Alexis wakes up to see Brooke standing next to their bed.
Alexis: �Good morning, Sweetie. Do you want to get in bed with us?�
Brooke: (whispering) �Is Daddy sleeping?�
Alexis: (looking at Ned, who is dead to the world) �Yeah, but you can come talk to me.�
Brooke: (climbing under the covers) �Mommy, am I smart?�
Alexis: (kissing her forehead) �Of course you are, Brooke Lynn. You are VERY smart.� She looks at her closely. �Why do you ask?�
Brooke: �My new class. What if I�m not smart enough?�
Alexis: �Brooke, they wouldn�t have asked you to be in the class if you weren�t smart! You are one great kid, and you�re going to do great.� She grins. �I hear that David is in your class too.�
Brooke: (blushing) �Yeah. He is. Now he can throw erasers at my head some more!�
Ned: (not opening his eyes) �Who�s David?�
Brooke: (surprised) �Daddy! You�re up!�
Ned: (opening his eyes and sitting up to kiss Alexis and Brooke) �Who�s David, Brooke?�
Brooke: (quickly) �No one really. He�s a guy in my class.�
Ned looks suspiciously at Alexis. She just smiles.
Brooke: �Daddy, are you guys coming to my game tonight?�
Ned: �Of course we are, aren�t we, Lex?�
Alexis: �We would never miss your game, Brooke. You know that!� she smiles. �You�re really getting into this soccer thing, huh?�
Brooke: (excited) �Do you know who Michelle Akers is?�
Ned: �Isn�t she one of the soccer players from the American World Cup team?�
Brooke: (nodding) �Yeah. I want to BE her! She is such an awesome soccer player!�
Ned: �Let�s get you through third grade first, you know, before you play in the World Cup, okay?�
Brooke: (grinning) �Okay. It�s a deal!� she jumps out of the bed. �I have to get ready for school. I want to look really nice today for... my new class.�
As Brooke runs out of the room, Alexis starts laughing. Ned just glares at her.
Meanwhile. Gregory�s apartment.
Monica: (opening her eyes) �How long have you been watching me sleep?�
Gregory (stroking her hair) �Not long. You�re so beautiful when you�re sleeping.� He leans over and kisses her. �Good morning, Monica.�
Monica: (kissing him back) �I don�t have to be at work for two hours.� She smiles at him.
�Want to have some fun?�
Gregory: �Actually, I have something else in mind.� He gets out of bed and stands in front of Monica. �I need to talk to you.�
Monica: (sitting up and swinging her legs over the bed) �Greg, what�s going on?�
Without another word, Gregory drops to the floor on one knee. Monica is shocked.
Monica: (nervously) �Gregory, what are you doing?�
Gregory: (in a low voice) �Monica, I love you. And thanks to the fact that you managed to get a quickie divorce from Alan, you are now free to be mine.� He pauses. �That is, if you want to be.� He blushes. �Sorry, this is the first time I�ve ever done this. I�m probably doing a terrible job.�
Monica: (touched) �You�re doing fine.� She smiles. �Keep going.�
Gregory: �Monica, you have become so much more to me than my lover. I feel a love for you that is greater than I have ever felt for anyone else. You understand me. You love me. You love my daughter.� He gives her a wavering smile. �I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Monica Anne Quartermaine. Will you marry me?� He leans down and pulls a ring box out from under the bed and opens it.
Nestled on the bed of velvet is a huge solitaire diamond on a gold setting.
Monica: (tears in her eyes) �Greg...�
Just then, Morgan walks into the room, carrying her backpack. She freezes when she sees her father in the middle of a marriage proposal.
Morgan: (as Gregory turns to look at her) �Oh. Dad. I am soooo sorry!�
Gregory: �It�s okay, Morgan.�
Morgan: �Are you asking Monica to marry you? Because that�s what it looks like.�
Gregory: (smiling a little) �Yeah, I am. Is that okay with you?�
Morgan: �Totally! I want Monica to be my mom!� she pauses. �Well, my other mom. My step-mom.�
Monica: �Oh, Morgan. That�s so sweet.� She turns to Gregory. �Greg...�
Morgan: �I�ll be leaving now.�
Monica: �No! Wait, Morgan! I think you need to hear this too.� She waits a moment. �Greg, I love you so much. And Morgan, I love you like a daughter.� A tear falls down her face. �And I would love to be part of your family.� She smiles. �Yes, Gregory, I will marry you.�
Gregory: (slipping the ring onto her finger) �I love you, Monica.�
Monica: �I love you too, Gregory. You make me so happy.� They put their arms around each other and kiss passionately.
Morgan: (clearing her throat loudly) �And I love you guys too. But I have to go to school now. Felicia is going to be here in a second, so I�m going to go wait outside.� She goes over to the bed and hugs both of them. �I�m so happy about this!�
Gregory: �Have a good day, Sweetie.�
Morgan leaves and Gregory turns to smile at Monica. She smiles back, somewhat dazed.
Gregory: (in a low voice) �So, Dr. Quartermaine, would you like to... celebrate our engagement?�
Monica: (putting her arms around him) �I would love to.�
Without another word, Gregory pushes Monica back onto the bed and they begin making love for the first time as an engaged couple.
That night. The Port Charles Community Center.
Alexis, Ned, Avery and Hannah are watching Brooke�s soccer game.
Ned: (holding Avery on his lap) �Miss Avery, don�t you have a birthday coming up?�
Avery: �Yeah... I think I do. Why?�
Ned: �What do you want to do for your birthday?�
Avery: (excitedly) �Let�s go to the moon. In a spaceship. And eat ice cream.�
Alexis: (laughing) �How about something a little more local?� she looks out at the field as Brooke scores a goal. �All right, Brooke! Good job!�
Brooke looks up and blows Alexis a kiss. She blows one back. Avery frowns.
Avery: �What about Discovery Zone? Can we go there for my birthday?�
Ned: �Sure! We can rent the WHOLE place out! How does that sound?�
Avery: (clapping her hands) �Awesome! I love the ball pit!�
Ned: (looking at Alexis, who is blushing) �So does Mommy.�
Alexis: �Ned!� she glares at him playfully. �You are SO bad!�
Just then, the whistle sounds for halftime. Brooke runs over to her family.
Alexis: (hugging her) �You�re doing an awesome job! That was a great touchdown!�
Brooke: (amused) �Goal.�
Alexis: (pulling her into her lap) �What?�
Brooke: �Mommy, a touchdown is in football. A goal is in soccer. Got it?�
Alexis: (laughing) �I think so. Anyways, you made a great goal!�
Brooke: (happily) �Did you see who passed the ball to me?� her voice drops. �David.�
Alexis: (grinning) �I saw that. Pretty cool, huh?�
Ned: �Who IS this David person?�
Avery: �Brooke has a crush on him!�
Brooke: �Avery! I DO NOT!�
Avery: (singsong) �Brooke and David sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G...�
Brooke: (about to cry) �Shut up! He�s going to hear you!�
Alexis: (sharply) �Avery! Stop teasing her!�
Avery: (tears in her eyes) �You love Brooke more than you love me.�
Alexis: �Avery, I love you both equally. And if I tell you to stop doing something, that doesn�t mean that I love you less.� She touches her daughter�s face. �I will always love you, Avery Madelynn.�
Avery: (in a small voice) �Really?�
Alexis: �Really.�
Avery doesn�t say anything. She just looks ahead at the field. Alexis looks over at her and notices that she is smiling. She smiles too.
Meanwhile. The Bahamas.
Jax and Julia are walking down a street in Nassau, holding hands.
Jax: (kissing her lips) �How are you doing, Mrs. Jacks?�
Julia: �Jax, I AM FINE! Stop asking how I�m feeling! It�s sweet, but I AM FINE!�
Jax: (laughing) �Okay, I get your point.� He smiles. �I love you, Julia.�
Julia: �I love you too, Jasper. You�re my knight in shining armor.�
Jax: �Do you know how beautiful you look with your hair in the wind, your eyes shining in the darkness?�
Julia: �It�s the tropics. They can make even a fat pregnant woman look decent.�
Jax: (shaking his head) �Julia, Julia. When are you going to get it through that cute little head of yours that you are a drop dead gorgeous woman?�
They stop in front of a fountain and look at the glistening water. Julia lays her head on Jax�s shoulder. He smiles at her.
Julia: �Do you know how happy I am right now?�
Jax: (whispering) �Tell me.�
Julia: �I have a husband who I love more than anything, and two beautiful children on the way. I have never felt this happy.�
Jax: �You make me feel whole, Julia. You�re my angel.� They sit down on the edge of the fountain.
Julia: �Your fat angel.�
Jax: �You�re terrible!� he flicks some water at her.
Julia: (shrieking) �Jax! Don�t do that!� she flicks some water at him.
Jax: �Don�t do what?� he flicks more water at her. �Oh, this?�
They glare at each other for a long time.
Without a word, Jax pushes Julia into the fountain. She falls backwards and lands in the middle, completely soaking her white dress.
Julia: (half amused, half annoyed) �What did you do that for, you rat?�
Jax: (leaning over to look at his drenched wife) �You look sexy all wet.�
Julia: (grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him into the fountain) �So do you.�
Jax: (pushing his wet hair out of his face) �You are a rotten and underhanded woman, Julia Michelle.�
Julia: (leaning over and kissing him) �I know. Don�t you love me that way?�
Jax: (kissing her back) �You know I do.� He smiles at her. �I love you completely.�
They put their arms around each other and kiss passionately, sitting drenched in a fountain in the middle of town.
Jax: (whispering) �This is a pretty erotic setting.�
Julia: (whispering back) �It isn�t NOW, but it could be if we made it that way.�
Jax: �Do you want to...�
Julia: (cutting him off) �Yes.� She leans over and kisses him again.
They quickly shed their clothes and begin to make love, as the water rushes out of the fountain�s jets and splashes onto their intertwined bodies.
Julia: (moaning as Jax kisses her neck) �Oh Jax... oh, God, that feels good... oh...�
Jax: (enjoying her pleasure) �Does that feel good, baby?�
Julia doesn�t say anything. She just moans loudly again.
A few minutes later, they hear music behind them.
Jax: �What was that?�
Julia: (kissing him passionately) �Nothing.�
Just then, a five man mariachi band walks up in front of them, playing music. When they see Jax and Julia, who are completely oblivious, they stop.
Man #1: �Hey! Stop that! This is a public place!�
Jax: (pulling away from Julia) �What the hell?�
Julia looks up to see the band standing in front of them, instruments in hand. Her face turns a bright shade of red.
Julia: (mortified) �We are so sorry, sir...�
Man #2: �Save it for the police, missy.�
Jax and Julia look at each other, their eyes wide.
Jax: (putting his clothes on) �Sorry about this. We�ll be more than happy to talk to the police. We�re just going to get dressed, okay?� The men nod. Jax nods slightly at Julia, who quickly puts her dress back on.
Julia: (looking around innocently) �Gosh, it�s such a beautiful night.�
Man #3: �Hey. Save the chit-chat.�
Jax: (winking at Julia as he stands up) �Oh my God!� he points to the left. �That poor woman is being robbed!�
In unison, the five men turn to look in the direction Jax is pointing.
As fast as can be, Jax grabs Julia�s hand and they race off down the street.
Julia: (panting as they hear the men start yelling and following them) �Jax... Jax, I can�t run as fast as you...�
Jax stops running long enough to scoop Julia into his arms and then keeps running.
Jax: (laughing as they round the corner of their hotel) �You can�t say that we didn�t have an interesting honeymoon.�
Julia: (as he slows to a walking pace) �I can�t believe it�s over tomorrow.� She smiles a little. �I don�t even want to think about what our friends have been up to.�
Jax doesn�t say anything. He just shakes his head and starts laughing.
Meanwhile. Port Charles. Eleven thirty p.m.
The Ashtons� house. Ned and Alexis� bedroom.
Alexis wakes up with a grumbling feeling in her stomach. She rolls over and looks at Ned, who is sound asleep on his back.
Alexis: (whispering to herself) �Aw, Christian, you�re hungry, huh?� she grins. �Well, how about a little ice cream?�
She gets out of bed and goes to her closet, pulling on a pair of jeans and a ice blue baby tee with her Doc Martin brown sandals.
After pulling her hair up in a ponytail and putting her glasses on, she picks up her purse and heads out into the hall. She runs straight into someone.
Brooke: (hissing) �Mommy, where are you going?�
Alexis: �I want some ice cream. I�m going to the ice cream shop. What are you doing up, Brooke?�
Brooke: �I wanted a glass of water.� She pauses. �May I come with you?�
Alexis: �No! You have to get back to bed!�
Brooke: (pleading) �Mommy, please? Tomorrow is a half day anyway! Please? It would be so much fun!�
Alexis: (looking at her daughter�s pleading smile) �Okay. I guess. Go get your coat.�
Brooke: (hugging her) �Thank you, Mommy!�
Alexis: �You�re welcome, Sweetie. Now hurry up, but be quiet. Daddy, Hannah and Avery are sleeping.�
Avery: (coming into the hall) �I�m not sleeping. I have to go to the bathroom. What are you guys doing?�
Brooke: �Mommy and I are going to get ice cream.�
Avery: �Cool! Can I come too?�
Alexis: (trying to not laugh) �Sure. Go get your coat. Both of you.�
Avery: (hissing) �But we�re in our pajamas!�
Alexis: �It doesn�t matter. Flannel pajamas are very cool looking. Now get your coats and shoes on, and hurry up.�
Twenty minutes later.
Alexis, Brooke and Avery are sitting at a table at the ice cream shop, each eating a huge hot fudge sundae.
Avery: (chocolate smeared all over her mouth) �Yum! This is so good, Mommy!�
Alexis: (taking a huge bite of hers) �You�re right. It sure is good.�
Brooke: �Maybe we should take some to Daddy.�
Alexis: �He�s asleep. He doesn�t even know where we are.�
Avery: (her eyes huge) �Won�t he be worried?�
Alexis: (eating some whipped cream) �No, of course not. He knows you�re with me.�
Meanwhile. The Ashtons� house.
Ned is still asleep when Hannah begins crying over the baby monitor.
Ned: (mumbling) �I got her last time, Alexis.�
After a few minutes, Hannah is still crying. Ned opens his eyes and rolls over.
Ned: �Alexis?� he gets out of bed and goes down the hall to the nursery.
Hannah is standing in her crib, crying loudly. Her stuffed bear is laying outside the crib.
Ned: �Aw, Angel, did you drop your bear?� he picks her up and holds her tightly, causing her tears to cease. �You�re going to have to quiet down or you�re going to wake your sisters up, Sweetie.�
He looks across the hall and notices that Avery�s door is open. Puzzled, he carries Hannah across the hall and into the room.
Ned: (confused) �Alexis? Avery? Brooke?� When no one answers, his eyes grow huge. �Hannah, do you know where Mommy and your sisters are?� Hannah gurgles a little. Ned�s eyes narrow. �Oh God. What if they were kidnapped?�
A half hour later. The Ashtons� living room.
Ned is sitting on the couch, his head in his hands.
Just then, the door opens and Alexis walks in with Brooke and Avery. They are all laughing.
Alexis: (seeing Ned) �Sweetie, what are you doing up?�
Ned: �I could ask you the same question. Where have you three been?�
Brooke: �Mommy wanted to go get ice cream.�
Ned: �So you woke them up and took them along, Alexis?�
Avery: �No, we were already up, Daddy. We asked to go with her.� She smiles at him. �We had hot fudge sundaes.�
Ned: (trying to not scream) �That�s great, Sweetie. But now you have to get back in bed, so say goodnight and go brush your teeth and get in bed. We�ll be up to check on you in a few minutes.�
Brooke: (hugging Alexis) �Good night, Mommy. That was so much fun!�
Avery: (hugging Alexis) �You�re the coolest Mommy ever!�
Alexis: �Good night girls. I love you both. Be sure to brush your teeth to get the sugar off of them.�
Ned waits until the girls have gone up the stairs and then he turns to glare at Alexis.
Alexis: (seductively) �I like it when you act worried.�
Ned: (mad) �ACT? I WAS worried, Alexis! I was about to call the police!�
Alexis: �You�re kidding, right? Because I took OUR daughters out for ice cream?�
Ned: �At midnight without telling me where you were going? Sorry if you think I�m paranoid, but seeing as that your family has a knack for kidnapping, I wasn�t sure if you were okay or not.�
Alexis: �Ned, I�m fine. And so are the girls. A little sugared up, but fine.� She smiles. �Besides, Christian was hungry and it settles my stomach.�
Ned: �Alexis, I don�t care if you ARE pregnant!� Seeing the look on her face, he softens his demeanor a little. �Just don�t make me worry again, okay, Brinna?�
Upstairs, Brooke hears Ned talking as she walks down the hall. Her mouth drops open in shock when she hears that her mother is pregnant.
Alexis: (putting her arms around him) �I�m glad that you care enough to worry.� She smiles. �How did you find out that I was gone, anyway?�
Ned: �Hannah woke me up crying. I thought you would take care of her. And since you weren�t home, you didn�t, as I discovered a few minutes later.�
Alexis: �I�m sorry that I made you worry, Ned. I really am. Do you forgive me?�
Ned: (laughing) �I don�t suppose that you brought me any ice cream?�
Alexis: �Brooke wanted to, but I thought you were asleep.�
Ned: �Well, I was. However, I am NOW wide awake.�
Alexis: �Me too. The sugar is starting to kick in.� she smiles. �Tomorrow, I�m going with Emily and Mackenzie to get their navels pierced.�
Ned: �Speaking of Emily, how did you manage to not wake her up?�
Alexis: �I think she sleeps with her headphones on. She said she does it at school.�
Ned: �Lex, promise me that YOU won�t pierce your navel too.�
Alexis: (laughing) �A tattoo is enough for me, thanks.�
Ned: (holding her close) �However, I think that a belly-button ring would be kind of sexy.� He grins. �Stefan is going to totally die when he sees Mackenzie.�
Alexis: �She is a woman with a very dead-set mind. I think it�s hilarious.�
Ned: �You have a very dead-set mind too, Mrs. Ashton.�
Alexis: (laughing) �Well, not right now. I may need my husband to tell me if he wants to make love to me right now. I can�t decide if he wants to.�
Ned: (grinning) �I think he does. As a matter of fact, I�m pretty sure that he does.�
Alexis: �But first, could you do something else for me?�
Ned: �Anything.� He pauses. �Well, it depends.�
Alexis: �Let�s dance. We can put the CD player on softly.�
Ned: �Okay.� He goes over and turns the CD player on to a Celine Dion CD and then pulls Alexis into his arms.
They dance close together to the music, Alexis resting her head on Ned�s chest.
Love doesn�t ask why. It speaks from the heart and never explains.
Don�t you know that love doesn�t think twice.
It can come all at once, or whisper from a distance.
Don�t ask me if this feeling�s right or wrong.
It doesn�t have to make much sense, it just has to be this strong.
Cause when you�re in my arms, I understand.
We don�t have a voice, when our hearts make the choices.
There�s no plan, it�s not in our hands.
Love doesn�t ask why. It speaks from the heart and never explains.
Don�t you know that love doesn�t think twice.
It can come all at once, or whisper from a distance.
Now I can feel what you�re afraid to say.
If you give your soul to me, will you give too much away?
But we can�t let this moment pass us by.
Can�t question this chance, or expect any answers.
We can try, but love doesn�t ask why.
Love doesn�t ask why. It speaks from the heart and never explains.
Don�t you know that love doesn�t think twice.
It can come all at once, or whisper from a distance.
So let�s take what we found, and wrap it around us.
Love doesn�t ask why. It speaks from the heart and never explains.
Don�t you know that love doesn�t think twice.
It can come all at once, or whisper from a distance.
Love doesn�t ask why.
Alexis: (whispering) �I love you, Ned.�
Ned: �I love you too, Alexis, and I always will.�
He kisses her passionately, and as it always does when they are together, time seems to stand still as they sink to the ground and lose themselves in their love.