CHAPTER SIXTY SEVEN

It was hours before the PCPD cut him loose. Half the night with the same idiotic and clumsily disguised questions thrown at him again and again and again as they tried to break him, tried to trip him up, tried to catch Sonny in any lie, any discrepancy that would give them the excuse they so wanted to find so that they could throw him behind bars. But in the end, they had to let him go. Not because he had anything to hide, Sonny seethed inside as he rode in his limo back to the penthouse, but because there was nothing to hide.

Why couldn't those idiots see that? They needed to find out who was behind the explosion. But Sonny wouldn't wait for them to do the job - he'd take care of it himself. He pulled out his cell phone and called Jason and for the next few minutes. they discussed the possibilities open to them to find who had made an unprovoked attack against him. Jason understood the urgency Sonny was feeling and promised to make this a number one priority. Sonny knew he'd pull no punches.

But this won't bring back Alexis' brother. Sonny thought to himself. She had struggled so hard to reach him when he had blamed himself for Carly's accident and presumed death. She wouldn't let him accept guilt for another's actions. But what would she do now? This was something that was hitting Alexis closer to home. Carly was an accident - Stefan too.. a part of him argued, but the other part of him knew the truth - if Stefan was dead, then he was to blame. That would be what the world would see. Would Alexis see it that way as well? Fear welled in him from deep inside, that she wouldn't be able to see it any other way. As great as her heart was, as much love, compassion and forgiveness that she was capable of giving, maybe this time, the violence of his life had finally come too close to her own.


He endured the long ride up to the penthouse level with an outward appearance of calm, but that was all that it was. His guards had told him that Alexis was home - Sonny stepped off the elevator and turned towards Alexis' door. For a moment his mind played tricks on him, showing him Alexis' face - trying to be exasperated at him and failing miserably as he took her keys that continually stuck in the lock and opened her door.

Suddenly, Sonny was seeing the many faces of Alexis... Him tossing her the keys and she catching them... the many times she finished sentences for him...the night she'd talked him back from the fringes of claustrophobia in his jail cell... and then the night she had reached out to him with all that she had – all that she was - and changed both of their lives forever.. he'd seen many sides of Alexis and in his mind's eye, he could see her now - her eyes a-sparkle as she laughed, the sheen of tears as she cried, the dimples that showed even when he'd managed to exasperate her, angry and the glow of love that had at last kindled for him - had he lost it all? Sonny didn't know which face she would show to him now. He didn't know what she was thinking - might be thinking, might be blaming him for. What look might be in her eyes when she saw him now?

Standing in front of the door, Sonny could hear the low murmur of voices inside. His hand was already upraised to knock and Sonny stiffened as he heard them. He'd been forewarned, and Sonny knew that there was a battle waiting for him on the other side of the door; they'd be ready with their hate and their accusations. While he'd been held at police headquarters, they'd been busy all night filling Alexis' ears with their poison. And the moment they saw him, they'd be sure to spew their venom at him.

And none of that mattered. Stefan mattered to Alexis. Had mattered. And Alexis mattered to Sonny. He had to see her.

He knocked.

After a moment, Kristina opened the door. She looked at Sonny, trying to muster up a welcoming smile, but her lips trembled even as she tried.

"How is she?" Sonny asked. He ignored the sudden silence that sprang up after his words. Sonny concentrated on Kristina. Her eyes were slightly red, as though she'd been crying - and Sonny realized that she'd lost a brother too. A new-found brother - which probably made the pain all the more raw. "How...how are you?" Sonny said to her. He reached out placed one hand on her shoulder, giving it what he meant to be a comforting squeeze. "If there's anything I can do..."

Before he could finish the sentence, the door was snatched back from Kristina's grasp and then in a sharp motion fueled by his fury, Ned flung Sonny's hand away from her.

"You've done more than enough, don't you think?" He snarled at Sonny. "Or is it just - another day, another death?"

"Ned, please..." Kristina put one hand out and laid it on Ned's chest, in an effort to calm him down. She turned back to Sonny. "I'm sorry, Sonny. Alexis isn't here."

"Why are you apologizing to him?" Ned raged. "He's the reason why your brother is dead!"

"They...they haven't found..." A fresh flash of pain entered Kristina's eyes as she flinched at Ned's words, and Sonny felt a new wave of anger wash over him. Why couldn't Ashton stop and think of someone besides himself and his self-righteous fury?

Kristina's voice faltered. "They haven't confirmed the discovery or identifications of any remai-" Fresh tears first choked out her voice and then spilled out of her eyes.

Ned wasn't through. "Alexis probably hasn't come home because she doesn't want to see you! The thought of having to see you while you mouth some sorry apologies ran her off from her own family, from the people who really care about her!"

Sonny had flinched inwardly at Ned's words, but it was the pain that Ashton's words had re-kindled in Kristina's eyes that threatened to make him lose his hard-won control and ignite his own personal brand of fury. It was only the thought of putting Alexis in a position where she had to endure another fight between him and Ashton kept him still. That thought brought home the feeling of the loss of her presence, and in a sudden reaction of pure feeling and not thought, Sonny reached out. Ignoring Ned, he drew Kristina into his arms. She leaned into him gratefully, and began to cry silently, a slow seeping of tears trailing down her cheeks.

As she came into his arms, the door swung free. Sonny saw that besides Ned, Jax and Mason were present. Ned stood just inside the door, still glaring at him, with hate bright in his eyes. Jax and his friend were in the middle of the room, still standing by the couch where they must have been seated when he knocked. They looked at him warily and Sonny returned their gazes defiantly. But neither man made an attempt to join in on Ned's tirade.

Sonny stared back defiantly for another moment. Then his gaze went from Jax, to Mason and came back finally to rest on Ned. Ashton's hands clenched in anger as he watched Kristina take comfort in Sonny's arms. He was a step away from exploding, but Sonny didn't care. A part of him almost wanted Ned to come at him, fists flying. His words couldn't hurt him any more than his hands could. There was a part of him that longed to smash his fist into his face, that longed for the least little bit of excuse to explode into mindless rage that would release the turmoil and pain churning deep inside him.

The only thing that anchored his own anger was the thought - the knowing - that Alexis needed him. Everyone in the room seemed rooted in place, the silence broken only by the small sounds of Kristina's sorrow. She trembled in Sonny's arms as she struggled to control her sobs. They only came harder as she tried.

Jax was the first to move in this tense scenario. He stepped to Ned's side. "It won't do Alexis any good to come home and see this." He said to the other man.

That was the first bit of sense Sonny could remember coming from Jax's mouth.

"It doesn't do any good for him to be here when she gets home.." Ned answered angrily. "If she does come back here at all. I can't imagine why she would." he finished, his eyes coming to rest angrily on Sonny once more.

Jax looked at Sonny, his eyes unreadable, then looked back to Ned. "That's not your - or my - place to judge."

Kristina finally managed to get herself under control. She stirred in his arms, and Sonny, sensing it, let his arms fall away from her. She wiped at her eyes and looked around, first at Sonny and then the others. She looked back up at Sonny and tried for a smile, even though her lips trembled with the effort. "Thank you." she said to him. She turned to the others. "I'm sorry." she said with a final sniffle.

"Don't be." Sonny said.

"Sonny's right." Jax said.

Would wonders never cease? That was two for two where Candyboy had come down on his side. Sonny wondered briefly what was up with that, but the thought quickly fell away from his mind. "She hasn't called?" he asked Kristina.

She shook her head. "And she isn't answering her cell phone either."

Jax nodded. His eyes dropped for a moment and he seemed to be lost in thought. After a long moment, he looked up, obviously having made a decision. He looked directly into Sonny's eyes and held his gaze while he spoke. "I'm positive that Alexis isn't running from any one person or even from the situation. If anything, she's running from herself and her feelings." Jax reached out and stroked Kristina's hair. "It's pure Alexis. One part of her is going to drive her to do something, anything… anything at all to keep her from dealing with her very real pain. But eventually, she'll come home. Alexis just needs time, space and understanding from everyone who cares about her" – his gaze flicked meaningfully to Ned who had the good grace to drop his own eyes in embarrassment, and then his eyes came back to stare even harder into Sonny's – "and let her handle what must be devastating news in her own way."

Sonny found himself nodding too; not letting his emotions show on his face, but feeling a rush of momentary relief pour through him anyway. He'd thought it was just his phone calls she'd been ignoring, that it was him that Alexis hadn't been able to face or talk to, but she was taking no calls from anyone, not even her sister..

But his sense of relief faded away almost as soon as it had arrived. Even though, wonders of wonders, he knew that Jax was right, it didn't make his own uncertainty any easier. Where was Alexis? What was her state of mind that she had withdrawn from everyone she knew? He wanted to be able to trust in her love for him, but what if what had happened had destroyed that love? When he saw her, what would be in her eyes? Bottom line, Sonny just wanted to know that she was all right. Was she all right?