She switched on the TV and turned to the local station hoping that the news segment of the morning show wouldn't be over. She nibbled on her toast, leafing through her case notes, her reading glasses precariously perched on her nose. She looked up from her file to see a yellow creature with rosy cheeks attack a flowerlike creature in mid-air instead of the presenter's toothy grin. She did a double take then made sure she had the right channel on.
A cartoon? In stereo? She muted the TV but could still hear the battle cries of the two Pokemons, along with Mikey's screams of delight, a staple of almost all Saturday and Sunday mornings since she'd moved next door to Sonny. She removed her glasses and sat back on her armchair, tension leaving her body. Saturday. Courts closed. Plenty of time to prepare Mr. Warsawski's -she checked her file - Mr Weiz's defense properly. She stared at the purple blob that had just beaten the plantlike creature. All dressed up and nowhere to go. She supposed it was about time she cleared her desk at L&B. She'd put it off long enough.
She greeted warmly the glum girl at the front desk. The poor thing knew she'd be out of a job soon. Almost all of the other employees had already left. Alexis quickly passed what had been Chloe's office, looking away from the open door. She didn't want to see Chloe's pink sanctuary without its ever cheerful occupant. Elizabeth had sorted through everything along with Emily. Emily had asked Alexis whether there was anything she wanted to keep, cautiously making reference to the wedding dress Chloe had designed for Alexis' wedding to Ned. Alexis had kindly declined when she returned Emily's call.
It didn't take her long to sort through everything in the small, impersonal office. She should set up a proper office and finally get a secretary. It would be the ghost of the practice she'd kept in New York considering the workload she was getting from Sonny but it would be something. She'd been in Port Charles for six years, she was sick of moving from place to place like a gypsy.
She wouldn't see this place again. And even if she did it wouldn't be the same. This brought on a vague sadness. She thought of all the places she'd been to and held memories for her, good or bad. All the places she'd moved on from. She walked slowly, her heels echoing in the deserted hallway. She reached and trailed the rough wall with her fingers as she headed to the small studio in the basement. She'd often been there with Ned, suffering through Eddie Maine's resurrection. It looked like Eddie was gone for good but it didn't matter anymore.
At first, Alexis didn't notice the two still forms lying on the hardwood floor. They were holding each other, the girl in a fetal position, only her red-toenailed feet peeking through the large leather coat that covered them both. The man's limbs stretched under the coat, still clad in leather pants.
Alexis braced herself for a pain that didn't come. It was Ned, who else could it be? On the floor with a naked girl as two tiny pieces of fabric, passing for a skirt and a blouse attested next to them. Alexis shook her head ruefully taking a step closer but still there was no pain. A slight disappointment perhaps. A polite interest as if Ned and her had broken up years ago. So that's what Ned's been up to… She hadn't seen him since the morning she'd broken up with him. His eyes opened and met hers. Confusion flashed in them but quickly gave its way to bewilderment.
"What are you doing here?" he murmured. The girl whimpered and snuggled closer to him. Alexis could now make out peroxide blond hair with brown roots.
"I came to clear my desk," she said simply.
"For your information, your office is upstairs."
"I know, I'm done. I was just…" saying goodbye to this place. She didn't finish her phrase knowing how crazy it would sound.
The girl's long lashes fluttered the opened to reveal large green eyes that widened when they fell on Alexis.
"Who are you?" she said sleepily.
"I'm the ex-fiancee," Alexis said dryly.
The girl blinked hard. "I thought the problem was with the ex wife who died. ****, men will say anything to get in a girls' pants," she said with resignation.
"There was also an ex-wife who died," Alexis said softly. She looked away so the girl could get dressed. She turned to Ned.
"Do let me know if you need any help with… dismantling this company. I've left all L&B documents on my desk," she said, removing two keys from her keychain and handing them to him.
Ned closed his fist around them. Alexis' dispassionate tone had chilled him. He quickly put on his shirt, buttoning up with shaky hands.
The young woman was zipping up her boots, her tiny skirt hardly hiding anything.
Alexis offered her hand. "I'm Alexis."
The green eyes widened in surprise but she took Alexis' hand in a limp handshake.
"I'm Lily." She frowned. "Alexis? Aren't you the dead wife?" she said suspiciously.
Ned cleared his throat.
"No, the dead ex wife was Chloe," Alexis retorted.
Lily shrugged. "It was Alexis this, Alexis that all night. I don't think he mentioned a Chloe…"
"I was out of it!" Ned said curtly. He turned to Alexis. "I don't owe you an explanation!" He winced at how childish he sounded. Why was Alexis doing this to him? What sort of a reaction was this?
"I'd better leave," Alexis said. She turned to Lily. "Do you need a ride?"
"Don't be so ****ing civilized!" Ned roared. "I'll drive her home!" he yelled grabbing the blonde's arm.
She shook him off. "We took a cab here, Eddie! You know what? It was fun. I'll be sure to come to your next gig. Now I have to go home. My roommate is coming back from New York today and she forgot her keys." She quickly put on her shiny coat and gave dazed Ned a peck on the cheek. She grabbed her purse and turned to Alexis. "I'm ready."
Alexis lead the way outside wondering whether she had ever loved Ned. He'd helped her through some difficult times. He'd been her first friend in Port Charles and sometimes her only friend… It felt as though it had happened thousands of years ago to someone else. She'd cried for Ned Ashton. She was going to marry him. Was she losing her mind or had simply finally come back to her senses? She turned and gave Lily a long hard look. The girl bit on her lip, uneasy under Alexis' stare. She returned Alexis' smile then got in the car after an initial hesitation.
"That's weird," she said simply, trying to accommodate her long limbs. Alexis helped her pull back the seat then sat tat the driver's seat staring curiously at the flustered girl who avoided her eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked kindly.
Lily bit on her lip. "You're not into women or anything, are you?" she whispered.
Alexis smiled. "No," she said simply. "I'm also not insanely jealous and about to drive off a cliff or take you to a deserted alley and shoot you." She started the engine. "I'll simply drive you home. If you tell me where it is."
The girl directed her to a part of town Alexis had never been to. Lily would give her an embarrassed look from time to time as if the run down houses and piles of garbage on the sidewalk were her fault.
"How old are you?" Alexis asked gently.
"25."
"The truth, please."
The long lashes were lowered. "20," Lily admitted softly.
"How did you end up spending the night with Ned?"
"Turn left here… who's Ned?"
"Oh, right, you know him as Eddie…" Alexis said thoughtfully.
Lily chewed on the inside of her cheek. "You people really are weird."
"Eddie Maine is his stage name," Alexis explained impatiently.
The skinny blonde shrugged. "There's this bar I hang out in. He told me he was a rock star…"
"Rock star is stretching it a bit."
Lily laughed. "Yeah, I thought he was bull****ting me but a few drinks later I didn't really care. Turn left again. And the leather pants were kind of cool. I don't remember exactly how we ended up at the studio."
Alexis gave her an amused glance. Lily run her fingers through her hair. "I was also a little stoned…"
''You don't have to explain anything. Ned and I were together for more years than I care to remember and I was sober, most of the time."
The girl laughed. "How did he let you get away?"
"I broke up with him."
"Yeah, that kind of showed. But why?"
Alexis sighed. "We never should have been together to begin with," she said simply. How simple it really was. She'd almost married the guy before she realized it.
"Go slower, we're close. It's the next block."
They stopped before a large brick house that was in a slightly better condition than those next to it.
"He was wrong for you," Lily said quietly. "But you found someone else."
Alexis was about to decline when Luke's face flashed in her mind. "There is someone," she said faintly. "How did you know?"
Lily shrugged. "I guessed, from your reaction." She gave Alexis her hand. "Thank you," she whispered.
Alexis met the honest green eyes and returned the sweet smile. She took the girl's hands in both her own. "Take care of yourself, Lily," she said gently. "Here, take this."
"What is it?"
"My card. You never know when you might need a good lawyer. Don't hesitate to call."
Lily blinked hard. She took the card and fingered it softly. "At least I'll have some evidence to support my story when I tell my roommate about this…" she said playfully. She broke into a wide grin. "I appreciate this!" she said in a tone that warmed Alexis from head to toe.
She stared at the slight form as the girl entered her house. It occurred to her that the young blonde was the first person she'd told about Luke. Somehow having said out loud that there was someone made it more real to her. Even more real than the new set of scratches and bites on her body.
It was near lunchtime when she made it home after a non-productive tour of the shops in the towncenter. Shopping for clothes was torture for her when she was alone. It was torture for others when she had a friend with her. She whined about trying on clothes and usually ended up buying clothes that were already hanging in her closet. She'd succumbed to bubble-gum pink pants under Chloe's insistence, same reason why there was a canary yellow pantsuit among the black, gray, blue and brown in her wardrobe. She'd even worn the items a couple of times she didn't care to remember. Their sight in her closet now brought a dull ache in her heart.
She removed her glasses and rubbed on her eyes. Her stomach was fervently protesting the lack of lunch. She took out of the fridge the pot roast Sonny had sent over yesterday. She tossed the plate in the microwave and turned the knob, unsure of how long she should let it warm up.
Her mind wondered back to what had happened that morning. She wondered whether Ned would ever speak to her again after this. Or what his reaction would have been had he seen her wake up next to Luke. She shook her head. It made no sense. Absolutely no sense.
She ate in front of the TV, watching the news, local and then national and international with little interest. The light in her answering machine flashed accusingly as she passed it on her way to the kitchen.
She took a deep breath and let the message play, fighting the urge to delete it without listening to it. Stefan rambled on and on about how he needed her, how she was stronger than him, how he couldn't face Nikolas and oddly about her graduation party in London more than twenty years ago.
"You were so beautiful. No one could compare. Everyone would stare at you mesmerized and I was torn between wanting to rip their heads off for daring to look at you with lust in their eyes and gloating about you, about being… related to you. I was proud of you as if you were my creation."
Alexis swallowed hard. She knew the feeling. She'd felt the same seeing her friends, innocent virgins and vixens alike, stare with longing at the long-haired young man, the exotic cousin who would pick her up from school and never take any of them along no matter how subtly or boldly they would suggest it.
She smiled through her tears. It was years since the last time she'd seen the film of her graduation party. Stefan had confiscated it unfortunately for him not before 11 year old Nikolas had laughed for a good 15 minutes at his Uncle's attire.
Stefan was going on. Broken phrases, pauses, sighs, she could hardly make sense of what he was saying. She'd never heard him like this. The message ended abruptly. She stared at the phone. She'd never expected such candor from Stefan.
She picked up the receiver then slammed it back, cursing loudly. "Why are you doing this to me?" she whispered.
She jumped when she heard the doorbell. Her mind went to Stefan and she felt her heart leap in her chest and her pulse quicken. She knew it couldn't be him. Johnny wouldn't let him come up unannounced. That didn't stop her from hoping… She shook her head trying to deny how much she wanted to see him, put her arms around him… The doorbell rang again.
"Alexis? Are you there?"
Sonny, who else. She took a deep breath fighting for her composure.
"Just a moment," she called out. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. She straightened the turtleneck wool sweater she'd put on over a pair of loosely fitting plaid pants.
She let Sonny in, avoiding his searching eyes. "Here to check on me again?" she grumbled.
Sonny laughed. "I'm happy to see you, Sonny. How was your trip, Sonny," he murmured as he walked in.
"What trip?"
"Come on! You know I went to Mexico."
Alexis shrugged. "You certainly didn't go there on business," she said. "You have no business there."
"Of course not," Sonny played along.
She smiled. "I'm glad we understand each other," she said simply.
Sonny gave her a long hard look. She looked… relaxed. Her face was almost devoid of makeup but had a healthy glow. Her smile reached her dark eyes which shone mischievously.
"You're feeling better."
"I haven't been sick Sonny," she said neutrally.
Sonny nodded. "You know what I'm talking about," he said, waving his finger at her.
The corners of her mouth turned upwards. 'I'd better get this out of the way," she said quickly. "Thank you, for… checking up on me. I needed a friend." Her voice trailed off. She swallowed hard then raised her eyes to meet Sonny's.
"Are you trying to tell me that you won't be needing my services anymore?"
"I don't want you to worry about me."
Sonny pinched the bridge of his nose. "This game is getting tiresome. If it makes you feel better, I'm here on business. I need to know how things went with Deception."
"Fine. I watched a lawyer I used to respect reduced to a slobbering mess all over Laura and I marveled over how a woman dressed in something I'd probably cover my kitchen table with is going to be giving out beauty tips soon. I can't imagine two people more different than Laura and Carly so I guess either they'll get along famously or be constantly at each other's throats. I'm almost finished with the paperwork, the rest is kid's stuff but I'll do it since I'm your all-purpose lawyer these days…"
"Ok, I get the picture," Sonny cut her off raising his hands.
She cocked her head staring with amusement at his exasperation.
He run his fingers through his hair. "I guess the lawyer would be Scott Baldwin?"
Alexis nodded.
"There's history between us," he said uncomfortably. He got up and leaned on the back of his chair.
"I can handle Baldwin. He thinks you're Satan but since Laura agreed to take your money and tolerate your wife there isn't much he can do."
"Do you know… the history between us?" There was a strange glint in Sonny's eyes.
Alexis shrugged. "I know some things," she said vaguely. "I don't really care."
"If there's anything you want to ask me I will tell you the truth."
"I have a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy with you in case you haven't noticed," she said kindly.
Sonny shook his head. "I am what I am," he murmured.
"As long as you don't get me disbarred you can be whatever you want."
Sonny chuckled. "You have to be one of the most cynical people I know."
"I suppose you don't know many lawyers then," she deadpanned.
Sonny laughed again. "Believe me, you're nothing like any of the other lawyers I've had over the years."
She frowned. "I should think not. Anything else you need to know about Deception?"
"Can we take this at my place? I'm expecting a phone call," he said with a glance at his watch.
"Ok, let me take my briefcase."
"No need. We'll just talk."
"Then let me wear shoes."
Only then did he notice that her feet were bare. Elegant feet with long toes. He felt his face flush, it felt as though he was seeing her at an intimate moment. Defenseless bare feet belonging to that contradictory creature.
"Don't you get cold like that?" he murmured.
Alexis turned her back to him as she retreated to her room. There had been something in his expression. She couldn't place it exactly but it had made her uncomfortable.
"I'll be over in a moment," she called out. "Go ahead."
A steaming capuccino was waiting for her in Sonny's living room. Sonny let her in and ten excused himself to go and change his very wet shirt. Mikey's happy cries floating down from the bathroom along with Carly's babytalk and loud splashing noises gave her an idea of what had happened. Sonny also had to take his phone call as he changed so she'd nearly finished her coffee while his was stone cold by the time he joined her.
"Sorry about that." He sat opposite her.
"Is everything alright?"
He took a deep breath. "No," he blurted out. "But it isn't something I can discuss with you."
"Yet you discussed it on the phone?"
Sonny smiled. "Don't worry." His expression darkened again.
"Do you want me to leave?" Alexis asked gently.
"No, there isn't anything I can do now," he said sadly.
Alexis patted his hand. "What else do you need to know about Deception?"
"Why do you hate Laura so much?"
His question took her by surprise. "I thought we were going to discuss the company," she scolded him.
"Humor me."
"Don't tell me you're another Laura-worshipper," she muttered.
'It's an honest question. I'm in business with the woman. What's your problem with her?"
"She has hurt the two men I love most in the world," she said in a matter of fact tone.
"Your brother and your nephew."
She sighed and sat back on her chair. "Yes."
"And is that reason enough for you to be that way about her?"
"Carly had never done anything to you personally yet you hated her for Jason's sake. Are my feelings that hard to understand?"
Sonny narrowed his eyes. "You are comparing two very different situations," he said darkly.
Alexis realized she was treading on dangerous ground. "I don't want to fight about this," she said with a sigh.
Sonny shrugged. "Carly and I have moved on from that place," he murmured.
"I'm happy for you. However, Laura isn't my type. I promise to keep my nasty comments about her to myself in the future."
He gave her a sad smile. "You don't have to. I kind of enjoy them," he admitted.
She smiled back. "Nikolas has forgiven Laura and Stefan… I think he has moved on. I guess there should be no basis for my dislike anymore."
'What about Luke Spencer?"
"She's hurt him too but that doesn't concern me," she chose to misunderstand. All color had left her face.
Sonny felt about an inch tall that moment. He swallowed hard. "Johnny saw him leave. He'd gotten past the night guard," he told his undrank cup of coffee.
Alexis brought her hands together to steady them. A cynical smile stretched her lips. "Are you worried about security? Or my virtue?"
He winced. "Spencer is not welcome here," he stated emphatically to the back of his hand. This wasn't coming out right at all. He saw her stand up from the corner of his eye then raised his head to meet her burning gaze.
"In case there is no other business matter you want to discuss with me, I'll let myself out," she said icily.
What had he expected? Tears? Shame? A lovestruck teenager stomping her foot, lower lip trembling? Slowly he got up too, inwardly cursing himself for bringing up Luke Spencer.
"We're not finished…" he started saying but was cut off by a short red-headed hurricane running unsteadily from his mother to hide behind his legs. The boy was screaming at the top of his lungs. Carly followed him in the room still holding the bottle of eyedrops in her hand. In jeans, shorts and a white T-shirt that let her midrift exposed and betrayed the absence of a bra she looked like a highschooler.
The boy let his "Unca Sonny" administer the hated eyedrops under Carly's loving gaze and Alexis' stony stare. Sonny gave furtive looks to both women as he struggled with the giggling child. Alexis' presence was making him very self conscious.
The tension between Alexis and Carly was almost palpable. You're not welcome here, the blonde's eyes were saying clearly as she apologized to Alexis about breaking her meeting with Sonny.
"We were finished, don't worry about it," Alexis said with a polite smile.
Sonny jumped at the sound of the phone ringing and went to get it from his study after he'd managed to untangle Mikey from his pants and hand him to his mother.
"Well, if you're finished, don't let me keep you," Carly said with a smirk.
Instinctively Alexis looked around for her briefcase.
"How odd," Carly remarked. "You brought no documents over."
"It was an informal meeting," Alexis replied coldly.
"Yeah, you've been having a lot of those with my husband lately."
Mikey looked up with round eyes full of confusion and fear at his mother's anger.
Alexis nodded. "I'm a little tired right now. I'll be meeting you and Laura about Deception on Monday, you can insult me all you want then. Just try to be there at 9:00. I have to meet Zander at 11:00."
"How funny. You should have been a comedian."
"Perhaps, though I doubt the Cassadines would have much use for one." Her expression softened as she looked down to Mikey. "It was a pleasure seeing you, young man."
To Carly's horror, Mikey who was always guarded around strangers jumped in Alexis' arms and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
It all made sense now. Mikey rambling about his Unca having taken him to the park along with "Miss Days".
Leticia was summoned to take the kid to his room and settle him in front of the hundredth showing of the Lion King. The nanny looked groggy. Alexis' guess was that she had been taking a nap but she didn't complain."
"Stay away from my son."
"Don't be ridiculous, Carly."
"Ridiculous?" Her voice had risen. "You've represented every single man who's tried to take my child away from me. Maybe you don't just want my husband but also my kid because you can't give him one you dried up bitch!"
Sonny who'd just walked back in the room unnoticed winced at Carly's words. Alexis was livid. Inside she was howling with rage but she managed to keep herself under control.
"It's not my fault there were always more than one possible fathers for you children and all not trusting your mothering skills. Which you took a while to develop by the way."
Alexis didn't even blink from the younger woman's slap. And it must have hurt, Sonny thought, She has big hands. The angry red imprint stood out on Alexis' deathly pale face.
Sonny got a hold of Carly's hand which was about to connect with Alexis' cheek again. Tears of rage stood in the corners of the blonde's eyes.
"Go to your room, Carly," he said in a deadly tone.
"Stay out of it. This is between Carly and myself." No one had spoken to him in that tone for years. The gaze he directed to the slender brunette was filled with more wonder than anger.
"Don't do me any favors," Carly hissed. The tears were running freely down her cheeks now. She couldn't believe Sonny was taking Alexis' side. Hadn't he heard? He is probably upset because he saw me hit her. "Sonny, she insulted me in my own home!"
"Correction. That's my home," he said. He pointed to Alexis. "My attorney, a woman I trust and respect. If you ever lay a finger on her again or make crazy accusations you'll be out of here so fast your head will spin."
"To hell with both of you," Carly sobbed. Sonny's grip on her arm was hurting her.
Alexis stared wordlessly at the scene, feeling something akin to sympathy for Mrs. Corinthos. It was more likely pity for a woman who seemed to have placed her entire life in the hands of a man, staked everything on a marriage that looked doomed from the start. A declawed cat still hissing and spitting but definitely not the wild creature that had turned the Quartermaines upside down.
"Go to your room!" Sonny ordered. "While you still have one."
The shoulders were slumped, the young, sexy body defeated. Sonny's harshness had taken the fight out of her. There was only a glimmer in her eyes as she looked back to Alexis before heading up to her room.
"I'm sorry about this."
"So am I," Alexis said cryptically and turned to leave without goodbye.
He stared at her back oddly feeling that he had been at fault as much if not more than Carly.