I've been very sleep deprived lately. So, forgive any grammar mistakes or typos. This chapter was supposed to end on a cliffhanger, but I liked this way a little better. I hope you do, too. Thank you for sticking with this story! Amanda
10b/
Robin Scorpio hadn't been home in almost 24 hours and couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten. She cut through the ER on the way to the cafeteria after Patrick had let her know that Morgan Corinthos would be coming upstairs for surgery soon.
She hoped to run into Sonny on the way to grab a bite to eat. She didn't want to literally run into him, but she was in such a sleep deprived haze that was almost the case.
He had two cups of coffee in his hands and he was standing outside of the ladies bathroom.
"Am I still half asleep or are you waiting to go into the ladies room?"
"I don't know about you, but I am definitely still half asleep."
He sat the cups down and hugged her.
"How are you?"
"Starving," she told him. "Patrick said Morgan was coming to surgery. Is everything okay?"
"He had his first kiss, and he crashed Jason's bike." Sonny ran his hand through his hair that was now a mess of curls. "He's in a lot of pain, but he'll be fine."
"Good. Does, uh, Jason know his bike is wrecked?"
"Yeah. I just called him."
"When we were together, I tried to get him to sell it."
"Funny enough. That's what he was about to do."
"Parts?"
Sonny laughed.
"Hey, thanks for checking on him. I appreciate it."
She nodded.
"Want anything from the cafeteria?"
He shook his head.
"I hate to keep you, but you think you could do me a small favor?"
"Does it involve talking to Carly?"
"No."
He smiled.
"Great. Because that would be much more than a small favor."
Robin followed his gaze that kept shifting to the door behind them.
"Talk to me, Sonny."
"I can't go into any specifics, but Alexis has been pretty sick. I can't say much more than that, but she's been weak and nauseous. Anyway, one of the nurses said they saw her go into the ladies room and it's been - well, longer than I'd like."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe you could just inconspicuously check and see if she's okay."
She nodded, without moving.
"You're really worried, aren't you?"
"Yeah. It's - it's been rough for her. I just need to make sure -"
"Okay. Of course. Although, you owe me that coffee when I get back."
He smiled.
"It's yours."
When Robin entered the bathroom, she saw the woman she'd tried to help the Davis girls set up with her Uncle Mac. Alexis was sitting on the floor, her back against the wall, and her head leaning against her knees.
"Alexis," she said, bending next to her. "It's Robin. What can I do?"
Her medical instinct kicked in as she placed her hand on Alexis' wrist to stir her while also assessing her pulse.
"Alexis, can you hear me, it's Robin Scorpio?"
"Robin," she asked, finally lifting her head.
"What can I do?" She asked again.
"I -I'm . . . nothing. Thank you."
Robing watched Alexis as she tried to settle into her surroundings.
She pulled the pin light from her pocket, shining the light into the woman's eyes.
"I've grown up around enough adults that are always fine when they're asked anything … So, thank you for saving me from that platitude."
Alexis smiled, pushing the light away. "Well, obviously I'm not fine. I'm a grown woman sitting on the floor of a public bathroom in a hospital. That being said, How often do you enjoy having a light shined in your eyes when you first wake up?"
"Humor me." She said, as Alexis dutifully, followed the light with her eyes.
"I was trying."
"Can you tell me what happened?"
"I just got off the phone with Mac. He says, Hi, by the way."
Robin laughed.
"Did you tell him you were dating Sonny?"
She watched as Alexis' brow crinkled, she sighed, and pointed to the exit.
"He's right outside the door. Isn't he?"
"Well, he's more against the wall opposite it."
"No, I told Mac that he needs to fire this freshman cop that was harassing Morgan Corinthos."
"Ah."
"And I'm not dating, Sonny."
"Sure."
"It's much more than that," she said, quietly, looking away.
"Do you remember what happened?"
"It's kind of a long story. I mean we've known each other for over 20 years, and we have a daughter together."
"Alexis, if you knew how hungry I am, right now." Robin smirked. "How did you get on the floor?"
"I came in here after I got off the phone with Mac to splash some water on my face, I got dizzy, and I sat down. I must have fallen asleep."
Robin nodded.
"You didn't faint?"
"No. I don't think so."
"I'm going to help you up. We'll go slow. You let me know if you feel any dizziness or lightheadedness. Ok?"
Alexis nodded and put her hands in Robin's. She watched as Robin examined the bruising there. Her gaze met Alexis.'
"Are these from an IV? Looks like Sonny had reason to be worried." She pulled the other woman up. "Are you stable?"
Alexis nodded. "No, but I'm - I'm not dizzy. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Robin the girls don't know yet …"
"Alright." She put her hands in her lab coat. "You don't have to tell me. Take care of yourself."
"I will. Can you tell Sonny I'll be right out? I'm going to just splash a little water on my face. For real, this time." She said, smiling over at her as she leaned against the sink. "Don't scare him."
"I think it's too late for that."
"Did you bribe Robin to tell you the darkest side hall with the least amount of traffic so you could have your way with me?"
Sonny smiled. It was a tired smile, but beautiful and reassuring to Alexis as they sat on a small bench his fingers laced through hers. He bent down kissing her lips.
"No bribes." He said, as he placed his hand softly on her cheek. She leaned into his touch. "Just a deal."
"A deal?"
"It involved something that is a touchy subject, you don't like to talk about it."
Alexis put a finger over his mouth in a shushing manner, tapping his lips as she spoke.
"The business?"
He shook his head.
"The code?"
He shook his head again, kissing the tip of her finger, and taking her hand back in his.
"Coffee."
"Hmm?"
"She checked on you, and I gave her a cup of coffee. I had two for myself, but I made a sacrifice."
"How noble of you?"
"Why, thank you."
"I'm not sure what's more frustrating - that you gave another woman coffee or that you were going to drink two yourself."
"Come here. Maybe I can still taste it on your lips." He smiled against her. "It's okay. Not as good as the Corinthos-Morgan blend in my cabinet.
"Good to know."
"I get the freshest roast from the guy I'm –" She stopped, her eyes big as she said, "Did you know Robin thinks we're dating? Did you tell her that?"
"No, Alexis. I thought you were passed out on the floor, and I was pushing down every instinct I had not to burst in there and check on you myself."
"Thank you for exercising such restraint."
"Welcome."
She set her hand on his leg, suddenly feeling weak, and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Because, you know, we would only be dating if we went on dates and you and I have never been on a date."
"What are ya' talking about?" He asked, leaning his head against hers. "We've been going on dates for years - dinners, breakfasts, New Year's, club openings . . . spend the night parties with long talks over popcorn where you made me sleep on the couch … we even went on vacation together."
"That was a work trip."
"Was it?" He laughed lightly. "Seems to me there was a big part of it that definitely wasn't work related."
They were quiet for a moment. Both of them seemed to be reflecting on the past, on Puerto Rico, and then he whispered in her ear,
"It's much more than that."
She sat up taking his face in both her hands, kissing him deeply, and with more passion than she imagined she could muster considering it was taking so much effort just to stay awake. She kissed him like she wanted to that night when he'd picked the gardenia for her from the terrace with the view that he'd paid way too much for. His hands got lost in her hair, and he forgot where they were and the circumstances that were drowning them at the moment - it felt so good just to be lost in her for a moment.
He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket at the same time she heard the door open at the end of the hallway. They were hidden away in a back hallway close to the ER that only the staff used, but she knew it wasn't a doctor or a nurse who had ended the private moment between them.
"I think my chariot awaits." She told him slightly out of breath.
"Yeah, that was Jax letting me know that Morgan is about to go up for surgery."
"Listen," he said, taking her hand and pulling her up with him. "I want you to go home, take your medicine, and get some uninterrupted sleep."
She hugged him.
"I will. I promise."
He pulled her tighter to him, so close he could feel the device through her shirt, the one he'd watched Epiphany place the night before, and he thought about the needle in Alexis' skin, the medicine being released into her body.
"Sonny?"
"Yeah?"
"I want you to promise me something, too."
"What's that?"
"Promise me that once Morgan goes into surgery, you'll find somewhere to get a little sleep."
"Alexis -"
"You want to be there for me, Kristina, and for Morgan, but I know that you've had even less rest than I have, and I'm scared you're going to collapse. You're not indestructible."
"I'll be fine. I don't want you worrying about me right now."
"Then who will?" She asked, pulling on his sleeve, slightly. "Hey, it's important to me."
"I'll do my best."
She nodded.
"And I'll do my best not to skip ahead on Sherlock when I get home. I hear Milo is also a big Benedict Cumberbatch fan."
She felt him smile as he rocked slightly in his arms.
"Milo, isn't taking you home, Lex."
"What do you mean?" She looked over his shoulder, toward the door. "Francis?"
"Yes. He's been with us most of the weekend. He knows what's going on. I'll worry less if he's with you."
"Are you sure it's not because he's not as easy for me to manipulate?"
"That, too."
"Besides, I need Milo to go to the store and get all the things we need for tomorrow when the girls come home - I promised them and Diane a welcome home dinner."
Sonny saw the look in Alexis' face - a look a peace that was quickly transforming into panic.
"Hey, hey … talk to me." He didn't know what was happening, but he didn't like it. "Alexis, breathe. Hey, beautiful, what's going on?"
"Fr-francis is going to be with me. Milo - milo is going to be at the store. Wh-who's going to be with you?" She was starting to shake, and he helped her sit down, kneeling beside her. "Who's going to be with you?" She asked again, fear in her voice.
Sonny saw Francis take a paper bag out of his suit pocket and hand it to him. He grabbed it from him.
"Thanks." He ran his hands up and down her arms, soothingly. "She's okay." He watched as her breathing started to slow, and he leaned closer to her. "Where's this coming from?" He whispered. "Is this because of your dream?"
She shook her head.
"I - I don't know. I just - I just need to know you're going to be alright."
"I'm going to be here the whole time. I'm sure by the time I get ready to leave, Max and Diane will be here. Max can bring me home. Nothing is going to happen to me."
She was silent, until she wasn't.
"I'm sorry. This is silly. I should go. You need to get to Morgan. You'll hug him for me? I took care of everything. No one is going to bother him. I, um, I told him I would. So -"
He wasn't quite sure what was happening in her head, and he was usually pretty good at translating, but he knew it was important to her.
"He did ask for you."
She smiled.
"I'll send him something from the girls and me. It'll be there when he gets home."
"Alexis, do you need me to come with you?"
She looked down, wiping a tear from her eye, and hoping he wouldn't see it. He didn't need this right now.
"Please don't ask me to answer that. How could I?"
He nodded. He knew the answer. Sonny reached out lovingly pulling her necklace from where it was hidden beneath her shirt.
"You found my note?"
She smiled, pushing a stray curl from his forehead. When she woke up and found his side of the bed empty, Alexis saw a piece of paper on her nightstand with a tiny envelope next to it.
Save a dance for me. I'll be back soon. Love, Sonny
"It's gorgeous, Sonny. How did you? When did you have time to do this?"
Sonny looked down at the charm resting in his hand.
"I had it made when we left Puerto Rico."
She was shocked into silence, and he smiled. His dimples fully revealed. His heart fully revealed
"I had them pull up one of the pieces of marble tile from the casino, one of the tiles from the dance floor where we danced that night. We danced around each other so much, but that was the first time I'd held you that close in my arms, in that way. The first time I'd seen you let go. You trusted me to see who you were, completely unguarded. Anyway, they carved the gardenia from the tile. The center is a yellow diamond."
He let go of the necklace, letting it fall softly against her chest.
"It was the first time I thought something more might happen between us, and the thought made me feel happy in places I didn't know I could feel happy again. I wanted you to remember what it felt like to just be yourself - to be free. Dance a little more often."
He wiped away the tears that were falling down her cheeks.
"It's been in my wallet."
"This necklace has been in your wallet since I lived across from you in the penthouse?"
"It has." He nodded. "Since, about two months after we came back from the island."
She was stunned.
"Why now?"
"It was time."
He kissed her cheeks.
She smiled brightly, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace, and kissing his neck. She could feel his heart beating beneath her lips.
Time.
"Thank you." She told him her voice was full of emotion.
He took her hand and walked with her toward the door that Francis was holding open and helped her into the car.
"I'll be there as soon as Morgan is out of surgery."
"Stay with him as long as he needs you. I'll be fine."
Sonny kissed her hand, nodding. He couldn't seem to make his feet move from that spot, to let go of her.
"I'll take excellent care of her boss."
He shut the door.
"I love you," she watched him mouth as Francis got into the front seat.
Alexis leaned her head back on the seat as Sonny disappeared behind the door to the hospital, wrapping her hand around the small gardenia hanging from her neck.
She had never been more sure of anything in her life.
