Dara peeked from around the humungous oak tree. She watched Stone freeze as the school bell rang; and then run towards Mrs. Hornsby after the teacher blew her whistle. All the kids on the playground ran and formed lines with their classmates to be led back to their classrooms.

"Tsk. Tsk. What do we have here?" A voice said from behind her. "The former ADA peering around a tree outside the gates of Port Charles Elementary."

Dara's face flushed. Of all the people to find her, it had to be Sonny Corinthos.

"What? One of your girlfriends told you there's a new, hot male teacher working here now?" he teased.

Dara took a deep breath and turned to face him with her game face on. She took another breath, as the last one caught in her throat. He was wearing khakis and an open necked silk shirt. Damn, he was hot. She quickly glanced down at her watch; time for a different game plan. "10:30. What are you doing are you here so late? Checking up on Michael?" She looked up finally now that she wasn't so overheated.

Sonny smiled, working the dimples for all their worth. "Taking the offense, hmm, counselor?" He shook his head. "You can't distract me that easily, but I will answer your question. Michael had a doctor's appointment this morning."

"And Carly is?" she said before she could stop herself.

"On a business trip."

"Isn't she due soon?" Why was she asking him these personal questions?

He nodded. "She's going on maternity leave as soon as she gets back."

"Yeah, she needs a break from all her hard work," she whispered. But just her luck, he heard her.

He wanted to laugh, but he managed to keep a straight face. "It's hard work running a cosmetic firm, look at Erica Kane, Jack Abbot, Mary Kay."

"You're right, and Laura works very hard."

"Are you trying to say something about my wife, Ms Jensen?" he questioned with twinkling eyes.

"I don't know where you would get an idea like that. I was just expressing my concern," she answered. How she stopped herself from busting out laughing, she'd never know.

"I didn't realize you and Carly had become expressing concern type friends. If I remember correctly, there were deadly looks flashed in the courtroom."

"Well your memory must be getting shoddy in your old age. In the courtroom, my job is the focus. Not giving someone imaginary deadly looks."

"Touché, Ms Jensen. Maybe I recalled incorrectly."

Dara felt her cheeks and her forehead with her hand.

"Is something wrong?" he asked concern lacing his words.

"I'm not sure. I think you just admitted you were wrong and I heard the great Mr. Corinthos never does such a thing, so maybe I'm coming down with something."

This time he had to laugh. "I'm never afraid to admit when I'm wrong. I just don't happen to be wrong a lot."

Dara laughed with him. "I'll remember that."

"I don't remember you ever being this jovial and carefree before."

"That could be because we always faced each other on the opposite sides of a jailhouse or a courtroom."

He shook his head. "No, I mean when you were with Taggert and when Mac and Garcia were sniffing at your skirt."

"Sniffing at my skirt?" She never realized Sonny had been paying that close attention to her or that anyone had noticed her mild flirtations with Mac and Garcia. She shook her head, how could she forget whom she was talking to. He hadn't risen to power by being unobservant. He ran the eastern seaboard because he picked up on things everyone else missed. He would have made a great lawyer or cop.

"It was a term my ma use to use. Why didn't you and Mac ever hook up?" He saw the look of shock on her face. He was enjoying this conversation with Dara. He had always admired her from afar for her grace under pressure and her brilliance.

Dara's mouth dropped open for a split second, then she quickly snapped it shut. Why was she allowing Sonny to ask her such questions and why was she about to answer him? She shrugged her shoulders, "It wasn't meant to be. Why didn't you and Brenda work?"

He loved that she gave as good as she got. "That, Ms Jensen, is a story that would take hours, but I'll use your simple answer. It wasn't meant to be."

"Fair enough."

They stood there quietly enjoying the light breeze. The wind blew his cologne her way. She couldn't place the scent, but whatever it was she liked it. And she even liked this silence. It wasn't oppressive or awkward; strangely enough, it felt natural, comfortable even. Who would have ever thought that one day she would be simply taking pleasure in Sonny's company? Still out of habit, she looked around to see if others could see them together, and she realized she couldn't see anyone. That's why she had chosen this spot to make sure school was going okay for Stone.

"Wait, how did you see me?"

He grinned. He wondered how long it was going to take her to pick up on that fact. He began to answer when she cut him off.

"Michael," she said. She couldn't believe it took her that long to come up with an answer.

He smiled as she answered her own question; he could use someone like her on his side.

Michael, she murmured to herself. Guards being in the school meant something different now that her charge was going to this school. "How many?"

"Two." Her eyes demanded more answers and he found himself complying. "The handyman and the janitor."

"People who have access to everything and no one will ask any questions." While she didn't approve of Sonny's lifestyle, it was nice to know there was extra protection at Stone's school, particularly with the possible Alcazar threat hanging over his head. "How did Michael end up here?"

He raised his eyebrow quizzically.

"You don't seem like the public school type," she responded to his unasked question.

"What, you think cause I have a few bucks I consider my kid too good to go to public school?"

"A little defensive aren't we?" She smiled at him. "I was simply saying that you seemed more of a Catholic school type."

He knew that wasn't what she was implying when she asked that question, but he left it alone. "Carly wasn't raised Catholic, so she preferred that Michael go here."

Dara smirked.

"You don't believe Carly and I make joint parenting decisions?" he queried.

"I believe that you are a very determined man and actively pursue what you want. Besides didn't Carly marry you in like twelve different Catholic ceremonies?"

Sonny couldn't hold back his laughter. When he was able to contain his laughter, he stated, "They were full and by the time there was a spot available, he was enrolled here and loved it."

"No donation to help make a spot available for the youngest Corinthos?"

"You haven't met Father Matt, have you?"

She shook her head.

"Money doesn't faze him."

She nodded so he would continue.

"I force Carly to get up early so we could be on time for 8AM mass. And near the end after one of the sisters finishes reading the announcements, Father Matt says, 'I have great news, the Lord has answered our long-standing prayer request. Earlier this week, we received a check from an anonymous donor and it's enough to resurface the playground at the school.' Everyone in the church claps and then the Father says, 'God bless the donor.'"

Dara laughed out loud at hearing how the priest played Sonny.

"After services, Father Matt greets us and thanks us for attending service. Then he says, 'God works in mysterious ways. Doesn't He, Michael?' What could I do, but nod in agreement. Then he continues, 'You better make sure you get Michael's application in early, so next year maybe he can enjoy our newly surfaced playground. God bless you.' Another family came up behind us, so we left."

Tears streamed down her face as she clutched her side from laughing so hard at Sonny's predicament.

Sonny laughed along with her. "Now every time I see Father Matt, he mentions how much the kids love the resurfaced playground."

In between laughs, Dara was able to get out, "Look on the bright side, at least you saved Michael from dangerous nuns with handy rulers."

"Hey, those rulers kept me in line."

A sarcastic retort crossed Dara's mind, but she kept her mouth closed. She didn't want to ruin the nice dialogue they had going on. As she was wiping the tears from her face, she saw the time. She couldn't believe she had spent this much time talking to Sonny. "I've gotta go. Unlike some people, if I don't work I don't eat." She walked past Sonny and headed towards her car.

"Let me at least walk you to your car." He lightly jogged to catch up with her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his guards following behind him. He waved them off with his hand and caught up with Dara.

They walked the rest of the short distance in silence. Using her car remote, Dara unlocked her car as she crossed over to the driver's side. Sonny opened her door and closed it, once she was safely inside. She started the car and rolled down her window.

"Thank you for the conversation," she said politely with a grin.

"Anytime, counselor," he replied mimicking her.

Dara put the car in gear. Sonny stepped back and watched as she pulled away. Suddenly the car stopped and she stucked her head out of the window. "Sonny?"

"Yeah?"

"The distraction did work!"

She laughed and drove off.

"Touché, Ms Jensen, touché," he said to himself walking back to his car with her laughter still ringing in his ears.