Alexis is walking down the stairs when she hears Ned talking to Avery and Brooke.
Ned: �So, girls, if you can tell me where Mommy is taking me for my birthday, I�ll buy you a new doll.�
Brooke: �Daddy, we don�t know where you�re going.�
Ned: �Are you SURE?� he looks closely at Brooke. She looks away. �Avery?�
Avery: �Daddy, I can�t tell you.�
Ned: �How much is Mommy paying you?�
Avery: �I can�t tell you that either.�
Alexis pauses at the top of the stairs, enjoying Ned�s audacity and their daughters� unwillingness to tell him anything.
Ned: �Avery, please! I have to know!�
Avery: �Mommy said that you don�t need to know anything.�
Brooke: �Yeah. It�s a surprise.�
Ned: �I�ll buy you a new doll AND three pairs of shoes each.�
Brooke: �Shoes?�
Ned: �What? You don�t like shoes? Your mother sure does.�
Brooke: �That�s cause she�s a lawyer. Lawyers have to wear shoes in court.�
Alexis fights back a laugh.
Ned: �Okay, no shoes. How about ice cream? Lots of ice cream?�
Alexis: (coming down the stairs and standing in front of him) �Give it up, Ned.�
Ned: (his head snapping up) �Alexis! How long have you been standing here?�
Alexis: �Long enough.� She smiles. �Brooke, Avery, your dad is done harassing you now. Why don�t you go upstairs and get your homework done?�
Brooke: �Daddy, if you had offered us Spice Girls stickers, we might have told you.� She and Avery laugh as they run up the stairs.
Ned: (pulling Alexis into his lap) �So, you must think I�m pretty low, huh?�
Alexis: (kissing his forehead) �I was going to go with pathetic, but low works too.�
Ned: �Alexis!�
Alexis: �Just kidding.� She gives him a kiss. �You know that I love you.�
Ned: �Oh yeah? How much?�
Alexis: �More than I can show you right now.�
Ned: �Meaning?�
Alexis: �Meaning that there are two little girls upstairs doing their homework that can probably hear everything we�re saying.�
Ned: �Lexi, it�s a big house. They probably can�t hear us.� He kisses her earlobes.
Alexis: �Ned, this is ludicrous.�
Ned: �Alexis, I am very, very, how would you say...�
Alexis: (shifting a little on his lap) �Aroused?� she smiles and kisses him again.
Ned: �We can take care of this and we�ll both win.� He pushes her off his lap and gets off of the couch.
Going over to the stereo, he turns on the CD player, and �Backstreet�s Back� by the Backstreet Boys blasts out. He sets the song on repeat.
Alexis: (getting up) �Ned...�
Ned: (singing with the music) �Everybody, yeah, rock your body, yeah, everybody, rock your body right, back street�s back, all right...�
Alexis starts laughing as Ned throws her back onto the couch, pulling her clothes off.
They quickly make love, swaying to the rhythm of the music.
Ten minutes later, Brooke comes running down the stairs.
Brooke: �I need help!�
Alexis is re-buttoning her blouse and Ned is straightening his tie. Brooke doesn�t say anything about it.
Alexis: (flushed) �Yes, Brooke?�
Brooke: �Mommy, can you please help me with my spelling test words?� she goes over to the stereo and turns it off. �Don�t you think that�s a little loud?�
Alexis: �Sure, I�ll help you.� She takes the list from Brooke and looks at it. �Okay, the first word is dance.�
Brooke: �D-A-N-C-E.�
Alexis: �Good. Spell run.�
Brooke: �R-U-N.�
Alexis: �Read.�
Brooke: �R-E-E-D.�
Alexis: �Close. It�s R-E-A-D.�
Brooke: �Okay. What�s the next word?�
Alexis: �Fast.�
Ned snorts under his breath and pulls Alexis back on the couch so she is laying against him.
Brooke: �F-A-S-T.�
Alexis: �Good. The next word is slow.�
Ned laughs again and casually rests his hand on Alexis� thigh. She fights back a laugh and ends up snorting under her breath.�
Brooke: (hearing her) �Are you okay?�
Ned: �Mommy has a nasal problem.�
Alexis: (laughing) �The last word is dinner.�
Brooke: �D-I-N-N-E-R.�
Alexis: �Good job, Sweetie.� She smirks. �You obviously don�t get your smarts from Daddy.�
Ned: �Hey!�
Brooke: �Daddy, spell...� she thinks hard about it. �Chiropractor.�
Ned: �Uh, C-H-I-R-O-P-R-A-C-T-O-R.�
Brooke: (impressed) �Good. I guess you are pretty smart.� She smiles. �Thanks for helping me, Mommy.�
As she runs back upstairs, Ned winds his arms around Alexis� waist, causing her to sigh contentedly. She snuggles against him.
Ned: �Happy?�
Alexis: �More so than I have been in a long time. You?�
Ned: (in a soft voice) �I can�t believe this.� He strokes her hair. �I have a beautiful wife, and all three of my daughters are under the same roof. It feels like a dream.�
Alexis: �Brooke seems happy here.�
Ned: �Happier than she did in Bensonhurst. I don�t think that Brian paid much attention to her.�
Alexis: �She told me that they were planning on sending her to Brian�s parents� house while they went off on some music thing, and his mother always smells like wine.�
Ned: (raising his eyebrows) �Is that so? Than I guess that we really did do the right thing by bringing her here.�
Just then, Hannah starts crying on the baby monitor.
Alexis: �I�ll be back in a sec.� She gets up and runs upstairs.
Hannah immediately stops crying when she sees Alexis walking towards her.
Alexis: �What�s wrong, Hannah?� she lifts her up. �I guess you just wanted to be held, huh?� she hugs the baby tightly. �Yeah, you did. Let�s go see Daddy.�
When Alexis returns to the living room, Hannah is babbling in her own personal language aka baby talk.
Ned: �Hey there, silly girl.� He takes Hannah from Alexis and bounces her a little. �Lexi, come here. I thought we were snuggling.�
Alexis: (snuggling under Ned�s arm as he props his feet up on the coffee table) �We are.�
Ned: (helping Hannah stand up on his legs) �Do you want to bond with your parents, Hannah Banana?�
Hannah gurgles in agreement and reaches for Ned�s nose.
Ned: �Hannah, don�t you think that Mommy should tell me where we�re going for my birthday?� he tickles her stomach, causing her to squeal. �Yes, I think so too.�
Alexis: �Nice try.� She kisses his cheek. �But I refuse to say anything.�
Ned: (to Hannah) �Isn�t your mommy the most infuriating, stubborn woman you have ever met?� he laughs. �But I love her anyway.�
Hannah reaches for Alexis� hair as Ned hands her to her.
Alexis: (standing Hannah up on her legs) �Hannah, you should know that your daddy never, ever gives up, and it�s really too bad.�
Later that night. 2:30 a.m.
Alexis wakes up to see Ned staring at her.
Alexis: (in a low voice as she looks at the clock) �Uh oh. I was supposed to feed Hannah like an hour ago.�
Ned: �You were sound asleep. I went and fed her.�
Alexis: �Thank you.�
Ned: (giving her a sleepy kiss) �You�re welcome. And since you must be very, very grateful, why don�t you tell me where we�re going for my birthday?�
Alexis: �Even at two thirty in the morning, you still bug me?�
Ned: �Basically.�
Alexis: (giving him a long kiss) �It�s such a turn on when you act like a three year old.�
Ned: �A turn on?� he smiles. �Want to do anything about it?�
Alexis: (smiling innocently) �No.� she gives him a quick kiss. �Good night, Ned.�
Ned can hear her laughing into her pillow as she rolls over.
Jax and Julia�s Penthouse.
Jax is sleeping soundly when Julia wakes up with a nauseous feeling in her stomach.
She gets up and races into the bathroom where she throws up for a long time.
Jax: (waking up to the sound of the toilet flushing) �Jul, are you okay?� Julia doesn�t answer him. �Julia?�
Julia: (coming out of the bathroom, her face a pasty shade of white) �I�m okay.�
Jax: (turning the light on and looking at her) �You don�t look okay.�
Julia: �It must have been the chicken at dinner.�
Jax: �I don�t think so. I had it too, and I�m just fine.�
Julia: (it suddenly dawning on her) �Uh, I think I�m going to go downstairs and have a glass of milk.�
Jax: �You want me to join you?�
Julia: �No, I�ll only be a minute.� She practically runs from the room.
Once in the kitchen, Julia picks up the phone and dials Alexis and Ned�s house.
Ned is awaken to the sound of the phone ringing. Alexis is still asleep.
Ned: (mumbling) �Hello?�
Julia: �Ned, it�s Julia. Can I please talk to Alexis?�
Ned: (half asleep) �Now?�
Julia: �It�s an emergency.�
Ned: �Just a sec.� He rolls over and shakes Alexis. �Lexi, wake up. Lex, it�s Julia.�
Alexis: (half asleep) �What?�
Ned: �Julia�s on the phone.�
Alexis: (taking the phone and yawning) �Julia?�
Julia: �Lex, I�m really sorry that I wore you up, but it�s an emergency.�
Alexis: �What is it, Jul? You sound worried.�
Julia: (in a very, very low voice) �Alexis, when you thought you were pregnant, how did you know? What were your symptoms?�
Alexis: �Julia, what are you trying to say here?�
Julia: (beginning to cry) �Alexis, I think I�m pregnant.� She cries harder. �I�m so scared.�
Alexis: �When was your last period?�
Julia: �I don�t know. A while ago.�
Alexis: �Why don�t I come over now?�
Julia: �Oh, I don�t want you to have to do that.�
Alexis: �No, it�s not a problem.� She pushes the sheets back on her side. �I�ll be right over.� She hangs up the phone. �Ned, I�m going out for a while.�
Ned: �Now? It�s three in the morning!�
Alexis: �Julia needs me.� She gets out of bed and goes over to her dresser. She pulls on a pair of Ned�s flannel pajama pants and a white shirt.
When she comes out of the bathroom, her hair is pulled up in a ponytail and she is wearing a white and black Nike baseball cap.
Alexis: (giving Ned a quick kiss) �I�ll be back later.�
Ned watches in utter amusement as she picks up her coat and leaves.
Five minutes later.
Julia answers the door of the penthouse and lets Alexis in.
Alexis: (giving Julia a hug) �Do forgive my appearance.�
Julia: �You look cute.�
Alexis: (pulling the hat off) �Are you okay?�
Julia: �Well, I stopped throwing up.�
Alexis: (as they sit down on the couch) �Have you felt any twinges in your abdomen?�
Julia: �A few, but I thought I was just ovulating.�
Alexis: �Julia, I think that you�re pregnant.�
Julia: (terrified) �Oh God. What am I going to do?�
Alexis: �I thought you wanted a child eventually.�
Julia: �Alexis, my parents were terrible person. He didn�t give a damn about me or Brenda. He obviously didn�t give a damn about Mackenzie either. He was too busy being �Harlan Barrett, businessman of the year� to care what we were doing. I�m so afraid that I�ll be the same way.�
Alexis: (softly) �Julia, you can�t inherit the way you�ll treat your kids from your parents. I mean, look at Ned. His mother and father were hardly the parents of the year, and he turned out to be a wonderful father.�
Julia: �What if Jax doesn�t want this?�
Alexis: �Julia, he loves you. Anyone can see how much he loves you everytime he looks at you. I bet that he is going to be totally excited about this baby.�
Julia: �Baby...� her face turns pale. �I�m going to throw up again.� She races towards the bathroom.
Alexis follows her and rubs her back as she throws up. When Julia is done, they go back to the living room.
Alexis: �Why don�t we watch a little TV to keep your mind off your nausea?�
Julia: (weakly) �Okay.�
Alexis turns the television on to a rerun of the show Friends and then gets up and goes into the kitchen.
When she returns, she�s holding a box of crackers. She hands them to Julia.
Julia: �What are these for?�
Alexis: �They�ll settle your stomach.�
Julia: �Thanks.� She takes a bite of one cracker.
Alexis: �Julia, you have to go see a doctor for a pregnancy test.�
Julia: (vulnerable) �Will you come with me?�
Alexis: �Of course.�
Alexis takes Julia�s hand and holds it for a while. They slowly fall asleep.
The next morning.
Ned wakes up to see that Alexis is not in bed.
He goes downstairs and peers outside. Her car is not in the driveway.
Ned: (to himself) �Well, well. They must have had a lot of girl bonding to do.�
Brooke: (coming down the stairs) �Where�s Mommy? I want her to braid my hair!�
Ned: �Uh, she�s with Aunt Julia. How about if I braid your hair?�
Brooke just stares at him.
Ned: �Come on, Brooke. I can braid hair.�
Brooke: �Well.... I guess.... Okay...�
Ned: �Okay, be a little more enthusiastic about it.�
The Penthouse.
Jax comes down the stairs to find Alexis and Julia asleep on the couch, both at different ends. The morning news is blaring on the TV.
Jax: (shaking them gently) �Julia, Alexis, time to wake up.�
Julia: (slowly opening her eyes) �Is it morning?�
Jax: �Yeah. You never came back to bed.� He looks at Alexis. �And just out of curiosity, why is Alexis here?�
Alexis: (opening her eyes) �Well...uh...I...�
Julia: �I wanted to talk to her.� She gets up and gives him a kiss. �Good morning, Jax.�
Jax: (surprised) �Good morning to you too, Jul.� he looks at the coffee table, which is littered with cracker boxes and crumbs. �What happened here?�
Alexis: �Sorry, Jax, but I was dying for crackers, and we didn�t have any at our house, so I decided to come over here.�
She and Julia start laughing as Jax looks at them in rapt amazement.
Alexis: �Uh, Julia, I�m going to go home and change, and I�ll meet you at Kelly�s at eight thirty, okay?�
Julia: �Okay.� She goes over and gives her a hug. �Thanks for everything, Lex.�
Alexis: �No problem.�
She leaves and heads for home.
When she walks through the door of her house, she hears Brooke yelling upstairs.
Ned: (at the bottom of the stairs) �Brooke, come down here right now!�
Brooke: �NO! I can�t go to school looking like this! I want Mommy!�
Ned: (seeing Alexis) �Thank God you�re home.�
Alexis: �Brooke, I�m home. What�s wrong?�
Brooke: �This is what�s wrong!� she comes down the stairs.
Alexis� mouth drops open when she sees Brooke. He hair is in a braid with big chunks of hair sticking out everywhere. There is a pipe cleaner sticking out of the side.
Alexis: �What is this?�
Brooke: (close to tears) �I wanted my hair braided. Look what Daddy did!�
Ned: �What�s wrong with it?�
Brooke: �Daddy!�
Alexis: (stifling a laugh) �Brooke, go get your brush. I�ll fix your hair really quickly.�
Avery: (coming down the stairs as Brooke runs past) �Mommy, you�re home!�
Alexis: �Yeah.� Brooke comes back and Alexis begins fixing her hair.
Avery: �Mommy, why are you dressed like that?�
Alexis: �Uh, I was in a hurry last night.�
Ned and Alexis lock eyes for a moment.
Ned: �Girls, go brush your teeth and I�ll take you to school.�
As the girls run upstairs, Alexis collapses into Ned�s arms for a hug.
Ned: �Is Julia okay?�
Alexis: �Yeah, for now.�
Ned: �She�s pregnant, isn�t she?�
Alexis: (in a low voice) �You can�t say anything.�
Ned: �Has she told Jax?�
Alexis: �Nope. She wants to get a real pregnancy test first.�
Ned: (giving her a kiss) �I missed waking up next to you.�
Alexis: (laughing) �I didn�t miss you. I got to wake up with Julia on the couch.�
Ned: �You are such a brat.�
Alexis: �I know.� She pushes her body up against his. �Want to punish me?�
Ned: �I have to take the kids to school.� He smiles down at her. �But I will be back.�
Alexis: �Good.� She smiles. �Hurry.�
Ned: (yelling) �Brooke! Avery! Come on! Now!�
Brooke and Avery run down the stairs as fast as they can.
Ned: �Got your stuff?� they nod. �Okay, let�s go.�
Brooke: �What�s the hurry?�
Ned: �Don�t argue.� He picks Avery up in one arm and Brooke in the other. �Let�s go.�
Avery: �Why?�
Ned: �You have to go to school and get an education.�
Brooke: �What about you?�
Ned: �I have to get an education too.� He grins at Alexis.
Alexis starts laughing hysterically as Ned marches out the door.