Second Chances

Chapter 12

Sonny watched the touch between his father and Emily. Emily smiled at Sonny seeing his perplexed look. It wasn't her place to tell Sonny how she knew his father. It was Hector's place.

"Emily, usted no necesita ir."(You don't need to go Emily) Hector said looking at she headed towards the door. He touched her hand stopping her.

"No, seré detrás más adelante que está muy bien. Usted dos necesita una cierta hora junta. No es mi lugar. Usted necesita decir a su hijo qué sucedió. Él entenderá."(No, I'll be back later that is fine. You two need some time together. It's not my place. You need to tell your son what happened. He'll understand.) Emily said lightly touching his hand. She looked at Sonny for a moment and left the room.

Emily walked down the hall. It felt weird being in the halls of General Hospital. She had spent so much of her youth growing up in this place. She walked out into the foyer and saw Jason playing with her son. Carlos looked so much like his father.

"Emily how is Sonny?" Monica questioned.

"He's better. He's resting right now. The bullet didn't do any major damage. Dr. Drake thinks he may be able to leave in a couple of days. Hector is in with him right now."

"Why didn't he tell you the truth that he was alive?" Monica questioned. She knew how much it had broken Emily's heart when Sonny died. "Sonny must have known how much that hurt you?"

"I think he was trying to protect me mom. He was always looking over his shoulder. I could tell that something was bothering him. I just never understood. He wanted to tell me about his past but he was scared." Emily said thinking about that last night together.

"How do you know Sonny's father?" Monica questioned.

"I knew him as Carlos Rodriguez...

"Carlos? As in my grandson?"

"Yes, I named him after Hector because he had been so kind to me. Hector was hiding as well. He had come to Spain to mourn his wife and Sonny's brother Lorenzo. He used the name Carlos as a cover to protect himself. What are the chances that I would meet Sonny's father half way around the world? I had no clue that I was naming Carlos after the man who was really his grandfather. The chances of that happening. I met Hector when I first moved to Spain when I needed some closure after Nikolas died. I heard about a small clinic that needed doctors. I agreed to help them. Hector came into my clinic and I took care of him. I went to his house a couple of times to check on him. We became friends. Carlos was a good friend to me when I needed one. When the clinic was behind on some payments, he agreed to pick up the costs and help us. He kept our clinic open."

"Did he know that his son was alive?" Monica said looking at his daughter.

"I don't know. I think that he assumed that Sonny was killed during the blast as well. I don't know mom. I just can't believe that Sonny is back in my life." Emily said feeling the tears come. She brushed them aside.

Monica brought Emily over to a couch and sat down beside her.

"And you never knew that they were related or knew each other?"

"No, Hector always had to work out of town. He was always doing other work."

"Work for the mob is what he was doing. Emily, how could you become involved with these type of men?" Alan angrily questioned.

"Dad do you have to raise your voice? Please...he's a good man. I know you don't see that. Both of them are." Emily said shaking her head. She looked over at Jason playing with her son.

"He's a gangster, Emily. It's better that you were never involved with him. You knew nothing about this Michael character. Obviously he was hiding his past for some nefarious reason. You should never have gone near him Emily. You know nothing about him." Alan said joining the conversation. The obvious disgust was clearly there in his voice.

"I know everything that I need to Dad. I'm not a child. After Nikolas died, I never thought I would fall in love again."

"So he took advantage of you?" Alan replied with disgust in his voice.

"If advantage you mean taking me out to dinner and showing me how to live again then I guess he did. He's a good man. You have no clue what type of man Sonny is." Emily said defiantly to her father.

"You obviously knew nothing about him either. Sonny lied about his past and what he did. Emily you can't go near him. You could get killed."

"Sonny would never let that happen to me. He would do everything to protect me. He left me to protect me. He never wanted to be a part of his family's business. He was forced to come back to protect me. Dad can't you be happy for me? He came back into my life. I thought that he had died. I have him back in my life. Carlos has his father." Emily said looking at her father.

Jason looked over at his sister for a moment. He questioned if he should come over. Emily shook her head. She could deal with her parents. She had before. Nothing had changed in the years since she had left Port Charles. Jason sighed and looked back at his nephew. He took Carlos's hand and led him towards the cafeteria. Carlos looked at his mother and Emily smiled.

"It's better that he never knows that his father is alive. Carlos could do so much better. It is probably a godsend that he doesn't know him Emily. He shouldn't have to know what type of man his father is Emily. I told you..." Alan said.

"I know exactly what you said dad. I have never forgotten that conversation outside the house. I thought that would change if you got to see your grandson again. I hoped you would accept him obviously I can see now that would be too much to ask. I remember exactly what you told me. I can't forget when you called my son a bastard." Emily said spitting out the word." You said it was better that I never had the baby. I didn't know anything about the man that was Carlos's father and I was better off. I should have stayed home in Port Charles and gotten an abortion. You had some son of a doctor that I could marry." Emily laughed.

"Jacob Keller is a good man. He would have made a fine husband for you. He was willing to look past what happened with Nikolas. I believe you knew him when you started your medical schooling before you went off to see the world." Alan shook his head," Jacob's family is a well off family that comes from old money. Jacob is actually a cardiologist now. He works with your mother right here in General Hospital. I could set up lunch... Nurse Andrews could you page..." Alan continued.

"No, dad. I have my own life now. I knew Jacob when I was in medical school. He was a snob. He was only in it for the money. He didn't care about helping his patients. I can't believe that you would want me to go out with him, let alone marry him." Emily said thinking about the man that gave her the creeps. She had agreed to go out on one date with him. She had regretted it from the moment it started. He was a little forceful with her on their date. She had fought him off and called Jason. If Jason hadn't come...Emily shakes her head. Jason had pleaded with her to tell her parents. Emily refused. Alan believed that the Keller's were a good match for her. She couldn't tell them what really happened. She was planning on leaving Port Charles because it was too suffocating for her. It was a couple days later that she told her parents that she had been accepted to Doctors without Borders as a volunteer.

"The Keller's are on the board for the hospital. Isabel Keller is one of our largest benefactors. Emily, nothing could have been worst then getting pregnant with the bastard child of a gangster. I've tried to give you the best out of life since you came to live with us but..." Alan said regretting it as soon as it came out of his mouth.

"Nice to see how you really feel Dad. So you never really considered me to be your daughter just someone that moved in." Emily said with sadness in her voice.

"Emily you will always be our daughter no matter what. Paige was one of my best friends. I never questioned when she asked us to take care of you when she was dying. Your father is just worried about you. He didn't mean what he said." Monica said looking between Alan and Emily.

"No it's more than that Mom. Grandfather and Aunt Tracy have always treated me different. I was foolish enough to consider giving you one more chance when I came back to Port Charles for Elizabeth's wedding. I wanted you to get to know your grandson, which obviously you never will want to. I feel sorry for you dad. Your grandson is an incredible little boy who has so much potential." Emily said with regret evident in her voice.

Alan walked away shaking his head.

"Emily your father didn't mean what he said." Monica said worrying about her daughter. She looked at Alan.

"No, the sad thing is Mom. I think that he did." Emily said brushing tears away.

Emily walked over towards the window of the hospital and looked out.

"So what will you do now?" Monica said with regret in her voice.

"I'm going to talk to Sonny." Emily said brushing a hand through his hair.

"You still love Sonny don't you?" Monica said looking into her daughter's eyes.

"I don't think I ever stopped mom. I felt so complete when I met Sonny in Madrid. We had such a strong connection. It was even stronger then when I met Nikolas. Nikolas was a good man. I was happy with him but... when I met Sonny it was as if I'd been waiting for him my whole life. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, it does. I felt the same way when I met your father. Alan can be a bull-headed mule sometimes but there is good in there as well. He's just worried about you and talking in anger. I'm sure that he regretted everything that he told you." Monica said looking over at her husband. Alan was over at the nurse's desk talking to a doctor about a patient. He looked over at Monica.