Somebody Told Me … Believe Nothing of What you Hear and Only Half of What you See
Being a child of two formidable people and growing up with siblings of similar caliber, being skeptical was inbred.
As soon as Lainey left, Kristina calmed down. She just lay there staring into space. Alexis tried to get her to rest, but she refused. She was afraid she would have the nightmare again. Alexis couldn't leave her daughter alone. Sonny was waiting outside, probably going out of his mind.
Meanwhile, Sonny was getting the word out to Dante and Sam about what was currently happening with Kristina. He sent Michael home to be with Molly and Morgan, so that Sam could come by the hospital.
"Mom, I finally understand why you kept me from Dad," Kristina stated without preamble after an hour of silence. She continued, "I used to always wonder why. I thought you were being paranoid and overly protective and I used to hate it,"
Alexis interrupted, "Honey, I am sorry you missed so much of your life with Sonny. Maybe I was being paranoid, but the most important thing was to keep you safe and I failed,"
"Mom, I am not blaming you. This was not your fault. It was his..."
"Honey, I know you said you didn't want to talk about it, but maybe you should tell me what you remember if you are up to it,"
"That's it, mom, I don't remember much. I was meeting Keifer after I had come from Dad's," Kristina's face suddenly became hard, "He was upset at me because I was late, I was such a mess, I shouldn't have gone to see but I didn't know where else to go and then he hit me,"
"Oh, honey, I am so sorry," Alexis replied with tears in her eyes. Kristina looked at Alexis, "He had hit me before. I apologized for being late and then he went off about how Max and Milo had approached him and threatened him and that had made him even angrier and he started talking about Sonny and how he think he owned everyone … I don't blame him for that. I think he was angry that I didn't sleep with him," Alexis said a little prayer of thanks for that reprieve, "And he was pushing me to it, but I wasn't ready... and I said no, again and then he hit shoved me against the wall, I hit my head and I don't remember anymore… I am sorry mom, I should have told you earlier. I didn't know what to do."
"Your father and I should have been more careful. I should have listened to Michael and all the warnings others were telling me…"
"Dad is only concerned about his business; he doesn't give a damn about me,"
"Honey, that's not true…he loves you. We all love you."
"Don't defend him, I don't want to talk about him, I don't want to see him…do the cops know Keifer did it, now they do and they can arrest him? Mom he needs to be behind bars," Kristina stumbled through her words.
Alexis decided to steer the topic away from Keifer. With Kristina's current state and fear of Keifer, she didn't want to dwell on it.
"Honey, why are you angry at Sonny?"
"Because I finally see him as the mobster he is. Mom, I don't want to talk about it. Has Keifer been arrested?"
"Kristina you've always known about your dad's life and reputation, so, why now? Honey, just yesterday we were all here discussing Molly's play?"
"Mom, what aren't you telling me about Keifer?"
Alexis decided to let drop the subject of Sonny. Kristina would tell her in due time, she was opening so much to her now, "Honey, it's not that simple. The PCPD suspected Keifer and went looking for him, but he and his family are missing at the moment, but we are all looking for him…"
"Mom, no, he needs to be caught. He will come after me."
"No one is coming after you, Kristina, look at me, you are safe. I will protect you," Alexis reassured her daughter.
"Maybe Sonny could have him killed," Kristina responded bitterly.
"Kristina!" Alexis admonished.
"Why, mom, I saw him, it seems like for the first time, he was threatening Claudia, Mom, he was so scary, Mom, he could have killed her right there," Kristina murmured through her sobs, , while a horrified Alexis tried to comfort her daughter.
Outside Kristina's Room:
After a few hours, Alexis had finally managed to get Kristina to sleep with Sam sitting closing by. Alexis stepped outside to speak with Sonny. She told him everything that Kristina had said and felt. She left nothing out. This was the reality they were facing. They were going to get through this together and they both needed to know what they were up to. Alexis couldn't tell what rattled Sonny more, Kristina's hatred for him or the fear of Keifer coming after her, when they all knew he was still on the loose. She embraced him, reassured him and leaned on him. They sat there for a while until Alexis decided to grab a bite and check up on Molly and Morgan while Sonny was left mulling with his thoughts, until Dante roused him.
"Hey, how is she?"
"She is talking and she wants nothing to do with me," Sonny replied dejectedly.
"Just hang in there; she's coming out of a major trauma. So, about the explosions,"
"What about it?"
"Georgie thinks they are a message of some sort."
"That's all I have been getting lately, loud and clear. I am ready to talk to Georgie. Tell her to set it up. I am ready, but I need some guarantees,"
Dante looked at Sonny proudly, "You are doing the right thing."
"It's about time."
Kristina's Room:
Kristina awoke from her quick nap. She was a little panicked, she couldn't see Alexis around, but calmed down when she saw Sam still there. She was graced with a smile from a big sister.
"Hi sleepyhead, did you have a good nap?" Sam asked afraid that she might have had another nightmare.
"Yeah, no nightmares, Sam."
"Good, just checking, Mom went to get something to eat. I hope she gets some milkshakes or something."
"Sam, I am sorry about Jason, how are you holding up?"
"Taking it one day at a time. What can I say, I am still standing."
"That's what we Davis girls do," Alexis Davis replied ushering Molly in with a couple of milkshakes.
"Kristina!" Molly jumped into Kristina's arms.
"Hey Mols. Easy ! I am right here. You are squishing me,"
"Now, how are we ever gonna get you to shut up?" Molly teased.
"Whose daughters are we after all?" Sam asked saucily.
"Hey! I am a well opinionated woman and I'll take happy, healthy, speaking daughters any day," replied a proud Alexis, seeing all her girls together, smiling.
"How was the play?" Kristina asked.
"It was great…" Molly replied before being cut off by Alexis
"She was a natural, just like your grandmother." Sam, Kristina and Molly laughed, "See, well-opinionated?"
"Hey, I am just proud of you girls and I'll say it forever."
"We know, Mom, I wish I was as talented as Kristin Bergman. She was in a class of her own." Molly added.
"She was beautiful and kind, just like all of you."
"The play was great, but all I saw was Molly making googly eyes at Cameron," Sam said teasing Molly.
"I was NOT! I am an actor. I had to set the stage, create the ambience of star crossed lovers and all that…"
"It looked pretty real to me," Sam replied, winking at Kristina.
"Molly has a boyfriend…Molly and Cam sitting in the tree," Sam and Kristina started singing, teasing their younger sister.
"Mom!" Molly whined.
"Enough girls!" Alexis playfully commanded, taking Molly into her arms around the same time Morgan walked in with a huge smile.
"Hey Morgan," Kristina was beaming at Morgan who was doing the same. He went in for a hug, which was happily reciprocated.
"It's so good to hear you, K?"
"How was baseball practice?" Kristina asked noticing his baseball gear.
"Great, when are you getting out of this place? The championships are in a couple of weeks and you have to be there since I became the pitcher. Everyone, the whole family!" Morgan told them excitedly.
"We don't know yet," Alexis answered.
"Where's Michael?"
"He is catching up with Dad."
They chatted happily for a while, joking and teasing each other. It was so good to hear the happiness in Kristina voice along with Morgan and Molly. They left while Michael went in to talk to Kristina. He was a afraid of the reaction he might get especially after last night with Kristina and her reaction to Sonny. He hoped they would get past this.
"I am sorry I scared you yesterday."
"No worries. Kristina, I am just glad you are okay." Kristina noticed that Michael had something else on his mind and she didn't have to wait any longer to find out.
"You can't do this to Dad."
"Do what Michael? I'll do whatever I want," Kristina said defiantly. "And right now, I don't want to see him."
"Do you know what he does?" Kristina asked angrily.
"I know better than anyone else."
"Michael, I am not ready."
"Fair enough. He has changed, Kristina. He is different. He is calmer, more attentive. These past few weeks, we've created this makeshift family, spending time with you and each other. He seemed a broken man with you in the hospital and Jason's death, being helpless, we all were. Give him a chance."
"I don't know. It's not that simple. I though the world of him and now everything people said about him is true. I can't even look at him without freaking out. This is hard. "
"That's why it's worth fighting for. Things are different. He is getting out."
"What?" Kristina exclaimed
"Am I interrupting something?" Dante asked walking into Kristina's room.
"No, come on in. Is it true about Sonny?"
"What?"
"Getting out of the mob?"
"Now more than ever," Dante replied.
"Think about it, Kristina," Michael asked and left Kristina and Dante together.
"How can he be so forgiving?"She asked him.
"Because he grew up with him as his father. Sonny took him in and Michael loves him for that."
"I just don't get it," Kristina replied helplessly, "You are his son too and you have issues with him…"
"I am working through them," Dante replied.
"I don't think I can forgive him,"
"He has changed over the last few weeks, a lot has happened and unfortunately, you missed that. I am not excusing anything he did in the past. Sometimes, I still see him as being on the other side, but I'll have to move on, I guess…" Pausing, he added, "Forget that, how are you feeling."
"I am scared,"
"We'll get that son of a b****, one way or the other."
"Dante, will you protect me?" Kristina asked in a whisper.
"Always," Dante's replied firmly taking his little sister into his arms. That was one promise he was going to keep.