I haven't daydreamed out the end of this story yet. Not sure where it's going. Struggled a bit with this chapter. Been working on it for awhile. I wrote this story for myself because it was something I wanted to read. Thank you for reading it with me. Sort of exhausted today. So, please overlook typos. Let me know what you think. Keep going?

Epiphany sat down at the breakfast bar as Sonny came in behind her leaning over the sink. She heard him slam his hands down hard against the metal. "I can't lose her. I won't lose her. Not now!" Epiphany watched as Sonny picked up one of the plates he had cleaned hours the night before and threw it against the far wall. "Am I going to lose her?" He asked, slowing down his breath.

Epiphany looked at him disapprovingly. "If you keep breaking her dinner plates …"

Sonny shook his head. "Yeah."

"I can't give you the answer that you're looking for, Sonny. I'm not God. I'm just a nurse with a very stubborn friend that has been trying to help in any way possible, but she has to start fighting. No one ever beat such an aggressive form of cancer going into it as if they're already defeated."

He nodded.

"How do I do that?"

"You know her better than almost anyone. You tell me."

Sonny sighed. He was still trying to figure that out. He knew her buttons, her fears, her past … where he could push and how hard. She didn't want to journey through cancer again. How could he fault her for that?

"My Mom had cancer …" He responded sitting down at the table.

"I did not know that."

Sonny looked down at his hands clasped together tensely in his lap.

"My step father was a police officer. He was a horrible man and an even worse husband." When he looked back up Epiphany could see the immense hurt in his eyes,

"Anyway, my mother had been free of Deke for almost a year when she found out she had Stage 3 breast cancer. She decided that she had lived in so much fear … her body had gone through so much trauma for years and years. She decided not to have surgery or any type of treatment. I told her that whatever I had to do I would pay the medical bills … take her to chemo. She said she wanted to enjoy the rest of her life and her freedom. She'd felt like a prisoner in her own home and she didn't want to be confined to a bed or trapped in a hospital without knowing they could cure the cancer." He wiped his eyes. "She made it almost a year. Then, she was gone. All I have left of her is a cross and a few books in Spanish."

Epiphany bowed her head, giving him time to collect himself. She understood now. Sonny cared deeply for Alexis, but she realized that Alexis wasn't the only one who didn't want to go through this type of pain again. I can't lose her. He'd said. It was personal.

"Does Alexis know? Does she know about your Mom?"

"No. I'm mean, yes. Sort of."

Epiphany raised an eyebrow at him.

"Alexis said she didn't want to tell me about the cancer because she didn't want me to think about my mother. A very long time ago, not long after she came on as my attorney, I told Alexis about Deke and that my Mother had died shortly after him. I didn't tell her how she died. The only way she could have known," he continued, "is from my medical records. "She had Carly discreetly obtain them, shall we say, when she was pregnant with Kristina."

"So she doesn't know that your Mother refused treatment?"

"No."

"Maybe she needs to hear it."

"What aren't you telling me, Epiphany?"

She seemed to be weighing whether or not to share with him.

"Alexis said she had some decisions to make. When I tried to encourage her by saying that you thought she could beat this, she said you didn't have all the information."

"And I may not … However, when I came in to put in my notes for the doctor, I noticed that he had updated her chart with some notes of his own. I must have passed over them. I was in a bit of a hurry when I left the hospital."

"You want to wait and let her tell me when she's ready?"

"Normally, yes. But considering the story that you just shared … Sonny, technology and cancer treatment has evolved vastly since your mother's breast cancer. I do believe that Alexis has a great chance for recovery if she leans into the treatment and commits to getting better even if it is a long journey …"

"But …"

"But she told the doctor that she would endure these rounds of chemo he prescribed and re-evaluate things from there …"

"Seems reasonable. Especially for Alexis …"

She nodded.

"She had a scan this week and it showed some new growth in her right breast. The breast that was clear a couple of months ago. The cancer seems to be more aggressive than the doctor originally thought. He's recommended a double mastectomy. I agree with him, considering her history with cancer and that she's already had one recurrence."

"She told him no?" Sonny asked with tears welling in his eyes for the things the woman he loved was having to endure, had been enduring on her own.

Epiphany nodded. "Yes. Initially, she told him no. Before she left she said that she would think about it."

"She loves to think," Sonny sighed, remembering what she told him before. She had some decisions to make.

"Maybe give her some time. Once, she's hydrated and not so sick. I think she may tell you herself, now that she knows she isn't alone. You know that the first day she showed up for chemo before the lumpectomy, she came by herself - car service. She arrived for the lumpectomy by herself - car service. We didn't know until after the procedure. She claimed Sam was picking her up. She finally admitted when she was in recovery that Kristina was with you for the weekend, Molly in Manhattan with Ric, and that Sam was out of town doing detective work. I threatened to tell the doctor and have her admitted until someone could come and get her unless she let me come home with her for the weekend. So, that's how I became involved. Little by little she let me in … We kept her at GH until my shift was over, and when she signed herself out that day, I noticed that the blank for emergency contact had been left empty. I stood there while she wrote your name. It was a rough weekend. She didn't eat much. She was in a lot of pain. She's still recovering. I don't know how she's been going to work."

"Apparently, she gave the closing remarks on Diane's case today because she had to leave for a conference."

"You have to give it to her … She's a fierce fighter."

"Yeah, unfortunately. She often fights for the wrong things when it comes to her own well-being. That has to change."

They were both startled as Sonny's cellphone rang unexpectedly.

"Hey, Jason." He said, putting the phone to his ear. "Everything okay? What about Kristina? What the hell do you mean she's gone?"

"And why do you have a tracker on Kristina's phone? Doesn't she have a guard?" Epiphany asked with a hint of disapproval in voice.

Sonny's eyebrow lifted as he looked up from his phone and over to the woman questioning him.

"Oh, right." She said, Milo.

"She has a guard, but Alexis thought it would be best if we allowed her to feel as normal as possible while she is being treated so differently at school right now because of the situation with Keifer and Kiefer's family. Meaning she has no guard during school hours. Jason gave Kristina's bodyguard the weekend off because he and Sam were going to be with the girls, but apparently she's as good at manipulating them as she is Milo. I have a tracker on her phone because she and Michael ran away to Mexico … I don't like not knowing how to keep my daughter safe and Alexis likes it even less. Although, I don't remember if we spoke about the tracker … Not important. Right now, what is important – is that even without a tracker I know that she is headed here."

"What are you going to do?" Epiphany asked.

"I'm going to honor Alexis's wishes while trying my best not to betray my daughter's trust. How in the hell am I going to do that?"

Epiphany shook her head.

"She has her phone off."

"Mom?" They both heard a voice quietly calling into the living room. "Mom, it's me."

"Stay here." Sonny said, placing a hand on Epiphany's arm. She nodded as he hurried to meet his daughter.

*****
When Sonny saw his daughter she was stepping into the living room, he called out to her to grab her attention away from where Alexis was sleeping.

"Kristina."

"Dad, what are you still doing here?" She asked as he made his way over to her. Sonny grabbed her hand.

"Let's talk out on the porch for a minute." He said, guiding her away from where Alexis was sleeping, her back to the door, and the blanket covering her enough to not pull Kristina's view directly to her.

Shutting the door. He pulled her into a hug.

"You scared Jason and your sisters."

"Jason doesn't scare."

"You didn't hear him on the phone."

She pulled away from him.

"How did you get here? I thought Jason said there wasn't any phone reception at the campground."

"Well, there wasn't exactly." She replied, staring down at her feet. "I mean at least for making phone calls. There was this one spot in the bathroom where you could get just enough service to send out a text."

"Who - who brought you here?"

"Michael."

"Michael drove to get you and you snuck away from your sisters without telling anyone and the both of you drove three hours back." She could tell he was frustrated but she wasn't backing down.

"They were asleep. My mom is sick. I have barely seen her in weeks. I needed to know she was ok. Don't you get that? Sam and Jason would've said no. I needed to see her."

"Kristina … Wait, is your brother still here?"

"No, he dropped me off. Please don't change the subject, Dad."

Sonny raised his eyebrows. She was so much more like him than he liked to admit at times. So much like her mother in the way she never backed down from him. He wasn't going to match her fire - not this time.

He took a deep breath and pulled her to him.

"You don't understand …" He heard her say her voice muffled by his chest. He held her tighter. "She's tired from work. She has a cold, and she's coughing too much." Kristina pulled away and walked over to the railing staring away from him at the lake. "She gets a headache … The stomach virus. It doesn't matter. Not to my brain. I feel 5 years old again walking in on my mom lying on the floor of the bathroom sick from chemo, wondering why Molly got taken away, wondering if I'll lose her. I try to remind myself that it's not likely. I try to focus on what is real. I try to tell myself that my mom can get sick just like anyone else and it doesn't mean I'm going to lose her."

Sonny came up behind her putting his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, Princess. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'm sorry … I wish I could take all those fears away."

Kristina shook her head, wiping at her eyes as she turned to look up at him.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell anyone."

He nodded.

"I heard Jason and Sam - they thought I was sleeping in the back seat with Molly on the drive. He was telling Sam how sick Mom was that he thought she might need to go to a doctor. He said it was a stomach virus … but … I couldn't quiet my mind and I just thought maybe if I could see her or hug her."

"Sweetheart, I get it. I do. If you thought your mom had the stomach virus, didn't you think coming here might put you at risk for catching it. Did you think your mom would want you to get sick, too?"

"I tend to act before I get all the details sometimes. I do that when I love someone."

He smiled.

"You've been here taking care of Mom?"

"Yeah."

"You called your doctor. That's why she had the IV. She needed fluids like Jason said."

Sonny was careful. What did Alexis always call it? Semantics.

"Your mom did need fluids."

Kristina went to sit down on the bench where she often had morning coffee with her Mom - their favorite Corinthos-Morgan blend.

"You didn't care if you got sick, too?"

"Kristina, I -"

"You're in love with her."

She watched as he was now the one leaning on the rail, looking thoughtfully at the lake. He turned to meet her gaze.

"She's my best friend. I couldn't leave her when she was so sick."

"And?" Kristina pressed him gently.

"And I'm in love with her."

He watched her face light up. It was bittersweet, knowing her whole world was about to be shaken again, just when she was starting to put the pieces back together after that punk Kiefer had hurt her so badly. Physically and emotionally.

"You mind if we keep it between you and me. Just for now?"

"Of course."

"Listen, I'll talk with Jason and Sam. I'll handle it. We'll forget it this time. No more sneaking away?"

"Depends on the situation …"

"No more sneaking away?"

"Ok. No more sneaking away."

"Great. Now, I'll stay with your mom until she's feeling better. I'm going to have one of my guys drive you over to the greystone. Michael and Morgan are there for the weekend. You guys can order some food, watch some movies, play video games … whatever you want … go be with your brothers and try not to worry. In the morning, Milo will drive you to meet Sam and Molly at the hotel for Spa day and when you come back we'll all spend some time together - talk."

"Sounds … reasonable."

"Great." He laughed. "Come here." She hugged him as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I love you."

"Love you, too, Dad."

Alexis opened her eyes to see Sonny.

He was pushing the hair from her face. Running a gentle hand over her cheek as he bent down next to her.

"You're still here?"

"Still here."

"Am I drooling?" She asked, as she closed her eyes again.

"No, but I could hear you snoring from the kitchen."
"Liar." She whispered. "I can't seem to keep my eyes open."

"You don't need to keep them open. You need to rest."

"I do have a question for you though." She felt him kiss her forehead.

"Ask away."

"Is there room in that chair for me?"

He didn't wait for her to answer as he snuggled in behind her, spoons. Sonny spread the blanket over both of them wrapping his arm around Alexis' waist. The room was quiet except for the almost silent sound of the IV.

"Dammit." He heard her whisper on an exhale.

"What is it?"

"I love you, too."