Alexis fought the overwhelming sensation that it was time to wake up, but the smells of well-made French Roast coffee and homemade blueberry muffins were waging war on her laziness genes. Rolling over, her arm fell on the empty side of the bed beside her and that made up her mind. What good was it to stay snuggled in bed when the person she wanted to be snuggling with was downstairs?

Sitting up, she reached over and picked up the black silk robe she had discarded last night and pulled it on over the nightgown that matched. Alexis then wandered to the mirror and began running her hands through her hair to try and make it look like less of a mess.
As she stood there, her eyes fell on the framed Christmas portrait that sat in a glistening sterling silver frame on Sonny's bureau.

Christmas. Today was Christmas morning. What a different day it was going to be from the same day last year when she was still standing watch over her baby girl in General Hospital, thoughts of the holiday season far from her mind.

Alexis remembered vividly sitting beside Kristina where she lay in the isolette, her condition much better than it had been, but not quite good enough for the still tiny infant to go home. And so Alexis had refused invitations from the Quartermaines and the Jacks' and had decided to spend the day with her own little miracle.

She had just finished feeding Kristina her second bottle of the night when his deep voice had rumbled behind her.

"Two princesses sitting all alone on Christmas, that simply will not do."

Disbelieving, Alexis had spun around in her chair only to see that her eyes were confirming what her ears had told her. Stefan was home. Alexis was out of the chair and in her brother's arms in a flash.

"Oh, it is so good to see you," she said, tears stinging at her eyes.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get here," he said, holding her even closer.

After a few moments, Alexis had pushed back and looked at him in the eye.

"You're here now, that's all that matters."

Stefan's smile had sent a surge of warmth through Alexis, and for the first time in months, she felt safe. It was a rare and treasured feeling.

"So, I believe I'm overdue in welcoming the newest member of our family."

Alexis smiled and drew him toward the isolette. To her absolute joy, Kristina opened her brown eyes wide and stared up at her uncle.

"Stefan, this is Kristina Jane Davis. Kristina, this is your uncle Stefan, and don't let his gruffness fool you, he's a softie."

Alexis would never forget the way Stefan had glared at her at that remark, but his expression quickly softened and melted into a look of pure adoration as he turned his eyes to Kristina.

"Welcome to our world, Kristina. I can tell you're going to be as beautiful as your namesake. You've already proven you're as strong and determined as your mother."

Brother and sister had stood beaming down at the baby, reveling in being close to one another again after a year filled with so much loneliness and pain and loss. And then Alexis had heard someone trying to clear their throat politely but with purpose. It was Nikolas. Alexis' beckoned him over and soon three generations of Cassadines occupied the room.

"Aren't they going to get upset about so many people being in here at once?" Nikolas asked.

Alexis obviously couldn't see the expressions on both her and Stefan's face, but they must have been priceless because Nikolas barely held back a laugh as they said in tandem, "and to whom will they complain, the owners?"

They had all enjoyed a brief chuckle, and then Nikolas had looked pointedly at Stefan.

"We're all set."

Alexis looked from nephew to brother and wondered what it was they had up their sleeves. Stefan simply directed her toward the door. Alexis had looked at Kristina with a worried expression, but her brother's reassurance came quickly.

"Don't worry, we're only going into the hallway."

Relieved, Alexis followed her male family members out into the hall and came face to face with a gigantic gold box that had an elaborate red ribbon tied around it.

"Stefan, what have you done?"

"Well, why don't you open it and find out?"

"You do know how the saying goes, right?" Alexis said, suspiciously eyeing the package, "Good things come in small packages?"

Stefan laughed and pushed her toward the box. "People who say that aren't Cassadines. Open the box."

Alexis had stepped forward and pulled on the red ribbon. The gold "box" fell away easily and revealed the Christmas tree that traditionally was erected at Wyndemere, complete with ornaments and a host of packages underneath. Overwhelmed, Alexis had been unable to speak, but Stefan had come to her, his hands glancing over her shoulders.

"If our family can't be together at home, then we will make our home here tonight."

Owning the hospital had its perks, and Stefan had certainly made certain that now that he was back, Alexis was privy to all of them. Christmas dinner had been catered in the hallway outside of NICU and not a soul had said two words about it. As his gift to her, Stefan had sent Alexis home to sleep while he sat watch over Kristina. It had been just what she needed. For the first time since Kristina's birth, Alexis had truly felt her baby was in the hands of someone she trusted completely, and she had slept for nearly 12 hours. But if was after showering and returning to the hospital that Alexis got her biggest surprise of the holiday.

Stefan sat sleeping in the rocking chair beside Kristina - the blanket in his lap and empty bottle precariously balancing in his hand evidence that her daughter had eaten recently. Careful not to wake her brother, Alexis walked over to the isolette and that's when she saw the small package sitting atop the place where her baby rested. It was beautifully wrapped and a note was attached. She picked it up and found herself intrigued by what it said.

"For an angel - from the man who will most surely receive the lump of coal he deserves this year."

Alexis had made quick work of the bow and paper, and inside she found a small jewelry box. She lifted the lid wondering what might be inside. And the moment she saw the gift, she knew exactly who the man in the note was.

She couldn't even believe how small yet detailed the earrings were, but there was no mistaking that they were meant for Kristina's baby ears.

Gardenias. Small, delicate, beautiful gold gardenia earrings.

Alexis hadn't known then if it meant Sonny knew her secret or if he had simply realized how far apart they had grown and was trying to make amends, all she knew was that in that instant, much of her anger with him had evaporated like so much smoke in the wind. Because the truth was, no matter what else Sonny had done, he had already given her the most precious gift in her life - and that counted for something.

Now here she was a year later standing in their house, months of difficult negotiation, new peace and tentative friendship behind them. His gift to Kristina had earned Sonny a phone call. His help in saving Jax and exposing Ned as Alcazar's real killer had earned him the right to "visit". His decision to leave Carly once and for all had gained him a renewed friendship. And slowly but surely they had found their way back to the point where Alexis had called him on the day of Kristina's six-month check up and said simply, "Kristina and I were wondering if you would spend the day with us." He had accepted. And as they strolled through the park on the way to the hospital, Alexis had handed him Kristina and said, "it's amazing, isn't, how much she adores you? She knew without my having to say anything."

Alexis had held her breath wondering if he understood the subtle confession she had just made. Her doubts were erased when Sonny responded, "so did I." And that simply, the secret, such as it was, was gone. There had been some long talks, some yelling, some hurt feelings, but somehow they had made it through. And on the day Kristina turned nine-months old, Sonny had asked Alexis if they would move into his new house with him.

She had surprised them both by accepting.

And now their first Christmas together was here. They had actually gone to Wyndham's and shopped like a regular family for gifts and decorations and ornaments. Alexis had wanted to buy the beautiful blown glass balls they had seen displayed on the tree in the Wyndham's couture section, but Sonny had dismissed the ornaments making some caustic remark about them being to effeminate and "reminding him of Candy Boy." So instead their tree was decorated with a collection of angels, the symbol that Sonny had long associated with their daughter.

Smiling, Alexis shook of her memories and headed for the source of them. She had just reached the bottom of the stairs when Sonny walked out carrying a tray of coffee and muffins toward the living room. She saw him look her up and down, admiring the way the black silk clung to her body.

"Now that's what I call a well-wrapped package."

She rolled her eyes and walked toward him, snatching a muffin from the tray.

"Sometimes I cannot believe I let a boorish thug like you father my child."

"Yeah, I know," he said, leaning in to kiss her, "but," he said as he pulled away, "you're glad you did, aren't you?"

Alexis raised her eyebrows and plopped down on the sofa. "Most days."

She could tell that Sonny was about to move in for another kiss when Kristina made it known that she was ready to come downstairs as well. He raced off to get her and soon the little family was enjoying their morning. Alexis and Sonny watched with pride as Kristina crawled amongst the selection of gifts they put in front of her. She tore into the paper creating a huge mess for such a small girl, and Alexis was grateful they had decided to keep the rest of the presents hidden until the arrival of their extended family later in the day for dinner. At least a few gifts would survive the toddler's industrious unwrapping.

Kristina's dark curls turned this way and that as she smiled up, her cheeks glowing, her ears adorned with her precious gardenia earrings as she sat on the floor studying the gifts she had uncovered. She was apparently in great conflict over whether she wanted to play with the collection of Beanie Baby bears she had unearthed or if her attention would be better spent on the wooden car set that had also caught her eye.

"Well, I guess it's official, Kristina Jane Davis," Alexis said, reaching for another muffin, "You are clearly going to be the perfect combination of princess, genius and auto mechanic."

Alexis had expected to hear Sonny laugh at her statement but instead she heard him intake his breath sharply and she turned to see him rubbing his forehead the way he often did when he was trying not to say something that might start a fight. Alexis quickly thought back over what she'd said and realized what the cause was.

"Sonny..."

"No, Alexis, I don't want to fight about this on Christmas day. We'll deal with it later."

"But, Sonny..."

"Look, I understand, okay, I know all the reasons that you have for keeping her last name Davis, but how do you think that makes me feel? I mean, she's my daughter. I haven't pushed you about getting married or about doing anything to make our situation more permanent, but does it surprise you that I want her to have my name?"

"Sonny..."

Sonny stood, effectively cutting off Alexis, and that started to get her angry. She stood up, her hands on her hips, as she called out to him.

"Hey, I'm over here and we're having a discussion, unless you want to stalk off into the kitchen and pout."

Alexis watched as Sonny stopped in his tracks and turned back.

"I'm sorry, okay, I'm not trying to be a jerk. I just don't want to spend today upset with you. It's our first Christmas together. Let's just postpone the argument till tomorrow, okay?"

"But, Sonny, that's what I'm trying to tell you if you'd stop cutting me off every time I open my mouth. There isn't anything to fight about because..."

"Mama."

Alexis cut off her sentence at the sound of Kristina's voice and glanced back over her shoulder. She looked at her daughter then back at Sonny and was about to resume her speech before she realized what she had just seen.

Kristina was standing up, without holding onto anything, and looking very much like she was ready to take her first step.

Alexis whirled back around and looked at the concentration on the toddler's face. She waved Sonny over hurriedly.

"Get the camera."

"What?"

"Get it."

Sonny rushed to the desk and pulled out the digital video camera he had bought so he could chronicle every moment of his daughter's life. He saw Alexis move over about three feet across from Kristina and kneel down, her arms open wide to their baby girl.

"Come on, Kristina, you can do it. Come here. Come see mama."

Kristina's dark eyes glanced up at Sonny, who was standing behind Alexis, for reassurance. He brought the camera down from his eye momentarily to smile at her and give her a wink of encouragement. Kristina smiled back and then turned to look at her mother again. She frowned slightly, apparently trying to decide if she really wanted to do this, and then she reached out toward Alexis' hand and took her first tenuous step.

"That's it, sweetie, come on. Come to Mommy."

A second step, a third one - a little shaky, but she was still up, a fourth, a fifth, and then boom, Kristina was in her mother's arms being hugged like she'd just won the Olympic gold medal.

"That's my girl. Oh, I knew you could do it. I knew you could."

Sonny kept the camera trained on "his girls" as they celebrated the moment. The doctors had given them all kinds of ominous warnings about how Kristina's development might be impeded given the circumstances of her birth. But so far their she had beaten all the odds. She had spoken on time, her motor skills were on track, and except for her having shown little interest in trying to walk until today, she was a normal, healthy baby. But the worry had always been there, and as Alexis spun a giggling Kristina around, Sonny saw the slight trail of tears on her cheek. He put the camera down then and walked over, pulling them both into his arms.

"She's okay, Alexis. We got her."

She nodded against his shoulder as Kristina put her little hands one on each of their faces and let out a delighted squeal at the cozy family hug. Alexis stood back then and looked at Sonny.

"I want you to open your present."

"Which one?" he asked.

Alexis motioned with her head toward his stocking and Sonny walked over to retrieve it. Beneath the expected treats like his favorite cologne and a new pair of silk boxers he intended to model for Alexis tonight, he found a square velvet box. He pulled it out and flipped open the lid as Alexis watched. Inside was a platinum bracelet - an heirloom piece that was not at all practical but beautiful nonetheless. It was also clearly sized to fit Kristina's wrist. Sonny looked up at Alexis a bit confused.

"I don't think it's gonna fit, sweetheart."

"Very funny," Alexis said, eyes rolling, "look inside."

Sonny turned the bracelet so he could see the inside of the well-crafted band. His heart nearly stopped when he read what had been engraved there.

"K.J. Davis-Corinthos."

Alexis felt a new set of tears well up as Sonny read the inscription out loud. He looked up at her then, his own eyes pools of liquid emotion, as he searched for words to say. Alexis stepped toward him, Kristina in her arms with her head resting on her mother's shoulder.

"I thought the legal papers would make an unruly stocking stuffer."

Sonny reached out and pulled his family close to him again. As he held them, one of the few good memories of his childhood Christmases came back to him, and he laughed slightly.

"She was right after all."

Alexis stepped back slightly and looked at Sonny. "Who?"

"My mom," he said, swiping at the tears on his cheek. "When I was a kid I was so impatient with everything..."

"You, impatient?" Alexis teased. Sonny smiled wide.

"Yeah, I know. I couldn't wait for Christmas to get here to see if I'd gotten what I wanted or, you know, what surprises there might be. Christmas was actually fun before Deke...anyway, she used to always look at me and tell me, "Michael, all good things come to those who wait."

Sonny reached out and gently caressed Alexis' cheek. She leaned into his touch and Kristina reached out and put her little hand on her father's wrist, making contact with him.

"And look," Sonny said, his voice low and gentle, "I waited my whole life, but there you two are...all good things."

Alexis moved back to him, her free arm encircling him as mother, father and daughter once more formed the perfect family embrace.

"Merry Christmas, Sonny," she said as she leaned into him.

Sonny gently kissed her forehead, and reached over to caress his daughter's unruly curls.

"Merry, Christmas, Alexis."

And a merry Christmas it was.




Happy Holidays everyone!

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