"Luke, Alexis is in trouble."
Luke motioned for Sonny to sit down. "I'm all ears. What trouble has little Natasha gotten herself into and how are you involved?"
"Involved is not the right word Spencer. Interested is more like it." Sonny said with a concerned expression. Still wondering why Luke would let Roy stay in the room.
"Well, I can't do anything if you don't stop beating around the bush." Luke said impatiently trying to rile Sonny. "So let's have it. What's going on?"
Sonny filled Luke in on what he and Jax had walked in on. He told him about her condition about her face and about what Jax had said in the Limo about this having to be Cassadine related and about the missing Cassadine files.
Luke was very concerned yet skeptical "Well, if it's Cassadine related then why do you want to get involved? If this had something to do with your business, I could see you wanting to get to the bottom of it. I just don't understand why this matters to you Sonny. Why don't you just let me take it from here?"
"She's my lawyer." Sonny said the explanation sounding hollow even to himself.
"I think I'm gonna need a better reason than that." Luke said becoming more and more amused. He was starting to like the idea of figuring out who was out to get Alexis. He didn't like the idea that she was in trouble. He also needed a distraction. He needed something to take up where Felicia had left off. She was right. She needed to stay with her family. He just needed something to fill up the space that she left. This escapade might just do that, but he was still curious as to Sonny's interest. "It's really none of your concern."
"It became my concern the moment I walked in that penthouse and saw her lying on the floor. I mean, look Luke, Tony said that someone stepped on her ribcage. No one, especially not a woman, should feel that kind of pain. I've had my chest crushed a few times myself Luke and its not fun. I'm sure you know the feeling."
Luke didn't say anything but his silent concurrence was all Sonny needed. He knew by the look on Luke's face that he was not only going to help him figure this out, that he wanted to, and after just about loosing every friend he had, he was glad.
Roy had remained quiet thru it all, respecting the two men's business, but listening intently. He decided he didn't want to be left out of the fun, and also wanted to help this lady. "I know the feeling you are talking about Sonny." Sonny looked at him and knew that this man who had spent 20 years in prison was telling the truth. "If there's anything I can do, let me know." Sonny nodded in silent concurrence. 'If Luke trusts him, I will have to as well.' Sonny thought to himself.
"Well, Sonny I think we need to start at the beginning. Is Alexis up for visitors?" Luke asked.
"I'm not really sure."
"There's no harm in me seeing if she's up to answer any questions." Luke said aloud and then to himself. 'Besides I'd sorta like to see for myself how she is.'
Sonny looked at Luke curiously. He'd made the right decision. He knew it now. Luke was as concerned for her as he was. That was a relief to him. There was also a part of him deep down that wanted this mission to reconnect him and Luke, but that would have to be secondary. "Why don't you let my driver and I take you there. It's a little too cold to go on foot, and that heater of yours in the Cadillac never did get hot enough in the winter."
Luke was surprised at the offer and surprised at how quickly he'd fallen back into working on something with Sonny. He didn't argue, he didn't hesitate, he just turned to Roy and said, "Can you watch the club?"
"Sure, man." Roy said as he watched Luke and Sonny leave. "No, problem."
*************** A little while later ****************** Jax had finished filling Mac in on some of the details Alexis had shared with him, leaving out the fact that there were papers of any kind missing. 'He hadn't had time to look around,' he'd said. 'He'd been too worried about Alexis.' Mac had decided to keep him company for a while, knowing that waiting in a hospital could be nerve racking. If Jax had been surprised at the gesture he didn't show it, having been able to put the past in the past with Mac.
The procedure's had been done and she was being taken to a regular room. Mac walked with Jax up to the room and was about to leave when he saw Sonny and Luke arrive. Luke had been surprised that Sonny had come inside with him, but hadn't wanted to argue or anything so he let it go. Sonny's quiet "I'll stay out of the way, don't worry," was proof to Luke that they still worked together flawlessly, without words.
Luke went to Jax and Sonny stayed back. Mac approached Sonny and asked if he could speak to him about what he'd seen. Sonny went along sending a silent signal to Jax that he wouldn't say too much.
"How is she?" Luke asked Jax with true concern showing on his face.
"She's very weak. She can't say much without getting tired. She's just been thru some tests and had her face stitched up. I haven't seen her again yet, but I'm on my way in."
"Is there any chance, I can see her?" Luke asked.
"Do you know something, because if you do, you can share your information with me, I need to know anything you know, if it will allow me to protect my wife?" Jax said pleadingly.
Luke realized he was sincere. "Slow down, I don't know any more than you at this point, but if she'll let me, I'll help you get to the bottom of this." Luke was surprised that Jax hadn't made a snide comment about Sonny showing up again.
"I'm not sure she's up for company, but I'll ask her, if she wants to talk to you, or if she'd like to wait until morning or if she'd rather us figure this out ourselves." Jax left and entered the room.
Alexis was awake and instantly reached for his hand. "My parents are on there way." Alexis smiled. She seemed happy that they'd come all this way for her." Bobbie called them, said Lady Jane would have my hide if they'd been left out of this."
"I'm glad they are coming Jax. I never knew it would be this great to have a family." She was sounding stronger already, but she looked exhausted.
Jax wondered if he should even ask if she wanted to see Luke. This was their 'baby,' their 'pet project.' He wanted to figure it out with her together, but he knew that his wife's safety had to come first and if Luke could help, then why not let him. "Alexis, Luke's here. He wants to see if he can help out in anyway. He wants to know if you are up to seeing him."
"I'd like to see him, Jax. He might be able to help. He may already know something, but he didn't tell you."
"Are you sure you can trust him?" She just smiled. A smile that to him meant 'trust me.' So he did. "Are you sure you are up to this?" The smile widened, this time it meant 'I'm fine, don't mother me.'
Jax went to the door and swung it open. "Luke, she's up to it." Jax then returned to her side and took her hand again.
Luke entered and made his way to the other side of the bed taking her other hand with both of his. "How are you, babe?" Alexis smiled sweetly back at Luke. 'How close are they?' Jax thought to himself. 'And why does that make me feel jealous? I need some air. This is Ashton's woman, Ashton's woman, but she's my wife.'
"I'm going to go for a walk Alexis, so you two can talk. Will you be okay?" Her look that said of course, was the last thing he saw as he headed out the door. He was thinking, 'time to call Ned.' But he lost that train of thought immediately when he saw Stefan heading right to his wife's door. Sonny had finished talking to Mac and was keeping his distance while waiting for Luke, but he could see everything that was happening.
"What are you doing here?" Jax said to Stefan preventing him from getting close to her room.
"I came to check on my sister. How is she?" Stefan said nonchalantly as if he had every right to be here.
The anger that Jax had towards her family, for putting her in this hospital bed and scaring him to death when he found her now had found its target. It was temper time and Jax knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. Deep down he knew that Stefan might have had nothing to do with this, but it didn't matter. He was ready for a punching bag and he'd found his. "So she's your sistah now?" Jax said sarcastically. "When did that happen? Cause last I heard, she was just your lawyer. You had no use for her, 2 days ago, but today she's your sister. It doesn't work like that, Stefan. She deserves better than a brother like you. A brother who told her last Valentine's Day, that she was no longer his sister, that she was his enemy. Do you know what happened that night. She went driving in that blizzard and your words drove her right into a tree. I found her unconscious in her car. Your words could have killed her." Stefan looked as if he was going to try to get a word of denial in, but Jax kept going. "You have no business here, Stefan."
Sonny watched the scene unfold, surprise that Jax had this kind of disdain for anyone but him. He'd never seen Jax loose his temper unless he had goaded him about Brenda. 'Alexis must be very important to Jax.' Sonny was surprised that he cared, but a woman like that deserved a man that would stand up for her, and thought it surprised him to admit it Jax looked like he could do a pretty good job.
"If you are quite through with your display of machoism Mr. Jacks, I will see my sister now." Stefan said smugly walking towards Jax. Jax stopped him with his body.
"You are not welcome here, Stefan. I've asked you to leave. Now leave." Jax knew he might be being unfair, but he'd gone this far, he wasn't going to back down now. "I'm not going to leave, this is my hospital, I will have you thrown out." Stefan was about to leave when Jax took him and grabbed his shirt around the collar and threw him up against the wall.
'Stay out of it, Stay out of it' Sonny was telling himself, but the beginning of the fight made him loose his resolve. He went to Jax and held him back. "Stefan, I don't care if this is your hospital, you've been asked to leave, now leave."
"I'll be back." Stefan said knowing it was not smart to make an enemy of Sonny Corinthos.
"Like hell! You will only be allowed near my wife when she no longer has to look over her shoulder before brushing her teeth in the morning. I want you out of here now."
Jax was almost relieved that Sonny kept him from hitting Stefan. He knew, that in his frame of mind, he could do some serious damage, and he didn't even know if Stefan had anything to do with this. Stefan engaged Jax in a stare down, then headed not towards the elevators but towards his office. He may have been kept away from Alexis for now, but he wasn't going to be kicked out of his own hospital.
Sonny stepped out of the way. "I should have let you kill him." Jax couldn't help but laugh. Sonny laughed too, making the best of an awkward situation. 'They were laughing together' Jax thought to himself. Sonny was thinking. 'How did this happen?'
******************************** Luke and Alexis had started to talk but hadn't really gotten into anything serious when they heard the commotion outside. No longer being able to stand not knowing what was going on Alexis told Luke, "Go spy."
What Luke caught was something he did not expect. Sonny and Jax laughing together. That's strange. Whatever that is, I'm staying out of it. Luke turned back to Alexis.
"What's happening, tell me."
"Trust me, you wouldn't believe me, if I did, sweetheart. You wouldn't believe me if I did."
"Try Me!"