a fanfic by SonnyandAlexisGal
Chapter Ten
She still hasn’t quite gotten used to her new apartment. The space is nice enough and there is plenty of room for her to share with Kristina and the new baby – when she comes. Still it is not the spacious apartment that she used to have in the Harborview Towers. It is not the penthouse apartment across the hall from Sonny.
She glances over to the door of Kelly’s, reassuring herself that Max is still there, watching over her – as per Sonny’s instructions. Sonny is still protecting her – even if he has neither seen nor spoken to her in over two weeks – ever since she moved.
As the days go by without any contact from Sonny or communication with him, Alexis worries more and more about him. Then she tells herself that likely it’s for the best. Keeping a distance from Sonny and his lifestyle can only be good for her and the baby. But there is one fact that makes Alexis unable to completely embrace the idea.
She still loves him.
“Well, well, well…” comes a female voice from behind her.
Alexis’ involuntary wince tells her immediately who the voice belongs to – Carly Corinthos.
“Well,” Carly begins as she joins Alexis at the counter, “good morning, Alexis.”
“Good morning, Carly,” Alexis answers quickly, hoping that she’ll just disappear and knowing that she won’t.
“So, how is the law practice going now that you’re no longer Sonny’s lawyer? I mean I know that he was your principal client. It must be kinda tough for you to make ends meet these days…”
“My practice is fine, thank you. I didn’t know that you cared…”
“I don’t,” Carly says. “I’m just enjoying this split between you and Sonny. Maybe now that you’ve dumped him as a client and moved away and taken his baby with you, maybe Sonny will see what I’ve always known about you – that you never really loved or understood him or his life…”
Alexis rolls her eyes in annoyance.
“Is there really a point to this, Carly?” she asks. “I’m no longer living in the penthouse. I’m no longer Sonny’s attorney. You’ve gotten everything that you’ve wanted since…well since you walked into his life. I’m gone. Why don’t you let that be enough?”
“Because you had Sonny completely fooled,” Carly continues. “He always saw you as the good friend and the trusted attorney. Then you managed to get him to let you into his life even more and you managed to get yourself pregnant with Sonny’s baby – the baby that should have been Sonny’s and mine. And then, when things got a little too rough for you, you ran for the hills. Now that you’re finally out of his life, I’m loving it!”
Elizabeth comes to the counter, carrying Alexis’ orange juice in a paper bag.
“Here you go, Alexis,” she says as she hands the bag to Alexis.
“Thank you, Elizabeth,” Alexis says.
“I’ll have a regular coffee,” Carly brusquely interrupts. “So now why don’t you just toddle off like a good little waitress, Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth frowns.
“Always wonderful to see you, too, Carly…” she says before disappearing back into the kitchen.
“Tell me, Carly,” Alexis begins, “do you have any female friends? Of course I know the answer to that question. Of course not.”
“You know what, Alexis? I don’t need to have friends like you and the little waitress. I have all the friends I need.”
“Friends, Carly? Hmm, I don’t know. Let’s see. Of course there’s your mother, Bobbie, whose husband you seduced and whose family you destroyed. You have an ex-lover – Jason – whom you betrayed with Sonny. You have an ex-husband – AJ – whose son you took away and gave to another man to raise. And you have a second ex-husband – Sonny – whom you also betrayed and whose life you are still trying to control – even though he threw you out two years ago and even though the only place that you occupy in his life these days is as Michael’s mother. And, of course, there’s little Michael, whom you use shamelessly as a weapon against Sonny whenever he does something that displeases you…Those don’t actually sound like friends, Carly. As a matter of fact, they all sound more like victims…”
Carly seethes.
“You always pretend to be so above it all, Alexis. The truth is that you’re jealous of what Sonny and I still have between us – what you’ll never have with him - and you won’t admit it.”
“Well,” Alexis begins, “at least Sonny still trusts me, Carly. And do you want to know why? It’s because unlike you, when I decided that I couldn’t continue – that I didn’t want to stand by helplessly, worrying that each time I kissed him goodbye might be the last time I would ever see him alive - I simply moved out. I didn’t decide to try to get him locked up for the rest of his life. It’s called being a grown-up, Carly. You really should try it one day. Have a nice day.”
Before Carly can say anything, Alexis walks past her. Max holds the door open and Alexis walks out of Kelly’s, her bodyguard not far behind.
___________________________________________________________________
Mike steps off the elevator and onto the penthouse floor. He looks to his left – in the direction of Alexis’ old apartment – and sees no one there. The idea of Alexis being gone hasn’t been easy for him to accept.
He walks in the opposite direction – to Sonny’s apartment – and is angered by the fact that once again there are no guards posted outside. He’d come to visit a couple of days before and it was the same.
And Mike knows why.
It’s because Sonny doesn’t care anymore now that Alexis is gone. At least while she lived next door, he always made sure that there were guards on the floor. Now that she’s gone – now that she has left him and taken their unborn child with her - it’s as if he doesn’t care what happens to him.
He knocks at the door and waits for a moment. There is no answer so he knocks again and waits – no answer.
“Sonny?” Mike calls.
He tries the doorknob and is horrified to find it unlocked.
He steps into the apartment and is about to call again as a fully dressed Sonny comes down the stairs into the living room.
“What do you want, Mike?” he asks abruptly as he walks past him and over to the desk.
“What do I want?” Mike repeats. “There is no guard outside and your door is unlocked.”
“So?”
“So? You have to protect yourself, Michael,” Mike insists. “You cannot be this careless with someone out there, trying to kill you…”
“I know how to handle my business, Mike.”
“Then handle it.”
Sonny doesn’t respond. He just stands and reads from a piece of paper on the desk.
“Look,” Mike begins, “I know that Alexis moving has…hit you pretty hard…But that’s no reason for you to leave yourself vulnerable like this…”
“Is that right?” Sonny mutters absently.
“Are you even listening to me?” Mike demands.
“Yes!” Sonny abruptly shouts.
Mike sighs in frustration.
“You have to start protecting yourself, Michael.”
“Mike,” Sonny begins, “I know what the situation is…and I know what I have to do about it. I know what I’m doin’. Just stay out of it.”
“I can’t just stay out of it…when I see you being reckless with your life. Now just because Alexis left…”
“This has got nothin’ to do with Alexis,” Sonny interrupts. “Alexis is gone. She’s bein’ taken care of…This is somethin’ else…”
“Well, I’d certainly like to know what that is…”
“Look Mike,” he begins as patiently as he can manage, “I know what’s at stake here, okay? And I’m handlin’ it - my way. That’s all you need to know…Is that it?”
Mike shrugs – not knowing what to do or to say next.
“I…guess so”
“Then you should go,” Sonny says.
“Sonny…”
“Just go, Mike.”
Mike reluctantly walks through the open doorway, pulling the door closed behind him.
Sonny goes to the bar and pours himself a drink of scotch.
He has a healthy swig, feeling the liquid heat as it travels down his throat.
He takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, his mind on the move - as always.
“I know what I’m doin’,” he whispers.