Hi all, this is one is JasLexis and Sexis. From here on out, I'm going to do my best to update on Mondays. Hope you enjoy. Replies are appreciated.

Stronger Than Pride – Chapter 7

Alexis awoke to the sight of two ocean-blue orbs staring intently at her. Through her still half-dazed state, she thought she noticed a half-smile on Jason's face. Her voice scratched as she spoke, "What time is it?"

"It's still early."

"Then why are you smiling?" Alexis would never be a morning person. Much to her chagrin, she'd married one.

Her crabbiness seemed to make him smile more. "I was thinking about the morning chaos when the baby comes. Three kids and a cat, everyone screaming for something; we're going to need a bigger place."

Typically, the knocks on their bedroom door came soon after they awoke, allowing them only brief moments of peace. With a new baby, the brief moments would be briefer. "And this makes you smile because…"

"Because I like being a family with you."

With a simple statement, he'd managed to smash the walls that sometimes guarded her heart, once again. Sometimes it still blew her mind that she loved him: Jason Morgan, of all people. "You're just trying to get lucky before everyone wakes up."

Jason laughed. "I was just thinking about our little girl and how much she's going to love following behind her sisters."

Alexis raised an eyebrow. "A girl, huh?"

"Yeah, Tiger and I kind of like being the only men in the house."

Alexis burst into laughter. "Do you know how absolutely ridiculous that sounds?"

"Uh-huh." He smiled then he became serious as he pondered something. "Would you mind, if the baby is a girl, if we named her Emily?"

Emily, after his sister, losing a sister was another bond they shared. For the first time, she noticed the sadness in his eyes. "I think that's a perfect name."

"Thank you." He kissed her cheek, then her neck. She wore only his pajama top; he wore the bottoms. Shortly after they married, they found they were happy to share a pair. Now, his hand moved to the buttons of his pajama top. With each kiss, he freed a button from its closure.

"What are you doing?" She smiled as she enjoyed each kiss.

She felt the warmth of his breath as he whispered in her ear. "I'm trying to get lucky before everyone wakes up."

Later that morning, Alexis arrived at Sonny's ready for her first day at work. The location, just across the hall, could not have been more convenient. She was calmer than she had been when she'd seen him the day before. Making love with Jason always seemed to make her feel content.

"Hey," Sonny greeted her with a dimpled smile.

"Morning Boss." She entered Penthouse Four, feeling only a trace of the initial discomfort she first felt when Sonny returned there to live.

"I like the sound of that."

"You would." She laughed. She looked at the stairs and remembered descending them, clad in Sonny's shirt, the morning after Kristina was conceived. Their night together had been the result of their professional relationship, their friendship and so much more. She now questioned the sanity of returning to this place. "So, this is a switch; the two of us working together again."

"You mean you working for me." He teased. She knew he was trying to break a bit of the tension he could feel between them.

"So, you're planning on pulling rank?"

He chuckled. "Come on, we both know you were always the boss, even when you worked for me."

"Sure I was. Which is exactly why, you never listened to me."

"I always listened to you…after I had a chance to think. Then I'd usually do exactly what you told me to do." He paused, obviously thinking of something. "Did you take my advice last night?"

An audible sigh escaped her lips. She'd nearly forgotten that she'd told Sonny about her pregnancy and her doubts. "Yes, I told Jason about the baby."

"And?"

"And I think he's excited. He wants to name the baby Emily, if it's a girl."

Sonny dropped his head, which caused her to remember Sonny's relationship with Emily. A moment later, he lifted his head. Sadness touched the corners of his smile. "You pick out names for a boy?"

"Nope. Seems Jason is partial to the women in his life."

"Can't say I blame him." An awkward silence filled the air. Sonny moved to his desk and pulled out a small stack of papers. He handed them to Alexis. "I thought I'd start you off with something vaguely familiar."

"What are these?"

"Contracts for the sugar cane workers who work in my rum plant in Puerto Rico. Seems they've been threatening to go on strike. I figured since you did so well with the negotiation the last time, you might be able to work this one out by phone."

"Great. I'll get right on this." Puerto Rico. If anything could make her less comfortable than standing in Penthouse Four, once again working for Sonny, it was the thought of Puerto Rico. She'd given Sonny her heart once; she believed it happened in Puerto Rico. Later, he'd smashed it in a thousand pieces and handed it back to her. Jason now kept her heart safely in his possession; even still, she'd rather not relive Puerto Rico. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, you were pretty wound up last night about Ric becoming the new DA. And you seemed very preoccupied about Jerry Jacks."

"Jerry is a non-issue."

"Why?"

She turned her back to him. "You used to know how to leave things alone."

"You used to know how to trust me."

"What do you want from me?"

"The truth." He touched her shoulder. "Is Jerry dead? Is that why you and Jason got together?"

Alexis felt as though she had been punched in the gut. She'd promised Jason she wouldn't tell Sonny the truth when she and Jason first agreed to be together. She looked at him. His dark eyes burned holes straight through to her heart. At that moment, her breath betrayed her as it decided to come at less regular intervals. Sonny turned her to face him. The tears flowed as she nodded once.

"Don't worry. That's all I need to know. I won't ask you to betray any confidences." He pulled her into his arms as he had done so many times before. "Shh…," he whispered.

The tears came fast and furiously. A tangle of emotions that had been tangled inside her seemed to unravel. Maybe it was her hormones or maybe it was the release of the burden of carrying the secret of that horrible night for the last seven months, without sharing it with another person. He let her cry for a few moments, until she pulled away.

Placing his hands on her face, he used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. Alexis, listen to me. Jerry was a bad man. No matter what happened, I will not let anything happen to you or Jason. Your baby will be born to two parents who love him."

She smiled as she swatted the remainder of the tears from her eyes. "Him?"

"Yeah, I always pull for the underdog."