A/N: Hi all this chapter contains no Alexis (she'll be back next chappy.) This time it's mostly Sonny and Jason and some Sistina thrown in for good measure. Hope you enjoy. As always reviews are greatly appreciated.

Stronger Than Pride - Chapter 2

Kristina Adella Corinthos-Davis was a beautiful girl. She was his daughter and she held all of her mother's intelligence and all of his stubbornness. Sonny was usually appreciative of this combination of their characteristics, but today it was wearing his patience thin.

"Kristina, you cannot have ice cream for breakfast."

"Why?"

"Because it's bad for you."

"Then why can I have it for dessert?" She titled her head, much like he did when he wanted to get his way.

"That's different?"

"Why? It has all the same ingredients at night as in the morning." Once again, logic reared its ugly head.

Sonny took a deep breath. "That's not the point. You don't need so much sugar to start off your day. You need something with protein, like eggs."

"But I hate eggs, Papa."

"I hate eggs, too, Unca Sonny." Molly piped up. His niece was the worst. With hiss mother's big brown eyes from which she could always manage to drop a well-placed tear. Both girls knew he was putty in their hands over most things, but food remained their last unconquered territory. "I don't wanna eat eggs, eee-ter."

"The two of you liked them last week."

"I changed my mind from last week."

"Unbelievable. Are you sure you're just six?"

She crossed her arms in front of her. "Papa, I'm old enough to know what I like."

Immediately, Sonny's mind flooded with images of future arguments between himself and his daughter: "Papa, I'm old enough to stay out as long as I want; Papa, I'm old enough to love who I want to love"; etc. His stomach began to churn.

"Papa!" He heard her little voice. "Papa, the doorbell."

He opened the door to find Jason without Alexis. Jason regularly appeared the morning after date night without Alexis. The first time, Sonny asked where she was only to be informed that she was still sleeping. Sonny hated the regular implication that she was probably too exhausted to awaken. Now, he just didn't ask. He invited his friend in.

Jason always stopped by the morning after date night to assure the girls that he and their mother were fine. It was one of the things Sonny hated about the life he'd chosen for them, all of them, including Jason. Kristina suffered from separation anxiety. She began to get panicky when she was away from her mother for any extended period. After Alexis's cancer, Michael's shooting and Ric and Sam's occasional departures from her life, Sonny could understand why she teetered near having panic attacks. Between him and Alexis, he was surprised she hadn't inherited more.

He checked his watch. "You're late."

"Ten minutes." Jason shrugged.

"Kristina's getting testy. She hates it when you're late. She starts to worry and then she becomes argumentative."

"Gee, I wonder where she learned to be argumentative."

Sonny wasn't sure whether his friend's comment was a swipe at him or one at Alexis. Whichever the case, he wasn't in the mood for jokes this morning. Ultimately, he knew Jason was right; Kristina inherited both of her parents' gift of being disagreeable at times.

"Papo!" Kristina shouted as soon as she saw Jason. She ran and embraced him. As usual, Molly followed closely behind. She hoisted her hands on her hips in a way he'd seen Alexis do before. "You're late."

"So, I've heard." He looked at the girls' plates.

"Mama's sleeping?"

"Yeah. She's fine asleep and she's fine."

Sonny watched as Kristina relaxed at Jason's words.

"What's this about not eating breakfast?" Jason looked at Kristina with his best stern face.

"I don't want eggs." Kristina remained defiant.

"And I didn't want you to polish my nails when we played Salon Style. People do things they don't feel like doing for the ones they love. So, go eat."

Sonny watched in amazement when without a pause, both Kristina and Molly returned to their places at the table. Inside he was conflicted. He was happy to know his girls were in good hands when he wasn't around. Yet, he still felt a little jealous that Jason had a place in the girls' life as well as in Alexis's life.

Jason interrupted his thoughts. "They know you're a push over for women."

"Hey, they've never painted my nails." Both men chuckled.

Jason pulled him aside and mentioned that he wanted to tell him something. Sonny did his best to keep a blank expression as Jason mentioned that he was taking Alexis on a honeymoon and they wanted to bring the girls. Apparently, his friend could still read him pretty well because he added hastily that they would wait a couple of weeks until the holidays were over. Then Jason surprised him, something he thought his friend could no longer do.

"Alexis has been getting a little stir-crazy, lately. So, I suggested she go back to work...for you."

"You think that's a good idea? I mean I told you how I felt about her. It's been six months, but I can't say for sure my feelings have changed."

"I trust you and I trust her. Look Sonny, you know as my wife, Alexis is a target. Only you can understand what that really means. You are the only person I know who would die before you let something happen to her."

"You can say that after Michael?"

The younger man stared at him for a moment. He seemed to be searching his eyes for something. Soon a half smile broke. "Yeah. I don't hold you responsible for Michael anymore. Besides you saved Alexis when she was only your attorney. I know you won't let anything happen to Kristina and Molly's mother."

"Thanks man." Sonny nodded then gave Jason's arm a pat. Jason headed back to the girls. Sonny sat in a chair near where he had been standing. He ran his hands over his face as he thought about the prospect of working with Alexis. When they worked together before, the chemistry between them had been palpable. Now, they shared a child and they knew what making love with each other was like. Would this new arrangement lead to betraying his best friend again, but this time with higher stakes? Could he risk being so close to Alexis, everyday? As he leaned back into his chair he knew one thing was certain, he couldn't walk away without trying.