Monica and Morgan are eating blueberry muffins in the kitchen when Gregory walks in.
Gregory: (half asleep) �You�re up? It�s only... nine, I think.�
Monica: �It�s ten, sleepyhead. Besides, Morgan and I are going shopping at the mall.�
Morgan: �Yeah!� she smiles. �And I�m going to go finish getting dressed now. I�ll be ready in about five minutes, Monica.�
Monica smiles at Morgan as she walks out of the kitchen. Gregory looks at Monica, shocked.
Monica: (shrugging) �She asked me to go to the mall and help her buy some school clothes since Kim is in NYC talking to her new client.�
Gregory: (kissing her passionately) �You�re a wonderful woman, Monica.�
Monica: (laughing) �Thanks. I do try.�
A few minutes later, Morgan comes back, swinging her purse. She is wearing khaki cargo pants and a long sleeved hunter green baby-tee. Her blonde hair is pulled up with mini butterfly clips.
Morgan: �How do I look?�
Gregory: �Too old to be my daughter.�
Morgan: �I�ll take that as a compliment. Are you sure I look okay?�
Gregory: �You look fine. What�s the big problem?�
Morgan: �Dad, hello! There are guys at the mall.�
She and Monica start laughing. Gregory just shakes his head at them.
The Ashtons� house.
Alexis wakes up to see that Ned is still fast asleep. She gets up and heads downstairs.
Sitting at the kitchen table is Brooke, who is eating a huge piece of chocolate cake.
Alexis: �Brooke Lynn, that is not an acceptable breakfast and you know it.�
Brooke: (slightly hurt) �I know that. But we ran out of my kind of cereal.� She pauses. �I�m sorry, Mommy. I�ll put it back if you want.�
Alexis: (sitting down across from her) �I�m sorry, Sweetie. You can finish your cake. I�m just a little tired.� She smiles slightly. �Is there any more cake left?�
Brooke: (her mouth full) �Nope. I ate the last two pieces.�
Alexis: (laughing) �Brooke!�
Brooke: �I was hungry.� She smiles sheepishly. �But you can have half of mine.�
Alexis: �No, you go ahead.�
Brooke: �No, you can.� She takes her fork and slices the cake in half and puts the plate in the middle of the table. �But you have to get your own fork.�
Alexis: (smiling) �I think I can handle that.� She gets up and goes to get a fork.
Brooke: (taking another bite) �Mommy, why don�t we ever do stuff together... just you and me?�
Alexis: (surprised) �We do stuff together, Brooke.�
Brooke: �Not really. You do more with Avery... and I don�t want to complain, but I wish I could do stuff with you too... you are my mommy too.�
Alexis: �You�re right. I am your mommy too.� She takes a bite of cake. �Than why don�t we do something today? Just you and me?�
Brooke: (her eyes wide) �Really? Where are we going?�
Alexis: �What do you want to do?�
Brooke: �Ooh, can we go to the mall? Samantha got a really cool headband at... After thoughts... I think, so could I borrow some money?�
Alexis: �You don�t have to borrow money, Sweetie. I�ll buy it for you.� She smiles at her oldest daughter and takes another bite. �And we can go to the PC Grill for lunch.�
Brooke: �Awesome! But where are Avery and Hannah going to go?�
Ned: (coming into the kitchen) �What�s going on here?� he looks at his wife and daughter, who are both stuffing cake into their mouths. �That�s some breakfast.�
Alexis: (getting up and kissing him) �Good morning, sleepyhead.�
Brooke starts laughing as Alexis leaves a big chocolate mark on his cheek.
Ned: (wiping off the frosting) �So, what are you two doing up?�
Alexis: �Brooke and I are going to the mall to buy a headband, and then to the Grill for lunch.�
Ned: �Is that so?� he smiles. �A little mother daughter bonding, huh?�
Alexis: �You could say that.� She smiles at him as she sits down.
Avery: (coming running into the kitchen) �Mommy, Mommy!� she hugs Alexis tightly.
�Can we go to the library today?�
Brooke: (smirking) �Nope, cuz Mommy�s taking ME to the mall.�
Avery: (crushed) �Just you and her?�
Brooke nods smugly. Avery turns to Alexis, about to cry.
Alexis: �Avery, I took you to the library last week. Now I�m doing something with Brooke, okay?�
Avery: �You�re a bad mommy!� she runs out of the kitchen.
Alexis looks like she has just been slapped. Ned puts his arm around her.
Ned: �She doesn�t mean that. She�s just upset.�
Brooke: �Mommy, I�m sorry. We don�t have to go if you don�t want to.�
Alexis: (trying to smile) �It�s okay, Brooke. We�ll still go.� She looks at the clock. �Why don�t you go get dressed?�
Brooke: �Okay.� She heads for the kitchen door and then stops. �You�re not a bad mommy. You�re a good mommy.�
Alexis: �Thanks, Sweetie.� She smiles sadly as Brooke runs off.
Ned: (pulling her out of the chair and into his arms) �Avery didn�t mean it.�
Alexis: �I know. She�s only five.� She winces. �But it still hurts.�
Ned: (kissing her gently) �Want me to make it all better?�
Alexis: �How can you?�
Ned doesn�t say anything. He just holds her close and kisses her face over and over, on her eyes, lips, nose, cheeks and forehead until she starts laughing.
Ned: �I love you, Lexi.�
Alexis: �I love you too.� She smiles. �I�m going to go get dressed.�
Ned: �And don�t worry about Avery. I�ll have a little chat with her.�
Alexis: �Okay.� She leaves the kitchen and goes to get dressed, still upset.
Ned watches her leave, shaking his head because he can�t stand seeing her upset.
A half hour later. The Port Charles Mall.
Monica and Morgan are walking into the Limited Too.
Morgan: �Wow, it was really nice of Dad to give me his credit card.�
Monica: �Well, after you gave him that pleading little smile, how could he say no?�
Morgan: �I�ve noticed that blondes� smiles are his Achilles heel.�
Monica: (laughing) �Meaning?�
Morgan: �I have blonde hair... but I�m only his daughter. When you smile at him, he looks like he�s on cloud nine. When my mom smiles at him, he always smiles back. I swear, he should get a license plate cover: Gregory Fortino, blonde lover.�
Monica: �You�re too funny.� She is laughing hysterically as they walk over to a rack of dresses.
Morgan: �Ooh, look at this one.� She pulls out a short black dress with a black ribbon across the chest. �And this one.� She pulls out a long green dress with blue flowers on it.
Monica: �Cute. They�re both very cute.�
Morgan: �What else should I buy?�
Monica: �Some casual clothes. Maybe jeans?�
Morgan: �Got it.� She goes over to a rack of jeans and pulls about six pairs out.
Laughing, they head back to the dressing room.
Meanwhile, at Afterthoughts.
Brooke: �Mommy, I don�t know which headband to buy. I like the silver one and the black one and the pink one and the yellow one and the light blue one.�
Alexis takes the headbands out of her hand and heads up to the cash register.
Brooke: �Mommy, what are you doing?�
Alexis: (smiling) �Buying your headbands.�
Brooke: (her eyes wide) �All of them?�
Alexis: �Sure.� She smiles. �You want them, right?�
Brooke: �Wow, Mommy. Thanks!�
Alexis: �You�re welcome, Sweetie.�
They pay for the headbands and then head out into the mall. Brooke pauses to adjust the clips on her blue denim Gap overalls, which she wears with a white long sleeved shirt.
Brooke: (taking Alexis� hand) �Mommy, when you met Daddy, did you fall in love?�
Alexis: �Well... when I met Daddy, neither one of us was looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend. But I thought that he was VERY handsome.�
Brooke: (giggling) �Like a prince?�
Alexis: (smiling) �Like a prince. And he and I started to go out on dates, and then we fell in love, and got married.�
Brooke: (enthralled) �And that�s why he calls you his princess?�
Alexis: (laughing) �Yes.� She smiles. �I love him so much.�
Brooke: �Will I have a husband some day too?�
Alexis: �I�m sure you will. You�re smart and pretty. Boys like that.�
Brooke: �Can I tell you a secret?�
Alexis: �Sure.�
Brooke: �You know the mean boy at school, David Fish?�
Alexis: �You mean the goldfish?�
Brooke: (smiling shyly) �Yeah... I kinda like him.�
Alexis: (smiling) �Is that so?�
Brooke: �Yeah. And he still tries to trip me at recess.� She laughs. �But I don�t care.�
Alexis: �Well, Sweetie, it sounds like he may like you too.�
Brooke: �Really?� her eyes grow huge. �But don�t tell Daddy or anyone else.�
Alexis: �I promise that I won�t.� she smiles as they head down the mall.
The Ashtons� house.
Ned is working in his office on his laptop. Hannah is in her baby gym, chewing on a cracker.
Avery: (coming in) �Daddy, can I go play with Serena?�
Ned: �Nope, not today.�
Avery: (whining) �Why not? You�re mean.�
Ned: �That is exactly why not. You were very rude to Mommy this morning.�
Avery: �She loves Brooke more.�
Ned: �No she doesn�t. She loves you, Hannah and Brooke equally.�
Avery: �Well, you love Mommy more than you love us.�
Ned: �Avery, that is a totally different story.� He looks at her. �You can�t be mean like that to Mommy. She is too nice to you to be treated like that.�
Avery looks at him for a long time and then storms out of the room.
A little while later, back at the Limited Too.
Monica and Morgan are standing at the cash register, paying for the multitude of clothes that Morgan has chosen.
Monica: �Think you have enough clothes now?�
Morgan: �I guess so.� she smiles as the clerk hands her five shopping bags. �Where to?�
Monica: �Why don�t we stop at Starbucks and get something to drink, and then head over to the Gap?�
Morgan: �Viable.� She smiles. �I love that word. I heard it on TV.�
Monica smiles at her and they head into the mall and begin walking towards Starbucks.
Just then, Nikolas and Emily come walking towards them in the opposite direction.
Emily: (stopping dead in her tracks) �Mom! What are you doing here?�
Monica: �Morgan and I are shopping for school clothes.� She smiles at her daughter and Nikolas. �Hello, Nikolas.�
Nikolas: �Hello, Dr. Quartermaine.�
Monica: �You remember Gregory�s daughter, Morgan?�
Nikolas: �Yes, from the Fire and Ice Ball.� He smiles. �Hello, Morgan.�
Morgan: �Hello, Mr. Cassadine.� She smiles a dazzling smile at him.
Nikolas: �Mr. Cassadine? That sounds like my father. Please call me Nikolas.�
Morgan: �Okay, Nikolas.�
Emily: (in a low voice) �Mom, I wasn�t aware that you and Morgan were such good friends.�
Morgan: (sincerely) �Emily, you have the world�s coolest mom. She�s a great shopper.�
Emily: �Did she help you pick out ALL OF THAT?�
Morgan: �Yep. She even went to get me different sizes.�
Monica: (smiling) �It was fun.� She laughs. �And I haven�t been shopping with a teenager, or almost teenager, for that matter, in a long time.�
Emily just stares at Monica. Morgan notices and shrinks back a little.
Monica: �Morgan, we�d better get going. I told your father we�d stop by his office at noon.� She looks at her daughter. �Bye, Emily. Bye, Nikolas.�
Nikolas: �Bye.�
Emily doesn�t say anything. She just stares at Monica and Morgan as they walk away.
That evening. The Ashtons� house.
Alexis and Brooke walk in, laden down with shopping bags.
Ned is sitting on the couch, playing with Hannah.
Ned: (looking up) �Wow, what did you buy for me?�
Alexis: �Nothing. Brooke and I ran into a sale at the Gap.� She leans over and kisses him, and then Hannah.
Ned: �So you bought her the entire store?�
Alexis: (laughing) �No, some of it is for me, and I bought Hannah a few things.� She looks around. �Where�s Avery?�
Ned: (sighing) �In her room. She�s not in the mood to speak to us right now.� He looks at Brooke. �Hey, soccer star, did you have fun with your mom?�
Brooke: �It was so, so, so much fun! We ate pizza for lunch at the hotel, and ice cream.�
Ned: �Sounds like a nice healthy lunch.�
Alexis: (laughing) �You know, I have to keep my... strength up.� She pats her stomach.
Ned: (smiling) �Ah.... got ya.�
Brooke: �What are you talking about?�
Alexis: �Nothing.�
Ned: (at the same time) �Nothing.�
Brooke: �Whatever.� She smiles. �Mommy, can I call Samantha now?�
Alexis: �Go right ahead.�
Brooke: (giving her a hug) �Thanks for the clothes... and the fun day... and remember, you can�t tell anyone about that thing I told you.�
Alexis: �I won�t.� she holds up two fingers. �I promised.�
Brooke takes her bags and runs up the stairs, leaving Ned staring at Alexis.
Ned: �What can�t you tell me?�
Alexis: �Nothing... girl stuff...�
Ned: �What do you mean �girl stuff?� She�s eight!�
* A U T H O R � S N O T E *
* I forgot about Brooke�s birthday in October, so she�s eight now. Alrighty then?*
Alexis just shrugs and leans over to kiss him again.
Ned: (grabbing her hands) �Alexis, what can�t you tell me?�
Alexis: (laughing) �If I told you, I would be breaking my promise to our daughter.�
She picks up her bags and flounces upstairs.
Ned: (to Hannah) �Angel, when you grow up, don�t be as stubborn as your Mommy, okay?�
Hannah gurgles in approval.
That night.
Alexis and Brooke are sitting on Ned and Alexis� bed. Alexis is braiding her hair.
Ned: (coming in) �Can you do that to my hair?�
Alexis: �I doubt it.� She smiles. �But you can play with my hair if you�d like.�
Ned: �I will... later.� He gives her a lazy smile. �Where�s Avery?�
Alexis: �Sulking in her room. She is really mad about me and Brooke going shopping.�
Brooke: �She called me a stupid mommy-stealer.�
Ned fights back a laugh and sits down on the bed.
Alexis: �So, Brooke, back to what we were talking about, is that person in your class?�
Brooke: �Yeah.... uh... that person sits right by me and throws erasers at my head.�
Alexis smiles. Brooke smiles back. Ned looks confused.
Ned: �What�s going on here, Mrs. and Miss Ashton?�
Alexis: �Don�t worry about it.� She finishes Brooke�s hair. �Brooke, get your pajamas on, okay? It�s time for bed.�
Brooke: �Okay.� She gets up and leaves.
Ned glares at Alexis. She glares back.
Alexis: �You really do hate secrets, don�t you?�
Ned: (flopping back on the bed) �All of this girl stuff... I can�t wait to have Christian around... and we can discuss manly things.�
Alexis: �You mean sex and cars?�
Ned: (pulling her into his arms) �No, I�m not that shallow... men talk about football too.�
Alexis: (softly) �I hope you don�t mind about me and Brooke.� She smiles. �It�s hard to remember that she�s only my step-daughter. I think of her as my daughter.�
Ned: �I don�t mind at all. I�m glad that you love her so much.�
Alexis: �I love all three of our daughters equally... and our son.�
Ned: (touching her stomach) �It�s magic.�
Alexis: �I wonder what it would have been like with my mother... braiding my hair, talking about boys, just having her around.� She smiles wistfully.
Ned: �I think that you turned out wonderfully even having been a Cassadine.�
Alexis: �For the longest time, I felt incomplete, because I never got the pure love that comes from a parent or a spouse.� She smiles. �But you changed that for me. You made me whole, Ned Ashton.�
Ned: (kissing her gently) �I�m glad to have been of help.� He smiles. �I love you, Lexi.�
Alexis: �I love you too, Ned.�
Alexis curls up next to him and closes her eyes. She soon falls asleep.
Ned gently takes her clothes off and puts a pair of pajamas on her and tucks her into bed.
He goes to tuck Avery and Brooke in, check on Hannah, and then gets into bed.
Alexis rolls over into Ned�s arms as soon as he snuggles under the covers.
I see a mystery ship out on the water, I wonder where it�s sailing to.
Is someone waiting in some other harbor?
Jax rolls over and holds Julia tightly in his arms.
These fantasies they blow me away, like sirens to a fool.
And in the stillness of my soul, I keep returning to...
Ned lays awake in bed, watching Alexis sleep. He gently brushes back her hair.
Always you, you know I live out on the wind where love runs free.
I come back to you, always you.
And when I fall to earth, you�re always there for me.
I come back, I come back, I come back to you.
Mackenzie and Stefan lay on their couch. Stefan reads to her from Tolstoy.
Looking at myself �till the mirror shatters, I hear a madman sing his tune, he says
It�s only love that ever really matters, I wake up in this dream tonight.
Nikolas and Emily lay in his bed. Emily is staring out the window.
That�s when I see the truth, of all the faces in my heart.
There�s only one I choose.
Claire picks up the phone and begins to dial a number, but then hangs up.
Always you, you know I live out on the wind where love runs free.
I come back to you, always you.
And when I fall to earth, you�re always there for me.
I come back, I come back, I come back to you.
Kim and Scott talk on the phone while Kim is in her bed in NYC, Scott at home.
Something in my soul never changes, baby.
You�re the one that�s keeping me sane.
Monica and Gregory sit in his kitchen, eating ice cream with Morgan.
There is no other that I have ever conceived.
Could be my lover and never leave when I run free.
Could be my lover, could be my lover.
Brooke comes into Alexis and Ned�s room and falls asleep at the foot of their bed.
Always you, you know I live out on the wind where love runs free.
I come back to you, always you.
And when I fall to earth, you�re always there for me.
I come back, I come back, I come back to you.
Alexis rolls over in her sleep and buries her face in Ned�s chest. He smiles.
Ned: (in a whisper) �Always and forever, my princess.�