Without Hate - Chapter 11
When Jason entered the Penthouse, Carly was sitting on the sofa with a goofy grin plastered on her face. Immediately, he reached to take Michael from her arms. When she barely noticed him, he began to worry. "Carly, what's going on?"
"Nothing." She beamed. She thought about the prospect of becoming Jason's wife to spare him from prison; then she made a mental note to provoke AJ soon, so that he'd be certain to pursue the criminal case. Next she thought about Alexis at her first appointment with Dr. Meadows. Sonny had probably arrived and by now they were gushing over the prospect of becoming parents together. "I'm just excited because for once everything is going to workout perfectly."
Jason studied her face: her crooked smile and the crinkled nose. He knew that look and it terrified him more than staring down the barrel of a loaded gun: Carly had a plan. "What did you do?"
"Jase, what do you mean, 'what did I do?' Why do you always assume I'm doing something wrong?"
"I know that look. You have a plan. What did you do?"
Carly placed her hands on her hips. "You know Jase, if this is going to work out between us you're going to have to start giving me the benefit of the doubt."
"Carly!"
"Fine." She rubbed her hand against his cheek. "I just helped Sonny and Alexis get a little closer."
Jason felt his blood begin to boil. "Carly, you promised to stay out of it!"
"No, you promised, I'd stay out of it. Alexis is my friend and she's got a thing for Sonny. So, I'm going to help her get him." She wrapped her arms around his waist only to have him push her away. "Jase calm down. Right now, they're probably gazing into each others eyes, picking out baby names."
No sooner than Carly finished her sentence, Alexis burst through the door with Sonny following close behind. "I can't believe you!" She stopped just short of yelling.
"You tell me what I was supposed to do?"
"Well, what you weren't supposed to do was make my brother believe I was carrying your child."
"I told you that was Luke's fault."
Fire blazed from Alexis's eyes. "Don't you dare mention that man's name in my presence."
"He was trying to keep you safe."
Alexis simply glared at Sonny. "I expect you to be gone when I get back." She stomped her feet against the stairs before slamming her bedroom door. A moment later, Carly flew up the stairs behind her.
Jason stared at the stairs where Alexis marched a few seconds earlier. He made a mental note to never cross her. "What happened?"
Sonny moved toward the stairs to make certain Alexis was out of earshot. When he was sure, he burst into laughter. He began to explain how he arrived at the hospital just as Alexis was leaving her appointment. He told Jason how Luke immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion and about Stefan's horrified reaction. Alexis had chosen to speak to Stefan alone. At the same time, he told Luke he wasn't the father. Then Luke confided in him. Luke told him Alexis would be in danger if Helena or even Stefan believed she was carrying an heir to the Cassadine fortune. Luke reminded him how even Stefan fought Alexis the previous year about her claim as Mikkos's heir.
Sonny continued, "Luke insisted it was safer if the Cassadines believed Alexis was carrying my baby and protected by the force of the organization. I told him I didn't have a problem with it. He told me to let him handle it. So he walked up to Stefan and said, "'Can you believe it? The soon to be mafia princess is the result of Natasha and the Don doing the horizontal mambo in an interview room at the PCPD. So much for the Cassadine legacy.'"
Jason couldn't help but laugh. "Poor Alexis."
"Poor Alexis nothing. I had to pull her off Spencer. I seriously thought she was going to strangle him. In the car she told me, she'd just about convinced Stefan that she'd just had a routine checkup and needed to take supplements when Luke piped up."
"So, what are you going to do?"
"Hey, don't worry about it. Alexis can't stay mad forever."
Sonny was partially right. Somehow Alexis couldn't manage to stay angry with Carly. Maybe it was because of Carly's childlike need for her approval or maybe it was because Carly was the only person who could truly understand the position she was in.
Sonny was a different story. Soon he learned he had greatly underestimated the length of time for which Alexis could stay angry. A week and a half later, he had a better understanding of what it meant to have a Cassadine temper.
One thing Alexis hadn't realized was that there were limits to Sonny's patience. Two weeks of the cold shoulder demanded desperate measures. And so, one evening, Alexis was surprised by a loud banging on her door.
When the door swung open, she was surprised to see none other than Sonny's bodyguard, Johnny. He looked panicked as though something was wrong.
"Miss Davis, you have to come quick."
"What is it Johnny?"
"It's Mr. C. he's hurt."
"Where is he?"
"Next door, you have to come now."
"Did you call for help?" Alexis quickly scanned her desk for her phone.
"There's no time for that." Johnny ushered her gently across the hall to Penthouse 4.
She took a deep breath afraid of what she might find and entered the Penthouse. What she saw left her gasping in disbelief. Sonny stood before her in a black suit, next to a fully decorated table complete with a four course feast. Johnny closed the door behind her.
"I don't understand. Johnny said you were hurt."
"I was hurt." He smiled fully displaying his dimples. "My feelings have been deeply wounded."
She opened the door, only to find Johnny blocking it. She slammed it. "This is tantamount to false imprisonment."
"You're free to go...as soon as we talk."
"Sonny, do you understand why I'm angry? I hadn't planned on telling anyone about the baby, yet. Now, both my brother and Luke Spencer, of all people know I'm pregnant. Worse yet, they think I'm having your baby."
Sonny dropped his head. "I told Luke the baby isn't mine. That's what I was trying to tell you. Luke knew the truth before he said that stuff to Stefan." He paused for a minute. "Would having my baby really be the worst thing in the world?"
Alexis felt the heat rise to her face. In her mind, she saw images of Sonny helping her get acquainting with Michael a few weeks back. She sighed. "Of course not, I'm sure you will be a wonderful father one day. Stefan believing you're the father is the worst thing because it's not true. It just gives me one more thing to have to explain to Jax when he gets back. Sonny, the two of you hate each other. This isn't going to help."
Sonny sighed. "Who's going to protect you from Helena until Jax gets back? Stefan? The way I understand it, the two of you are about as close as me and Mike. I don't want you to feel like you have to do this on your own. I'm sorry if I made things more difficult for you, but I'm not sorry for wanting to keep you safe."
"Don't worry about it; I'll call Stefan in the morning Alexis couldn't help smiling. "Let me guess, this is part of your code."
"Yeah." Sonny chuckled. "Are we okay?"
"We will be if you tell me that having Luke beaten within an inch of his life is also a part of your code."
Sonny laughed loudly. "I'll see what I can do. Now, let's eat. You haven't lived until you've tasted my fettuccini."
As much as Alexis hated to admit it, Sonny was right; he was an amazing cook. After seconds, she felt as though Sonny might have to roll her back across the hall. Always the gentleman, Sonny walked her across the hall. They were both surprised to hear Carly's raised voice.
"I told you she's not here. You may be my former Steppop but I want you out." Carly demanded.
Sonny opened the door to see Carly holding a fireplace poker in the air, pointed at the direction of none other than Alexis's brother, Stefan.
