Chapter 7: The Brass Ring

"Ride Horseys?" Molly asked expectantly as Sonny fastened her into the car seat in the back of his SUV.

There was a carousel in the Gallery Mall. It was a cheap imitation of the real thing in Sonny's opinion, but Molly wasn't picky. "You know, your Aunt Lois says that isn't a real carousel. There isn't even a brass ring," he said.

"Horseys?" Molly repeated.

Right, because there is more to life than brass rings. Maybe if he just kept telling himself that it would make it true. Maybe…

"Horseys!" Molly repeated more emphatically.

"Ok, we'll go see the Horseys. But as soon as I can convince your Mama to not panic that I'm taking you outside of Chapparal County limits we're going to go see the real thing. I'll take you to Deno's just like I used to take Brooke. It's better than Disney World I promise," Sonny said as he drove through Candlewick Court and back out to Route 372.

Ric and Alexis had taken Kristina to Disney World the summer before she had turned five. He had argued that she would be too young to appreciate it. Ric had said he was just jealous that Kristina would always remember that Daddy Ric had been the first person to take her to Cinderella's Castle or on the Dumbo Ride.

It wasn't that Ric would be first to take Kristina to Disney that had bothered Sonny. He hadn't wanted to take her to Disney, but he had wanted her to understand that Deno's in Coney Island was better than anything Disney had to offer. Long before Dumbo had even existed there had been flying elephants at Deno's. Anyway, what kind of name was Dumbo? What kind of a name was Daddy Ric?

Daddy Ric, that name had always grated on Sonny's nerves. Heck it had been easier to hear her still calling Dr. Quartermaine daddy with longing in her voice than that Daddy Ric crap. He didn't blame Kristina though; she was too young to have known any better. He didn't want to blame Alexis, so he laid all that blame on Ric. It was deserved though; he was sure of that.

Ric had tried to take his child, but that wasn't all. Ric had tried to take his child just to take something away from him never thinking about how that might affect Kristina. He didn't want to think he had done that to Ned Ashton once. He certainly never even suggested Brooke could call him daddy. Oh, he had shown up at preschool when Lois had told him that annoying Dwayne Robinson's daughter Stacy had called Brooke stupid because she didn't know that everyone had a daddy. Perhaps he should have been the bigger person and called Ned. But Ned was married to Carly by then, so he had justified his actions that Ned had moved on. He hadn't acknowledged that no decent father really moved on from their child.

As he stopped for a light on Federal Avenue, Sonny instinctively glanced over to the courthouse. Alexis was inside there, somewhere, probably chewing on the end of her pen. He wondered if she still had to write out her opening statements on those yellow legal pads by hand. A honk from the car behind him brought Sonny out of his reverie. He saw that the light had turned green and cruised through the intersection.

XXXXXXXX

Alexis looked at the bowl of popcorn on her desk. When she had met Kyle at the door to her office with an extended stack of case files, he had taken a hint. He had left the popcorn though, yet, somehow, she couldn't even bring herself to enjoy it. The truth was she didn't enjoy much but that wasn't something she could share with Kyle any more than she could explain she was upset that the man who had murdered his father might still be alive.

Alexis pushed the popcorn to the side of her desk and tried to distract herself by opening another case file. Distraction was fruitless as she felt the walls closing in on her. Alexis' thoughts raced as she struggled to find enough air in the room. If Ric was really alive then where did that leave her? Was her name on his next bullet? More importantly was Kristina's? Was Molly safe because she really shared his blood? Would Molly grow from a sweet little girl into a cold-blooded killer like her father? Did she believe in nurture over nature? If she did then why was she letting a crime lord babysit?

XXXXXXXX

"I walk, I walk," Molly squealed as Sonny opened the door to the Gallery Mall.

"Just a minute, Princess, I'll put you down once we get inside. People drive like maniacs in that parking lot, you've really got to be on your toes," Sonny said as they passed through the doorway. He stepped off to the side and set Molly down. He reached for her hand and started to stand fully upright as she started to run in the direction of the carousel.

It was a little impressive Sonny decided as he jogged alongside her. She wasn't even quite two and she could remember how to find the carousel which wasn't exactly a straight shot from the entrance they had come in. She was definitely Alexis' daughter but, in his heart, she was his as well.

They reached the carousel in the center of the mall and Molly smiled up at him with expectant excitement. "We only have time for two rides because we have to pick Kristina up from school," he said. Actually, the line was a lot longer than he had anticipated so they might only have time for one ride.

"Krissy likes horsies," Molly said as they joined the end of the line.

That was true, Sonny supposed. Only Kristina wanted a real living and breathing horse. The Quartermaines had a stable out in Hampton Bays. Edward wanted to buy Kristina a horse for Christmas, but Alexis had said absolutely not. That had been fine with him, as far as he was concerned horses were best on a post. "Do you want your sister to ride with us on the carousel?" Sonny asked.

Molly nodded and extended her arms upward as he scooped her up. He settled her onto one hip while fumbling for his cell phone with the other hand to arrange for Marco to bring Kristina to the mall instead of the penthouse after school.

As he closed his phone Sonny was surprised to see Brenda walking towards him. This surprised him for several reasons including that the Gallery Mall wasn't exactly her kind of place; it was a little more middle class than her tastes.

"Hi! Hi Molly!" Brenda said.

"Lucy convinced you to do a live fashion exhibit in the mall?" Sonny asked.

Brenda laughed. "No, not exactly although I suppose that I can blame modeling for this trip. Did you know that Logan's Department Store sells Deception Cosmetics?"

"What?"

"Well, apparently they do and apparently they are personally offended that Cruz and I haven't registered there. So, here I am to register at Logan's. Cruz is supposed to meet me at the Carousel. He had to meet with Mac first though so who knows?"

"Scorpio is here in the mall? Great! My day just keeps getting worse!"

"No, they're meeting at the PCPD. You're just in general not happy to see Mac, right? I mean you wouldn't be coordinating illegal activity with your daughter in your arms," Brenda said.

She sounded like she really believed that, and she was right. So Why couldn't Alexis believe that? Did Alexis really hate him that much?

"You're right," Sonny said quietly.

"So why was your day bad before this?" Brenda asked.

Sonny knew he couldn't even begin to explain everything with Alexis, so he just didn't bother. "Just one of those days, I guess. So, what about you? Are you keeping Eddie in line?"

Brenda laughed. "Actually, he hasn't been that bad."

"So, he's only taken over complete control of your wedding?"

"He thinks that, but see I let him get distracted with all the little unimportant background details. Meanwhile the major decisions get to be mine," Brenda said with a smile.

He still loved her smile. He probably always would, yet even talking to Brenda he found Alexis sneaking into his thoughts. "Very smooth," he said.

"Yes, I learned from the best."

Sonny figured there were a lot of people who could fit into that title. "Emily loaned you her copy of how to survive a Quartermaine wedding?" he asked.

"Close, but not exactly. My strategy advice came from Ned. He says when Edward isn't in a listening to the next generation mood, he and Celia get him distracted with details of projects they have all already agreed are a good thing. Meanwhile they work out the more complicated details of the new projects which are technically supposed to be in limbo and by the time they're ready for a final vote Edward has usually come around enough that if they let him save face by not reminding him that he thought the idea originally was one of their dumbest yet all is well. Although I think maybe he has caught on because it seems like if Ned and Celia are on the same page he usually just says well, it might not be the dumbest idea the two of you have come up with, so it might have some potential, I suppose."

"If you can't beat them join them?" Sonny asked.

"Something like that. Although Edward still owns enough of ELQ outright that he could beat them, I think. It just wouldn't be good for ELQ if he did and I think he realizes that."

"He's so enlightened," Sonny quipped.

"He's getting better, I think. He's lost a lot his wife, several nieces, and grandchildren. He has Brooke back though, she's his miracle."

For a moment Sonny wondered if Brenda had edited the list for his benefit. Then he realized she probably considered Jason to be Edward's grandson although technically Jason was his great nephew as Jason's grandfather, who had died young, had been Lila's brother.

"Even he and Jason are doing a little better now, that's another miracle I suppose," Brenda added.

Sometimes he wondered if Brenda blamed him for the distance between Jason and the Quartermaines. He hadn't turned Jason against them, or not really. He had just given Jason other options. It wasn't his fault Jason had taken them. Or maybe it wasn't he decided as he reflected on an earlier conversation.

April 25, 2007

"So, this was good, we should do it again," Sonny stammered as he and Alexis stood in the hallway outside his penthouse.

"Yes, maybe," Alexis started to say until the elevator doors opened, and Jason stepped out.

"Well, I need to get home. Goodnight, Goodnight, Jason," Alexis said and she was into the open elevator before Sonny could say anything more.

"I'm sorry, man, I didn't mean to turn her into a pumpkin," Jason offered.

"It's alright; she has court in the morning and needs her rest anyway. Kristina is spending the night so she brought some things back for her for the morning," Sonny said. He wanted to believe that Jason had interrupted something more but maybe that was just wishful thinking.

"Ok well goodnight, man," Jason said as he opened the door to his own penthouse.

"How is Brenda?" Sonny asked.

"She must be feeling better, she's back to making me question turning my back on the Quartermaines," Jason quipped.

"You didn't turn your back on them, Jason, they weren't able to accept that you were changed by the accident," Sonny defended his friend's actions.

"Maybe, or maybe I just never gave them a chance to accept it," he finally suggested.

"Don't do this to yourself. I know that Brenda still feels very close to Edward, Monica, and Alan but her experiences were different," Sonny said.

"Don't be upset with Brenda. I think she was just being honest, not manipulative," Jason said.

"I'm not upset with Brenda. You should know by now that is hard for me to do anyway," Sonny said as the elevator opened and Lois Cerullo stepped out.

"Did someone forget to tell me we were having a party?" Lois joked.

"Actually, I was just heading to bed, goodnight," Jason said rather brusquely and disappeared into his own penthouse.

"Am I missing something?" Lois wondered.

"I think he's just worried about Brenda," Sonny said.

"Are Brenda and Jason an item? I mean I know I've lost touch with her a little. I really need to be taking less call! But she's dating Jason now? Why didn't she tell me that? Or are you and Jason having issues about that?" Lois asked.

"Actually, she's dating Detective Cruz Rodriguez and don't even get me started on that topic," Sonny said.

"Why not? It sounds interesting, juicy even perhaps. Why don't you brew us some coffee and you can tell me all about it?" Lois suggested.

"Ok, just remember Kristina is asleep upstairs," Sonny said.

"Alexis is letting Kristina spend the night?" Lois asked with noted surprise.

"Yes," Sonny said simply. He sensed that Lois hadn't exactly connected with Alexis during their overlaping period as Quartermaine wives. She had never specifically said anything critical about her though, or at least not to him. Perhaps he should have realized that the timing was off and there was no way Kristina could be anyone but his child. But he thought Alexis hated him then and he just couldn't face that. So, he had just pretended he didn't love her.

"So, do you have any of your special blend at home?" Lois asked.

"Of course," Sonny said with a smile as he guided her into his penthouse.

When he looked back on the end of that conversation, he realized that Lois had likely never stopped loving Ned either. He supposed if he was a better brother her would have helped her face up to that before Ned had married Carly. But he hadn't and somehow, she forgave that. He just shook his head. "I wouldn't know," he said to Brenda, as they finally reached the front of the line.

"Horseys! Horseys!" Molly squealed excitedly.

"Come on, I'll buy you a ride on the Carousel. There isn't a brass ring, but I guess you have Cruz already."

Brenda smiled again. "A very good point, thanks!"

He let Molly pick a horse and then secured his arms around her as she wrapped her chubby little hands around the reins. As the carousel began to move, Sonny smiled down at his daughter. He wanted to believe that her mother didn't still hate him. He hoped that wasn't just wishful thinking.