Alexis: �Poker? No way! I am terrible at poker!�
Ned: �So? I�ll help you.� He smiles. �Besides, it�s just fun with our friends.�
Alexis: �When are they coming over?�
Ned: �Uh, an hour.� He looks upstairs. �Well, other than those who are living here.�
Kimberly: (coming down the stairs) �I heard that. So, Lex, have you gotten any better at poker since college?�
Ned: �Is she that bad?�
Kimberly: �In strip poker, she had lost everything in less than an hour.�
Alexis: �I hate poker! It is so pointless!�
Ned: �Please, Lex?� he gives her a pleading smile. �Please, please, please?�
Alexis: �Fine. I�ll play. But if anything goes wrong, you will be to blame, husband of mine.�
Ned: �I can live with that.�
An hour later.
Sitting at the dining room table is Ned, Alexis, Mackenzie, Stefan, Julia, Jax, Kimberly and Scott.
Stefan: �Poker is so stupid.�
Alexis: (to Ned) �See, I�m not the only one who thinks that.�
Ned: (to everyone) �Well, poker can be boring, but...�
Kimberly: �Strip poker is so much more interesting.�
Alexis: (flatly) �No way.�
Julia: �Sounds like fun.�
Alexis: �Julia!�
Jax: �I think so too.�
Ned starts laughing at the panicked look on Alexis� face.
Alexis: (weakly) �Ned?�
Ned: (grinning mischievously) �I�m in.�
Scott deals the cards out and explains the rules.
Alexis: (groaning) �I hate this game!�
Ned: �I�ll help you, if you�d like, Lex.�
Alexis: (laughing) �Oh please. You�d do anything to get me undressed.�
Kimberly: �Alexis, don�t be a baby about it.�
Alexis: �Fine, fine, fine.�
A half hour later.
Julia has lost her socks, Jax, his shirt and Ned is missing his belt, shoes and tie. Everyone else is missing random pieces of clothing, but nothing serious. Except for Alexis. She is down to her dress slip, which was under the blazer, blouse and skirt that is laying on the floor. To her great dismay, Kimberly is still fully dressed.
Julia: �Kim wasn�t kidding, Alexis, you really do suck at this game!�
Alexis: �Thanks so much, Julia.�
Ned: (picking up Alexis� hand and kissing it) �It�s okay, Lex. Don�t be a sore loser.�
Alexis: �Loser? I�m not fully undressed yet.�
Ned: �I�ll be right back, I am going to go check on the kids.� He gets up and heads upstairs, reading Kimberly�s cards as he goes.
When he returns to the table, he�s grinning like a fool.
Mackenzie: �What are the kids doing?�
Ned: �Need you ask? They�re watching Spice World in Avery�s room.�
Stefan: �I don�t know if I want Christabel watching that kind of movie.�
Alexis: �Believe me, the damage is already done.� She grins. �Once she started saying cool, you should have realized that it was all over.�
Stefan: �But she�s only four! She is a child!�
Ned: �Stefan, let her be a kid.�
Kimberly: �Can we get on with the game?�
Alexis glares at her.
Just then, Ned�s hand slides up the hem of Alexis� slip. She stiffens, and then smiles secretly at him. When everyone is busy looking at their cards, Ned discreetly points at the three of hearts in Alexis� suite of cards.
Alexis looks at him and raises her eyebrows, but puts the card into play.
Kimberly: (a little drunk on wine) �Heh, heh, you made me lose.�
Alexis smiles victoriously as Kimberly removes her blazer and takes off her shoes.
Julia: �So, Ms. Corday-Baldwin finally loses some clothes. Let the games begin.�
Alexis smiles gratefully at Ned.
Two hours later.
Stefan: �I really hate this game.� He is just wearing his boxer shorts and socks.
Alexis is shocked that Stefan even consented to playing.
Julia: �I think it�s fun.� She�s wearing her black dress slacks and a black bra.
Mackenzie: �I agree.� She�s wearing the same thing as Julia, but her bra is pink.
Jax: �I�m having fun too.� He is wearing boxer shorts and his shirt.
Scott: �I could stand to play again sometime.� He�s wearing just his jeans.
Ned: �Well, I am starting to get cold.� He�s wearing just his black silk boxers.
Alexis: �I like this look on you.� She grins at him.
Kimberly: �I don�t understand how I could go from winning to being in nothing but this.� She gestures at her outfit, which is just her white satin underwear and bra.
Alexis squeezes Ned�s hand under the table and they both fight to keep from laughing.
Alexis: �So, Kim, this is the final hand. Just you and me. Are you in or are you out?�
Kimberly: (glaring at her) �I�m in.�
Alexis: �It�s all or nothing.�
Kimberly: �Than start taking off what you still have on, Ashton, because you are going down.�
Alexis: �Not so fast, Baldwin. I have on more than you.�
Kimberly: (laying down her cards) �Try to beat this.� She smiles. �Two pair.�
Alexis: �Ooh, you�re still good, Kimberly.� She looks sad for a minute. �But not good enough.� She smiles. �I have a royal flush.�
As she lays down the cards, Kimberly�s mouth drops open.
Kimberly: (drunk) �How... why... you...�
Alexis: (laughing) �Take your clothes off.�
Kimberly sighs as she begins to undo her bra. When she is completely undressed, everyone starts to laugh and applaud.
Alexis: (grinning evilly) �Kim, I dare you to run down the street in that little outfit.�
Scott: �Alexis... that was not part of the deal.�
Kimberly: (slurring) �I don�t need you to protect me, Scott. I �cept the dare.�
She marches to the door and walks out of the house before anyone can stop her.
Mackenzie: (laughing) �I can�t believe she�s doing this! It�s something I would do!�
Stefan: �You would?� he laughs. �I can see that.�
Ned: (standing at the window) �You guys should see this.�
They go to the window to see Kimberly, completely naked, running down the street.
Out in the street, Kimberly rolls her eyes as she runs.
Kimberly: (thinking) �I hope Alexis is satisfied after this.� She rolls her eyes again and heads back to the house.
Knocking on the door of the house, Kimberly waits impatiently for Alexis to let her in.
Kimberly: �Alexis! Ned! Let me in right now!� she bangs on the door angrily, not realizing in her drunken stupor that she is banging on the door of the wrong house.
Just then, the door opens and an extremely mad looking woman comes out.
Woman: �Who the hell are you?�
Kimberly: �Oh my God! This isn�t Lex�s... I mean... the Ashtons� house!�
Woman: �That�s right. The Ashtons live next door.�
Kimberly: �I am so sorry.� She races across the lawn.
Scott, seeing her coming, opens the door as Kimberly stomps in. Everyone starts laughing hysterically.
Kimberly: (heading straight for Alexis) �You... I�m going to kill you... how...�
Alexis: �I did nothing. I take no responsibility for your actions.�
Kimberly: (collapsing onto the couch) �I... wanna go... sleep....� she closes her eyes and lays motionless on the couch as everyone watches her.
Later that night.
Ned: (getting into bed next to Alexis) �For best friends, you and Kimberly sure are competitive with each other.�
Alexis: �Maybe so, but we have fun.�
Ned: �Do you think that Stefan had fun? I mean, he�s the only one who isn�t part of our little group.�
Alexis: (thoughtfully) �Maybe we should make him a member.� She smiles. �I think he had fun, but he would never admit it.� She laughs. �Your sister has a profound affect on him.�
Ned: �And I have a profound affect on you.� He makes a fake shocked face. �Can you imagine it? Alexis Davis-Ashton cheating at poker?�
Alexis: �Yeah, with the help of her favorite CEO.� She leans over and kisses him. �But you have to admit, Kim deserved it.�
Ned: �She deserved it in spades.�
Alexis: �Actually, in a royal flush.� She grins. �That was fun.�
Ned: �Want to have some more fun?� before she can answer, he grabs her and throws her at the foot of the bed, where they proceed to make love.
The next morning.
Alexis wakes up to the sound of Hannah crying. She drags herself out of bed and goes to the nursery, where Hannah is lying in her crib, screaming her head off.
Alexis: �Hannah Grace, what�s wrong?� she picks her up. �Are you hungry?�
She heads downstairs and after getting a bottle out of the refrigerator, sits down on the couch and begins to feed her. Avery comes stomping down a few minutes later.
Alexis: �Good morning, Avery. You�re up early.�
Avery: �She woke me up.� She glares at Hannah. �Why does she have to be so loud?�
Alexis: �Believe me, you were the same way.�
Avery: �I was not! I was never stupid like Hannah.�
Alexis: �Avery, do not call your sister names. Besides, before she was born, you told me that you wanted to have a little sister.�
Avery: �I wanted a brother.� She sneers. �I want to be an only child again.�
Alexis: �Well, you can�t, so you�re going to have to get used to it. Hannah is your sister, and she hasn�t done anything to you, so you need to be nice to her.�
Avery: �You never do stuff with me.�
Alexis: �That isn�t true. We took you to Discovery Zone.�
Avery: �A long time ago.�
Alexis: �Fine.� She thinks for a minute. �Okay, what if we go out for dinner tonight? Just me and you.�
Avery: �What about Daddy? And Hannah?�
Alexis: �Just us. I promise.�
Avery: �Really? That would be so cool! Can I wear a dress?�
Alexis: (laughing) �You can wear whatever you want.�
Avery: �Cool! I�m going to see if Serena is up so I can tell her.� She runs off.
Alexis smiles as she watches Avery race up the stairs, totally excited about dinner.
That night. The Port Charles Grill.
Alexis walks in, holding Avery�s hand.
Reese: �Hello, Ms. Davis-Ashton. And who is this?�
Alexis: �This is my daughter, Avery. We have a reservation.�
Reese: �Right this way.� He leads them to a table for two in the corner.
Avery: (as Reese walks away) �He gave us seats. Cool.� She primly smoothes out the skirt of her light blue sundress with little white flowers. �Do they have ice cream here?�
Alexis: �I believe so.�
Avery: �Doesn�t Daddy own this hotel?�
Alexis: �Yep. Isn�t that neat?�
Avery: �Not as neat as having dinner with you, Mommy.�
An hour and a half later.
A woman comes over to the table and begins clearing their dishes away.
Avery: (to Alexis) �... and Serena told me that in kindergarten, you get to see the big kids at recess. What if they�re mean?�
Alexis: �Serena is older than you and she�s your best friend. I�m sure that she will introduce you to her friends.�
Avery: �It�s cool that I get to go to school with her. I wish Christabel could go there too.�
Alexis: �Somehow I think that your Uncle Stefan isn�t going to go for Port Charles Elementary School.�
Waitress: (interrupting them) �Excuse me, but did you say Stefan? Stefan Cassadine?�
Alexis: (surprised) �Yes, I did. Exactly why do you want to know?�
Waitress: �You don�t know who I am, do you?�
Alexis: �Obviously not. Who are you?�
Before Alexis can repeat the question, the waitress runs off.
Avery: �Hey! You didn�t answer my mom�s question!�
The woman flees into the kitchen.
Alexis: �That was interesting.�
Avery: �When we go home, can we put the top down in the car?�
Alexis: �Avery Ashton, you are a girl after my own heart.�
Avery: (seriously) �That�s why I�m your daughter.�
Alexis helps her out of her seat, and they head out to the parking lot. Alexis lowers the top on her Mercedes and then heads out of the parking lot.
Avery starts pushing buttons on the car radio, and stops on the local R&B channel. Wannabe, by the Spice Girls, is just starting.
Avery: �Cool!�
Alexis smiles at her and cranks the volume up, and heads for home.
Meanwhile, at the Ashtons� house.
Kimberly: �Scott, I don�t understand why you want me to take more time off. We should get a nanny for Olivia.�
Scott: �I totally disagree with you! Serena never had a nanny!�
Kimberly: �That�s probably because your parents live in the same town.�
Scott: �For your information, my parents both work. They were not Serena�s baby-sitters. Remember, I lived Canada, from the time she was a year and a half old.�
Kimberly: �So, you�re saying that you managed to be a lawyer and raise Serena?�
Scott: �I worked at home a lot. I don�t like the idea of a nanny raising our daughter.�
Kimberly: �Than you take extra time off.�
Scott: �You are being so selfish!�
Kimberly: �Why are you so against the idea of a nanny? We�d be able to work better, without having to run over to PC Elementary everyday to pick Serena up. Besides, Alexis and Ned are thinking of getting a nanny for Hannah.�
Scott: �So that is what this is about. Since Alexis is getting a nanny for her daughter, you automatically want one for Olivia. You are so competitive with her!�
Kimberly: �This coming from the most competitive person I know! You�re full of crap!�
Just then, there is a knock at their bedroom door.
Scott: �What?�
Serena: (poking her head in) �Mom, Julia is here. She wants to talk to you.�
Kimberly: �Thanks, Serena.� She glares at Scott and leaves the room.
Julia: (as Kimberly comes downstairs) �Hey.�
Kimberly: �Hey. What are you doing here so late?�
Julia: �I wanted to talk to you and Ned about something before Alexis gets back.�
Just then, Alexis and Avery walk through the front door.
Kimberly starts laughing.
Alexis: �Julia, what are you doing here?�
Julia: �I need to talk to Kim.�
Alexis: �Okay. Where�s Ned?�
Kimberly: �He�s trying to get Hannah to sleep. She�s very fussy tonight.�
Avery runs off to find Serena, and Alexis heads upstairs to the nursery.
Ned: (singing to Hannah) �Sleep, baby, sleep, while the world passes by... I�ll be the keeper of your dreams tonight... I�ll be your eyes, until you can see...�
Alexis stands in the doorway, watching them, her heart filled with love.
Hannah keeps crying as Ned paces the floor with her.
Ned: �Okay, singing isn�t going to work, I guess. Hannah, PLEASE go to sleep! Your sister used to fall asleep immediately when I rocked her. I guess that you�re more Mommy�s girl, huh?�
Hannah�s cries subside to whimpers as Ned continues to talk to her.
Ned: �I am really glad that your mommy isn�t home to see this. She would probably laugh at my inability to get you to go to sleep. After all, you automatically go to sleep when she�s holding you.� He laughs softly. �You�re a stubborn little thing, Hannah Grace. Just like your mother. You know, your mother can be the most stubborn person in the world, but I love her more than anything. She�s truly is an angel, just like you.� He kisses her forehead. �Yes, you are an angel, even when you keep us up all night.�
Turning around, he sees Alexis standing in the doorway.
Ned: �Hey, you�re home. How was dinner?�
Alexis: �It was great. Avery had a lot of fun.�
Ned: (holding Hannah out) �Do you want to take her?�
Alexis: �I think that you�re doing fine.� She sits down in the rocking chair. �That�s the way I get her back to sleep, I talk to her.�
Ned: �About what?�
Alexis: �About work, about Avery, pretty much everything. But mainly, I talk about you, and how she has such a great father, and about us.�
Ned: �I love you.�
Alexis: �I love you too.� She smiles. �And I�m going to love you even more when you get her to sleep, and we can go in our room and...�
Ned laughs and turns back to Hannah, who is already starting to drift off.
Downstairs in the living room.
Julia: �You know, Alexis� birthday is coming up on July 31.�
Kimberly: �I know. Were you thinking of doing something for her?�
Julia: �I was thinking along the lines of a party. Want to help me plan it?�
Kimberly: �A surprise party?� she grins. �She�d hate it.�
Julia: �I take it that you�re in?�
Kimberly: �Oh, definitely.�
Julia: �I was thinking that we should find somewhere interesting to throw the party. I mean, all of the social events in Port Charles are either at the Grill, the Outback, or the Vasarri room. Let�s go for originality.�
Kimberly: �Can we hire a stripper?�
Julia: (glaring at her) �What do you think? Ned would kill us.�
Kimberly: �We could throw the party at Caf� Mattice. We never do anything there.�
Julia: �Isn�t that where you and Alexis beat each other up in the fountain?�
Kimberly: �Details, details.� She grins. �I�ll call there in the morning.�
Julia: �Okay.� She looks at her watch. �Oh, I have to get home. Jax is expecting me.� She gets up and heads for the door. �Call me after you call Caf� Mattice, okay?�
Kimberly: �Okay.�
After Julia leaves, Kimberly heads upstairs to the room she and Scott are staying in.
Scott is sitting on the bed, reading the newspaper.
Scott: �Is everything okay with Julia?�
Kimberly: �Yeah. She just needed to ask me a few things.� She looks at him for a long time. �Scott, I don�t want to fight. I�m sure that we can work something out.�
Scott: (getting up and going to her) �Maybe get a part-time nanny or something.�
Kimberly: �I love you.�
Scott: �I love you too.� He kisses her passionately, and then throws her back on the bed.
They make love as quietly as possible, but in the heat of the moment, they become forceful and one of the front legs on the brass bed breaks.
Kimberly: (pulling away from Scott as the bed dips) �Uh oh.�
Scott: �Uh oh is right.� He gets off of her. �What are we going to tell Ned and Alexis?�
Kimberly: �I�m sure that we can come up with an acceptable lie.�
The next morning.
Kimberly is woken up to a knock at the door.
Alexis sticks her head in the room and sees Kimberly and Scott sleeping on the floor. She then sees the bed. Kimberly looks at her guiltily.
Alexis: �Kim, what happened to your bed?�
Ned: (coming up behind Alexis) �What�s going on here?�
Scott: �Well, we came in here to go to bed and one of the legs on the bed had broke.�
Ned: �Sure.� He laughs. �Would this be a subtle way of telling us that this bed is not sturdy enough for some things?�
Kimberly blushes a shade of deep red.
Alexis: (to Ned) �If these two are going to stay here any longer, maybe we should buy a bed for this room like ours.� She grins. �It�s can withstand just about anything.�
Scott: �We�ll pay you for the replacement bed, okay?�
Ned: �We�ll leave you two alone now.� He laughs. �Make sure you don�t do anything to the floor, for future reference.�
They close the door, and head down the hall, laughing.
Alexis: �That is too bad.�
Ned: �It�s good that you and I never sleep in there. That bed would be gone by now.�
Serena: (coming into the hall with Avery) �What happened to the bed?�
Alexis: �It broke.�
Avery �How?�
Alexis look at each other and start laughing again.
Ned: �Serena, go ask your parents.�
Just then, Kimberly and Scott come into the hall.
Serena: �Mom, Dad, what happened to your bed? Uncle Ned told me to ask you.�
Scott: (glaring at Ned) �It broke.�
Avery: �Were you jumping on it? Mommy says we�re not �posed to do that.�
Alexis: �Yeah, Kim, were you jumping on it?� she starts laughing.
Kimberly: (exasperated) �Serena, Avery, it was an old bed and it just broke, okay?�
Avery: �I thought it was new last year.�
Ned: (picking Avery up) �I thought that too. Oh well.� He heads down the stairs.
Alexis and Serena follow him, leaving Kimberly and Scott at the top of the stairs.
Later that morning at ELQ. The room where the copy machines and faxes are.
Ned is standing at the fax, sending something to London, when Alexis comes in.
Alexis: �Fancy running into you here, Mr. Ashton.� She closes the door.
Ned: �What are you doing in here?�
Alexis: �I need to fax something to Los Angeles before the board meeting starts.�
Ned turns away from the fax machine and kisses her hungrily.
Ned: �Have I ever told you that I like it when you wear short skirts?�
Alexis: (kissing him back) �I�m sure you do.� She runs her hands down his back. �And I like you in that suit, but I�d like you even more out of it.�
Ned: (grinning) �What exactly are you suggesting, Alexis? This could be a form of sexual harassment.�
Alexis: �In that case, you�re lucky that your lawyer is present.� She slowly undoes his belt, and unzips his pants.
Ned eagerly responds, removing Alexis� blazer and taking off her skirt.
He lifts her up onto the table next to the fax machine, and Alexis wraps her legs around Ned�s waist, and begins making love to him.
Ned lifts Alexis off of the table, and walks further back into the room, where there is a large table, free of any machines They collapse onto it, caressing each others� bodies.
Alexis: �Oh God, Ned, I can�t believe we�re doing this.�
Just then, the door swings open to show Alan standing in the doorway. He takes one look at Ned and Alexis all over each other and starts laughing.
Ned: (warning) �Alan...�
Alan closes the door and walks out.
Alexis: �Oh God. We are so screwed. Your grandfather is probably going to fire both of us for having overactive libidos.�
They pull apart and get dressed. They walk out into the hall just in time to see Alan walk over to Monica, Edward and AJ, who have just arrived for the meeting.
Alan: (gesturing at Ned and Alexis) �I just caught these two getting hot and heavy on top of the copy machine.�
Edward: �Is this true, Ned? Alexis?�
Alexis: �No. I have been in my office all morning.�
Ned: �I was the only person in the copy room. Alan, you must be seeing things.�
Alan: (confused) �I must be.� He grins. �Never mind.�
Alexis and Ned watch everyone walk away and then start laughing.
Ned: �We weren�t completely lying, you know.�
Alexis: �You�re right. We were never anywhere near the copy machine.�
Ned: �How am I going to make it through this meeting without throwing you up on the boardroom table and finishing what we were doing...�
Alexis: �Try to contain yourself until the meeting is over and we can go to my office.�
They smile at each other and head off to the meeting.