I've really enjoyed writing this story. I like my fanfic angsty. How about you? I've already written most of it. I think it'll have about 4 or 5 chapters. Thank you for reading.

"Thanks for staying with them. I had a few errands to do before we could head out on our girls weekend of adventure," Sam said to Sonny as she opened the trunk to her car.

He shook his head.

"No, problem. I'm glad Alexis asked me to hang out with them until you could get here. I always enjoy spending time with Kristina and Molly. They said they had to grab a few last minute things and then they would be right out."

"Oh, no. I think that means Molly is bringing 3 or 4 more books than she originally packed because she's not sure what she'll want to read tomorrow or the next day. Annnddd … Kristina wants to grab a few extra outfits for instagram photo ops on the trip."

"Sounds about right," he laughed.

"Can you believe they've never been camping before?"

"With Alexis as their mother I'm going to have to say … yes. I'm surprised she even bought this house so far out by the lake. It's definitely serene but she hates bugs. Actually, I've only been once … Mike took me a few months before he left my mother. So, 3 whole days of camping?"

"No … nooo." She smiled. "We're spending the night at my house tonight having some sister time, I promised them one night in the berkshires, and then one night in a hotel with some mani-pedis in between. Mom's treat …"

"She didn't want to meet you for the non-woodsy outdoors part?" Sonny asked, knowing Alexis didn't like the girls to be too far for too long without her. After a childhood like the one she had with the Cassadines, who could really blame her …

"She's been … uh … working a whole lot lately." Sam said, breaking eye contact with him and looking toward the lake.

"That's what the girls said. Doesn't she have that rule about no more than one late night at work a week?"

"Seems like she could use some rest," Sam finished, as if she didn't hear him. "What?" She asked looking back at him, "I'm sorry. Yeah, yeah - she does. A case is a case I guess. You know how she gets caught up in her work."

"She is definitely passionate about what she does. It just doesn't sound like her … you know all the changes she made since Kristina's assault and everything that happened with Kiefer. She hasn't mentioned anything to me, and I'm the client that seems to take up most of her time lately."

"True." Sam sighed. "What's taking the girls so long? Molly! Krissy!" She called toward the open door.

"Sam, you'd tell me if something is wrong with Alexis. Right?" He began to feel something was off, after all these years his protective instinct still honed where his on and off again lawyer and friend was concerned.

"Look, Sonny … I would, but she hasn't said anything to me but that she's working late. I've just noticed she seems a little off. She says she's working late, but on the nights she is home she goes to bed early. I mean, that's what Kris and Molly told me. She's needed a little more help with them lately … been a little more hands off …"

He shook his head.

"It is probably just work stress."

"Yeah, probably." He was lost in thought when his teenage daughter and his niece came running from the house.

"Sam! You're here!" Molly exclaimed, hugging her older sister, "I can't wait to go camping. Can we make a fort in the woods like Ann with Diana at Green Gables?

"Um, sure, Mol," Sam smiled.

"Krissy, are you ready for an epic Davis girls adventure?"

"Absolutely, yeah," she said, enthusiastic at first and then a bit timid. Sam hugged her sister, pulling away and looking into her eyes.

"You, okay?"

"I - yeah. I-I feel like a little kid saying this," she felt her father place his hand comfortingly on her back. "I wish I could have said goodbye to - to Mom." Sonny's face fell.

"Can you Facetime her before we leave in the morning? How about that?" Sam offered.

"I can. I just kind of wanted to give her a hug." Sonny pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head.

"Didn't you say bye before school this morning?" He asked.

"No, she was still asleep. I didn't want to wake her," Kristina said, muffled into his chest. He caught Sam's gaze.

"Hey, princess, I know you haven't been able to see your mom as much as you want to lately, but I'm here, Sam and Molly are here, and your Mom's work load will ease back down soon. Go and have fun. Ok?" Kristina nodded.

"Thank you for dinner, Dad. It was delicious. And the movie, I'm really glad you were here tonight."

"Yes, thanks, Uncle Sonny!" He hugged Molly and helped Sam with their bags.

"Are you sure you girls are only going to be gone for three days?" He teased, laughing at the looks they gave them. "Be safe. Okay? I'll see you soon." He shut the doors as they settled into their seats.

"Thanks, Sam. I'm going to run back in. I forgot my jacket and my phone is in the pocket. I'll lock up!"

Sonny walked back into the lake house trying to remember where he'd left his leather jacket. It took him a few moments before he remembered taking it off in the kitchen when he started dinner for the girls. He walked down the hallway unable to shake the feeling that something more was going on with Alexis than just being overwhelmed at work. He definitely remembered the days when they lived across the hall from him and work was pretty much her life, but things had changed after Kristina was born. Sonny shook his head. It's probably nothing. Maybe she's seeing someone and isn't ready to introduce him to the girls?

She deserves someone good in her life.

"Right?" He said out loud to himself. Sonny reached over to grab his jacket when he realized he'd left a few dishes in the sink. He rolled up his sleeves. He didn't want Alexis to come home to dirty dishes.

Sonny liked the place that was in with Alexis these days. Sensitive trigger points were still tiptoed around, but they were much less tender. After going to therapy with Kristina following Kiefer's death, he and Alexis had decided to go to a couple of sessions to improve their co- parenting relationship and heal their friendship - it wasn't easy for either of them and it didn't fix everything. He was still in a dangerous line of business. She was still a bit controlling and neurotic, but they were much closer to what they had been before their bond crumbled.

Alexis stopped by his office more often for a cup of coffee and a little banter, and he tried to come over more often to cook dinner for her and the girls. He smiled and he scrubbed and rinsed the last bowl – the one he'd made the meatballs. He thought of family dinner last month when they'd watched a movie together after the girls had gone to sleep and she'd fallen, her head drifting down to his shoulder. He sat with her contentedly long after the movie had rolled credits.

Sonny jumped as his phone rang. He recognized the tone — Morgan. He hurried to dry his hands, but just before he pressed the button to answer he heard a crash coming from Alexis' room.

"Alexis? Is that you?" He hadn't realized she had come home. She must have gone through the side door that went from the patio directly into the master bedroom. Sonny knocked gently on the door, "Lex, it's me. The girls just left. I fed them dinner and they did their homework before Sam got here. The door was cracked and when he heard another small thud he pushed it opened and quietly walked into the bedroom. "Alexis? Are you, okay? It's Sonny."

He hated to scare her, but he couldn't leave until he made sure there wasn't anything wrong. He walked toward the bathroom and that's when he saw her. Alexis with her weight against the edge of the sink as if she had caught herself and was half way between pushing up to stand or collapsing onto the floor. Sonny was momentarily stunned but quickly rushed over to her.

"Hold on. Hold on. I gotcha." He wrapped his arm around her waist. "Lean on me."

"No." She murmured, quiet yet assertive. She was struggling. "I can do it."

"Dammit, Alexis," he whispered close to her ear. "Just let me help you."

She took a deep breath, and he helped her to stand. She pulled away and quickly turned from him. The room seemed to move a bit on her, and he lay a hand on her back to steady her as she leaned against the wall. A quick flash of memory pushed itself into his mind. Holding Alexis up when she was having stomach pains at the hospital after her sister's accident at the warehouse, before he knew she was carrying his baby. Holding Alexis up when she went to stand up to Rick with him, and she collapsed onto a desk at the police station. The cancer.

"I heard something crash. Did you fall?" Sonny asked. He just needed to see her eyes.

She shook her head, still turned away from him, and sat down on the cushioned bench.

"I was … I was," she began out of breath. Why was she out of breath? "Dizzy. I grabbed onto the shower curtain." She pointed to the floor, and he nodded.

"Are you sick?"

"Tired. I'm so tired. I think I have food poisoning. I had something off of one of those food carts at the courthouse. Food with mayonnaise out in the sun on a food cart all day is never the best idea. Overpriced. Kind of smelly vendor …"

"Hey," he said, kneeling down next to her.

"Hey," she whispered, reaching out for his hand. Alexis finally looked over at Sonny. He was sitting on the floor of her bathroom with his back against the cabinets. They sat in the silence. Her eyes were red as if she'd been crying, her face pale, and he watched her as she gave him a timid smile, "Why are you staring at me?"

"What, now I can't look at you?" He countered, wistfully. Alexis blushed, looking down for a moment. Sometimes she hated that he could still make her feel that way, and sometimes, she loved it. His eyes welled with tears. He rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Don't," Sonny heard her say hoarsely.

"Don't what, Lex?" He asked, thoughtfully. "Don't know that you hate mayonnaise. Don't know that they don't put mayonnaise on popcorn."

"See through me," she answered, taking a deep breath and pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes.

"Tell me the truth," he said, trying to stifle all the things that he was feeling.

"What ever happened to "you'll tell me if you want me to know?" She crossed her arms, leaning her head back against the wall and closing her eyes.

"We're past that now. We have a daughter together now … a beautiful daughter" He sighed. "I need to know. I need you to tell me." He paused. "Please." He added. She wanted to smile, but she couldn't.

"The chemo is harder this time. That's the truth, Sonny. It's so much harder. I don't know if it's because I know what's coming this time or that the dose is higher … I just … I felt so sick, much sooner."

"When … When did you start?" he swallowed, a few silent tears slipping down his cheeks, and he did nothing to stop them, "Chemo?"

He watched as the tears began to cascade down her face. Her body shaking as if her saying the word was one thing, but him repeating it back to her had somehow made it all too real. He knelt down next to her, lifting her chin so that she met his eyes, and hugged her tightly to him.

"Ow." He felt her take in a sharp breath, moaning in pain, but she didn't pull away from him – until she did. Alexis propelled herself away from him and lurched toward the tub vomiting violently. "Nooo …" She said, taking a breath before being sick again, "I can't … I can't do this …"

He held her hair back and supported her body as they both cried. "It's okay. I'm here." He said, as another round of vomiting caused her body to spasm.

"Nooo," she sobbed. Sonny rubbed her back as she rested her forehead against the cool of the porcelain claw foot tub. "I don't want to do this again, Sonny."

"I know. I know you don't." He leaned over, grabbing a washcloth from the towel rack, and ran it under the cold water. He rubbed it on the back of her neck, her forehead, wiped her mouth gently as she stared ahead weakly and staggered as the reality of the journey came over her.

"Dammit," he said under his breath, but with such incredible fire, "Damn. Damn. Damn," He said, picking up the toothbrush holder from the counter and throwing it against the tiled floor.

"Feel better?" She asked, exhaustion evident in her voice, her eyes drooping.

He shook his head. "Let's get you off the floor." Sonny said, putting a gentle hand on her knee. "Did they give you something for the nausea? I'll get it for you."

She nodded. "Don't you have somewhere you need to go?" She asked, looking at his jacket long forgotten on her bed.

"Absolutely, not. Not anymore." His hand was trembling. "Do not ask me to leave you. I won't …" Sonny knew Alexis hated for people to fuss over her but this was taking it to the extreme.

"Sonny, you told me that things have been hard with Morgan lately. He really wanted to spend the night, right? I'm just going to take some medicine and sleep this off …"

"It's not just a hangover, Alexis."

"Morgan will be disappointed …" She pushed, pressing on the tenderness of his love for his children.

He forgot how much he could feel around this woman – all at one time: furious, heartbroken, compassionate, love, …

"I'm NOT leaving you." Ever. He added to himself. As if on cue, his phone began to ring. She was too exhausted to move any part of her body, but she lifted an eyebrow, smiling wryly.

"Go." She whispered.

"I'll be right back," he said, placing a kiss on her flushed cheek. She simply nodded. When Sonny returned Alexis had fallen into a light sleep with her head against the bench she was sitting on earlier.

"Hey," he whispered, trying not to startle her. "Let's get you into bed."

"Who was on the phone? 2002?" He laughed.

"It was Morgan. He asked for a raincheck. Apparently, there was a pretty girl from school that likes the same video games as he does and she agreed to come hang out with him.

"Dumped by your son, huh? Seems convenient."

"I'm going to pick you up. Okay?" He asked, sliding his arm under her knees.

"Morgan, give you some tips."

"Ah-lex-is …"

He began to lift her. "Can you put your arms around my neck?" He watched as she began to reach for him. Sonny gently placed one of her hands at his neck, and Alexis cried out in pain as she lifted the other, pulling it back into her chest.

"I don't think I can."

"It's ok." He said soothingly, standing up. He was surprised by how light she felt in his arms. Her eyes had been closed, but she opened them as they entered her bedroom. Their faces were so close together. He felt her pulling at his shirt.

"You shouldn't throw things."

"Right." He'd heard her say that before.

"You have blood on your shirt." She continued.

"What?" He looked down at the dark gray v-neck he'd worn to be more laid back around the girls. He hadn't even felt the sharp cut, the wetness, and then he looked at her. Alexis light blue, silk shirt tainted with a bright red patch of blood. One of the buttons had come undone from the force of her vomiting and looking closely he could see a white bandage also soaked in blood that was peaking out. Oh, God.

She watched as his eyes changed from a look of surprise, to devastation, and then complete fear. He knew. She looked as though he might drop her, but safety in his arms wasn't something she doubted. He sat her gently on the bed.

"Breast cancer." He said aloud.

"Sonny." She told him. "Breathe."