Soaps In Depth -- Cover Story
July 23, 2002
The Truth Is Out
What will happen now that Sonny knows Alexis is pregnant?
This week on "General Hospital," although Carly teams up with Alexis to keep Sonny in the dark about his baby in the making, the mobster still finds out that the stork is winging its way to Port Charles. How will he react? Read on for our exclusive Soaps In Depth preview.
An Unlikely Alliance
Feeling more insecure than ever, Carly is prepared to do anything to prevent Sonny from learning that Alexis is about to give him the one thing she can't -- a baby. For that matter, Alexis doesn't want her child to have anything to do with his racketeer daddy. So, against all odds, the former rivals team up to keep "their" secret.
"Both of them feel that it's the best thing for the situation," explains Tamara Braun (Carly). "It's the first time that they're both on the same side of a subject."
Adds Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis): "When confronted with it, basically, it's a bad deal for Carly [as well as Alexis] if Sonny knows. As I said to her, 'What do you think he's going to do? How are you going to like it if you see my face every Thanksgiving and opening up presents under your Christmas tree? How would you like to share your life with me?' Both of us have [a stake] in keeping the secret."
Meanwhile, despite the fact that Carly's doctor has told her that she is unlikely to bear another little one, she continues to go through the motions with Sonny, attempting to conceive and attending regular checkups. However, she soon regrets that decision. At General Hospital, she and Sonny overhear a baby's heartbeat. Sonny remains clueless as to the mother's identity, but Carly knows all too well that it's Alexis.
"On some level, Carly feels that something is wrong with her," says Braun. "She's broken. I think Sonny would see it more as a punishment... maybe karma. Alexis can give him that child, and it's like a knife through Carly's heart."
Jason Gets Wise
Later, since Alexis still is on Sonny's payroll, Jason pays the lady lawyer a visit at her new apartment to learn how Roy acquired Pier 52 right out form under Sonny. When she briefly steps out of the room, Jason accidentally gets a glimpse of the paperwork from the hospital and learns that she is pregnant. The fact that she has left the father's name blank also reveals a pivotal fact to Jason: Sonny's the dad, and Alexis doesn't want him to know!
Upon reentering, Alexis makes it clear to Jason that this is the last piece of business that she'll be doing for Sonny. Jason hardly cares. He's in too big a hurry to inform Sonny of his findings.
Sonny Learns The Truth
At the penthouse, Carly is on top of the world after making love with Sonny. "Doctor's orders!" laughs Braun. "She's absolutely remaining hopeful [that, by some miracle, she will get pregnant]. She's taking fertility treatments now, so [her doctor instructs her to] go home and get to it!" If only Carly knew what a fall she is about ot take!
As soon as Jason arrives, he privately informs his boss that Alexis is having a baby. Naturally, Sonny is rocked to the core. How can this be? Why didn't she tell him? Was she ever going to tell him?
In a word, no. "He has a dangerous life, and she wasn't planning on marrying him," says Grahn. She couldn't help how she felt about him, and I don't think he could help how he felt about her. Or they chose not to help it. Those things happen. It was well-intended. There was nothing bad about it.
"But," she adds, "when you bring a kid into the mix, who wants to have a kid with a man who you could constantly find yourself in a crossfire with? You do things to yourself, but you won't do it to your kid."
Sonny Confronts Alexis
His senses on overload, Sonny fills in Carly, and an argument ensues. She wants him to keep his distance from Alexis. He, of course, feels a responsibility to the child. "Carly fears not being good enough in general," notes Braun, so the most terrible thing that could happen to her is "not being able to give Sonny a child when she knows he wants one. Now he's admitted it. Now he wants it.
"But," she concludes sadly, "now she's not able to do that for him." And even worse, someone else has.
In the end, Sonny must do what he thinks is right. So off he goes, pushing aside Carly's concerns, to confront Alexis. How far will he go to be a part of his offspring's life -- and how far will Alexis go to keep that from happening? "He could easily get joint custody, then Carly would be raising my kid half the time!" observes Grahn, horrified. So right now "Alexis is a mother bear protecting her cub."
