CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED SEVEN

The explosion rocked the hallway, only adding to the chaos surrounding them. Sonny was the first one up and running back towards the ruined door shouting Alexis' name even as he jumped over the remnants of the door. He jerked to a halt just inside the threshold. All around, he saw nothing but destruction and all that came to him were visions of disaster. What if she'd been unable to get far enough away? What if she were underneath the rubble? He looked down and started snatching at pieces of broken furniture, shouting her name.

He was only dimly aware of other hands besides his, of other voices calling her name. Until he heard the only other voice that mattered.

"Sonny…Nikolas?"

Both men froze, their heads jerking up at the sound of her voice. Standing there, hearing nothing but the sound of her voice, only then did Sonny see the doorway almost totally buried behind debris. "Over there!" he shouted, pointing at it. Seconds later they were tearing down everything that was blocking the door. Scrapes, cuts, bumps, scratches and bruises – none of it mattered a bit. Then everything was suddenly gone and Sonny was throwing open the door. This inner room was in less disrepair; the only thing really out of place was the bed. It had been dragged from the wall and turned on its side. As he stared at it, one slender hand groped its way over the side.

And then he saw her. Face dirty and dust streaked, and never looking more beautiful to him than right at this moment. Their eyes met and then their bodies. Without knowing or caring how it happened, he was kneeling besides her and holding her in his arms, gripping her so tightly, swearing to himself that he would never ever let her go again.

And Alexis let herself be gathered into his arms. She closed her eyes, scarcely able to believe that she wasn't dreaming, that this was real; that his voice, his smell, his touch was real, and not just another hopeless dream. She lifted her eyes to his and then felt his lips on hers and knew for certain that this was no dream.

"This is touching…real touching, but we might want to think about continuing this back in PC." Luke said, after clearing his throat slightly to get their attention. "You know, what with Wyndemere burning down around our ears and all…." His gaze shifted and his words trailed into silence.

Behind him, Nikolas' eyes followed his and even underneath the smoke and grime on his face, he paled. "Uncle!"

Only then did Sonny notice the figure lying on the far side of the bed. Stefan…he was alive. His shock was mirrored on his face. He had thought Alexis' brother was dead because of him, but there he was. He watched as Nikolas rushed to Stefan's side and tried unsuccessfully to wake him.

Alexis leaned heavily against him. "It was all Helena's doing. She wanted us to think he was dead. But he's hurt…I don't know how badly but I know it's bad; we have to get him out of here and to a hospital."

"I brought help." Nikolas said. "We just have to get to them."

"Never thought the day would come when I would rescue a Cassadine." Luke said. "Present company excepted darlin'."

Despite her worries, Alexis couldn't help but smile, even if it were only a little tiny one. Luke grinned back at her before turning to the others. "All right boys and girls, let's see if we can't rig up a temporary coffin for the Count of Darkness and get to going."

While Max and Stan cleared a path from the rooms to the outer door, Luke and the others quickly rigged together a stretcher from the bedposts, blankets and whatever else they could find and had fastened Stefan into it. They made their way into the hallway, only to be met with the sight of the fire cutting off the way they had come.

"Follow me." Nikolas said. He turned and went in the opposite direction.

"Boy ain't nothing thataway but the tower…and we ain't trying to go up – ya know? Down – we want to go down."

"You don't know everything about Wyndemere, Luke." Nikolas told him, not without a small bit of satisfaction. "I've had a few renovations of my own put in. In case of…fire."

"Fire exits." Luke said, disgustedly. "I'm stuck in a burning castle with a Cassadine Boy Scout. Well – lead on."

Nikolas took them to the end of the hall then halfway up to the next level; he halted them and pressed a series of stones in the wall. A draft of welcome cool air blew into their faces.

"This leads straight down to the stables. I thought it might come in handy – just not this soon."

As they made their way through this set of tunnels, Sonny kept on arm around Alexis. She seemed to be all right, or as all right as she could have been after being kidnapped and almost trapped in a burning building. She must have felt his eyes on him, because she turned and smiled at him. "I'm fine. It's Stefan I'm worried about."

Nikolas came up on her other side as she began to explain how she'd found him alive, how Helena had kept him drugged and helpless and how Stefan had managed to fight back in his own way. "But he was hurt when the first explosions happened." She said, looking back to where the other men carried him, still unconscious. She turned to Nikolas. "But you said you brought help?"

"I didn't know what I was walking into, since no one saw fit to keep me in the loop." Nikolas said. "But knowing Helena's involvement, I didn't think coming in with an army of cops would do any good. The logistics of them putting together some sort of force would have taken too long, and then there was the issue of trying to go head to head with Helena – knowing that she had you. I didn't want to take the chance. I figured on being able to talk to her and reach a compromise…. I also took a chance that small and swift would be better; so I made a few calls and came as soon as I could."

"You did the right thing." Alexis assured him. "You made decisions and stuck to them. And you saved us both." She lifted her hand and touched him tenderly on his cheek. "I can't think of a single face that made me happier to see tonight."

"Can't you?" Nikolas smiled back at her, his eyes sliding to Sonny's face and back again. "We'll be out of here soon."

And true enough, not long after, they were moving through the stables and out, at last into the night air. They all drew deep breaths, relieved to be out in the fresh air at last.

"Just a little further." Nikolas told them. He led them to a small cove, away from the main docks. A small boat was waiting for them. As they approached, several men came running off to meet him.

"Your Highness, is everyone all right?" one of them asked. "Shall we implement the second part of your plan?"

"Yes, have the launches with firefighters landed… and get the medical squad on alert, my uncle is seriously hurt."

The man saluted then turned and began barking out orders.

Stefan's makeshift stretched was brought on board first, Alexis and Sonny next and the others behind. Nikolas remained on the docks giving a few last orders to his men. A second group of people came above deck and met them, most of them gathering around Stefan's unconscious form. A gurney was brought forward and as the medics began their work, one was heard to gasp his name.

"Stefan…oh my God, Stefan, you're alive!" And miraculously enough, the sound of her voice caused Stefan's eyes to flutter open…

"Barbara?" His voice was papery-thin, but unmistakable.

"We stabilize him, and then we move him." Bobbie told the others. Then she too went to work, smoothly triaging him and working in perfect concert with the other med techs with her. Even as she worked, her eyes glistened. "Yes, Stefan, it's me. Nikolas called me and told me I might be needed…but he never told me that you were involved."

"He… did not know. Thanks to my murderous mother…" Stefan said. "But what is this I see?" With a great effort, he reached up and touched her cheek. Bobbie hadn't been aware of the tear trickling down her face until he wiped it from her cheek."

"Stefan, please…don't exert yourself any more than you have to. You need your strength. I thought you were dead, but you're not. I can't loose you again."

"Lose me? Is that what you feel after all this time – loss?" His answer was in her eyes. "We have a few…things to discuss, then." He gasped as they probed at his wounds, his eyes clenching shut against the pain. "Hurts." He grunted. He opened his eyes again. "Alexis...she is well?"

Bobbie flicked her eyes in Alexis' direction. "She's standing right over there with Sonny Corinthos and as far as I can tell, she's just fine."

With an effort, Stefan turned his head to see for himself. His eyes traveled over Alexis' face and he tried for a smile.

Alexis tried her best to answer his smile with one of her own, but her lips trembled. At last, his eyes closed and Alexis sank gratefully into Sonny's arms. There was a bench fastened to the deck and Sonny eased them both down. Sonny cupped her face in his hands, unable to stop himself from touching her.

"We should get them to look you over."

She reached up and covered his hands with her own. "I have all I need right here." Alexis said as she shook her head. "And they don't need the distraction. Stefan needs their total concentration." Besides, if they examined her right now, they'd be sure to find out what she already knew. And this was not the way she envisioned telling Sonny about their baby.

Their baby. A part of her couldn't wait to tell him. But not now – not like this. Helena was gone and she was back in his arms where she belonged.

All of the tension seemed to leave her body and with it, all of her strength. Her eyelids were suddenly so heavy….she couldn't fight the compulsion to close them. Alexis shifted so that she could lay her head on Sonny's shoulder. She was vaguely aware of someone putting a blanket around her shoulders. "I want to go home."

Sonny had closed his as he felt her head come to rest on his shoulder. "No, at least let's go over to GH and let a doctor look at you."

"No. I want to go home. The only place I'm interested in going to is Harborview Towers, the penthouse floor. I want to sleep in my own bed." She lifted her head to look at Sonny. "And I want to be with you."

"Don't you know I would – will give you anything in the world you want…" he began…

"Don't you know that you already have?" Alexis interrupted him, laying long slender fingers against his lips. He kissed the tips of each one and she reveled in the touch she had once thought she'd lost forever. "You've already given me everything I could possibly ever want. Take me home please...Sonny…please…" She wanted so very badly to tell him, to share with him.

In the end, Sonny gave in, but not without a condition of his own. If Mohammed would not go to the mountain, he quoted at her, then the mountain must come to Mohammed. He made a few phone calls and got one of the doctors to make a house call to the penthouse.

He paced the floor downstairs while the doctor made her examination. Finally he heard the bedroom door open and close and Dr. Lee came downstairs.

"How is she? Is she all right? Is anything wrong?"

"Don't worry Mr. Corinthos, Miss Davis is fine. She's understandably exhausted considering the ordeal she's just been through. But I don't see any reason for her be in the hospital. Keep her well fed and well-rested and ask her to come to in for a more thorough check-up as soon as she feels up to it." Dr. Lee headed for the door. "Oh, and you might want to go upstairs." She said with a smile. "She's very eager to see you."

Sonny thanked her and then he was up the stairs, taking them two at a time. When he got to her door, he hesitated, suddenly nervous somehow. He knocked.

"Sonny? Come on in." he heard her say.

Alexis was tucked into bed. She'd taken a shower before the doctor had arrived; Sonny could smell the sweet fresh scent of gardenias as he came closer and sat on the edge of the bed. She looked wonderful, but still very tired.

"Do you want anything to eat? I can fix you something real quick."

Alexis reached for one of his hands and captured it between her own. "No, I'm fine. I'm just so tired; I could sleep for a week."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll put Johnny and Max on the door and a do not disturb sign on the door."

"I did promise Dr. Lee to come into the hospital as soon as I got a good night's sleep. I explained that that wouldn't happen if I was away from you tonight." Alexis smiled, her heart all aflutter, trying to find the words to tell him her wonderful surprise.

"You should have gone in and stayed overnight at least. I would have stayed with you." Sonny said. I'll never leave your side again he swore to himself silently.

"No, I had to be here. It had to be here and nowhere else. I wanted to share this and the hospital was no place to do it."

"Share what, Alexis?" Sonny's heart turned over with a small start of fear. "What happened to you in Wyndemere? What did Helena do to you?"

"She didn't do anything…except to tell me something that I didn't know. That I didn't expect. Not in a million years."

"What was it?"

She held onto his hand, trying to find the words. "I didn't plan on any of this…" she said slowly. "Not on you and the friendship that we found, or on our friendship turning into something more.."

"Not something more, Alexis - into love. Alexis." He gripped her hands with his. "I love you. Don't you know that by now?"

"Yes." Alexis said, her voice dropping softly as her eyes filled with tears. "And I love you… so even though Helena had me terrified, it was the love that I knew you and I shared that gave me the strength to stay strong until I could get back to you. I still had you with me. A part of you was with me even when I was at my most loneliness." She took his hand and slid it gently down to her abdomen. "I was never really alone."

Sonny listened to what she was saying, not sure what he was hearing. But then his eyes fell on her hands and his, resting on her stomach. He took a sharp breath as the knowledge burst inside him like a sunburst coming from behind dark clouds, dazzling his senses.

"Alexis?" he asked, the one word filled with wonder.

He raised his eyes to hers, surprised to see them spilling over with tears. He felt his own eyes sting and burn and then they were laughing and crying together all at once. Sonny swept her into his arms, raining kisses across her face, hearing the total joy in her voice and knowing it matched his own.

Joy. That was something neither of them had counted on in this life. Happiness was a fleeting thing. But joy…joy was a thing that lasted forever. Sonny was suddenly sure that they were on their way to that.

Forever. Starting now.