Chapter 21
"JOHNNY? Are you here?"
Alexis, entered penthouse 2 the next afternoon eager to find Johnny and Kristina.
"Hey, sis. What's up?"
"Johnny. I want a party. A celebration party. Where's Kristina? KRISTINA?"
Shouting towards the upstairs and not getting an immediate response, she looked back over her shoulder to Johnny.
"Is she here?"
"No, it seems she had the same idea you did. She's been out all morning trying to put together some kind of party for this evening. So, what's up? Why are you so all fired ready to have a party?"
"That, big brother of mine, is for me to know and you to find out. All in good time. All in good time."
"Ok, Ok. I believe you'll find Kristina in Michael's quarters."
"Great, see you later. We'll call when we're ready and it's your responsibility to make sure Sonny, Michael and Dixon are in attendance. Got it?"
Laughing at her enthusiasm Johnny shook his head. "Got it."
At 6:00 that evening, Alexis called Johnny to let him know they were ready. Johnny hung up the phone and returned to sit with Sonny and Dixon. They were waiting in Sonny's penthouse for the girls to call. While Dixon was being entertained by Michael, Sonny and Johnny were discussing the coffee business.
"Sonny, are you sure this is what you want? I don't need you to do this for me. I can find a job on my own."
"Johnny, we're family. There's not much I can offer you to express my thanks to you for what you did for me. Giving you the only part of my organization that is clean still doesn't seem enough. But, it's yours."
"Sonny, you said it. We are family. Families don't owe each other. We do what we do for each other because we are family, not in spite of it."
"I'm learning that, Johnny. But, let me do this. I need to do this for you. Don't get me wrong. There's something in it for me as well." Sonny grinned slyly.
"Don't think that I haven't considered how Alexis would look at this gift. That maybe it will give me a leg up in her eyes."
Laughing at Sonny's honesty Johnny slapped him on the knee and went to answer the phone with a parting shot back at Sonny.
"Don't let it be said that I stood in the way of you trying to impress my sister."
Hanging up the phone, Johnny told the others the girls were ready.
Alexis and Kristina had hung streamers and balloons all over the place. Rather than taking the time to prepare dinner themselves they called a caterer and provided a feast for the evening. There was American fare, Greek fare, Cuban fare and child fare. Everyone's taste would be satisfied. Music was playing quietly in the background and the women were dressed casually so it would be a comfortable evening.
Alexis spent the morning putting together surprises for everyone and she was eager to get the party started. Hanging up from calling Johnny she ran to the door to open it. She could not ever remember being so carefree and happy. It was a new experience and it was one she relished and never wanted to be without again.
Opening the door she smiled at each man as they entered. She kissed Dixon on the cheek as he entered gesturing him toward the sofa to make himself comfortable. She took Johnny's hand and pulled him to her as she kissed his cheek, again gesturing him toward the living room. As Sonny entered leading Michael, she grinned shyly, hugged him to her and kissed him tenderly, not caring who was watching. Closing the door behind them she turned to see tears in Michael's eyes. Kneeling before him and looking questioningly at him she asked what was wrong.
"You didn't kiss me Alexis. You kissed everybody but me. Are you mad at me?"
"No, my love. I didn't think you would want me to kiss you. You and I are friends and I wouldn't want to do anything that would change that. I would love to kiss you and hug the stuffing out of you. You wouldn't mind?"
Michael didn't answer her. But, he did throw his little body into her arms and quickly kiss her cheek.
Alexis folded the tiny body of Michael into her arms loving the feel of him. As she felt Michael's kiss on her cheek, tears invaded her eyes and she recognized for the first time in her life how much she wanted to have a child of her own; how incomplete her life would be if she never had the chance to have her own child.
Hugging Michael knocked on that door of her heart that she had closed and locked because of her past. With everything finally falling into place she allowed herself the luxury of wondering what a child of hers would be like.
Releasing Michael, she stood and took Sonny's hand pulling him with her into the living room to sit him down on the sofa beside Johnny noting that Kristina had now joined the group.
"I have been very busy today. I have a gift for each of you. A gift that I think you will want and one that I think you each need.
Walking over to the dining room table she picked up her briefcase and walked back toward the group.
"First, Sonny." She pulled out a legal document and handed it to him.
"This is a fully executed document of adoption. Michael belongs to you in every way now."
Sonny stood and enveloped Alexis in his arms and whispered, "Thank you. I'll express my gratitude more completely later." Kissing her briefly, he winked at her and sat back down to let her continue. She was in her element and he loved seeing her take control of a room.
She turned to Michael as she pulled another document out of her briefcase and knelt down to capture his complete attention.
"Michael, I just gave your dad a piece of paper that tells him no one can ever take you away from him or him away from you." Handing Michael a sheet of paper that looked very official, she continued.
"This is a copy of the paper I gave your dad. This is your copy for you to keep always."
Michael looked at the document and back to Alexis wide-eyed with wonder. Taking it very carefully in his hands he turned to Sonny.
"Look dad, just like yours. Nobody can ever take me away. Alexis said so. Will you put it with yours, dad? And don't let anything happen to it."
Looking at Alexis and then to his son, with tears in his eyes, "No son, I won't let anything happen to it, ever. Whenever you want to see it, just ask."
Standing back up, Alexis turned to Dixon.
"My friend, you came through for me when I needed it the most. You put your life on the line to help me save my family. You are as much my brother as Johnny is and I want to give you back a piece of what you gave me." Signaling to Kristina, she watched Dixon.
Dixon, becoming uncomfortable with the attention she was publicly giving him followed Kristina with his eyes, and could not contain the sob that rose in his throat as he saw his mother enter the room. Quickly rising he went to her and enfolded her in his arms as the tears fell down his face.
He stood their holding his mother letting the feel of her in his arms heal the years he had been without her. Pulling back his arms he led her to the seat he just vacated; holding her hand a moment longer as a promise that he would return to her, he walked to Alexis and put his arms around her and buried his head in the crook of her neck. Not being an openly emotional man did not matter as he sobbed his gratitude to her. Separating himself from her, he took her face in his hands and kissed her right cheek and then her left as he had been taught as a child to do when honoring someone of royalty, someone due the highest respect. With tears still evident in his voice, he quietly spoke his heart.
"Thank you, my friend. Thank you. My heart and my life are yours to command. Whatever you need, wherever you go. My life is yours."
Acknowledging that he was devoting himself to her, Alexis took his hands from her face and held them within her own.
"Dix, your life is precious. It is your life. You owe yourself the chance to make of it what you want. Do not ever give it away again. Seeing you united with your mother is all the thanks I need. You deserve a good life. You have a gift for protecting children. Take it and use it. Become the man you wanted to be so long ago. You have the chance to begin again. Take it."
"I will Alexis. I will make you proud of me. I will make my mother proud of me. You may call me anytime you need help. I'll be there. Let me continue to share your triumphs. You are also gifted. We will remain a team, fighting for the rights of children. Together we will make a difference."
Alexis released him to return to his mother's side and let her gaze fall on Johnny. She watched him a moment as he held the hand of his Nana. He had not seen her since the night she took Kristina from his arms. The night he thought Kristina had died. He knew now that his 'Nana' had saved Kristina's life.
Johnny slowly slid off the couch and kneeled in front of his Nana. Taking her face in between his hands he kissed first her right cheek and then her left. Looking in her eyes he spoke for the first time, his voice also thick with emotion.
"Thank you for saving my sister. Thank you for caring for me all of those years. For the rest of my life, I will stand with your son. We will protect you, care for you. He is my brother by choice. Whatever you need, I am your servant."
Johnny felt her hands fall on his shoulders and then lift to his face.
"My little boy has grown to be a man. I can see in your eyes, you are a good man. My heart is proud of you. You came through the storm. You survived. Is good. Your Lexie, she too has good heart. So much love in one so young. You have your sisters once more, be servant to them."
Johnny took her hands in his and kissed them before standing. Turning to Alexis he approached her and took her in his arms.
"Thank you, Lexie. She is not my mother, but she is who I remember. And she is right about you. There is so much love here for one so young. You constantly amaze me at your ability to give. With all that was taken from you, I've never seen you take anything for yourself from anyone. You didn't let the events of your life dictate who you would be. You rose above it and became your own person. I am so proud of you. Mom would be so proud of you. Teach me, Lexie. Teach me how to be honorable. Teach me what you have learned. I want to know. As much as I would have wanted Mom to be proud of me, more than that I want you to be proud of me. I want your approval. Will you teach me?"
Stepping back and wiping the tears from her face, she looked into Johnnys eyes.
"Johnny, I am proud of you. I chose you to be my brother before I knew you actually were. I do not choose the people I place in my life carelessly. I wanted you to have a special place in my heart. I never could have imagined just how special you would be. You have proven my choice to be a perfect one. But, Johnny, bringing Nana here was not my gift to you. I have a very special gift for you that I hope you will accept. You do not have to accept my gift to you, but I hope you will."
Alexis opened her briefcase again and pulled out another document and handed it to Johnny.
"Johnny, do you remember what you asked me night before last? You asked me if I would adopt you. My answer is...yes, with all of my heart, yes."
Johnny looked at the document he held in his hands. It wasn't an adoption document. How could it have been? How could one's sister adopt an older brother?
What he held in his hand was a legal document stating that John Mitchell Cassadine would from this day on and forevermore be known as John Mitchell Davis. All it needed was his signature to be valid. He clutched her again in his arms and listened to her as she softly spoke to him.
"Johnny, your new life begins today. It is a journey that you begin today. One that will be yours and yours alone. The choices you make from now on will determine the man you will be. I will stand with you and support you. If you should find yourself in trouble, call me. If you find yourself confused or concerned about the intricacies of life, call me, together we will work to find the answers. You are as much a part of me as I am a part of you. We have a bond that can never be broken. I love you with all my heart and I am eager to witness your success on the journey you have begun."
Johnny listened to every word she spoke and burned them into his heart. Her words would come back to him often in the years to come and they would lift him and support him, they would comfort him when he faltered. The little girl who had been his companion the first few years of his life, the one he learned to laugh with and play with, was now a source of strength for him. How could he fail in his journey with such love and devotion supporting him?
"You're right, little sister, my journey begins now with you, with this document. The first decision on this new journey is to ask you for a pen. I am eager to begin my life as John Davis."
Alexis handed Johnny a pen and watched as he signed his new name. Her heart was full and ached with the emotion of the moment. Watching him complete his new signature she took his arm and turned him toward the group who had been watching the two of them and heard her words to him.
Alexis proudly looking up into Johnny's eyes announced him.
"Ladies and gentlemen may I present to you for the first time, my brother, John Mitchell Davis."
"Hey, you guys, what about me? What if I want to change my name too?"
Alexis and Johnny looked at Kristina then back to each other and rolled their eyes at each other. Laughing at her inability to stay silent during any kind of a moment, Alexis reached into her briefcase and pulled out the final document.
"Kristina, I figured you would want in on this, so I prepared one for you as well. All you have to do is sign it and you will become Kristin Bergman Davis from now on."
"You gave me my mother's name? Oh, Alexis. Somebody quick, gimme a pen before she changes her mind."
The party lasted a couple of hours before winding down. Sonny and Alexis now stood on his balcony watching the city lights below. Sonny with his arms wrapped around her held her back against him and reveled in the fact that this wonderful woman was a part of him. While he sat and watched her take care of her family this evening he had made a few decisions of his own and wanted to share them with her. So holding her against him he began to tell her.
"Alexis, I made a few decisions myself this evening."
When she tried to turn to face him, he stopped her.
"No love, just let me hold you like this. I don't want any distractions from you until I've told you everything."
"Are you expecting me to distract you?"
"Your eyes alone are enough to send me reeling. Now hush and let me tell you."
Alexis quieted and curiously waited for him to continue.
"I have watched you handle one circumstance after another for over two months now. And no matter what has been thrown at you, you have handled it with grace, dignity and wisdom. I admire you more than any one I have every known. And in comparing how you handle things with how I have always handled them, I find that I am very ashamed. No, don't move. Let me finish. In looking back at the major events of my life and the decisions I have made, I can see now the decisions that should have been made. I am not proud of who I am. I am not proud of the organization I have built. It has been built on deceit, dishonor and the blood of many. There is a lot that I will have to answer to on judgment day. I am not worthy enough as a man to offer myself to you. Please, be still and let me finish."
Alexis was having a hard time keeping still much less quiet. She could hear the anguish in his voice as he spoke and she wanted to comfort him, but every time she tried to shift in his arms, he stopped her. Finally recognizing that he was having trouble communicating his feelings to her she quieted. She understood that he simply needed her to listen without response until he finished.
"But, I am now finding that, like Johnny; I want my life to be different. You've made me want to change. I once told you that I had too much to lose here. The truth of the matter is, nothing here is worth anything if I lose you. And I can't ask you to stand by a man who has no boundaries in what he will do to get what he wants. I love you too much to put you in any further danger. You've had enough of that in your life. You deserve so much more. So, I've made the decision to leave the organization."
Alexis broke away from his arms and slowly turned to face him.
"You're going to leave the organization?"
"Yes. I am. I'm calling Benny in the morning to bring the boys together. After I walk out, I'll have to leave the country for a while. It will be too dangerous for a couple of years for me to stay here. Once everyone realizes I mean business and have no intention of starting up somewhere else, they'll leave me alone. But, you gotta quit interrupting me. I'm not finished."
"Sonny, how do you expect me to keep quiet over a bombshell like that?"
"Well, you're just gonna have to, now shut up and come back here."
Once he settled her in his arms again, he continued. He was a little apprehensive about what he still wanted to say to her.
"I can't ask you to stay with me while I go through the process of exiting the organization. It could get very dangerous. But, once its over, I wonder if you would consider becoming my wife?"
He felt her tense, but was unprepared when she bolted out of his arms turned and launched herself back at him. He would have ended up on the ground with her if the wall had not caught him.
"SONNY, are you kidding? Please tell me you are not teasing me."
Looking at her sternly with the faintest glimmer of a smile he disengaged her arms from him and turned her back around to once again hold her against his chest.
"I wasn't finished yet. Will you please calm yourself and let me finish. I can tell right now, you are going to be incredibly difficult to keep focused. Now, as I was saying, if you were to agree to be my wife, as much as I love my son, I just don't think I could survive without a daughter that is the perfect image of her mother. Would you consider having a child with me?"
He felt her tremble and watched her head lower. He felt her body lean in to him as her knees gave way. He held her lovingly as she cried. Just as they reached the ground he turned her toward him as he wrapped his arms around her. Softly stroking her hair he rocked her back and forth. He wasn't concerned by her reaction because he had learned what her fear felt like when he held her. He had learned what her anger and worry felt like in his arms. This was not a negative response he felt. His beautiful Alexis was opening doors in her heart. Allowing hope back in. She was once again opening her heart to all the hopes and dreams women have as young girls. A man to hold and belong to; a child to love and cherish! She was opening her heart to finally accept that she, Alexis Davis, could have a life of love, laughter and sharing. He bent his head toward hers as he heard her whisper...
"Yes, Sonny. I will marry you and yes, I want to have a baby with you. But, Sonny, please, don't make me wait. I've waited too long already. Please, don't make me wait."
"All right, mi amore, my love, well begin our future tonight. You do not have to wait any longer. Tonight we will begin our own journey. We will create our own legacy."
He stood slowly picked her up in his arms and walked toward the stairs. He carried the love of his life, he carried the mother of his future children, he carried his future. And unbeknownst to him, he also carried the smile of his mother who finally found the son she lost so long ago the night he lost her.