Somebody Told Me… Death is Only the Beginning
Alexis and Sonny had seen enough death in their lives from their families to friends to complete strangers. Alexis saw her mother's throat being slit in front of her eyes. Sonny had seen death everyday in his business. Every death had cost them a little part of their lives. However, they were still young …
Queen of Angels Church, Port Charles
Everyone in Port Charles was in attendance. All clad in black. No one had seen this coming, and yet, it was inevitable. Security was tight. There were cops guarding every entrance and exit.
Sonny sat with Michael and Morgan in the front pew on one side of the church. Behind them, Alexis sat with Sam, clutching her hand while Molly held her other hand. The other side of the church consisted of various members of the Quartermaine family led by Edward. So much of their great family had been lost. Edward thought of Lila. Monica thought of Allan, AJ and Emily. She had lost her family. She looked over to Elizabeth sitting beside her thinking of her son and grandson. Tracy and Luke were also there. Luke came to respect his former ties while Tracy was dragged there by Ned, who had flown in for the funeral. How could he not? So much had gone wrong with their family from generation to generation.
Robin and Patrick were also in attendance. Robin who had been right from the beginning looked at the casket and was visibly shaken. She had managed to get a hold of Brenda who had flown in immediately. Mac sat beside them along with Spinelli and Maxie. Mac knew that this day would come. It was only a matter of time. How many times had he tried to change the city of Port Charles?
As everyone was contemplating this sudden loss in their lives, the minister walked up to the altar and started the memorial service. The minister started praying for the soul of Jason Morgan, formerly Jason Quartermaine.
It had been one week since Bernie came in with the devastating news that Jason Morgan had been killed. It was not a mob hit, but a motorcycle accident. He was hit by an eighteen wheeler trailer in the middle of night. The authorities suspected no foul play, however, this was Jason Morgan, professional hitman. There are usually no accidents in this business.
Sonny was completely lost. He had lost the only person in his life that had been there for him for most of his life in the business and in the family.
Sam had lost a lover, a man who had loved her despite her past.
Michael had lost his uncle, a father figure, a man who had put him before everyone else.
That night had passed fitfully. Bernie believed they were under attack and had heightened security at the Lakehouse and the hospital. He also increased the protection for Elizabeth and the boys. Sonny was delving deep into oblivion, which left Alexis to pick up the pieces and organize everything. Sam had spent most of the night crying with Alexis at her side. Dante had left for the hospital to be with Kristina. Morgan and Molly consoled each other, while Michael refused to talk to anyone.
Bernie along with the Quatermaines made arrangements for the funeral. He had decided that would be the best instead of fighting with Edward. Sonny had broken the news to Carly, who refused to believe the news. She had gone from shocked to hysterical to angry in matter of minutes. She sat there beside Bobbi now with a disbelieving look at the casket.
The funeral was a somber and short affair. Sonny delivered the eulogy and Ned and Spinelli said a few words. Spinelli managed to get a few laughs in. At the end, they all made their way to the Quatermaine crypt where Jason would be laid to rest beside his grandmother, father, brother and sister as per Jason's last will and testament.
The Lakehouse had become the temporary home for everyone now. Kristina was still in a coma and with every passing day, their hope seemed to be fading, more so after the death of Jason. But Patrick was optimistic. It had only been a few weeks. According to him, it gave Kristina a chance to heal. They had accepted that for now.
Alexis had divided her time between the hospital and the Lakehouse where she could be keep an eye on the children. Alexis realized how resilient Morgan and Molly were and as much as they were going to miss Jason, they chose to remember the good memories they had with him and slowly move on with their lives. The same could not be said for Sonny or Michael. Sonny never came back to the Lakehouse since the news, but he spent most of his time with Bernie and Kristina. She hadn't spoken to him in over two weeks. Michael was also taking the news very hard. Sonny and Carly couldn't get through to him; neither could Dante, Morgan or Molly. Alexis had even tried and he just refused to talk about Jason or his death. She was beginning to worry about him.
Who had surprised her most was Sam. Sam was visibly shaken by the news of Jason's death and she did cry and mourn for him, but a part of her knew that was always a possibility that he could die before his time. She had accepted that. They were no longer together but when they were together, they had made every moment count. She would always have those memories. At least that's what she told Alexis. What Alexis couldn't figure out was whether Sam really made peace with Jason's death or was she in denial? Only time would tell. It was conversations like this that led Alexis to believe that there was more to this than met the eye.
"How are you doing, honey?"
"I am fine mom."
"Honey, how are you really feeling?"
"Mom, I said I am fine. I'll be okay."
"Well, if you ever want to talk, I am here."
"I know, thanks."
Dante had proven to be quite the pillar of support in the last couple of weeks. He had stayed with Kristina quite a few times when Alexis was busy with Sam or the others. He had made dinner and spent time with Molly and Morgan, trying to cheer them up and keep their lives as normal as possible. He had even tried to talk to Michael as per Alexis' request, to no avail. He did the same with Sam, but all they ever talked was about finding more information about Kristina's attack. Dante had not known Jason for every long, all he knew was that Jason was Sonny's right hand man. He was again surprised by Sonny's reaction to Jason' death. He looked like a broken man, not the powerful gangster of the east coast. He even had a conversation about Sonny with Alexis one night. They had sat in the kitchen talking about Kristina and Michael everything else. It seemed Alexis also had a strong liking to caffeine just like him. It was Alexis who brought him up, "Have you spoken to Sonny lately?"
"No, why? I don't think Sonny and I have much to talk about."
"I was just wondering how he is doing," Alexis replied. Their last couple of conversations just consisted of a few phrases and one word answers.
She continued, "You know, you are a lot like him than you realize…"
"I am nothing like him," Dante interrupted forcefully.
"You are just as stubborn as he is, for one," Alexis replied with a smile. Alexis marveled at how much Dante was like Sonny. She imagined Sonny was just like Dante when he was younger. They were both stubborn. They were both hurting and they just couldn't see it.
"I have always wondered what you ever saw in him. I mean you are lawyer and he is a… um… you know a criminal,"
"You can say it, Sonny has heard it before, most of the time from me. That's how we met actually. He wanted a lawyer and I was one of the best or at least that's what he told me. He was quite the charmer."
"Let me guess, he needed you to get him out of jail and you fell under his spell," Dante replied all knowing.
"Hardly," Alexis scoffed, "I did not fall under his spell. I was a straight-laced lawyer who saw right through him, but boy was he insistent and arrogant and oh so stubborn. He still is," Alexis replied remembering Sonny, the Sonny she knew. Remembering that Dante was still her looking at her curiously, she answered his question, "No, he wanted a lawyer for Jason to fight for Michael's custody."
"Michael's custody?"
"It's a long story…" Alexis replied thinking back to the time she first met Sonny and had entered to his world.
"Well, we have time," Dante replied eagerly. He was very interested in hearing more about his father. Noticing Alexis' hesitation, he pleaded, to which she consented.
Alexis told him about the first time she met the cocky Sonny Corinthos, his right hand man Jason Morgan and a plethora of bodyguards. She told him about being his neighbor and how she came to see him as a friend. How she had finally met Sonny, the man behind the tough façade. She talked about Michael and his custody and unfortunately by extension, Carly. She told him about Sonny and his past, his father and mother, his stepfathers, his brother and sister. She told him about Zander, Luis Alcazar and her sister, Kristina and Ned. She had told him how she and Sonny came together to protect Michael.
She had told him about Kristina, her birth, her illness, the paternity tests, the custody fights. Alexis felt a huge wave of relief opening up to someone about the past. It all seemed like such a long time ago now and yet, nothing had changed. She realized she was still carrying a lot of the past with her. She had told him everything, except one thing.
Dante listened with rapt attention as Alexis transported him to a different time, a different place. There was so much he didn't know about Sonny.
"There's so much more to him Dante than what you see. No matter how many police files and portfolios you have on Sonny Corinthos, there is still so much more. He only lets a few people in, Dante. And as infuriating as he is, he is a good man with a questionable understanding of the law," Alexis smiled at that while Dante fully laughed at Alexis' comment.
"I am not making excuses for me and I know he has made mistakes. We all have. I am in no position to judge, I have made my share of mistakes and believe me they were huge...but a person is that person because of everything they had to endure, because of the people in their lives, their circumstances and ultimately, their choices. You would be surprised at the times we do things we thought we never would or weren't even capable of," Alexis spoke. Dante wondered whether she was talking about Sonny or herself or both.
"I am well aware of his mistakes and it's not even that that bothers me. Sometimes, I don't even know why I am so angry at him, is it because we are on opposite sides of the law?"
"He was never convicted," Alexis replied as a matter of factly.
"No doubt because of you," Dante replied cheekily, "I guess I was always angry with me and when I found it he was my father, I was even angrier because I never expected it to be him. But to find out he was Sonny Corinthos. I was hoping for someone else, someone better, someone who didn't do what he does. I certainly didn't expect to be told with a gun pointed at my head. That was surreal. I wasn't looking for my father. I had accepted that a long time that he walked out and I never gave it a second thought."
"It's not an excuse, but he didn't even know you existed," Alexis replied gently.
"I know, maybe it's just too much for me."
"Of course, you now have a father and a whole lot of siblings. I had a similar experience when I found out that I was a Cassadine. Dante, you can't choose where you are born or who your parents are, you have to accept it and do the best you can. You can't change it no matter how hard you try. Believe me, I know. Give Sonny a chance. He is turning his life around. This is the first time in a very long time he is seriously considering getting out and I think the most important reason is you, Michael, Morgan, Kristina."
"I am all for him getting out, but it's not as simple as he thinks. He can't just walk out, there will be retaliation. By the way, I know he is not the same man I met a few months or the man I have read about."
"I know and he knows too. He has to make the right deal with the right people. "
"Talk to him." Dante simply told her. By the end of this conversation, he was convinced that Alexis was a very important part of Sonny's life whether they realized it or not.
"On one condition," Alexis countered. Dante raised his eyebrows. There was always something.
"Talk to Sonny, give him a chance. Get to really know him. He needs you now. He doesn't say it but he does."