"So are you going to tell me the rest of the story?" Sonny asked, pulling back to look at Alexis, pushing a lock of hair away from her face, he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

Alexis sighed and hugged him tighter, "there's nothing left to tell."

"Oh, I think there is… what else is Ned using against you?"

Pulling out of his embrace, Alexis stepped back indoors, "why don't you tell me what all this is about?"

"Quit trying to change the subject…what's Ned got on you?"

"It's not Ned… and it's not about me, at least not directly."

Sonny rubbed his chin," so it's Carly then… what could Carly possibly say that would make you leave town… you know it's over between us."

"It will never be over Sonny." Alexis shook her head, " she wants you back and she'll stop at nothing to achieve that goal."

"You should've told me… why didn't you just tell me?"

"Carly's using her trump card, Sonny."

"Trump card?" Sonny furrowed his brown, seconds ticked by as the missing piece of the puzzle fell into place, anger permeated throughout his body, "Michael?"

"Now don't you see why I thought it was best to leave?"

"No… what I don't understand is why you felt you had to keep it from me."

"Because I've known you long enough, to realize when you're going to react badly."

"Why not trust me enough to handle the situation."

"Like you handled AJ?" Alexis asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That was different I wasn't thinking clearly."

"You can't stand there and tell me that if I'd told you Carly was going to use Michael… to take him away from you, that I would've gotten a rational reaction."

"What do you expect Alexis… of course I'm going to be angry, but you've got to trust me enough to believe I'd do the right thing."

"The right thing for whom?"

"For my son, Alexis."

Alexis sighed, "you've lost two children, I won't let you lose another one because of me."

Sonny shook his head in frustration, he didn't know what he felt at that moment, the anger was there, but there was a fair amount of sadness and confusion plaguing his thoughts, "I never thought she'd do that… I never thought she'd do that to me."

Alexis looked sympathetically at Sonny, " I won't let her take your son away Sonny."

"It's just your fight anymore Alexis… it's ours, remember?"

"But she'll…"

"Do you remember, Alexis?

Alexis shook her head in defeat, " I do remember Sonny…"

"Good."

"So what are we going to do now?"

Sonny pushed back his growing frustration momentarily, Carly and Ned would have to wait until later, knowing that Jax was already handling matters on the financial end of things, the emotional stuff would have to wait… right now Alexis was the most important thing and he planned on letting her know it.

"What we're going to do is have a nice dinner in our nice new night club, and then we're going back to your apartment to meet up with Brenda and Jason."

Alexis narrowed her eyes, "why do I have a feeling, you haven't heard a word I've said."

"Oh, I heard you Alexis…but I have other ideas on my mind right now."

She was met with a wicked smile, and a sense that she'd indeed jumped off that high dive and right into a life she'd never imagined having, and for once in Alexis' life, she wasn't scared, she wasn't worried… and she wasn't alone.

Meanwhile….

Zander found himself roaming the streets of Port Charles, searching for answers to questions he'd been looking for his entire life.

Who had his parents been, why hadn't they stayed together, and why hadn't his father stood by his mother when she found out she was pregnant?

Or did Jake O'Brien have any idea he'd sired a son, and if he did would he be disappointed to know that son was in fact Zander and what he'd turned out to be?

Questions that his adoptive family had refused to answer, he'd grown up in a house with no warmth, no love, and a picture-less house that was left baron of memories… he'd been an outcast from the day he'd been brought home as an infant and as the years progressed and the long dormant questions had arrived, he'd been met with silence, eventually it was his grandmother who'd told him his mother had perished in a plane crash, he knew it was only to pacify his curiosity… but it only acted to create more.

It was only after the fire, when he'd found the tattered picture of his father, the father he so desperately wanted to know… he ached to see a picture of his Mother, to know what she looked like, but there were none… and yet he still felt a connection to her, to a woman he'd never had the opportunity of knowing, or touching… she still had the ability to live in his heart.

He found himself standing outside Harbor View Towers, it really wasn't any surprise, he'd always ended up here in the past, looking for reassurance, guidance, from the two people in his life that had seen more in him than anyone ever had.

Memories were beginning to resurface, whish a flaw to his plan… those memories were tainted with bitterness, resentment, sorrow and hurt that had transpired between Sonny and he… the doubts that weighed over him, were new to him when it came to Sonny, he'd always valued his friendship and support and now the question of trusting that bond, scared him.

Taking a deep breath, he grasped the handle of the door and swung it open, if anyone could help him it would be Sonny and he had no doubt that the older man would help him and to Zander Smith that counted for something.

On Top Of the World

Sonny had taken Alexis on the grand tour of the top floor of Harbor View towers, and Alexis was still confused.

"You're really going to open a restaurant?"

"Night club Alexis, Night club and a Casino."

"Is that legal?"

"Legal as they get." Sonny grinned, cocking his head to the side.

"Mmmm, that's comforting." Alexis replied, grinning suspiciously, "does said night club, have a name?"

"I'm saving that for a surprise."

"Well, it's certainly got a Latin flavor to it."

"I am Latin you know."

"I know Sonny… believe me I know."

"I don't know whether I should be insulted or not."

"Sonny, you'll know when I'm insulting you and now isn't one of those times."

Sonny smiled, winking slyly he reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning in for a kiss, "this is nice."

" I know."

"Do you want to see the gaming room?"

"Not particularly."

"What do you want to see?"

"More of you."

"Alexis, I'm surprised at you."

"Your not the only one with raging hormones mister."

"Glad to know it."

"Take me downstairs… so I can give you a proper welcome home."

Sonny grinned deeply, "we can't."

Alexis furrowed her brown and pulled on the lapel of his coat, "why not?

"I don't live there anymore."