Thanks for all the positive reviews. They make me proud of what I love to do and that is writing. I especially would like to thank Rorihill, LoveFreddieWilson, Willsonny, Thalia 49, Khumko & WillandSonny. Y'all mean the world to me. P.S. I had a really hard time writing this chapter. I really hope y'all enjoy it because I think it's my best one yet.

Soul Mates

Chapter 19

Sunday came and went so fast that Will and Sonny barely had time to enjoy their time together with Marley. Before they knew it, it was Monday and they found themselves back in the courtroom waiting for court to begin.

"All rise for the Honorable Judge Hammond Kline presiding." As Will and Sonny stood, Will realized that Gabi and Nick weren't in the courtroom.

"Sonny, I have an unusual feeling about this. Something is off today."

"Is it a bad feeling love?"

"No. it's just that something doesn't feel right. I don't know what it is." Sonny grabbed his hand and pulled it up to his mouth to kiss his ring finger.

"I love you and I promise that everything is going to be okay."

"Thank you love." They all sat down and waited for the judge to start talking.

"Due to some recent events, William Robert and Jackson Steven Horton-Kiriakis have been granted full custody of the minor child, Marlena Grace Horton. And as of today, said minor child will be known as Marlena Grace Horton-Kiriakis and Jackson Horton-Kiriakis will forever be known as her legal father. Will you please come up here and sign the adoption papers?"

Sonny walked up to the judge and happily signed the papers making Marley his daughter. After the judge handed him the signed adoption papers, Sonny turned around and walked back over to his husband. "What has happened?"

"I don't know but I'm not going to complain. I know she's not your daughter biologically but now nobody can take her away from you. She's yours too."

Just then, Justin walked up to them. "Dad, what happened? Where are Gabi and Nick?"

"It seems that Gabi relinquished her parent rights and convinced the judge that you wanted to adopt Marley so that's why they're not here. It's over. Marley is officially your daughter and y'all have full custody of her."

"Wonderful. Come on love. Let's go pick up our daughter and celebrate." Will pulled Sonny in for a kiss and together they headed out of the courthouse arm in arm.

They were walking down the courthouse steps when the worst thing that had ever happened to Will happened right in front of him. And there was nothing he could do.

"Somebody call 9-1-1. We need an ambulance. My husband's been shot." Will sat on the steps holding his bleeding husband in his arms.

Twenty minutes later, Will was climbing into the back of the ambulance with Sonny and they were headed to the hospital. As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Sonny was rushed into surgery, leaving Will sitting out in the waiting room with blood all over him.

"Don't worry Will. He'll be okay." Will looked up at his father-in-law. "He has to be okay. He just became a father. He's got be okay." Will stood up and pulled Justin into a hug.

Out of the corner of his eye, Will spotted his mother-in-law, Adrienne. She was standing in the doorway of the waiting room. He motioned for her to join them. She was reluctant but she did walk towards them.

"I told him Will. When we stood in this very hospital after you were shot and Marley was born, I told him that you were going to be death of him. He told me that he loved you no matter what and there was nothing I could do to make him give up on you a second time. If it weren't for you, my son would not be in there fighting for his life. If my son dies, I will hold you responsible forever." With a scowl on her face, she walked out of the waiting room leaving Will and Justin alone.

"She's right."

"No she's not son. You are not to blame for what other people do. Sonny loves you and Marley and I don't believe he would blame you for what happened today either. It's not your fault." In the back of his mind, Will knew Justin was right but he also knew that Adrienne had a point too.

They were sitting alone waiting for news about Sonny's condition but nobody had come out to speak to either one of them. Finally, they decided to go find someone who could tell them how he was doing. They were rounding the corner at the nurse's station when Will recognized one of the doctors that had taken his husband back earlier.

"Doctor, I was wondering how Sonny is doing. Nobody has told me anything and I'm worried."

"And who are you?" the doctor asked.

"I'm William Robert Horton-Kiriakis. Jackson is my husband and I'm worried about his condition. Is there anything you can tell me?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Horton-Kiriakis. I've been told not to give you any of the details on the patient's condition."

"But he's my husband. I have to know how he's doing." Will could feel his tears start falling.

"I'm sorry sir but I can't." Will turned to Justin as the doctor walked away from them.

"I don't understand Justin. What is going on? How in the world can I not be told about my husband's medical condition?"

"I don't know Will but I am going to find out just what is going on here. You wait right here and I'll have answers for you, I promise." Will watched Justine leave. He pulled out his phone and called his Aunt Maggie.

"Hello, Will. How is Sonny doing?" she asked.

"He's still in surgery Aunt Maggie. How is my little girl doing?"

"She's asleep."

"That's good. Give her my love when she wakes up. Tell her that her pop loves her too." It was hard for Will to think about Sonny not being able to tell their daughter how much he loved her himself.

"Okay. Give Sonny our love and we pray he gets well soon."

"Okay Aunt Maggie." Will hung up just as Justin was walking up to him. "Did you find out what happened?"

"Yes, I did but you are not going to like it because I'm furious myself about what I just learned."

"What's going on?"

"How about we go check on your husband first?" Justin put his arm around Will's shoulder and led him down the hall towards a private room.

"How did you get me in to see him Justin?" Will asked as they stopped outside the door that had Sonny's name written on it.

"I'll tell you later. Just let's go in and check on Sonny." They walked into the room and the moment Will saw his husband hooked up to all the machines his heart almost stopped beating.

"Oh my god Justin. I almost lost him. What am I going to do if he doesn't make it? I can't go on without him. How will our daughter know just how wonderful her father is if he's not here for her to see it?"

"He will make. He loves you and Marley too much to not fight this with everything he has in him. Remember, he's a Kiriakis." Justin stepped aside and Will walked over to the side of Sonny's hospital bed.

Will sat down and took Sonny's hand in his. He held it as gently as he could since it was the hand with an IV in the back of it.

"Baby, you have to get better. You became Marley's dad today and I'm going to need your help raising her, my love. I'm going to need you when she starts school and I know I can't go with her. Then when she starts dating, I'll need your moral support to help me not want to kill all of the guys who want to date her. You're the levelheaded one and I need you to keep me on track. I love you Jackson Steven Horton-Kiriakis. You are my life and I can't live without you."

Justin watched as his son-in-law leaned down and kissed his son. Then he heard something he just couldn't believe.