| The routine of boarding a plane. Somewhat different when it was a private plane. No real security check. The jet was too small to take out a building. A large building at least. No metal detectors to pass. That was a good thing considering how armed Jason was. Brenda�s bags alone would have taken hours to check. A false flight plan was filed. The tower at the Port Charles airport just rolled their eyes. Like anyone believed in a flight plan from the Corinthos jet anymore. Well they were on their own when they dropped off radar and crashed. You�d think the assholes would know better by now. Sonny stood next to the limo and watched Jason and Brenda climb the stairs ahead of him. This was what his money bought him. A private plane. An opportunity to help friends escape a corrupt justice system. But he only considered how corrupt it was when it was working against him. There were plenty of times it worked to his advantage. Alexis would have flipped at the amount of bribe money paid to the PCPD on a regular basis. There was a spread sheet. Listed on the Corinthos/Morgan ledger: Inventory���.assumed to be coffee�.actually illegal contraband. Cash���..mostly laundered. Notes receivable��dead beat gamblers who owed him money. Accounts receivable��..dead beat gamblers who STILL owed him money. Interest receivable�..back breaking rates that would make most bankers drool. Merchandise inventory��fell off a truck. Office supplies��guns. Prepaid insurance���bullets. Property, plant and equipment�� Land���.an island, a penthouse, a warehouse, a safe house. Store equipment����cement blocks. Office equipment�����.goons. Less accumulated depreciation��some of the goons were getting old. And the sheet ran on and on and was reported to the IRS and kept Sonny out of trouble. Even though every line was a lie and didn�t report a tenth of his real earnings. It made him look like a citizen and that was all that mattered. But he wasn�t a citizen, he was a criminal. Alexis knew that even if she�d never laid eyes on the books. Sonny sighed as he fastened his seatbelt. He was in for a long flight. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Faith pranced around the hotel room making as much unnecessary noise as possible. Ned glared at her as she noisily dropped each piece of ice into her glass. �So Kristina is not scheduled for tomorrow?� Faith sighed, this was so boring, not to mention annoying. She made a mental note not to take another lover with so much baggage. Baggage meaning kids and a psycho ex. �She�s not scheduled for this week at all?!� He stood up and began to pace. �Well where the hell IS the doctor? Leave of absence? Never mind.� Ned snapped the cell phone closed. �Do you need a drink?� She asked. �No, I need to know where in the hell Alexis has taken my daughter!� �She�s not in Baltimore?� �No, the damn doctor isn�t even in Baltimore. He�s mysteriously cancelled all his appointments and left for an extended vacation.� �So what now?� �So we find Alexis.� �How?� Ned scratched his head. �I don�t know. I don�t know who to ask����.she�s been acting so crazy. It�s not like she has a lot of friends to ask. Her only family in town is Nikolas and he was as surprised as I was that she�d left.� �Could he be lying?� �Nikolas? No, I think he was telling the truth. I think he is actually on my side.� �Nice family.� �Hey, a little support here!� Faith sat down hard on the bed. This was so far removed from the reason she was in town. Like she needed to deal with his custody crap. But he was fun in bed and she hated sleeping alone so until she found someone else��.�Let�s think about this logically.� Faith stood up and loosened the belt on her robe. �The kid needs medical attention.� �Right.� Ned tried to concentrate as Faith moved closer and her robe began to reveal more and more. �So it�s not like she could have dropped the kid in one of those car seat thingies and driven off.� Ned swallowed hard as Faith moved towards him, she was close enough that he could smell her perfume. �So if she left town that leaves her two options, plane or boat. Now a boat is very vulnerable and slow�.� �But a plane?� Ned nodded as Faith pressed up against him and kissed his neck. �Right, so we need to just figure out which flight.� Faith nipped as earlobe as his arms slid around her waist. �Could have been a private plane.� Faith leaned back and looked up at him, �She�s one well paid lawyer.� �She�s the best but she also comes from money.� �Like you?� Faith smiled. She had to admit it was a bit of a thrill to bed an ivy leaguer like Ned considering where she came from. �No, not like me. She�s a Cassadine.� Faith froze. Raised in the business, she knew the rules. There were people you messed with and people you avoided. �Cassadine? As in���THE Cassadines?� �Yes, THE Cassadines.� Faith pushed away, situated her robe and tightened the belt. �And you�re just mentioning this NOW?� �Ya, so what?� �So what? Are you stupid or something?� Ned�s body jerked at her sudden shift in gears. She was across the room from him. �What are you talking about?� �No, what are YOU talking about?� She ran her hands through her hair in frustration. Of all the����.exactly how much money did people spend on an Ivy League education to still be this dense? �Cassadine.� The name fell out of her mouth like lead. �As in��freeze the world wack jobs? As in more money than God psychos? As in Russian Cassadine? As in control the economy of some third world countries���.� �YES, those Cassadines!� �How Cassadine is she?� �Huh?� �I mean her name is Davis, right? Is she like a distant cousin��..� �She�s aunt to the current Prince.� �F***!� �Faith, it�s not that big a deal. I�ve known Alexis for years and she�s not like that.� �Well maybe she wasn�t before but now you�ve pissed her off enough to leave the country and if she�s gone to her family��� �Faith, I know these people. Their screwed up and make a lot of noise but really��.� �You don�t know sh**!� �Enlighten me.� �You wanna take on Corinthos? Fine. Let�s have some fun. I�m four generations in. I�ve got ties that go back over a century. The five families? One of the heads is my Godfather. I�ve got room to screw around. I�m gonna get a slap on the hand. I�m old school. Sonny is new. Sonny came in fresh and there are plenty of people who still don�t trust him�..see him as an outsider. Me, they�ve known my family forever. As long as we stay east coast, people are gonna side with me.� �That�s why I fronted the money. I know you have connections.� �Ya, east coast connections. You wanna go global?� �What the hell are you talking about? Alexis isn�t mafia!� �Oh the Cassadines are way to respectable to use that term but you better believe��.� �What?� �You wanna talk organized crime American style���.I�m Plymouth freaking Rock! But global���..I�m not screwing around with a Cassadine! And here I though she was just some frigged hag.� �This is ridiculous! You don�t bat an eye at taking on Sonny Corinthos but you�re scared of�..of Alexis?� �You better believe it! Do you have ANY idea what kind of power those people have? You wanna go after that kid you do it alone. I�m out.� Ned grabbed his jacket off a nearby chair. �Fine! You don�t want to help? I�ll find her on my own!� �Good luck. You�re gonna need it.� Faith spat as he opened the door to the hall. �I can�t believe you. You�re just itching to take on the mob���.� �To take on Sonny Corinthos. Ya, bring it on. To take on a Cassadine and get myself killed? No way!� �Fine!� Ned slammed the door. Faith glared at the closed door. �Idiot.� ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Brenda let out a sigh of relief when the pilot announced they were free to move about the cabin. Statistically they were safer. She couldn�t remember the exact numbers but just getting the okay to remove her belt made her feel a little relieved. She couldn�t believe how blas� Sonny and Jason were about flying. Well, Jason she could believe. He never seemed to care if he lived or died�..but Sonny should have been more nervous after their last flight. Somehow he looked about like Jason, like he didn�t care if the plane took a nose dive straight into the Atlantic. Everyone was silent, uncomfortably so. She didn�t know how much more she could stand. They were probably itching to make their plans but didn�t want to discuss them in front of her. She was a girl after all. Couldn�t possibly talk business in front of a girl! Well screw that. �Soooooo, Alexis huh?� Jason unfastened his belt and stood. �I�m gonna go check with the pilot.� Sonny nodded. Brenda watched him practically run from the cabin. �What did I say?� �It�s not you, it�s me. He�s pissed at me.� �Why?� �He thinks I screwed up.� �Screwed up what?� �I let Carly down.� Brenda crossed the cabin and sank into the plush leather sofa. Sonny sat at one end and leaned back letting his arm fall over the back. Brenda curled up on the other end getting lost in the soft squishiness. �Ah yes, the sacred Jason/Carly bond. That ever piss you off?� �No.� �You ever get jealous?� Brenda raised a brow. �No.� �You ever scared she�s gonna throw you over and go back to her beloved Jason?� �She was never with Jason.� �Coulda fooled me. I keep waiting on her to pee on his leg to mark her territory.� �They�re just friends. Some people can do that.� �Ya right.� �You don�t think that? You don�t think a man and a woman can just be friends?� �You ever see When Harry Met Sally?� Sonny gave her a puzzled look. Brenda rolled her eyes, �Yes, men and women can just be friends.� �You have any male friends?� �Ned.� �You have any male friends that are actually men!� �Hey! Ned is plenty manly.� �Ya, thinks he�s man enough to steal my kid!� �You think he knows the baby isn�t his?� �Damn straight he does. There were DNA test, somebody switched them.� �Maybe Alexis did.� �That�s not her style. I have a feeling this was all Ned�s idea. Alexis wouldn�t lie to me.� �You�d be surprised what a woman would do to protect her child.� �It�s not her way.� Brenda was quiet for a moment. Sonny looked away. �You remember the cave?� Sonny looked back at her. She was very small, all tucked into the corner of the sofa. Tucked in like a child. Small and vulnerable. Of course he remembered the cave. He nodded. �Ya, I remember.� His voice was hoarse but soft. She gave him a weak smile. �I�ll never forget that.� �Brenda���� She rolled her eyes. �You�re as paranoid as Carly. You think I�m trying to jump your bones.� He gave her a wicked grin, �Well are you?� �You wish.� �I�m married.� �I know. You�re wife reminds me over and over and over���.� �She sees it. We�re connected. Doesn�t mean I�d let you����jump my bones.� �Like you could resist.� �Wanna bet?� �Then why is she so freaked out every time you and I speak to each other?� �My fault. I gave her reason.� �Alexis.� �Ya, Alexis.� Sonny sighed. �So how long were you two����.� �One night and Carly and I weren�t together then.� �Divorced?� �Sorta.� �What do you mean, sorta? Either you were divorced or you were still married. There is no sorta.� �A paper I forgot to sign, I knew about it but I didn�t sign it. So I had the whole thing revoked, called off.� �So you were still married to Carly when you slept with Alexis.� �Technically, but we�d been separated for over a year.� �So you knock her up and go back to Carly.� Sonny closed his eyes and dropped his head, �I didn�t know Alexis was pregnant.� �Would it have made a difference?� Good question. Would it have made a difference? He didn�t know. He leaned forward and grabbed the glass of water off the coffee table and took a long drink. �Sonny?� �I don�t know. I was with Alexis, Carly found out and�����she drove her car off a cliff!� �Been there, done that.� Sonny looked up from the coffee table and gave her a look that announced he was not amused. �Well, she drove her car off a cliff����I�m just saying.� �We thought she was dead and it was you all over again. And Lilly and Stone and so many people����..� �Only this time she came back.� �Ya.� �So���.� �You know what it is like to get a second chance when you don�t believe in them? In my life, I screw up, I pay. I�ve never gotten that kind of chance to fix things before.� �So you took it.� �I grabbed on with both hands and held tight.� �So Alexis was a mistake.� �I didn�t say that.� �Sounds like you did.� �She wasn�t, except in the way it hurt Carly.� �I�m confused.� �So am I. Sonny looked up towards the door to see if Jason was headed back, he was still in the cockpit. �Carly was the biggest mistake I ever made, and the best.� Brenda rolled her eyes. �I�ll never understand you two but whatever.� �I messed up. I messed up big and Jason accepted that.� �You could have Jason wacked tomorrow and he�d probably be understanding when it comes to you.� Sonny shook his head. �He and Carly weren�t together but������� �But the sacred Jason/Carly bond thing�.ya I�ve seen it.� �I promised him, swore to him I�d do right by her.� �She turned you in to the Feds!� �But even before that, the thing with Alexis��she knew.� Now they were getting somewhere, �So you WERE screwing around on her��..� �No! Never. But���.Alexis���..� �What?� �There is something there.� �Did you love her? DO you love her?� �You know how people come along at different times in your life and they mean different things?� Brenda squinted for a minute but nodded slowly. �I think so.� �Like you. When we were together���..I never believed I could have anything so beautiful so�����fine.� �So now I was a thing.� Sonny shook his head, �You know what you were. What you meant to me.� �But it wasn�t enough.� �Was that why it fell apart?� Sonny asked. �We were talking about Alexis.� �Through out the whole marriage to Carly, Alexis was there. She was working for me. When Jason was gone, Alexis became my best friend.� �I can�t see you two together, but then I could never see her with Ned so���� �She was married to Jax.� �Ya, I know. I still can�t get over that one either.� �She was too good for him.� �Hey!� �He�d never understand her.� �And you do.� �Yes.� �And Carly?� �I love Carly, Carly is my wife and when she would call me on the Alexis thing, I�d tell her she was crazy. And so would Alexis.� �So THAT is why she is so paranoid about me! Ha! I finally understand the little psychopath. But were you and Alexis���..� �I told you NO! Not until later��much later.� �But the feelings were always there. Just like with us.� �But no way I�ll ever act on them again.� �So you keep reminding me.� Brenda winked at him. �Is that why you brought up the cave?� �Maybe.� �Maybe?� He grinned at her again. �Are you flirting with me while insisting that I don�t stand a chance in hell cause if so that is just cruel and you should know����.I have Jax, you�re not as tempting as you like to believe.� �So why bring it up?� �Because after, I thought I was pregnant.� Sonny heart nearly stopped. He paled. �Sonny, I wasn�t. I swear, I wasn�t.� �But you thought�����..why didn�t you tell me?� �I was late, I took a test, it was negative, it was over.� �But you though about it? You had time to think and���..� Brenda pulled in a big breath and let her legs out from under her because they were getting stiff. �What did you think Brenda?� �You want me to get inside Alexis�s head? I barely know her.� �What did you think? The truth.� �You won�t like it.� �I get that.� �I thought���..I thought���..I have dark hair and dark eyes too and Jax will never know it�s not his.� Sonny�s eyes watered and he threw the glass from the coffee table across the room as he stood up. �It didn�t matter, I wasn�t pregnant.� �IT DOES MATTER!� �It�s the truth! You wanted the truth, there it is!� �You would have let him raise MY CHILD?� �I don�t know.� �But you though about it.� �Damn right I did! Doesn�t mean I didn�t love you.� �Just means I�m not good enough to have a child with.� �It means that when there is a baby involved, things change. Priorities change. I wasn�t a kid anymore. I knew we didn�t work.� �So you would have stolen my child?� �I�ve been shot at Sonny. I�ve met the people you work with. I�ve dealt with bullet proof glass and guards and it made me crazy! What kind of life is that for a child?� �I�d never let anything happen to my daughter.� �Like you never let anything happen to Lilly?� If it was possible to literally see red, Sonny did. His vision blurred, he felt hot with rage and then suddenly it drained out of him. How long would he pay for Lilly? Forever? He knew he deserved forever but that seemed so impossible. To survive paying like this over and over and over. �I protect Michael. I protect Carly.� �Sometimes, you don�t. Carly drove her car off a cliff, remember?� �We were separated.� �And the first time Alexis makes you mad, will you let your guard down? Slip up? Hire the wrong goon? It�s hard to do everything right. It�s easy to mess up. Can you afford that with Kristina?� He sat back down again and leaned forward resting his head in his hands, �I just can�t walk away.� �Even if it�s what�s best?� �I grew up without a father.� �But did you have to grow up with guards and threats and a criminal father whose lifestyle constantly put you at risk? You CHOSE this Sonny and any woman who is with you, chooses it but Kristina has no say.� �I have a child. I have Michael.� �Who was already born so Carly knew what she was getting herself into, I don�t think you and Alexis were planning on this, which was REALLY irresponsible by the way�what the hell were you thinking after Stone��..� �It was Alexis!� �And that�s not the way it works, you know the rules.� �Can we skip the safe sex lecture right now?� Sonny groaned. Brenda crossed her arms, �You might not consider Alexis a mistake but you sure did screw up.� �I know.� �So���..Alexis huh? What are you going to do?� �I don�t know.� �That�s why I�m going with you.� �No, we�re dropping you off in London.� �No, I�m going.� �Going where?� Jason was standing in the doorway. �Where ever you two are going to look for Alexis. The island I guess.� �Great, just great. Just what we don�t need, you and your luggage! Sonny, we can�t do this with her.� Sonny looked up at his friend standing in the doorway. �Yes we can.� �She�s only gonna cause trouble.� �No, she�s coming. We may need her.� �Need her for what?� �To talk to Alexis. She hates both of us.� Brenda raised a brow, �You know I�m not totally on your side here. I�ll talk to her but I think she may be right.� �You wait until we get to there. You decide what�s better, me or life on that island. Because I won�t give up. I want my child and no matter what you say nothing will convince me I can�t do right by her. She�s mine, I won�t walk away. I�m not AJ.� �From what I�ve seen, AJ didn�t walk away, you pushed him away.� �I won�t be pushed.� Jason crossed his arms, �She�s only going to make this worse.� �She�ll do what�s right.� Sonny leaned in close to her ear, �And in the end, you would have done what was best for our child, I don�t care what you said.� He stood up to pour himself another glass of water and looked back to Jason. �She�s coming with us.� Jason groaned, pushed off the wall and headed back through the cabin toward the restroom. Brenda stuck her tongue out at him. Jason wondered how long it would take her to get them all killed. |