A/N: Good Evening! Thank you readers and reviewers for your continued support. Without you, this would all be pointless. :)

Here's the next chapter to cap off the weekend. Hope you enjoy it. :)

Chapter Thirteen

As she exited Garrett's cubicle she saw the orderlies wheeling Sam back into hers and Patrick approaching. She quickly walked to meet him, "How is she?"

"She's stable," Patrick nods, "Looks like it's just a severe concussion."

"Is she awake?"

"No, not yet. But you can go sit with her now. It probably won't be long before she's awake." He watches as Alexis nods in understanding, "She's probably going to have one hell of a headache, so let us know when she's regains consciousness and we can assess the pain and give her something more if she needs it."

"Okay, thank you." Alexis walks past him and through the curtain to Sam's cubicle. Choking back a sob at the sight of her daughter and the bruises to her face that had become more visible, she approached the bed once the orderlies left, taking a seat and a hold of her hand. "Hi, sweetheart…" She focused on the rise and fall of her daughter's chest, "Patrick says all of your tests came back fine… but you have a severe concussion. You just have to wake up now, baby, so we can make sure everything is okay." She brushes her hand lightly along Sam's hairline, watching as her eyes began to flutter, "Sam, honey?"

"Mom…" Sam squinted as she opened her eyes and shied away from the light, "My head…"

"Hi, baby… it's so good to hear your voice!" Alexis smiled in relief, kissing her daughter's hand.

"What happened?" Sam was visibly confused as she struggled to take in her surroundings.

"You had a car accident, honey. You hit your head pretty hard." Alexis watched as Sam winced again.

"A car accident?" Sam tried to focus before suddenly growing panicked, "Oh my God… Danny? Is Danny okay?"

"Yes, sweetie," her mother reassured with a smile, watching as relief washed over Sam's face, "He's fine. You hadn't picked him up yet. You were alone. You don't remember?"

"No," Sam answered softly as she tightly closed her eyes and brought a hand to her head.

"Are you all right if I go out and get the doctor to check you out? Sam nodded and Alexis kissed her hand, "Okay, I will be right back."

"Okay…" Sam managed a smile before watching her mother leave the room.

Alexis pulled back the curtain, not wanting to fully leave her daughter's cubicle. She poked her head towards the nurse's station in an effort to get Epiphany's attention, only to notice her talking to a blonde woman who appeared to be frantic.

"Yes, please." The woman frantically answered Epiphany's offer for help, "I'm here to see my husband. I was contacted by authorities and told he was injured in a car accident?"

Patrick approached Alexis, drawing her from her stare, "Alexis, everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah… I'm sorry…"She focused on the tall doctor in front of her, "Patrick, Sam is awake. And she's complaining about her head."

"Okay, sure." He nodded, pulling back the curtain, "We'll check it out."

"Thank you," Alexis watched as he entered the exam room and closed the curtain behind him, before the woman's voice drew her back.

"His name is Garrett Newman."

Alexis's stomach churned, and before she knew what she was doing, she had made her way to the nurse's station and was standing beside the petite blonde, "Excuse me. I'm sorry, did you just say your husband is Garrett Newman?"

"Yes?"The newly realized Mrs. Newman narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"Of course," Alexis looked away and shook her head as she felt her stomach rise to her throat, prompting her to grip the counter in search for some kind of support. She then simply pointed towards Garrett's cubicle, "He's in there."

As she slammed her file cabinet drawer shut, a knock sounded at her office door. "Come in." She sighed as she sat back in the chair and positioned her glasses on her nose.

"Hey…" Sonny poked his head around the door, "You got a minute?"

"Yeah…" Alexis looked at him from over the top of her glasses, "What's up?"

"Nothing urgent," He shrugged as he took a seat on the opposite side of her desk, "I just wanted to touch base with you about a couple of contracts I need drawn up."

"Sure." She nodded as turned to her computer and pulled up a blank document, "Go ahead… For what?"

As she waited, her hands perched on the keys ready to being, Sonny just looked at her. He had to say something… he couldn't just sit back and watch his friend go crazy.

"Sonny?" Her impatience was getting the best of her… a common occurrence these days.

"Yeah…" He drew a breath, "Uh… I talked to Kristina this morning."

"Okay…?" She turned away from the computer and went back to the file she was looking at previously, "What did she have to say?"

"She said she was having an art show this weekend at a small gallery." He couldn't help but smile as he watched Alexis' face soften when she looked up at him.

"I know…" She took off her glasses, resting them in her hands in front of her, "Isn't it wonderful? Nikolas says she's doing so well, he's never seen her so happy. Always a smile on her face."

"That's amazing. I'm so proud of her." He felt his face brighten the same way he had just watched Alexis'. All they ever wanted for their daughter was happiness, "She told me that you were planning a trip to go see her?"

"Yes…" She drew a deep breath, "I really miss her… and I figured I should do it while I can. You know, while things are a little bit calm around here…"

"Is that the only reason?" Sonny raised a brow. He wasn't sure how to approach this… but he knew that he had to do it. Not only as a favor for Kristina… but for Alexis.

"Yes?" Alexis lowered her brow, "Should I not be missing our daughter? I haven't seen her since Christmas…"

"Of course you can miss her, Alexis." Sonny sighed, "I'm just not completely convinced that taking a trip to Greece is just about visiting Kristina."

"Well… I am going to spend time with Nikolas and Spencer, too… I mean…"

"Lex." Sonny rolled his eyes, "You know what I'm talking about."

"No… I'm sorry, Mr. Corinthos." She swiftly removed her glasses keeping a stern gaze, "What, pray tell, are you talking about?"

"Hey." He raised his brow and shifted his seat, resting his elbows on his thighs, "Listen… I'm just trying to be a friend, okay?"

Alexis sighed and ran her hands over her face before sitting back and crossing her arms. She was ready for battle… and tired of everyone telling her what she needed to do, "Okay, friend. Go ahead…"

"You're something else, you know that?" He shook his head with a chuckle for a moment before growing serious again, "So, what are you gonna do about Garrett?"

"What am I going to do?" Her eyes widened as she twisted side to side in her chair, "Why is it always up to me, hmm? Why do I always have to decide?"

"You're miserable."

"I am not miserable." Her voice was soft as she rested her head on her fist, "I'm just a little stressed."

"Have you talked to him?" Sonny was cautious in his questioning.

"A little…" She shrugged, "To be honest… I don't really want to. Every time we try talking it turns into a fight."

"And why is that?"

"I don't know Sonny," She exclaimed, "Maybe because I'm stubborn and defensive. Is that what you want me to say?"

"That's a start…" He smirked, bringing out a small smile from Alexis as well. He was right… she was right. And she knew it.

"I am. I know that I am. But you know what? I'm so damn tired of getting hurt." She felt the tears begin to sting her eyes but she couldn't let it happen. Yet somehow Sonny always managed to get her to confront her feelings.

"You have every right to be upset, you know."

"Yeah?" She bit her lip, "Because everyone else seems to think I'm overreacting. Or at least that I'm not giving Garrett enough of a chance. Do you know how many chances I've given that man? Too many… way too many. Just like I always do with every man."

"Only you know what's right for you."

"But I don't know," She could no longer hold back as her eyes filled with tears, "I really don't. I don't know what to do. I love him so much, Sonny. So much that I can't bear the thought of letting him close enough to hurt me again."

"I know…" He's sympathetic as he watches her meet his eyes.

"I was sixteen… sixteen years old," She sniffled, turning her gaze towards the window, "And he was so charming. So wise beyond his years. And he paid attention to me. For the first time in my life, someone actually loved me for me." She smiled as she turned back to him, swiping away the tears from her cheeks, "and I loved him. I loved him so, so much. When we were together… it was like nothing else mattered. It was like everything terrible and awful in my life just went away and all that was there was him and his love. It was all that I needed."

Sonny smiled, "That's true love…"

"I thought so," Alexis nodded, "I really thought so. And then… and then he was gone. He told me that he loved me. He told me I was the most important person in his life. And he really was the most important one in mine…without him, I had no one." Her voice waivered as her emotions overflowed and she struggled to keep them under control. "I'm sorry…" She apologized as she accepted the tissue Sonny handed to her.

"No reason to be…" He smiles softly, "This is why I'm here."

"You're not my therapist." She wipes her nose, "You pay me to figure things out for you."

'Yeah. You're right. And I'm your friend… you're the mother of my child. I love you and I'm here for you." He met her eyes and watched when they again flooded with tears as she smiled at him.

"Thank you… that means a lot."

"Anytime… you know that." Sonny shrugs, "We've been through a lot together. And apart… with other people. I know what it's like to love someone and be afraid to let them in."

"You do…" She nods in agreement, continuing to wipe away her tears, "You know… sometimes I think it would be so much easier just to forget all about it. Just push it away like I used to..."

"Where has that gotten you?"

"Nowhere…" She chuckles as she runs a hand along her forehead, "I don't know Sonny… I honestly don't know. Life was so simple before he came back. Everything was in place. Everything was quiet."

"And boring…" He raised a brow, knowing he was telling the truth.

"No… well, maybe a little. But my life is full, it really is. I have 3 daughters that are the most beautiful, intelligent, and amazing women I have ever known in my life." She smiles wistfully, "And my baby boy… my perfect little Danny who just brightens every day."

"He certainly does that. The boy has one serious personality on him." Sonny chuckles.

"Doesn't he? I am so blessed, Sonny." She shakes her head in astonishment. Sometimes it still took her breath away, "I have everything that anyone could ever want."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't want someone to love, Alexis…" He watches as she nods, but her tears showed him she didn't really believe him, "I mean that. You deserve happiness in every aspect of your life."

"Maybe…" She shrugs as she gets up from the chair to stand by the window where she rests her head, "I've waited this long… maybe I still just need to wait for the right person to come along."

"Yeah… maybe…but you need to be open to the possibility that, maybe, the right person has already come along…" He observed as she came back to her desk and took a seat on the edge in front of him.

"I've spent my whole life trying to find love…" She smiled to him, "With Ned… you…Ric…Jerry…Sean…" Shaking her head she sighed, "No… I really just think it's time. It's time to let it go. I just need to figure out how." She looked down when she felt him take her hand.

"I know it's scary to put yourself out there again… and give someone a chance… especially considering the track record," He smiles when she chuckles slightly, before continuing, "But sometimes you have to weigh the options… sometimes… it's better to give love a chance than to give in to your fears and deny yourself the opportunity to be happy."

Alexis looked into his eyes for a moment, a smile on her lips, and the same tears still lingering in her eyes. She was so thankful to have Sonny in her life. Their friendship was a gift that had grown and evolved so much through the years. Often times, they knew each other better than they knew themselves… and she couldn't help but admit that maybe he was right. "Thank you…" She smiled to him before suddenly her cell phone rang, prompting her to break their gaze and pick it up from the desk, "It's Sam… Hi Honey." It's wasn't Sam, "Garrett?"

Sonny watched as her complexion turned white.

"I'll be there in five minutes." Alexis quickly hung up the phone and grabbed her purse prompting Sonny to practically jump from his seat.

"What's the matter?"

"It's Danny." Her voice cracked, "I need to go to the hospital."

"Okay," Sonny nodded as he put a hand on her back to guide her out, "I'll drive you."