Ned and Alexis are sleeping soundly, Alexis is curled up in Ned�s arms, her broken leg propped up on a pillow. Alexis slowly opens her eyes.
Alexis: �Ned, are you awake?�
Ned: �I am now.�
Alexis: �Sorry.� She grins sheepishly. �Are you as hungry as I am?�
Ned: �Is that your subtle way of asking me to get you some breakfast?�
Alexis: �Well, if you�re offering...�
Ned stands up and heads for the door.
Ned: �Stay in bed. I�ll be back in a second.�
When he returns a few moments later, he is holding a tray with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, and a glass of orange juice.
Ned: (climbing into bed next to her) �For you, my lady.�
Alexis: �I�m assuming that you don�t think I can feed myself, so you�re going to feed me?�
Ned: (grinning) �Well, we have to have something to do until your leg is healed.�
He sensually feeds her a strawberry, purposely getting whipped cream all over her mouth. He then slowly kisses the whipped cream off, sending a tremor down Alexis� spine.
Alexis: �You have no idea how good that feels.�
Ned: �Show me.�
Before Alexis can feed Ned a strawberry, the phone rings.
Ned: (mildly annoyed) �Yeah?�
Lois: �Don�t get snappy with me, Ned.�
Ned: �What can I do for you Lois?�
Lois: �Don�t tell me you forgot! Today I�m bringing Brooke down for the weekend.�
Ned: (panicked, but trying to hide it) �Oh yeah, I can�t wait! What time are you arriving?�
Lois: �We�re in the car right now. We should be there in about 45 minutes.�
Ned: �Okay. I�ll see you then.�
He hangs up and springs from the bed, sending strawberries flying all over Alexis.
Alexis: �Thanks a lot.�
Ned: (picking them up and putting them back in the bowl) �Sorry. Did you know that Lois is brining Brooke down here today? I guess with you getting kidnapped and all, it slipped my mind. Oh crap, they�re going to be here in 45 minutes.�
Alexis: �Ned, calm down.�
Ned: (not hearing her) �I�m going to go get Avery up.�
He races from their room and into Avery�s, where she is still sleeping. He gently nudges her awake.
Ned: �Avery, wake up. Your sister Brooke is coming to see you in a little while.�
Avery: (glaring at him) �Brooke doesn�t like me.�
Ned: �I�m sorry, but you�re going to have to deal with it, okay?�
Avery: �Fine.� She pauses. �But I won�t like it.�
45 minutes later.
Avery is now dressed in a maroon Gap dress with little white flowers, her hair down with flower barrettes in it. Ned, in slacks and a creme shirt, is pacing in front of the door while Avery drinks a glass of orange juice. Alexis is getting dressed.
Avery: �Daddy, calm down. You�re going to wear a hole in the carpet.�
Ned: (stopping and looking at her) �What?�
Alexis: (coming down the stairs) �I�m dressed.�
Ned (smiling at the sight of her in khaki pants and a white blouse) �You look ravishing.�
Just then the doorbell rings.
Before answering it, Ned runs over to Alexis and gives her a quick kiss. He then proceeds over to the door and opens it.
Lois, wearing a short black skirt and a bright pink shirt is standing there, with Brooke, who is clad in a pair of jeans and an Old Navy t-shirt. Her hair is in a million little braids.
Ned: �Brooke! Hi!� he sweeps his daughter into his arms and hugs her.
Lois: (glaring at him) �Nice to see you, Ned. Alexis.� She takes a good look at Alexis. �What happened to your leg?�
Alexis doesn�t answer her.
Lois: (looking at her watch) �I have to get back. Brian and I have an appointment, so I trust that you won�t convert your daughter into a Quartermaine this weekend?�
Ned glares at her. She glares back.
Lois gives Brooke a quick kiss, sets her stuff down on the floor, and leaves.
Ned closes the front door and turns around to see Avery and Brooke staring at each other.
He chocks it up to tension, so he turns to Alexis.
Ned: �Lex, why don�t you and I have breakfast, so the sisters can hang out.�
Alexis: (eyeing them warily) �Okay, girls, we�ll be in the kitchen.�
They head into the kitchen, leaving Brooke and Avery glaring at each other.
Brooke: �What are you looking at, you Cassadine?�
Avery: (snippily) �My last name is Ashton, you stupid-head. It�s the same as yours.�
Brooke: �So? You�re a little four year old and your mother is a bad person.�
Avery: �Don�t talk about my Mommy! You used to like her!�
Brooke: �She hates my mom, so I hate her.�
Avery: �You�re stupid.�
Brooke: �You�re a little brat.�
Avery: �I AM NOT!� she�s screaming by now. �And Daddy loves me more than you!�
Brooke: �NO HE DOESN�T! Just because you live here!�
Avery: �My Mommy told my Aunt Kim that your Mommy lives in Queens!�
Brooke: �It�s Brooklyn, you bozo!�
Ned comes running into the room.
Ned: �What is going on here? You two are supposed to be getting along!�
Avery: (her lip quivering) �She said she hates Mommy!�
Brooke: (her lip quivering too) �She said my Mommy lives in Queens!�
Avery: �She said Mommy is a Cassadine.�
Brooke: �She said that you love her more.�
Ned: (sighing) �This is going to be a long weekend.�
He picks Brooke up in his left arm and Avery in his right arm and takes them into the kitchen, depositing them at the table across from Alexis.
Alexis: (trying to drink the orange juice that Ned was forcing her to drink, longing for coffee) �What�s with the yelling, Avery? Brooke?�
Neither girl says anything.
Ned: �I�ll be right back.�
He goes into his study and quickly punches in Lois� cell phone.
Lois: �Hello?�
Ned: �WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY TO BROOKE?�
Lois: �What are you talking about?�
Ned: �She�s only been here for five minutes and she�s already going on about how she hates Alexis because you told her that she�s a Cassadine and being rude to Avery.�
Lois: �I take no responsibility. Maybe it�s the Quartermaine side of her.�
Ned: �Like hell it is. You were telling her crap about my wife and daughter. For God�s sake, Lois, she�s a six year old. Have you ever heard of morals?�
Lois: �Morals? You�re hardly one to talk about morals! You�re the one who slept with your own aunt.�
Ned slams down the phone and leaving the study, goes to sit on the stairs.
A few minutes later, Alexis hobbles into the room to join him.
Alexis: �They�re peacefully eating fruit loops.�
Ned: (sighing) �I can�t believe that my daughters hate each other.�
Alexis: �Don�t worry about it. They�ll get over it.�
Just then the doorbell rings.
Ned: (throwing his hands in the air) �What is it now?�
He flings open the door to find Kimberly and Serena.
Kimberly: �We can come back later.�
Ned: �No. You�re just what the doctor ordered.� He ushers them inside. �You see, Brooke, my other daughter, is here for the weekend and she and Avery are already going at it. I guess you could call it sibling rivalry. Serena, why don�t you go join them? They�re in the kitchen.�
Serena nods and ambles into the kitchen.
Avery and Brooke are staring at each other, thinly veiling their hate for one another.
Avery: (seeing Serena) �Hi, Serena!�
Serena: �What�s up, Posh Spice?�
Brooke: �You like the Spice Girls? They are so dumb.�
Serena: �You�re Avery�s sister, right? Brooke?�
Brooke: �Half sister. We only have the same daddy.�
Avery: �Serena, do you want to come see my new Spice Girls poster?�
Serena: �Sure. Do you want to come, Brooke?�
Brooke: �No.�
Avery and Serena look at each other and then run out of the room.
Brooke gets off her chair and goes into the living room, pouting.
Ned: �What�s wrong, Brooke?�
Brooke: (looking at Kimberly) �Who is she? Is she a Cassadine too?�
Ned and Alexis exchange a look.
Two hours later.
Ned and Brooke are wandering along the harbor, eating ice cream.
Ned: �Why don�t you like your sister?�
Brooke: (suddenly beginning to cry) �Cuz she gets to see you every day. It�s not fair.�
Ned: (stopping and picking her up) �Brooke, your Mommy doesn�t want to live here.�
Brooke: �I know, but I wish I could stay here more. I heard Mommy and Brian talking about how they want to have a baby.�
Ned: (shocked) �They do?� he looks closely at her. �Brooke, even if they want to have a baby, that doesn�t mean that they love you less. You know, Avery feels the same way. Alexis is having a baby.�
Brooke: (crying harder) �See? If �Lexis is having a baby, you don�t want me.�
Ned: �Brooke Lynn Ashton, that is not true. I love you just as much as Avery, or any other child I have. You�re my daughter and nothing can change that.�
Brooke: �Than can I stay here with you?�
Ned: �Unfortunately, your Mommy wants you to stay with her.�
Brooke: �I don�t want to go back. All her friends talk funny.�
Ned (stifling a laugh) �Why don�t we go home and you can see if you can get along with Avery? I think you two could be friends if you try.�
Brooke: �Okay. You know, I don�t really think the Spice Girls are stupid.�
Ned: �She�ll be glad to hear that.�
When they get home, Alexis and Kimberly are watching Romy and Michele�s High School Reunion on cable. They�re both laughing.
Ned: �This is a nice sight. Two of my favorite people laughing and watching cheesy movies. And Alexis, I�m glad you�re following my directions.�
Brooke: (shyly going over to Alexis) �Alexis, I�m sorry I was mean to you. I really do like you.�
Alexis: �I know that, Sweetie.� She gives her a hug.
Ned: �We�re going to go upstairs and get into the Spice Girls game. I�ll be back in a sec.�
Kimberly: �How did you know that they were playing Spice Girls?�
Ned: �Oh, please. That�s the only thing Avery and Serena play.�
He takes Brooke upstairs to Avery�s room, where Avery and Serena are playing with Avery�s dolls.
Ned: �Avery, Serena, can Brooke join you?�
Serena: �Sure.�
Avery: �Okay.�
Brooke:(inching forward) �I like Scary Spice.�
Avery hands her the Scary Spice doll.
Avery: �You can play with her if you want. I�m Posh because she looks like my Mommy, and Serena looks like Baby. Ginger and Sporty are just here cuz they are.�
Serena: �We�re playing Spice Girls concert and we�re singing the words to the songs.�
Brooke: �Do you know the one that goes- I�ll tell you what I want, what I really really want so tell me what you want, what you really really want?�
Avery: (grinning) �It�s my favorite.�
Ned watches them for a minute, and then goes back downstairs.
The doorbell rings.
Ned goes to open it. Scott is standing on the doorstep holding a wrapped present.
He steps into the house and goes over to the couch.
Scott: �Alexis, Kim asked me to pick this up for you. She said something about it being your favorite.�
Alexis rips the paper off to find the Monica CD. It has Angel of Mine on it.
Alexis: �Thanks, Scott. You too, Kim.�
Kimberly: �Do you want to watch the rest of the movie with us?�
Scott: (looking at the screen) �Ugh, chick flick.� He grins. �I guess I can endure it. That Romy girl is pretty hot.�
Alexis and Kimberly both throw popcorn at him.
Scott sits down on one of the couches with Kimberly and Ned sits on the other with Alexis. She immediately props her foot up in his lap and grins happily.
Ned and Alexis� house that night.
Ned walks up the stairs to Avery�s room to tuck her in. She�s not there, so he checks in Brooke�s room. Both girls are missing.
Ned: �Avery? Brooke? Where are you?�
Alexis: (from their bedroom) �We�re in here.�
Ned goes into his room to find Alexis lying on their bed with Brooke on one side and Avery on the other. She�s reading them a story.
Alexis: �...So then, the kitten ran up the tree...�
Brooke: �Do you think the kitten knew the Spice Girls?�
Avery: �Yeah, did it know Posh?�
Alexis: (throwing her arms up in the air) �I give up!�
Ned: (laughing under his breath) �Why don�t I give it a try?�
He sits down on the bed and grins patronizingly at Alexis.
Ned: �One day there was a girl named Victoria and another girl named, what�s her name? Mel B, right? Anyways, they both liked to sing and they grew up and became singers in a band called the Spice Girls, and then they went to bed so their parents could get some sleep. The end.�
Avery: �That was a bad story.�
Brooke: �I could tell a better one.�
Ned: (picking them both up) �That�s great. Now you�re both going to bed. Say good night to Mommy.�
Brooke: (wistfully) �She�s not my Mommy.�
Ned: �That�s right. I meant say good night to Alexis.�
Brooke: �But I want her to be my Mommy! Can I call you that when I�m here, Alexis?�
Alexis: (touched) �Sure you can, Brooke, I�d love that.�
Brooke: �Good, cuz it�s �fusing when I call you �Lexis and Avery calls you Mommy.�
Ned carries them out of the room, both blowing kisses to Alexis.
When he returns, Alexis stretched out across the bed, her pajama top pulled up to reveal her growing, but still flat stomach.
Alexis: �So, Mr. Ashton, what do you want to do for the rest of the night?�
Ned: �I have some work to do, and you�re supposed to get some sleep.�
Alexis: (whining) �I don�t want to go to sleep! Do you know how long it�s been since...�
Just then, the phone rings.
Alexis: �Hello?�
Voice: �I�m going to get you, Alexis. I know you didn�t die in the explosion.�
Alexis: �Mackenzie? Helena?�
The phone goes dead.
Ned: �What is it?�
Alexis: �It was a voice. They said �I�m going to get you Alexis. I know you didn�t die in the explosion.� I think that it was Mackenzie.�
Ned: (fuming) �Do you know how mad she makes me? I will see her in prison, along with Helena, if it�s the last thing I do.�
Alexis: (trying to distract him) �I doubt that it�ll be the last thing you do.� She slowly unbuttons her pajama top and slips it off as Ned watches, full of desire.
He winces as he catches sight of the big bruise over her ribs.
Alexis manages to slip her pajama bottoms off as Ned watches, more and more intrigued.
When he can no longer contain himself, he moves over to where she is lying and leaning over her, slowly kisses her lips.
Alexis, moaning as his lips began to kiss down her neck, reaches up and slowly unbuttons his tie and his shirt.
Ned collapses onto the bed next to her, and he leans over her, kissing her whole body as Alexis frantically kisses his chest.
Ned: (in a ragged whisper) �I don�t want to hurt you.�
Alexis: (in a drawn out breath as he continues to kiss her) �It...doesn�t...hurt......it feels... so good...I just... wish I could...make love to you...�
Ned: �It�s okay, Brinna. We don�t have to.�
Alexis: �I feels so good, just touching your bare skin.�
Ned: �I feel exactly the same way, Lex. I love you.�
The next morning, Alexis wakes up on top of the blankets, a sheet wrapped around her.
Alexis: �Ned?�
Ned sits up from where he�s lying at the foot of the bed in his boxer shorts.
Ned: �You fell asleep and I didn�t want to move you.�
Alexis: �But why are you at the end of the bed?�
Ned: �Your leg was in the way. It didn�t matter though.�
At that moment, Brooke and Avery come running into the room.
Avery: �Mommy! You�re awake!�
Brooke: (taking a quick look at her) �Why are you wearing a sheet?�
Alexis: (blushing) �Well...uh...um...�
Ned: (coming to her rescue) �Her pajamas got ripped.�
Brooke: �Daddy, in the Spice song Wannabe, what do they mean when they say slam your body down and wind it all around?�
Avery: �I bet it�s what Mommy and Daddy meant when I heard them talking about being on the floor when they were having cooking lessons.�
Alexis� face turns bright red.
*NOTE* Love, Honor and Betrayal has now been fast-forwarded to the beginning of
DECEMBER. Alexis is now four and a half months pregnant and she has healed completely from the bombing. Brooke has been staying with them every other weekend until January, when Lois and Ned have a formal custody hearing. Kim is still dating Scott, and they are serious now. Mackenzie and Helena haven�t been seen since the bombing in Greece. Gregory (who hasn�t been mentioned since LH&B2) left town as soon as he found out Kim was in Port Charles. (This is mentioned because it�s relevant to the plot.)
Alexis and Ned�s house.
Kimberly: �I can�t believe that Lucy Coe talked us into this!�
Emily: �Chill out. It�s just one song at the Fire and Ice Ball.�
Bobbie: �What a stupid name for a Christmas ball.�
Alexis: (laughing) �Easy for you to say that, Emily. You�re a gorgeous 19 year old. Did you forget that I�m pregnant? We�re going to get laughed off the stage.�
Emily: (pleading) �Come on, Alexis! I want you guys to do this with me! Besides, all we have to do is get costumes. Lucy�s picking the song.�
Bobbie: �You�re kidding right?�
Lucy: (out on the doorstep- to herself) �Okay, Santa Baby to the girls and Chipmunks to the guys.� Just then, she drops the unmarked tapes. Quickly picking them up, she rings the doorbell.
Alexis goes to the door and lets Lucy in.
Lucy: �Hi all!� she�s all hyper. �I can�t stay- I have to take Ned his tape over at Scott�s house, and do some other stuff for the ball too.� She hands Alexis a tape. �Here you go.�
A few minutes later, she�s gone.
Alexis turns the tape over in her hands.
Kimberly: �Well, play it already.�
Alexis goes over to the stereo and puts the tape in. The sounds of the Chipmunk Christmas Carol blast out.
Kimberly: �Alexis, do you have any alcohol?�
Bobbie: �We�re singing THAT?�
Emily: �Uh, isn�t this more oriented towards Avery�s age?�
Alexis: �Oh God.�
Hearing the music, Avery and Serena come running down the stairs.
Avery: �Cool! The Chipmunks!�
Serena: �What are you doing with that tape?�
Alexis: (weakly) �We�re supposed to be singing it at the Fire and Ice Ball.�
Kimberly: (quickly) �But we�re not going to.�
Avery: �No! You have to! It would be so cool!�
Kimberly: �Avery, we�re a little too old to be singing this.�
Serena: �What�s my Daddy �posed to sing?�
Alexis: �We don�t know. It�s a secret.�
Serena: (innocently) �But they could have something really cool, and if you sang this, you�d be even cooler than the Spice Girls.�
Kimberly: (to Bobbie and Emily) �That�s pretty high praise, you know.�
The four adults look at each other.
Alexis: �Well....?�
Emily: �You know, Serena�s right! Let�s show the guys what we�re made of.� She sticks her hand out.
After a second, Bobbie puts hers on top of hers, followed by Alexis, and finally a sighing Kimberly.
Kimberly: �Let�s do it.�
Meanwhile, at Scott�s house, Lucy has just dropped off the guys� tape.
Scott goes to his stereo and puts it in. Madonna�s Santa Baby blasts out.
Jax: (the first to speak) �No. Hell no.�
Scott: (offering) �Maybe it�s a mistake?�
Ned: �I don�t think so.�
Jax: �I refuse to sing Santa Baby in front of the entire town.�
Nikolas: �Oh come on Jax. Loosen up. Besides, we�ll be singing it too, won�t we?�
Ned: �Hell no. Are you crazy, Nikolas? This is a woman�s song! Alexis and Kim should be singing this, not us!�
Scott: �I�m with Ned.�
They turn to walk out of the room.
Nikolas: �HOLD IT!�
They pause and turn around.
Nikolas:(mad) �Do you know how bad we�re going to look is we bail out? The girls are going to think we�re chickens.�
Ned: �I�d rather be called a chicken than have everyone see me singing that!�
Nikolas: �For crying out loud, Ned, you used to wear leather pants when you sang!�
Scott and Jax start snickering.
Nikolas: (turning to Scott) �And you sang with Serena at the Nurses� Ball.�
Scott: �Yeah...but...�
Nikolas: �And as for you, Jax, you�re just a stuffed shirt.�
Jax: �I am not!�
Nikolas: �Now I�m not exactly hot on this song either, but I don�t want people to think that we�re chickens.�
Ned: (teasingly) �More importantly, Emily.�
Nikolas: (blushing) �That�s not the reason.�
Ned throws a pillow at him.
A week and a half later.
Alexis is lying in bed and Ned joins her.
Ned: �So, how�s your act for the ball coming along?�
Alexis: �Fine. And I�m not going to tell you what we�re doing so don�t bother asking. How is yours?�
Ned: (blushing) �It�s fine.� Changing subjects, he places his hand on her stomach. �How�s our daughter?�
Alexis: �She seems to be keeping up with my exercise just fine.�
Ned: �You know, I saw a name today that I liked.�
Alexis: �What�s the name? It better not be Helena.�
Ned: (sarcastically) �Yeah, that�s it. No really, I was thinking about Hannah.�
Alexis: �I like that. What about Grace for the middle name?�
Ned: (thoughtfully) �Hannah Grace Ashton. I like it. You?�
Alexis: �I love it.� She leans over and kisses his lips. �Good. Now we have the perfect name for the daughter that you thought was going to be a son.� She grins. �I love it when you�re wrong. It gives me a power trip.�
Ned: �Oh yeah? How about when I do this?�
Before Alexis can say anything, he grabs her and throws her at the end of the bed.