Gregory�s high rise apartment.
Kimberly, Gregory and Morgan are sitting at the dining room table, eating a pizza.
Gregory: �So, Morgan, what do you like doing in your spare time?�
Morgan: �Well, I really like to swim, and I took piano lessons.� She smiles. �I want to be an Olympic swimmer when I grow up, and a doctor too.�
Kimberly: �A doctor? That�s great.�
Morgan: �I want to be a psychotherapist, because that�s what my parents went to... for marriage counseling.�
Kimberly and Gregory exchange a look as Morgan goes on.
Morgan: �So, if I stay here, which one of you guys is going to get custody of me?�
Gregory: �Well, um... what if we both have custody of you?�
Morgan: �I�d like that.� She smiles slightly. �Can I call you Mom and Dad?�
Kimberly: �I already told you that you could.�
Gregory: (smiling) �I�d love it if you called me that.�
Morgan: �Well, Mom and Dad, I�m so sorry for all of the trouble I�ve caused.�
Kimberly: �Relax, Honey.� She smiles slightly. �Everything is going to be just fine.�
The Ashtons� house.
Alexis is sitting in her study, her head in her hands.
* * * F L A S H B A C K * * *
That afternoon in Alexis� office.
Scott: (murmuring) �Alexis... Alexis...�
Alexis: (kissing him hard) �What?�
Scott: �What about Ned?�
Alexis: (kissing him hungrily) �He doesn�t understand my problem with Gregory.�
Scott: �I don�t know what I�m going to do about Kimberly.... and her daughter.�
Alexis: (singsong voice) �You mean, Morgan Alexis?� she laughs as she kisses him again. �I can�t believe that she gave her my name.�
Scott�s hands begin to slide slowly down to Alexis� breasts. She doesn�t stop him.
Alexis: (moaning as he caresses her breasts) �Oh, Scott.�
Scott: (kissing her neck) �Yes?�
Alexis: �Ned thinks I still have feelings for Gregory.�
Scott: (still caressing her) �Do you?�
Alexis: �No... yes... I don�t know... he was the first man I ever loved.�
* * * E N D O F F L A S H B A C K * * *
Alexis: (beginning to cry) �Oh God, what have I done?�
She looks over at the framed picture of Ned on her desk and cries harder.
Alexis: (whispering) �Oh no. How could I have betrayed you, Ned?�
Ned: (coming down the stairs) �Lexi, you ready to rehearse?�
Alexis: (wiping her tears away) �Uh, just a sec.� She blows her nose and then stands up, her entire body shaking.
Ned: (as she comes out of her study) �Brinna, are you okay?�
Alexis: (after a moment) �Yeah, I�m fine.�
Alexis: (silently) �I only kissed your best friend today, and I liked it.�
Ned: �Lex, you ready to practice?�
Alexis: �Sure.� She forces a smile.
Ned goes over to the CD player and turns on the music to Oh Holy Night (Mariah Carey version).
Ned: (singing) �Oh holy night, the stars are brightly shining, it is the night of our dear savior�s birth.�
Alexis: (somewhat shakily) �Long lay the world, in sin and error pining, till he appeared, and his soul felt its� worth.�
As Ned begins to sing his next verse, Alexis looks at him for a long time, her eyes filled with both love and pain.
Later that night (eleven o�clock).
The Firehouse.
Scott is dozing on the couch. He has consumed a half bottle of wine.
* * * D R E A M * * *
Alexis: (coming down the stairs) �Scott?�
Scott: (looking up at her, clad in a black nightgown) �You look amazing.�
Alexis comes down to the couch and sits down on him, straddling his body.
Scott: �I want you, Alexis.� He reaches up and begins stroking her breasts.
Alexis slowly unzips Scott�s pants and pulls them off. Shedding the rest of their clothes, they begin making love.
* * * E N D O F D R E A M * * *
Scott: (waking up) �Oh God. What have I done?�
Gregory�s apartment.
Kimberly and Gregory are sitting on the couch, sipping wine and staring at the fire. Morgan is asleep in the guest room.
Kimberly has changed into ice blue flannel pajamas with white clouds on them, and pulled her hair up in a ponytail.
Gregory: �She�s an amazing little girl.�
Kimberly: (her eyes full of pain) �I wish we could have known that sooner.� She looks up at him. �Greg, I am so sorry that I never told you. Frankly, I�m surprised that you�re even speaking to me.�
Gregory: �Kim, I was mad at you at first.� He smiles a little. �But I can see why you didn�t tell me... kind of... and I guess that I forgive you...�
Kimberly: (moving closer to him) �Greg, what am I going to do about Scott?�
Gregory: �The only thing that I can tell you is that he loves you. Scott just needs some time to think about everything that has happened. You can�t blame him for being angry.�
Kimberly: �I guess.� She smiles. �I hate it when you�re right.� In a serious voice. �But it�s such an infrequent thing that it doesn�t matter.�
Gregory starts laughing. After a moment, Kimberly does too. Within minutes, they are laughing so hard that they�re crying.
Just then, the front door opens and Monica walks in.
Unaware of the whole Kimberly and Morgan thing, she is shocked to see Kimberly and Gregory laughing together, Kimberly in her pajamas.
Gregory: (looking up) �Monica! What are you doing here?�
Monica: �I was planning on staying over tonight.� She frowns. �Kim, I could ask you the same question?�
Kimberly: �Well... I... Uh... Scott and I had a fight... and... I...�
Gregory: �Monica, I need to talk to you.� He looks sadly at Kimberly. �Kim, can you wait in the guest room?�
Kimberly: (in a low voice) �Sure.� She gets up and leaves the room.
Monica: (sitting down next to Gregory on the couch) �Gregory, I would like to know exactly what is going on with this little lawyers sleepover.�
Gregory: �It�s a long story.�
Monica: �Are you having an affair with her?� she looks livid.
Gregory: �Of course not.� He takes her hand. �Mon, you know that you�re the one I love.� He takes a deep breath. �I�ll start from the beginning.�
Just then, Morgan comes wandering out into the living room.
Morgan: �Dad, do you have an extra blanket or something?�
Monica looks shocked beyond words.
Gregory: (about to pass out) �Uh... yeah, there�s some in the closet over there. Help yourself.�
Morgan: �Thanks.� She goes and gets a blanket. �Sorry for interrupting.�
Monica: �Who are you?�
Morgan: (uncertainly) �I�m Morgan Lavin... Gregory is my father.�
Monica: (shocked) �Is that so? and who is your mother?�
Morgan: �Uh, well, Kimberly is.� She frowns. �I�d better get back to bed.�
Gregory: (amused and mad at the same time) �Good night, Morgan.�
When Morgan is gone, he turns to Monica and smiles weakly.
Gregory: �Morgan is my daughter. She�s twelve. I just found out about her today. Kim gave her up for adoption when she was born.�
Monica: �Oh God. I guess that Scott didn�t take it too well so that�s why Kim is here? So how did Morgan find you two?�
Gregory: �Her adoptive parents died in a car accident and she doesn�t have anyone else, so she came looking for Kimberly. She�s going to stay with me and Kim... we�re going to have joint custody of her.�
Monica: �You are?� she looks shocked. �You don�t even like kids, and you�re willing to take in this stranger?�
Gregory: (getting mad) �Monica, for crying out loud, this is my daughter we�re talking about!�
Monica: �So?�
Gregory: �Obviously you don�t understand this...�
Monica: (angry) �Obviously, I don�t.� she sneers. �I�ll see myself out.�
Before Gregory can say anything, Monica stands up and storms out.
The Ashtons� house.
Ned: (coming out of the kitchen with a bottle of wine and two glasses) �Lexi, your voice is amazing. We�re going to be great.�
Alexis: �Thank you.�
Ned: (setting down the wine) �I love you, Alexis.� He goes to her and puts his arms around her. �You never cease to amaze me.�
Alexis: (slightly panicked) �WHY?�
Ned: (laughing) �Because of your singing, Lex.� He smiles and kisses her gently. �You sing like an angel.�
Alexis tries to relax, but Ned can feel her body tense in his arms.
Ned: �Lex, you�re all tense.� He smiles. �Why don�t I help you... uh... relieve some of that tension?� he runs his hands over her back and then moves them down to her backside. �You have a such a great body.�
Alexis doesn�t say anything. She can feel Ned becoming aroused as he slides his hands under her shirt and begins stroking her breasts.
Suddenly, she remembers Scott caressing her that afternoon and she pulls away.
Ned: (seeing the look in her eyes) �Lex, what is it?�
Alexis: (about to throw up, in a very low voice) �I kissed Scott.�
Ned: (not believing what he just heard) �Excuse me?�
Alexis: (miserable) �Scott and I kissed this afternoon.�
Ned: (getting mad) �Is there any particular reason why you kissed my best friend, or did you just do it to screw up our marriage?�
Alexis: (tears filling her eyes) �We were so shocked about Kimberly and Greg having a child together... and seeing that child standing there... we both got drunk and then he came in my office and...�
Ned: (seething) �Did he kiss you? Or did you kiss him?�
Alexis: (in the lowest voice possible) �We kissed each other.�
Ned: �Why, Alexis? WHY?� he�s screaming now. �HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO US?�
Alexis: �I wasn�t thinking! I was drunk!�
Ned: (furious) �That is NO excuse whatsoever, Alexis. I can�t believe this!�
Alexis: (crying) �Ned, I�m sorry! I am so sorry.�
Ned: (not even hearing her) �You still have feelings for Gregory, Alexis. Don�t even try to deny it.�
Alexis: �I DO NOT!� She sneers. �I am married to you. I love YOU, Ned! You are the only man I love!�
Ned: �How am I supposed to know that? If you didn�t have feelings for Gregory, than you wouldn�t have reacted so badly to Morgan. You wouldn�t have gotten drunk. And you wouldn�t have KISSED SCOTT!�
Alexis: (sobbing) �I don�t love him, Ned.�
Ned: �I don�t want to hear it.�
Neither of them notice Brooke and Avery standing at the top of the stairs.
Brooke: (whispering to Avery) �What�s going on?�
Avery: �Mommy and Daddy are fighting. They do that sometimes.�
Brooke: �They sound pretty mad.�
Avery: �They�ll make up in a few seconds. Just watch. They like the kissing part.�
Both of them stare intently at Ned and Alexis, who are facing off in front of the couch.
Alexis: (yelling) �How could you even ASK ME IF I LOVE HIM, NED?� She glowers. �Do you not trust me? Four years and two, I mean three, children later?�
Ned: �I never said I didn�t trust you, ALEXIS! You are blowing things out of proportion as usual.�
Alexis: �As usual? As usual? You�re the one who confuses reality with fantasy!�
Ned: �I DO NOT! You�re the one who thought I was having an affair with Kim.�
Alexis: (before she can stop herself) �Well, I wouldn�t have to be worried if you hadn�t married FOUR WOMEN BEFORE ME!�
Ned: (glaring at her) �That�s low. Even for you. And besides, I�m not the one who kissed SCOTT today! You are the LAST person I thought would ever commit INFIDELITY!�
Alexis: �Infidelity? It was ONE KISS!� she snarls at him. �I was DRUNK!�
Ned: �I don�t want to hear your pathetic excuses, Alexis. As a matter of fact, I don�t even want to see you right now!�
They stare at each other for a long time.
Brooke: (starting to cry) �Avery, why are they fighting?�
Avery: (unperturbed) �They do this sometimes. All married people do.�
Brooke: (sobbing) �I don�t want them to get a divorce!�
Avery: �Brooke, relax.� She hugs her sister quickly. �They won�t get a divorce.�
Brooke: �How do you know?� she sniffs. �Daddy and my other mommy did.� Tears begin to fall down her cheeks faster. �I don�t want that to happen!�
She runs off with Avery behind her. Brooke slams her door shut as soon as Avery comes into her bedroom.
Brooke: (begging eyes) �When are they going to stop?�
Avery: �I don�t know.� She shrugs. �They do this every few months. They yell at each other, throw stuff and then the next night, you can hear them laughing in their room and making noise all night.�
Brooke just stares at Avery and sits down on her bed. Avery sits down next to her. They sigh simultaneously.
Downstairs.
Alexis: �Ned, you don�t mean that.�
Ned: �You wanna bet?� he sneers at her. �I don�t want to see you right now.�
Alexis: �THAN LEAVE!�
Ned: �NO! This is my house too! You leave!�
Alexis: �NO!� she goes to him and takes his hands in hers. �Ned, please. Just hear me out. You don�t know the whole story.�
Ned: (pulling away from her) �I don�t want to know the whole story.� He looks at her, his eyes full of ice. �I want you to leave.�
Without another word, Alexis picks up her purse and leaves. Ned can hear the tires of her Mercedes screeching as she roars out of the driveway.
Ned: (sobbing, as he picks up the bottle of wine) �DAMN YOU, ALEXIS!� he throws the bottle at the front door. It shatters into a million pieces.
He sinks to the floor, sobbing into his arms.
The firehouse. Scott is standing on the front porch when he sees Alexis� black Mercedes come roaring into the driveway, the top down. He can see that she has been crying.
Scott: �Lex?� he goes down to meet her as she climbs shakily from the car. �What happened?�
Alexis: (sobbing) �Ned told me to leave.�
Scott: (sucking his breath in) �You told him, didn�t you?�
Alexis: (almost incoherently) �He started kissing me and then he began touching my breasts... and that�s what you did to me today... and I couldn�t hold it back... I had to tell him... Scott, I am so sorry...�
Scott: (giving her a hug) �It�s okay.�
Alexis: (still crying) �But the worst part is...� she looks up at him. �I liked it.�
Scott: (shocked) �I did too.� He blushes a little. �It took me by surprise though.� He feels her shiver a little. �Alexis, you�re freezing. Where�s your coat?�
Alexis: �Uh... I think that I left it at home.� She is shaking. �Can I stay here tonight?�
Scott: �Of course.� He ushers her into the house and after sitting her down on the couch, starts a fire in the hearth. �It�s been freezing out lately.�
Alexis: (somewhat bitterly) �Where�s Kim?�
Scott: �KIM and her DAUGHTER are at GREGORY�S.� He sneers. �And I took Serena and Olivia over to my parents� house. I just couldn�t handle anything tonight.�
Alexis: (softly) �I feel bad for acting so put-upon when you have bigger problems than I do.� She half smiles. �God, this is turning into such a soap opera.�
Scott: �It feels surreal.� He rolls his eyes a little. �At least you know how I feel.� He pats her arm. �You�re a good friend, Alexis Ashton.�
Alexis looks at him for a long time. A spark passes between them and they both feel it.
They lean in towards each other, Scott catching Alexis� lips in his own. They begin kissing passionately.
Scott: (running his hands through her hair as they kiss) �Lex, this is crazy.�
Alexis: (stroking his cheek) �I know. But it feels too right to be wrong.�
Scott: �We�re just... two friends who are consoling each other.�
Alexis: (kissing his neck) �Nothing more, nothing less.�
Scott gently lowers her back onto the couch and unbuttons her suit jacket. Alexis begins unknotting his tie as they continue to kiss.
Scott: (gently stroking her breasts through her black lace bra) �Alexis, Alexis.�
Alexis: �Oh Scott.� Desire seers through her entire body as they kiss again. �I want you so bad.�
Scott: �I want you too.� He leans down and begins kissing her stomach, her chest, her neck. Alexis runs her hands all over his body.
Just then, the front door flies open. Standing on the doorstep is Kimberly. She looks shocked.
Kimberly: �YOU WHORE!� she storms over to them and pulls Scott off of Alexis. �How dare you try to get MY HUSBAND in bed!�
Scott: (furious) �What the hell are you doing here?�
Kimberly: �I wanted to talk to you.� She sneers at Alexis, who is rebuttoning her clothes. �But obviously, you�re too busy. Tell me Scott, how long have you and my so called best friend been having an affair?�
Alexis: �We�re not having an affair, Kimberly! You�re the one who does that!�
Kimberly: (yelling) �Don�t you dare bring up my past, you bitch!�
Alexis: (screaming) �Which part of your past do you mean? The part where you were sleeping with MY BOYFRIEND or the part where you were sleeping with our LAW PROFESSOR?� she shakes her head. �We were still in law school, for God�s sake. The only whore here is YOU.�
Kimberly lunges for Alexis and slaps her hard across the face.
Alexis looks momentarily shocked, but recovers quickly. She pushes Kimberly hard enough so that she goes flying backwards and lands on the couch.
Scott: �Kim, you had NO RIGHT to come here.�
Kimberly: (sobbing) �No right? No right? I�M YOUR WIFE, SCOTT!�
Scott: �That may be so, but I don�t want to see you right now. Go off and play with your ex-boyfriend, actually, Alexis� ex-boyfriend, and your daughter.�
Kimberly gets up and runs from the house, sobbing loudly.
As the door slams shut, making two framed pictures fall off the wall, Scott turns to Alexis.
Scott: �Are you okay? She hit you pretty hard.�
Alexis: (furious) �I�m fine. Do you have any vodka?� she winces. �And some ice?�
Scott: (sympathetically) �Coming right up.� He heads into the kitchen as Alexis throws herself back onto the sofa and sighs loudly.
Ten minutes later.
The Ashtons� house.
Kimberly gets out of her BMW and storms up the porch and opens the front door without even knocking. Her eye makeup is smeared and she is crying.
Ned is sitting at the bottom of the stairs, his head in his hands.
Ned: (looking up at her, tearstains on his cheeks) �Oh, God, Kim what have I done? I THREW Alexis out of our house! I told her I didn�t want to see her... I�m a terrible person.�
Kimberly: (venomously) �Before you go and order her a dozen roses, you should know that Alexis and Scott are probably having sex as we speak.�
Ned: �Excuse me?�
Kimberly: (sitting down next to him) �I went over to my place to talk to Scott. I need him to understand that there is nothing between Gregory and I... it was a long time ago... and I want to explain about not telling him about Morgan.�
Ned: �Did you?�
Kimberly: �Well, I opened the door of my house to see Scott and Alexis making out on the couch... they were still dressed though... well, mostly.�
Ned: �WHAT DO YOU MEAN, MOSTLY?�
Kimberly: �Alexis� shirt was unbuttoned and Scott was kissing her breasts.�
Ned: �Oh my God.� He looks shocked. �I can�t believe that Alexis, of all people, would cheat on me!�
Kimberly: �In all fairness to Alexis, I don�t think she would ever sleep with him. She loves you more than anything, Ned.�
Ned: �Than why the hell is she kissing YOUR HUSBAND?�
Kimberly: �We�re all having some problems right now.� Her eyes fill with tears. �I feel like this is my fault.�
Ned: �It isn�t all your fault, Kimberly. You didn�t force Alexis to kiss Scott.�
Kimberly: �But I never told Scott about Morgan. Actually, I never told anyone. Not even Gregory.� She winces. �I was young and scared. I didn�t want to handle it then.�
Ned: (gently) �And now?�
Kimberly: �It seems like I don�t have a choice. Morgan wants to stay here with me.�
Ned: �And what do you want, Kimberly?�
Kimberly: �I want her to stay.� She begins to cry. �She�s my daughter, Ned. You should understand better than anyone, with Brooke and all.�
Ned: �I do.� He pats her back. �But you need to understand that Scott was going to be mad no matter when you told him. And if you want Morgan to stay here, that is your decision. You and Gregory are her parents.�
Kimberly: �I wish I was as smart as you, Ned Ashton.� She smiles despite herself. �You�re a good friend.�
Ned: �Thanks.� He frowns. �I just wish I knew what Alexis was doing right now.�
The Firehouse.
Scott, unable to sleep is sitting in a chair, reading a magazine. Alexis is sound asleep on the couch.
Alexis: (opening her eyes) �Scott, do you think that Ned will ever forgive me?�
Scott: (gently) �You know that he will, Lex. He loves you.�
Alexis smiles for the first time that night, and closing her eyes, falls back asleep.