[I]"Fine, Sonny, let's talk about our daughter."[/I]

Months of living in the same house, of friendship and falling in love, had taught Lorenzo the different qualities of Alexis' voice. He knew when she was angry even when she tried to sound pleasant, could hear the small bit of hurt she hid behind a supposedly carefree laugh. He knew her. And what he'd just heard told him that he had to stay where he was, upstairs, with Kristina, and let Alexis settle this herself.

So often, when they spoke of Sonny, she gave away a hint of the anger and betrayal she felt at how Corinthos had discarded her from his life. There was also always the guilt... the weight she carried for her own mistakes. Lorenzo had wondered if that sense of having done wrong would override her need to cleanse herself when their confrontation finally came, impeding a chance for Alexis to tell her former lover the truth about the ways he had broken her heart, about the crimes of inattention and dismissal he had perpetrated against her.

Had Corinthos possessed the sense to come to her and express himself in any kind of rational way, had he walked up and said "how could you?" with the right amount of hurt and sincerity, Lorenzo had no doubt that Alexis would never have let her anger go at him. She would have choked it down, cried tears of remorse for ever feeling it, and found a way to ease his pain at her own expense. It was who she was. But as Alexis had always feared and as Lorenzo had expected, the truth hadn't driven Sonny to an examination of why she might have lied or why she hadn't trusted him... he had instead decided to terrify her by showing up at night, clearly drunk, screaming without a care in the world for the affect it was having on the child he was here to fight about and, ostensibly, for.

A slight whine drew Lorenzo's eyes down to the petite body cradled against his chest. Kristina was trying hard to fall back to sleep, but the raised voices from the courtyard downstairs weren't helping. Reluctantly, he glanced toward the balcony doors he had opened slightly, his protective instincts warring between quieting Kristina's upset and needing to be at the ready if Alexis called for him. He gave in to the first, knowing what duty his love would deem more important, and closed the doors.

"It's all right, sweetheart," he cooed to his precious charge. "Your mother's going to make it all okay. And what she can't fix, I will. I promise."

He slowly began to pace back and forth across the nursery floor, the movement easing Kristina back into slumber. He took comfort in holding this small person who was much a part of Alexis the way he knew she had so often. Whenever she felt overwhelmed or vulnerable, Alexis would run to Kristina, and as he'd learned the different inflections of her voice and their meaning, he had also come to understand the quiet silences in which Alexis held her baby close and tried not to think of all that had gone wrong... and all that might have gone even worse.

He knew he had added to the burden she carried in those moments of stillness, even if that had not been his intent. He was also certain that his revelation had increased her fear over the moment when Corinthos finally uncovered the truth. But Lorenzo also knew that his decision had resulted in a real beginning to earning her trust... and so he would not regret it, not when they had built so much out of that awkward night of conversation.

[I]Lorenzo expected to find the house dark and quiet when the car pulled up to the compound at nearly 2 a.m., but instead, he returned from a week in Colombia to find more than a dozen windows lit up from inside. No sooner had his driver opened the limousine door than Nano appeared from the house's entry and walked toward him.

"Good trip, sir?"

"Everything was fine," Lorenzo said quickly. "What's going on? Why is everyone up so late?"

"Miss Davis is teething. It's been a rather long few days for Ms. Davis and the nanny. A few of the men volunteered to put in extra hours so they could help relieve them."

The chuckle came out before he could stop it, but Lorenzo quickly covered, pretending to cough instead. He then calculated a look he hoped was akin to stern and stared back at Nano, whose face remained unchanged.

"Do you mean to tell me that my bodyguards are nursemaiding a teething infant?"

He hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but in his effort to cover up his amusement, Lorenzo realized he'd gone to far. Nano stood straighter, looked more officious, as he prepared to speak.

"The men did volunteer, Mr. Alcazar. You said to provide whatever Ms. Davis needed at all times... I assumed that meant help with the child as well."

"Of... of course it did, Nano. I'm not angry, just... curious." He hoped that was enough to relax the situation, and it appeared it was. Nano's stance eased a bit. "I guess I just didn't expect them to want to become involved with her... with the baby."

"Well, Tate and Reynolds both have children of their own. They've been quite helpful. But rest assured, Ms. Davis and Alice have done most of the caregiving. We've just all pitched in where we could... shower breaks, naps, things like that."

The more Lorenzo heard, the more anxious he felt himself growing. He had never been around a small child for very long. From what he'd heard, teething was a highly unpleasant experience, but it sounded as if perhaps Kristina was having a harder time than she should be... and thereby passing that stress along to her mother.

"Does she need to see a doctor?" he asked as Nano held the front door of the house open and they finally entered. The driver walked in behind them, carrying Lorenzo's suitcases up the stairs.

"Ms. Davis had the pediatrician check on her already. Says she'll be fine. The worst seems to have passed. She went down to bed about an hour ago."

Lorenzo nodded. Nano followed him into his office and gave him an update on the few security issues that had come up during his absence, most notably Ned Ashton's two attempts to visit the Davises. Lorenzo was less than thrilled that Ashton had even mustered the nerve to come to the gate after their encounter at Alexis' apartment, and he silently made plans to go and visit the man and remind him how much peril he might be in if he continued to harass her.

The briefing completed, Lorenzo sorted through a few files and then wandered into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. He knew better than to try to sleep right now. Whenever he came back from one of these trips, it took him a full 24 hours to right his internal clock. Experience had taught him to just stick to caffeine and conversation to keep himself up and then sleep the following night. He took the coffee and headed for the living room, intending to watch the cricket match he had taped off the satellite while he was gone. He was surprised, however, to find he was not the only night owl in the room.

"You should be sleeping, shouldn't you?"

Alexis turned toward him at the question, rotating her body a bit from her seat on the couch. Lorenzo tried not to react too much when she did. It was clear she was completely exhausted, and her eyes were red. But she offered him a small smile anyway, and that, coupled with adorable quality of her tousled ponytail made Lorenzo smile back.

"I should be, yes, but as you can see..."

Lorenzo walked further into the room and sat in the armchair at the end of the sofa. "I hear you've had a long few days."

"Teething. I'm afraid reading about it in books isn't at all preparation for the real thing."

"I imagine not."

Sipping his coffee, Lorenzo took his eyes from her, hoping to keep her from becoming uncomfortable. She and Kristina had been living with him for a few weeks now, and they'd often engaged in brief conversations that were not about business. Yet always, within a very few minutes, she would get a look of unease in her eyes, as if she'd suddenly remembered who he was, and she would find a reason to make a hasty exit. For some reason, tonight, Lorenzo didn't want that to happen. The time they'd spent together working on their first project for Asilo had given him a chance to get to see how her mind worked. Her brilliance had not been overstated to him by any of those he'd consulted. He found her completely engaging and whenever the chance arose for him to ask a question that would get her involved in an in-depth explanation, he asked it. Listening to her speak fascinated him.

"How was your trip?"

He couldn't help but jerk his eyes toward her. She rarely questioned him about anything except to ask if he needed her to be anywhere at a certain time for business. When his eyes met hers, he saw a need there that he realized he could meet. Alexis needed to be distracted from her worry about her daughter... and he had arrived just in time to be that distraction.

"It was very good, thank you. Mostly business, but I had time to catch up with a few friends."

"That's good."

It was a close-ended answer, and Lorenzo's mind clicked into gear wondering what else he could say to keep her talking. He found the answer quickly.

"Is Alice settling in all right?"

The nanny was a reluctant addition to their household, mostly because she did not like him at all. Lorenzo didn't take that personally. He knew his reputation, and he knew what his brother had done to people in this town. It was unrealistic to think he wouldn't be judged for that, even if it was unfair. Still, Alice loved Kristina and she seemed to have a genuine affection for Alexis. He was willing to take on her dirty looks if it meant his new CEO's stay here would be easier.

"She is, thank you," Alexis said. "Her room here is a master suite compared to the one she had at the Quartermaines, and it's certainly bigger than what I could have provided at the apartment."

He nodded and sipped his coffee again. "Good. And you and Kristina... you've found you have everything you need?"

"We're fine." She paused and crossed her arms in front of her. They were more than fine; they were comfortable. In fact, so far, the only thing that had been remotely uncomfortable about her living arrangements was the reactions to it. "I suppose Nano told you about Ned?"

"Yes," Lorenzo confirmed. "I'll make certain that doesn't happen again."

"Until I get him legally out of our lives, it's probably unavoidable," Alexis said. She stood and wandered toward the side table, leaning against it. "I've gotten calls from Scott Baldwin, the judge... and my 'very concerned' friends and relatives, all prompted by Ned, no doubt, to convince me how ridiculous this is."

"What did you tell them?"

The wry grin was one he'd seen before. It was her "I got it" expression when she'd found the piece of a business puzzle. He'd already come to admire it.

"I told them that last time I checked, I was a grown woman, and I can decide where I live all on my own."

Their laughter rang out simultaneously, and for a brief, wondrous moment, Alexis Davis and Lorenzo Alcazar were just two people, getting to know one another, sharing a hint of mutual amusement. And then it happened. That thing flooded into Alexis' eyes, and he saw her start to withdraw even as the curve of her lips remained on her face. Instinct drew him from the chair, and he rushed toward her, his hand making contact with her arm just as she started to turn away. When she jumped, he withdrew his touch... but he did not move away or give up his goal.

"Please, no," he said. "Don't do this, not again."

"Do what?" Alexis asked, her voice tinged with nervousness.

"Tell me what it is... tell me why you keep pulling away when we start to gain some ground with one another."

Lorenzo watched as her mouth opened and closed once, then twice. She seemed to be trying to decide if she was going to give him a straight answer or simply throw out an excuse and try to escape. Finally, though, he saw her sigh as she accepted that it was perhaps better to have this conversation rather than postpone it again.

"Because sometimes I forgot who you are. I forget what you do. I forget how much you must hate me." Her eyes lowered from his before she went on. "Sometimes, it seems like we're not just two people using each other to get something we need."

"Because sometimes..." he paused, considering whether or not to say her name, uncertain of how she'd react. He wavered still, sometimes calling her Ms. Davis, sometimes braving her first name. She'd never corrected him no matter which choice he made, but he was hesitant considering what she'd just said to him. "Alexis, I'd like to think that we are more than that at times. That we're learning to be more than that."

"And what good would that do us?" she asked, her brown orbs rising back up. "We share a few jokes, laugh, celebrate a few business deals. But that will never change the fact that I'm the woman who killed your brother. And it won't erase what you must feel toward me because of that."

He took the chance of chasing her away and stepped closer. He saw her draw into herself, arms tightening against her chest, but she didn't run.

"I don't hate you. I told you, I know who my brother was."

"He was your brother!" Alexis shouted the words at him, her protective stance breaking suddenly. The sound surprised them both. "I hated Luis for what he did to my sister," she explained urgently. "Why would you be any different? Why wouldn't you hate me for what I did?"

Deep understanding penetrated Lorenzo's heart and his mind at the same time. Alexis felt justified in what she'd done, but she was not like him... not like Luis. Taking life, even a life she felt she'd had to take, wounded her... and she felt guilty for it even though he knew she would not take the action back.

"We've talked about this," he said, his voice calm. "Yes, I loved him, Alexis. He was my brother. He taught me things that have saved my life countless times. But I knew him. I do understand what brought his death to be even if I hate that it happened."

"And that's just it? We kiss and makeup and become great friends?" Alexis walked around him, crossing back to the couch. She plopped down on it, her arms again yanking into a crossed, closed position in front of her. "I don't see how you expect me to believe that."

Lorenzo stared at her for several long seconds before he made his decision. He walked to the Degas that hung on the wall over the fireplace and pulled it back, revealing the safe. He then punched in a code and opened the door, withdrawing a large white envelope. After closing the door and returning the painting to its proper position, Lorenzo moved to the sofa, standing just to the right of Alexis as he extended the envelope toward her.

"You won't stop believing I hate you until you get proof that I don't. So here it is."

"What... what is this?" she asked as she cautiously took the envelope, eyeing it as if it were a potential bomb.

"Do you remember the day you saw Luis in the hospital, after your baby was born?" Lorenzo reached back and pulled the chair near him closer while he spoke. He slipped down into it as she fingered the envelope he'd given her.

"Yes. I thought he'd come to hurt Kristina."

"I know. He didn't. He was there for other reasons, but your reaction to him intrigued him. So he went digging." Lorenzo leaned forward and tapped the envelope. "That's what he found."

He suspected she knew what was inside, but her fear made confirmation a drawn out process. Lorenzo took in her every movement as she finally pulled open the flap and withdrew the single sheet of paper that lay inside. The moment she saw what it was, tears flooded her eyes. He wasted no time then, moving to kneel before her. Without a moment's worry about her reaction, he raised the index finger of his right hand and placed it against her lips, breaking off whatever pleading might be about to begin spilling forth.

"I gave this to you because you were determined to know my answer to your question," he whispered. "I've kept it only because I hoped to someday prove by giving it to you that you could trust me. It's yours to do with what you will."

Finished, Lorenzo reluctantly drew back, breaking their physical contact. He moved into the chair again and waited for her to compose herself.

"He... he knew?"

"Yes, he did," Lorenzo stated, clarifying what she held in her hands. "And whether you knew it or not, no matter what happened in that suite, Alexis, you were defending yourself... and your daughter."

Her eyes rose from the sheet of paper and searched his for the answer to the question that she had lived with for so many months now. When he shook his head, she had her answer.

"Yes, he was planning to use her to get at Corinthos. I had tried to talk him out of it, I would have continued to try." Now it was Lorenzo's turn to look away. Luis was a part of him... but there were simply things about his brother he could never condone. "But I do believe you saved your daughter's life that night."

He willed himself to look at her again. He wanted her to see the truth of what he was about to say in his eyes. Lorenzo marveled at that. He couldn't remember the last time it had mattered to him if someone believed him or not... believed in him or not.

"There are lines that, if a man crosses them, he's lost himself forever... lost every shred of what made him a man and not an animal. I loved him, I grieve for him... but Luis had crossed that line. And that is why I can't hate you for what you did."

No more words passed as they both processed what had just happened in the room. Alexis kept looking from the original set of paternity test results to Lorenzo and back again, her mind reeling. Lorenzo's gaze remained fixed on her as he forced himself to let her make the next move.

"You... you could have owned me with this," Alexis said, her voice still shaky. "You could have forced me to do anything you wanted."

"If owning you was what I'd wanted, then, yes, I suppose I could have." Lorenzo sat up straighter, relieved that she was talking to him, not running, not panicking. Thankfully, she seemed to be accepting it for what it was... an olive branch, not a threat. "But owning a woman has never held much appeal for me. And as I said, those lines... staying on the right side of them matters to me."

Slowly, she nodded a response to his statement, then Alexis slid the paper back into the envelope and stood up.

"Thank you for this. Thank you for understanding."

"Thank you for listening."

She stared down at him another moment, her lips once again curving into the reluctant grin she sometimes threw his way. He felt his own mouth turn up into a responsive smile.

"Get some rest, Alexis."

"You too."[/I]

He had watched her walk away that night until she was long out of his sight... until all he was looking at was the empty doorway she had stood in briefly on her way to the stairs. Lorenzo had hoped then that it was the beginning of some sort of friendship between them. He'd told himself that it would make working together easier, make their living situation more companionable. But of course, it had become something far more precious to him.

"You have sweet dreams, angel," Lorenzo whispered as he eased Kristina back into her crib. The baby snuggled into her blankets, her peace of mind finally restored by his careful attention.

When he walked out of the nursery, he saw Alice waiting down by the landing of the staircase. She turned toward him as he approached.

"Everything okay?"

"So far," Alice assured him. "I'll go sit in the room with Kristina until he's gone. I mean, that way you can... "

"She made it clear she wants to handle this on her own," Lorenzo said. Alice nodded.

"I know. But she's tired of fighting, Mr. Alcazar. She'll get through it, but she's gonna need you when it's over."

"I'll be there, Alice, don't worry."

The nanny smiled, her reaction to him much changed from those first few weeks she'd been with them, and then she headed for the baby's room. Lorenzo began a slow descent of the stairs, his eyes glancing sideways to find that Nano was, in fact, standing right by the front door, just as Alexis had said she'd ask him to. Satisfied that all that could be done right now was being done, Lorenzo wandered into the living room, the room where he and Alexis' relationship had first become more than just "two people using each other," and he sank down onto the couch and waited.

"I swear to God, Corinthos," he whispered. "You hurt her, and you'll realize you've never known what hell is."

*****

[I]"Fine, Sonny, let's talk about our daughter."[/I]

She had imagined this a million times. Sometimes Alexis saw herself going to him on her own to confess the truth. Other times, Sonny had found out somehow and shown up full of outrage. And when she'd let herself imagine the worst-case scenario, the man she had once loved so deeply coldly passed her by, took Kristina into his arms, and walked away with her, Alexis' pleas for mercy falling on deaf ears.

She wanted to believe the latter could never happen, that Sonny wasn't capable of that level of contempt toward her even now. But standing here in front of him, his anger amplified by the alcohol he'd consumed and so deep it was literally pulsating off of him, Alexis shuddered slightly and said a silent thank you that if she needed help, it was a raised voice away.

Squaring her shoulders, finding her center and her strength, Alexis vowed to try not to fall back on that security. She knew Lorenzo would fight this battle for her if she asked... but she didn't want to ask. She and Sonny had created Kristina together, and some part of her had always known they would have to face the truth about her the same way, together, no matter how hard or painful it was.

"Come on, Sonny," she said, her nerves hidden behind her courtroom voice. "You want to talk about Kristina. Talk."

"Why don't we start with a liar you are?" His words flew at her like arrows as he stepped into her space. "Why don't we start with how someone who professed to always be the one who told me the truth could lie to me about the most important thing in my life?"

"That's really how you want to do this?" Alexis asked, his anger doing less to frighten her now than it was pushing her buttons. It wasn't that she didn't understand his sense of betrayal or his bitterness, it was that she was just so damned disappointed. She had hoped somehow that he would at least try to see her side, but as she'd seen so many times, Sonny was too wrapped up in his own hurt feelings to see past them.

"Oh, right, 'cause now, let me guess," Sonny said, his body posturing into the defensive stance he so often took when fighting with those he considered enemies, "you're gonna roll out the laundry list, right? Every bad deed I ever did is gonna justify you keeping my baby from me?"

"Why would I bother?" Alexis shrugged as she spoke. "Why would I need to bring up the past when you've gone to such lengths to show right here, right now, why I didn't tell you the truth? I mean, what happened, Sonny? You finally took the time to take a good look at her at Kelly's? All these weeks and months, all the times when she was fighting for her life and I was fighting not to lose her, you couldn't be bothered with us, but today you spared the 30 seconds to look at her and you finally figured it out?"

His furious mask faded a moment, and Alexis saw regret creep into his eyes. No, that wasn't what had happened after all... even then, sitting across from her at the restaurant, he hadn't known.

"Ned... Ned finally told you."

"So what if he did?" Sonny turned so he was no longer facing her. She knew that tactic from him. An attempt to hide his own shame.

"I spent months terrified of the first time you'd see her... I was so sure you'd know," Alexis confessed. "But clearly, I was worried for nothing."

"Oh, so this is all my fault 'cause I'm not a mind reader?" Sonny whirled back toward her, his hands gesturing wildly because he was trying to deflect his own internal questions. He, too, was wondering how he hadn't known, why he'd needed someone to tell him that Kristina was his child. Why hadn't he seen?

"No, of course not, Sonny. Nothing is your fault."

"You walked away from me!" he screamed, his voice sending a chill straight up Alexis' spine. "You ended the friendship, you quit working for me, you moved... all you, Alexis."

"And you fought so hard to stop me, didn't you?" She was stunned by the sound of disgust in her voice. "You had your damn precious Carly back, Sonny, and that's all you cared about. Well, my priorities were a little different. Taking care of my baby, trying not to lose her while I grieved over my sister, not to lose her when that son of a bitch left us to die, trying not to lose her to the boatload of people who thought they had more right to her than I did..."

"All you had to do was tell me she was mine," Sonny snarked back. "I would have taken care of all of that."

"Of course you would have," Alexis said, "right before you handed my daughter to that witch you're married to. Well, that wasn't gonna happen, Sonny. And I'm telling you right here, right now, I didn't fend off Skye to let your wife take my baby. Carly will NEVER get her hands on my daughter!"

"Our daughter!" Sonny's voice boomed at her and he realized how close he was to fully losing control. He stepped back, forcing himself to take a deep breath so he could regain some kind of hold over himself. "You're not... you're not keeping her from me anymore, Alexis."

"I didn't say I was... I said Carly isn't getting my child, and I meant it."

"Carly's my wife."

"A fact I am well aware of, Sonny, because she's thrown it in my face at least 200 times since you took her back. Well, bully for her. What she isn't is Kristina's mother. Now you may not care that your sons are around her every day, but my daughter isn't going near that woman."

"Oh, but my daughter can live with a goddamn drug dealer? That's all right with you?" Sonny said, biting back "I want her out of this house, right now."

"Well, that's not going to happen, Sonny. This is our home, and you aren't taking that away from us."

It was the word "home" that got him. He heard it and something in his mind clicked. Alexis considered this... considered Lorenzo home. And it broke something in Sonny that even seeing them making love had not. That's when he noticed that Alexis was draped in a bathrobe two sizes too big for her. He saw the way her hair was tousled. And he knew that after they had left Kelly's, Alexis had come "home" with Lorenzo and given herself to him again.

And he hated her for it.

"I'm just curious, Alexis," he began, his mind screaming at him to stop, but his wounded heart already in control of his mouth. "Work for Ned, sleep with Ned. Work for me, sleep with me. Now Lorenzo? Is being a lawyer, a businesswoman, just a front for what you're really good at?"

The crack of her hand against his cheek was so loud that it was all that really registered with him. He barely notice the sting in his skin or the small cut her ring opened up near his cheekbone. All he heard was that sound... and he knew that he had finally managed to make her feel as devastated as he had when Ned confronted him at Kelly's.

And he hated himself for it.

"You take your disgusting, drunk, adolescent dirty mouth and get out of here, now, Sonny, now! And if you ever want to see Kristina, I suggest you think twice before you show up here screaming and scaring her, because I swear to God, if you ever make my daughter cry again..."

The threat hung there, mostly because Alexis was afraid of what might come out if she finished the sentence. God, how had this happened?

She left him standing there, his shoulders slumped, his eyes filled with regret and anger, and turned and walked back into the house. Nano moved past her and headed outside, she assumed to make sure that Sonny was gone. Alexis made no effort to stop him or ask him to handle her "guest" in any particular way. She didn't care. She was too heartbroken right now to care.

Lorenzo was waiting in the entry of the living room for her. He looked at her with eyes that spoke only of how much he wanted to make this go away, and Alexis felt drawn to that silent promise. His arms opened to her and she rushed into them, his hold all that was keeping her from falling down as she ended the superhuman effort it had taken for her not to show Sonny how much he'd hurt her.

"I'm here, Alexis. I'm here, sweetheart." Lorenzo's soft whispers fell against the top of her head, the puffs of air from his mouth gently ruffling her hair.

"I can't... I... He made me forget why I loved him. Only for a second, but he... he made me forget."

If ever Lorenzo had wanted to beat a man senseless, it was Corinthos. Alexis was fearless in business, but in her life, it took so much for her to trust. He'd made her regret that trust... and he needed to pay for that.

"I hate him," she choked, her sobs drenching Lorenzo's chest. "I hate him almost as much as he hates me."

"Oh, I wish that were true," he said, easing her back a bit from him so he could see her face. "If you hated him, he couldn't hurt you, Alexis. You couldn't hurt each other. And as much as I never want you to know what it feels like to carry true hate in your heart, God, I wish you did hate him... because then you could not care."

She knew he was right... knew that beneath all the anger there was still something that had drawn them together so that Kristina had come to be. But she couldn't see that man right now. She could only hear the voice that had just called her a whore to her face, and only knew that the one thing in the world that was making her feel safe right now was the feel of Lorenzo's arms around her. Alexis relaxed against him again, her cheek pressed to his chest. She could smell Kristina's sweet baby scent on his skin.

"Thank you," she whispered, and Lorenzo moved his hands up and down her back in a gentle gesture of reassurance.

"For what?"

"I knew I wasn't alone... even when I couldn't see you, I knew."

His arms wrapped more tightly around her as he felt moisture pool at his lower lids.

"And you never will be. I promise."

*****

"Yeah, okay," Jason said into the phone. "Thanks, Monica."

"So, how is he?" Carly asked.

"They're keeping him overnight. He has five cracked ribs and a concussion."

Carly shook her head. "What about the cops? Is Ned going to..."

"I think I made it clear to Ned that it was in his best interest not to press charges," Jason informed her, recalling the brief statement he'd made to Ned while they waited for the paramedics to arrive at Kelly's.

[I]"You have too many bones buried, Ashton, and I know where they are. You don't want to test me."[/I]

"Are you going out to look for him?"

Carly's question caught Jason off guard, mostly because of the way she sounded. She seemed nearly annoyed that he might, in fact, be planning to do just that.

"He almost killed a man tonight. I think I should."

"Well, just figure out where Alexis is... I'm sure that's where you'll find him."

"What?" Jason asked, genuine surprised by the comment. "Sonny and Alexis haven't had a civil word in months, what makes you think..."

"Because I saw him, Jason, all right?" Carly picked up a stuffed animal on the couch and threw it at the empty cradle beside the piece of furniture. "There we are, his family, with him, trying to be with him anyway, and from the second he realized that Alexis was in the room, he couldn't take his eyes off of her."

She groaned in frustration, dropping down onto the sofa, her head falling into her hands as her fingers twined in her hair. "God, I thought we were done with this. I thought when she lied about the kid, it was over... but no."

"Carly," Jason began, "I think you're overreacting. Was Alexis with Lorenzo?"

"Yeah."

"Then he was probably watching Lorenzo," Jason explained. "You know he and Sonny are still butting heads."

"I know my husband," Carly said, her head lifting, her eyes finding Jason's. "It was Alexis and the baby... that's what he was watching. That's what had his attention."

"So, what, you think Ned said something about Alexis and that's what set him off?"

She nodded. "There's nothing else Ned would talk to him about that Sonny would get mad over."

"Michael maybe" he said lamely, but even as he spoke the boy's name, Jason knew that was wrong. Ned had rarely entered into the Michael fray... and it seemed silly that he'd randomly bring up the subject with Sonny now. Carly clearly knew how unlikely that was because she rolled her eyes at Jason's suggestion.

"It was Alexis... we both know it was. The question is what."

"Well, whatever it is, we'll figure out and help him deal with it." Jason had meant to be reassuring, but the look he got in return told him he'd failed. "What?" he asked.

"You know, I know I'm not easy, Jason. I know that... but I am getting sick and tired of all this. Every time I turn around, there's another Sonny drama playing out, and me and the kids are left waiting for him to figure out what it is."

"No one ever lied to you and told you Sonny was easy to live with," he reminded her. "You wanted a life with him, that's what you have."

Jason knew that despite her marriage to Sonny, he still probably knew Carly better than most anyone. So when she looked at him, even though she never said a word, he realized what she was thinking. She was starting to regret the choice she'd made, and her wheels were beginning to spin. Jason was about to try and talk her down when the door flew open. Sonny flew into the room looking like he'd just run away from a street fight, his nostrils flaring, his eyes burning with urgency.

"You call Johnny," he said, addressing Jason, "and you tell him to pick another guard to help him. 24/7 on Alexis and Kristina... and I don't want to hear any excuses. You tell him that."

"Wh...why are you putting guards on Alexis and her baby?" Carly chimed in, her stunned face evidence of the confusion Sonny's words had deepened within her. He glared back toward her in response.

"Go upstairs."

"I'm not going upstairs, Sonny," she spat back at him. "What the hell is going on?"

"Carly, go upstairs."

Jason turned toward Carly, ready to try and convince her to do as Sonny was asking, but there was no need. A sad resignation came into her eyes, and Jason knew that whether he was meaning to or not, Sonny's month's-long work at alienating his wife had finally pushed her to a breaking point. Shaking her head, the blonde stalked toward the steps and disappeared up them.

"Sonny, you need to calm down," Jason said as soon as they were alone.

"You don't tell me what I need to do, okay? You do what I say. Call Johnny. Give the order."

"Tell me why."

The words jolted Sonny. For weeks now... hell, for months, Jason had been pushing boundaries with him. There had been times when Sonny could see in hindsight that his friend had been right to do so. Tonight, however, was not one of those times.

"You do what I want done, or you find someone else to work for, Jason, all right? Are we clear?"

His tone was so cold, so absolutely in contrast to the wild look about him, that Jason simply nodded and headed toward the door.

"Lorenzo's got guards on her, too. We won't be able to get very close."

"Just so long as I know where they are," Sonny said. "Anytime I pick up a phone, I want to know where they are."

Jason left silently to carry out his instructions, leaving Sonny brooding alone in his living room. He paced the floor manically for more than an hour before he finally felt his nerve endings begin to relax. He was so distracted, so focused on what had happened tonight that he never heard the footsteps coming down the stairs, nor did he realize he was no longer alone until Carly's voice reached him.

"What happened to your face?"

Sonny glanced toward her, then walked to the mirror. He hadn't even noticed the cut on his cheek, but he'd felt the bruise beginning to form there from the ferocious slap Alexis had landed.

"It's nothing."

His answer was quick and dismissive... just what Carly had expected.

"Sonny, I know this is about Alexis. I'm trying very hard not to just lose it here and start screaming at you, so would you please just tell me what the hell is going on?"

He sighed, his whole body seeming to slump as Alexis' name reminded him of the hellish encounter they'd just had. Why had he said that to her? Why, just this once, had he not held back his own hurt? She already hated him... and now he'd given her even more reason.

"Not now, Carly, all right? Please."

She watched a moment, took in the way he suddenly went from furious to defeated. Carly had seen the way Alexis' words could wound Sonny. No doubt, some other rant from her former rival was the cause of this. But Carly also knew from bitter experience that there was nothing she could do. Sonny never wanted to hear her dispute any of Alexis' statements... he only wanted to forget them, pretend it had all never happened.

"Fine," she said. "I'm going to bed."

She didn't ask if he was coming. He didn't tell her he'd be there later. And both of them, exhausted from trying so hard, simply didn't have the energy to care.

*****

Lorenzo emerged from his room dressed for the day, a charcoal gray suit with a midnight blue shirt his attire. He strolled down the hallway, his ears picking up on the sound of Kristina directing her mother's attention to some particular object of interest.

"You like that one?" Alexis asked. "Okay, let's add that one then."

He peeked into the open door and saw that mother and daughter were seated on the floor playing with a large stack of pastel colored building blocks. Alexis was just placing a light blue block atop a bright green one, and Kristina clapped her approval at the job her mother had done.

"I'm so happy to see you smiling this morning, little one," Alexis cooed, her hand moving to gently rub against Kristina's tummy. "I know last night got very confusing and very loud. I'm sorry. I promise, it won't happen again."

She was trying to sound relaxed for her daughter's sake, but Lorenzo could hear how scared Alexis really was.

"Do you know what a lucky little girl you are?" she continued. "Do you? Mommy loves you so very, very much, and Alice loves you, and Zander loves you." Kristina tossed a block from her hands, and Alexis reached out, picking her up, drawing the baby into her lap. "And our Enzo... he loves us both very much."

"Zo, Zo, Zo," Kristina said in a sweet, sing-songy voice. Lorenzo smiled, tempted to make his presence known until he saw Alexis pull Kristina up and into her arms, snuggling her close.

"Your daddy's going to love you, too, honey. He just... sometimes he gets so hurt and so angry, and he yells before he thinks about what he's doing. But I'm going to talk to him, okay? We're the grownups here... me, and daddy and Zo, and we'll find a way to make it work."

Kristina squealed, pulling back and then diving toward her mother with her lips pursed. Alexis gave her a kiss and the two returned their attention to the colored blocks on the floor. Lorenzo decided to slip away then. He knew neither would have minded had he joined them, but the mother/daughter moment was simply too perfect, and he had no wish to interrupt it.

Downstairs, he found the car waiting for him as he'd requested. Nano stood beside it, a file folder in his hands.

"Here's the dossier, sir. And I've spoken with the guards. Security for the Davises will be increased effective immediately."

It was tempting to just let it go, but Lorenzo shook his head as he took the file from his security chief.

"Speak with Ms. Davis before you make any changes. Much as I'd love to keep Corinthos 100 miles away from them, she may have other ideas. It's her choice. And I didn't want to disturb she and Kristina, so if she asks, I'll be back in time for lunch."

"Yes, sir."

Nano took his leave and Lorenzo climbed into the car. As the vehicle wound through the streets of Port Charles, Lorenzo read through the folder marked "Antonio Renata" for what was likely the 200th time. He would take in the pages on yet several more occasions as their meeting date neared. It was important every detail be committed to memory. Renata had put him through his paces for years before agreeing to this face-to-face meeting. Lorenzo couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

The car pulled into a parking spot once it reached its destination, and Lorenzo exited and headed inside. He found the room quickly enough, and when he entered, Ned Ashton was standing beside his hospital bed, gingerly trying to pull on a shirt despite the painful rib injuries he'd sustained the night before.

"I'll be ready in a minute, Skye, just let me..."

His words ended and a yelp of pain ripped out of Ned's throat as he was pushed into the wall from behind. When he'd heard the door open, he'd assumed it was his ride home, but clearly, this was someone else with a far different agenda. Large hands pressed into his middle back, moving him more into the wall and adding pressure to his tender ribs

"You put the woman I love in danger last night, Ashton."

The voice was hard and vengeful, and Ned tried to answer back, but the force being used against his body increased and his air was cut off from the screaming pain in his chest.

"You also endangered a child a you once claimed to love," Lorenzo continued. "It seems to me your soul is already dead. Why shouldn't the rest of you follow?"

The implied threat hit home, and Ned struggled a bit more against the larger man's tight hold. Alcazar eased up on the pressure some, and Ned took advantage.

"She'd never forgive you. Even if she hates me, she'd never forgive you."

"I think I'm willing to take that chance," Lorenzo replied coolly.

"Everyone will know it was you!" Ned's voice sounded more desperate than powerful, and Lorenzo gave him one last shove before he stepped back. Ashton yelped, then leaned against the wall.

"If killing you would do anything to repair what you've done, you'd be dead already."

"So what?" Ned said between gasps. "You just here to threaten me?"

Lorenzo walked back toward him, and he was pleased when Ned seemed to shrink from fear. "No. I'm here to tell you that you're pathetic. You had that woman's love, and you threw it away. But you still had one piece of power over her, Ashton... one thing that kept you in her life whether she wanted you there or not... and you used it to, what, win a pissing contest with Corinthos?"

The taller man turned and walked toward the door, stopping once his fingers wrapped around the handle. "You've used your last weapon, played your last card. You're less than nothing to her now. And Kristina will never even remember who you were."

Whatever sense of triumph Ned had felt from pushing Sonny's buttons, from knowing he'd turned Alexis' world upside down faded as the truth of Lorenzo's words hit him full force. It gave Lorenzo deep satisfaction to see that moment of realization before he himself left the room and took the walk back to his car. The driver was just turning out of the parking lot when the unmistakable chime of a cell phone's ring tones broke the silence.

Lorenzo pulled the phone from his pocket, nearly dreading it. He suspected he knew who the call was from, and he was not in the mood to talk any more about the Renata meeting. But he smiled, his dread pushed aside when he saw Alexis' name on the caller I.D. screen.

"Hello there."

"Hello," she said. She sounded like she had recovered even more from last night, and he was glad he'd left her be with Kristina. The time alone with her daughter had clearly helped. "I got your message."

"I'm nearly finished. I just want to stop by the realtor to pick up those office property listings we spoke about, then I'll be home."

"Can I add one more errand to your list?"

Lorenzo chuckled into the phone. "Let me guess, we're out of diapers?"

"Very funny," Alexis answered back. "No, I was wondering if you could stop by Dara's office and pick up some papers for me from her secretary."

He didn't need to be told what the papers were. "You're sure you want to start dealing with this today?"

"I'm sure I need to deal with it soon," she said. "I need to be ready for whatever happens next."

"I'll take care of it," Lorenzo promised. "Anything else you need?"

Alexis paused a moment, then gave the most honest answer she could. "Just you."

Lorenzo smiled even if his throat felt a bit tight from the surge of emotion he felt at her words.

"I'll be back soon."

They ended their call and Lorenzo instructed the driver on the now two stops they needed to make. He glanced at his watch, estimating how long each would take, and knew he'd make it back as he'd planned to, in time to share lunch with both of his dark-eyed beauties.

He couldn't wait to be home.

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