Chapter Fifteen

The overwhelming feeling that permeated Sonny Corinthos childhood was the desire to want more- more cash, more freedom, more power, more and more and more.

But not more love. His mother's love was so great that he never needed more of that emotion...until she was gone to her grave way too early. Then love is the one thing he needed, to such a point that Sonny was sure he would never fill the endless well inside of himself.

So instead he accumulated what he could- he got the money, the cars, the fancy penthouse, the business empire, the people who called him Sir and shivered when he passed by. He got everything but still felt empty, only catching glimpses of that elusive and always fleeting thing called unconditional love until he became a father. His children gave him that, and it started to fill up the damaged places inside of him, but still there was always an ache...a need for her, for Alexis, to forgive all his mistakes, to overlook all his faults, to want him even if that meant he couldn't change into someone safer, saner, or perfect. He thought that need, for her and for a love that could heal, would always go unfulfilled.

But now, as he rode in the backseat of his limo with Alexis as they returned from New York City, Sonny could finally say he felt whole again. He felt complete.

He reached out his hand and she took it, giving him a small smile as she searched his eyes.

"So," Alexis said, dragging out the word "we don't have to tell people right away, if you don't want to. In fact, maybe that would be best, you know, for all parties involved...especially Kristina...because there is really nothing worse you can do than get a kid's hopes up about having an ideal family unit and then dash them later...what do you think?"

"I'm not keeping us a secret."

"Are you sure that the best course of action?"

"Alexis, come on. You're trying to play the odds..."

"Not really."

"Hedge your bets."

"No."

"Yeah, you are. You're back to trying to figure out a way to minimize the fallout if this all goes to hell."

He knew what she was trying to do and there was no way he would let her pull that. Because if they didn't do this right it might not last, and more than anything else, more than his own sanity or health, he needed them to last.

Alexis admitted, "In my family, contingency plans are a requirement. We are taught how to make them before we learn how to spell or count."

"Well, you don't need one this time. Not for you or me or our kids. We don't have to figure out how to survive this if it doesn't last...cause...it's gonna last. It will."

Nodding his head, Sonny added, "I know that."

He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, "Alexis, tell me you believe me...tell me you believe in us..."

XXXXXXXXX

His breath was warm against her skin causing her to shiver. She found it amazing that her heart could speed up to this degree and still function properly. He made her feel out of control, but also taken care of and protected. She was used to doing that for herself though, it would take a while to accept she was finally not on her own anymore.

Sonny kissed her neck then whispered, "Tell me you have faith in me. Tell me this is it...that nothing could make you leave me..."

She moved back slightly so she could look in his eyes. "I didn't think I could- that we could- get back here. I thought this was lost forever to me...like my sister, like Stefan, like so many people and things and dreams...but here we are. Here you are...looking at me like I'm..." tears filled her eyes and made her voice thicker "everything you ever wanted."

"You are."

Alexis swallowed. "Maybe I am insane for believing that..."

"Don't doubt me," he warned. "It will risk everything if we start doing that to each other..."

"That's the thing, Sonny. I don't doubt you. It might not be logical but I don't care. I'm in love with you and I'm not ever going to walk away from you again. I like to control things and you like to control things but neither of us can control this: we need to be together for life to make any bit of sense at all. So...yeah, you're right. Lets not keep this a secret. Though," she smiled "I don't think this bodes well for me becoming District Attorney ever again but," she chuckled "I think I can live with that just fine. Maybe it is about time for me to open my own private practice anyway."

"I know plenty of people who are always in need of good legal representation," he joked "if you don't mind dealing with gangsters."

"Does it look like I mind?" she asked right before kissing him.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Several Months Later- Fall of 2007

Alexis woke up around 5 am. She looked around the bedroom of the villa they were staying in and smiled. They had decided to take the whole family on their honeymoon and ended up in the wine country in Italy that Alexis had wanted to one day visit with Sonny.

When they went to bed the night before it was just her and Sonny wrapped up in each other's arms. But in the middle of the night he must have gotten up to take care of Molly and she now lay between them in the bed. Kristina and Morgan were sprawled out at the end of the bed, their limbs flung out wildly. There was a settee near the window and there lay Micheal with a blanket over him, snoring.

She couldn't help but smile. They were all here and safe and happy. If you asked her years before, when her daughter and these boys were kidnaped, if she ever thought they would all be this content again she would have said no. Because some scars you never recover from. But sometimes you do. They had. They made it.

Alexis crawled out of bed and slid a silk robe over her nightgown.

Sonny found her in the living room a half hour later. She was standing with the french doors open watching the sun come up.

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Kissing her neck, he said "Good morning, wife."

"Mmm. Morning." On her finger she wore an antique gold band.

Alexis turned her head and Sonny kissed her. She brought her hand up to cradle the side of his face.

At that moment she remembered what it felt like the first time she was brought to the Cassadine island in Greece as a child. She had never been more alone before. She was scared, back then, that she would never belong to anyone. Now, more than ever before, she belonged to this family, to this man, to the future they were planning together. Finally she has come to the place she was afraid as a child to even hope for.

As they watched the sun rise over the countryside, Sonny asked "What do you want to do today?"

"Think up baby names."

"What?" His features stilled. Then he smiled "What did you just say, counselor?"

"Well, since it has been known for us to take some time to work out our negotiations," Alexis said, smiling back at him "I just thought we should get going because we only have about seven and half more months..."

"We're having a baby?" His voice was pure excitement. "How long have you known? Was it safe to fly over here? How could you hold out on me?"

"I"ve known a day. Its safe to fly before your third trimester and I held out, as you put it, cause I couldn't see you the night before the ceremony and couldn't tell you inside of a church full of people and then we were at the reception, and then on the plane and then getting settled in and then..."

"Breathe."

She took a few calming breaths. "You're happy, right? This is probably going to be our last child, not that we don't have enough already but can you ever really have enough, can you? You are happy, right?"

"Am I happy?" He laughed and kissed her. "Come on, you know I'm thrilled."

Sonny placed his hand on her stomach and said "A boxer. Very tough. Street smart. Yep, I can tell already."

She laughed. "I was thinking a future Harvard graduate who double majors in law and medicine."

"We'll let him decide, I guess."

"Him?"

"Oh, you're right, counselor. Boxers can be girls these days. Okay, we'll let her choose college or the ring. But, just so you know, I have a way of getting what I want..."

She slid close to him. "You don't say?"

Sonny smiled, flashing his dimples at her and making her heart flip flop and her breathing become erratic. How could he still pull that off , years after she first met him? She didn't know but his affect on her only grew more intense with each passing day. He finally had her convinced she was the one he wanted, and she finally had him convinced that she found him more than worthy of her love. In fact, Alexis was sure, he was the only man on the planet who was.

She leaned over and kissed him. He started to slide her robe from her shoulder.

"Shower?" she asked, thinking they needed privacy from the children, not to mention the bodygaurds that lurked outside in the shadows on lookout for any threat to this family.

"Shower," he agreed.

She led him there, with a smile on her face that no one else in the world ever saw because it only graced her lips when Alexis was alone with Sonny, and making love to the man who held her heart in his hand and had for over five years now. There wasn't any doubt it her mind that this time neither of them would be foolish enough to walk away again.

THE END

Thanks so much for taking time to read this. I would like to write more Sexis but I can't say that, at this point, the muse really has any ideas. So we will see, I suppose.

Its been a great ride getting to know this couple better and to tell one version of their love story.

Sara