"It seems you were right. Arresting you was a gamble but the FBI took it anyway. Obviously they thought before it went to trial that they'd have
something more…a witness that ended up flaking, a bust that never materialized so they ended up with egg on their faces. The charges have been dropped."

"What'd I tell you?"

"Before you two end up congratulating each other, you might want to take this into consideration. These guys know strategy – "

"Yeah."

"Whatever they have may not be strong enough to take to court, but they still have it and now they don't even have to reveal it in all its glory so they're going to hang onto it and they're going to keep digging until they think they have a sure thing. So, my advice to both of you would be to give them nothing to dig up. Be good citizens, stop for red lights, pay your library fines, et cetera."

"See now, the FBI just proved they don't need any reason to come after Sonny or me. They're just going to haul us in whenever they feel like it. (Sonny nods in agreement) And if that should happen again, Ms. Davis, can we count on you?"

"I'm not ungrateful. I appreciate that you checked into what Jax's brother was doing and that you kept what you found to yourself. However – (to Sonny) 50 years from now, when I'm on my deathbed, I don't want to keep being told that I owe you a favor."

"(to Jason) Did anyone say that? (Laughs) Alexis: (laughs sarcastically) I'll continue to represent you, under the same conditions as before. The day that either of you is charged with a violent crime that you cant look me in the face and say that you didn't do, I'm
done."

"Fair enough."

Stepping inside Penthouse two after months of being away was a reluctant step she'd dreaded taking, now standing before Jason Morgan, she wondered what had possessed her to agree to meet him here? Stepping off the elevator had been hard enough, but now being inside a place that had once been her home, a place she and Sonny had once considered a safe haven. Now, it only acted as a painful reminder of what had been lost since that fateful day in April, scanning the room she felt sadness, so flat with feeling ... the decor minimal, the warmth gone ... yet Alexis could conjure up moments in time, moments she'd unsuccessfully tried to block from her mind, only her heart always seemed to win out.

Jason had called her here for help, he hadn't explained anymore over the phone, and though her first instinct was to hang up on him, something in his voice had tugged at her, made her curious as well as concerned, after everything that had happened, he'd called her out of loyalty and respect regarding their past history, she'd initially balked at the thought of coming to the Penthouse, she'd been assured Sonny was gone, as well as Carly, which had struck Alexis odd, until Jason explained the reasons neither of them would be coming home.

Her voice came out little more than a whisper, her eyes glancing away from Jason's, " Why'd he do it?"

How was he supposed to answer that, Jason wondered, the truth was he wasn't sure why Sonny had so easily confessed to Alkazar's murder, he had his suspicions, but Sonny remained tight lipped.

"That's a question only Sonny can answer." Jason replied, he'd battled over even involving Alexis in this, after everything that had happened, and with her pregnancy in it's late stages, he'd worried, but with Brenda's encouragement he'd relented.

"A question your refusing to answer, " Alexis retorted sharply, stepping around him and making herself at home on the couch, " as always unwilling to break the "Code"."

"Alexis, I didn't call you here to argue, " Jason kept his voice even, " I asked you here, because I think your possibly the only one that can really understand or help me on this."

"I need to know..." Alexis hesitated looking away and then glancing up into his steely blue eyes, " did he ask for me ... for my help?" Even though she tried to hide her emotions, Jason was well aware of the hope behind her eyes, he knew the answer he was about to give her would hurt and he hated doing it to her, but she deserved the truth.

"No, if fact he was adamant that you were to be kept out of this."

Her heart fell, despite her best efforts not to care, she did and it hurt to know he didn't want her anywhere near him... a man that had more or less told her he hated her and after the secret she'd kept from him, the ugly words she'd spoken to him, she really couldn't blame him.

"Are, my ears deceiving me or did you just tell me you defied direct orders?"

A rare weary smile spread across Jason's face, he shook his head in amusement and nostalgia... Alexis, this was the woman he remembered, temperamental, opinionated, Calm, Cool, and Collected Alexis, who had also been a trusted friend ... he hoped eventually their friendship could be restored.

"It's been known to happen, Alexis, hardly the first time."

"Yeah, well it's news to me... So are you going to tell me who he's trying to protect this time, because we both know he's innocent."

Jason was taken aback; he hadn't expected this reaction at all, she must've noticed because she waved a hand carelessly through the air.

"Sonny had ample opportunity to be rid of Luis Alkazar, months ago, a simple phone call, money changing hands and another problem swept under the rug... Sonny can be impulsive, quick tempered, irrational ... but he isn't sloppy, if he had killed Alkazar, there would be no prints, there would be no body ... now I'll ask you again, who's he protecting?"

"I think you need to ask Sonny, " Jason replied, "he's the only one with the answers."

"That's always been your style hasn't it? Taking care or those you care about, no matter what it costs you in return."

Jason kept his eyes steady with hers, " We're more alike than you care to know Alexis."

"How so?"

"We sacrifice our own happiness for the people we love maybe our reasons are different, but I always thought we had that in common."

"Pardon my reluctance to agree, but I find it hard to believe that I'd share anything in common with a person who beat someone senseless out of duty to his mentor, do you ever stop and think of your actions, Jason?"

"I had a direct order, it's my job to follow through with It."

"How can you stand there and say those words to me Jason... I know there's more to you, I've seen the good side ... that's why I have to ask, did you ever stop to think to question Sonny, why he went from caring for Zander to ordering him to be taught a lesson ... was he angry at Zander's betrayal, or was it really because Zander was honest regarding what happened between Carly and him?" Alexis let out a long breath, then continued," That holy truth Sonny prides himself so much on ... well he's proved he cant handle it when it's told."

"I don't expect you to understand Alexis, the things we do aren't meant to directly hurt or alienate the people around us, we're doing our job, we're protecting what's ours."

"But see, I want to understand, get behind that calm facade you and Sonny put on so well, to see what motivates you to act as Judge and Jury... Luckily, I've left that part of my life behind ... it's in the past."

"No you haven't Alexis, " Jason shook his head, crossing his arms in front of his chest, "You can hide behind the Quartermaine name, deny that you ever worked for me or Sonny ... but the truth is you liked us and we liked you ... we we're friends, you protected our rights and we protected you in return...not because we had to, but because we cared... I think you miss it, and I think you might regret some of your decisions."

"Well, you couldn't be more wrong and might I add insulting, I made my decisions based on the circumstances."

"Honestly Alexis, I think the best thing you did was walking away when you did, it's been ugly and sadly you suffered from the brunt of it ... but for the safety of your baby it was the right decision, one Sonny will learn to accept."

"Why should I care if Sonny's accepts my choices regarding my baby's safety?"

"Because any Father would understand a Mother's desire to keep her child away from danger."

"He isn't theFather Jason ... he doesn't still hold onto some idea he's the Father does he?" Alexis' eyes widened, her pulse racing.

"He doesn't talk about it, when Carly would bring it up, he'd pour himself a drink and go stare out the window, he wanted it to be his ... he was proud you were going to be the Mother of his little girl ... but it wasn't safe, Alkazar was still on the loose ... actions had to be taken."

Her throat was dry, the question came out in a croak," What exactly are you getting at Jason?"

"I know the truth ... even if Sonny doesn't... I do," Jason spoke softly, " I switched the results."

Alexis leaned back into the leather cushions and raised her hands up to her face, then quickly dropped them into her lap, grasping with this revelation, Jason had switched the results and Ned had lied to her.

"Why ... why would you do it?"

Jason studied the range of motions playing across her features, a mixture or shock, regret, apprehension, and gratefulness vivid in her brown eyes.

"Because even if I believe Sonny has every right to know he's about to be a father ... he's also not capable of making a rational decision right now."

"Please... Please tell me this had nothing to do with Carly."

"I can't do that Alexis ... the fact is, she factored into my decision, but for the most part it had to do with Sonny coming to terms with his feelings once and for all, he's been running around in circles ... it's like you said Alexis, he's different, I've seen it for awhile, but for Michael and Carly's sake I turned a blind eye, because I thought he owed it to them to try."

"I see ... so in other words you played God, " Alexis' her voice was raised, full of anger, " your blind eye never considered the ramifications ... not only did you enable Carly's schemes, you decided Sonny was entirely to blame and so he should he held accountable for her actions." Alexis was beyond livid and she clumsily lifted herself off the couch, flinching at Jason's hand helping her up, " when did you decide all of this ... when did you choose to believe Carly's manipulations over your friendship with Sonny... I can't believe you of all people would do this ... your his best friend, he considers you his brother."

"Your having his Baby, yet you chose not to tell him, you were a close friend, closer than I ever realized, it wasn't until Sonny confronted you that first time about the baby, that I got suspicious."

"Why be suspicious, Sonny was relieved not to be tied to me."

"Where you might of picked up relief Alexis, I saw denial ... he couldn't or wouldn't grasp the idea of you with Ned ... the day he saw you two at the cottage, he came back spouting that he was relieved ... but I've known Sonny along time... I tend to notice when his mask begins to slip, he said the words, but they held little meaning, he was trying to convince himself more than me."

"You remained Silent why?"

"For a lot of reasons and I'm not saying they were the right ones... I tried talking myself into thinking I was reading to much into it, but even Carly knows that whether Sonny's with her or not, his heart has moved on, it moved on quite awhile ago, he made his choice and then he watched as it slipped through his fingers, out of obligation to me, to Michael, and yes even Carly, for a while we were a family Alexis, but people change."

"You'll get no arguments from me." Alexis bit her lip, then suddenly shifted the conversation, " does he have representation?"

Jason realized Alexis was peddling backwards, to many truths revealed, to many emotions brought to the surface, he complied with her silent plea.

"Actually that's why I called... Scott Baldwin has seen to it that Sonny's name is so tainted in the press, no one wants to touch him."

"What do you need me to do, he's not going to listen to what I have to say, " Alexis replied.

"Sonny made it clear he doesn't want your help legally."

"What makes you think I was willing to give it?" Alexis asked narrowing her eyes, " I'm to biased to handle it anyway ... but I know of someone that might be able to help."

"Who?"

"Just an attorney I've worked with in the past, he moved to Colorado a few years ago, butI knowI can locate him."

"Will Sonny like him?"

"Does he have a choice?"