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Chapter 19 "Mommy, daddy wake up" an over excited Kristin screams as she jumps up onto the bed. "Santa Clause was here and I want to open my presents." She tugs on Ned� arm. "Please, please, please get up I want to open my presents NOW!" "Okay I�m getting up." Ned answers. "Mommy get up." Alexis opens her eyes half way and looks at her daughter before rolling over and looking at the alarm clock. "Kristin it�s only 5 in the morning. The sun isn�t even up yet." "Tommy and I want to open our presents." "Nice try kid but Tommy� still sleeping." Ned said getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom. He was still half a sleep himself and didn�t even realize Kristin left the room. A few minutes later Ned came out of the bathroom and found not only Kristin climbing all over Alexis to get her up but Tommy as well. "Kristin did you wake your brother up?" "Yes daddy but he told me to." Ned just gave her a look. "Listen here your mommy is trying to sleep. What do you say we go downstairs and make some breakfast." "I want to open my presents." "After we eat I promise." Ned said. "Come on lets� go down and let your mother get at least one more hour of sleep. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Later on that morning Kristin, Rachel, and Tommy tore up open their presents like there was no tomorrow. Ned, Alexis, and V couldn�t help but laugh at the mess they were making. Paper was thrown every where and the house looked like it had been ransacked. "Thank goodness Christmas only comes once a year." Ned said looking around. "Thank you guys so much for including me." V said. "I didn�t know what this Christmas was going to be like for Rachel without her father around." "Hey your family so there�s no thank you�s necessary." Alexis informed her immediately. "Mommy this is for you from me and Tommy." "Another present?" Alexis asked looking at Ned. "Don�t you think you went a little overboard this year?" "This present here is strictly from your kids." Ned told her. Alexis opened the box and was instantly overwhelmed. "It�s beautiful." "You like it mommy. It�s a necklace and the two rocks in it our mine and Tommy�s birthstone." Alexis pulled her into a hug. "This one�s mine mommy." "Yea I know, and I love it thank you guys so much." Alexis said bending down and picking up Tommy. "Do you know what time it is?" Ned asked. "Shower time?" Kristin asked "Oh my it is getting late isn�t it." Alexis added. "If we don�t get these kids showered and dressed soon we�ll never make it to Emily and Lucky� on time." "Well then what are we waiting for." Ned yelled picking up Tommy and running upstairs. ^^^^^^^^^ "Lucky can you get the door please." Emily yelled from the kitchen. "No problem." He yelled back before opening the door. "Mom, Lulu Merry Christmas." "And merry Christmas to you too." Laura said kissing her son. "Are we the only one�s here yet?" "Nope we�re right behind you." Nik said walking in with Liz. "Merry Christmas everyone." "Oh good it�s your family not mine." Em said walking over to Lucky. "I hate to tell you this Em but Ned and Alexis are right behind us." Liz said. "I think she was actually referring more to her grandfather." Lucky said laughing. "I�m just glad Stefan isn�t here yet." Nik said. "I don�t know why you insisted I invite him Emily." "Because you�re here and so is the rest of his family." "Like he really cares." Lucky said as Em elbowed him in the ribs. "You said you�d try and be a graceful host." "Merry Christmas everyone." Ned stated coming in with V and his family. "I hope you don�t intend for all of us to gather here in the foyer all day and socialize Em." "No Ned I don�t" she said "And it�s Christmas so no sarcasm allowed." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ About an hour later everyone who was coming was there, with the exception of Stefan who called and gave a lame excuse for why he couldn't� be there and Jax and his date. "Emily the house looks lovely." Monica said. "Thanks mom but I couldn�t have done it without Lucky� help." "Yea well I could have done it without hers?" Lucky said. "All she did was boss me around and tell me where she wanted everything to go while she sat back and watched." "That�s married life for ya Lucky get use to it." Ned yelled. "Hey I thought I told you no sarcasm." Emily shot back. "Ned Ashton without sarcasm isn�t that like Santa Clause without his suit." AJ said. "No it�s more like Junior without a drink, something that�s not going to happen." Ned shot back. "You want to take this outside Ned?" AJ asked. "Fine with me but what are you going to do Junior hit me with one hand and hold your glass over you�re head with the other so you don�t accidentally spill your drink." "That�s enough Ned." Alexis yelled. "It�s Christmas and your children are just upstairs. "You no what Ned I don�t need to have a drink in my hand all the time." AJ said walking up to him. "Not when it severs a better use." And with that AJ threw his drink in Ned� face. V who was standing near Ned quickly gave him some napkins to wipe his face off. Ned just looked at AJ and then lunged after him, but Lucky and Nik stopped him. "Come on Ned forget about him." Nik said. "I�m sorry AJ I know you�re my wife�s brother but your drunk and I think it would be best if you just left." Lucky said as he was still holding a really pissed off Ned back. "My sister invited me for Christmas dinner and I�m not going anywhere." AJ stated plainly as he poured himself another drink. "You are a poor excuse for a human being you know that AJ." Edward yelled. "Oh give it a rest father you�re not happy unless you�re putting someone down." Alan yelled. "I wouldn�t always be putting him down if you and Monica would have raised him right." Edward shot back. "Oh right." Monica yelled "and I suppose you�re father of the year." "Well come on Monica." Ned said sarcastically as Lucky was still holding him back from killing AJ. "It�s not every parent who can raise a drug addict son and a daughter who tries to murder him." "And just where�s Brooke Ned?" AJ asked. "Home with her Mother." Ned yelled. "Where�s your son Junior? Off to god knows where with a mobster and his psychopathic mother." "You know Ned I never realized till today how much Carly and Tracy were alike." "Did someone mention my name?" The room went silent as everyone turned around to see Jax walk into the room with Tracy Quatermaine on his arm. "Merry Christmas everyone." Jax says "Sorry we�re late but it couldn�t be helped. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "What the hell are you doing here?" Edward demanded to know. "She�s here because I asked her to come." Jax said. Edward looked over at him. "You have no business being here as well." "I�m here because Emily invited me for dinner." Jax told him. "What?" Edward yelled looking at his granddaughter who looked like she just wanted to cry. "I�m sorry, yes I invited Jax." Emily said "but I had no idea when he asked me if he could bring a date it was Tracy." "Now that�s low even for you Jax to use poor Emily� bad judgement to your own advantage." Ned said as Alexis gave him a look like she wish he�d stay out of it. "Everything� ruined I�m so sorry, it�s all my fault all I wanted was for everyone to get a long just for one lousy night." Emily yelled as she left the room in tears. "See what you did now Ashton you made the poor girl cry." Jax said. "I�m going to make you cry in minute Jax." Ned yelled as Alexis grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room. "Excuse me I�m going to see if my wife�s okay." Lucky said as he left the room as well. "You know Jax I could use some fresh air myself." Tracy said. "Why don�t we go outside and you could introduce me to my daughter in law." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "Goading Jax into a fight is not going to help Emily any." Alexis yelled. "I wasn�t goading him Alexis he was asking for it." Ned shot back. "Why are you defending him anyway?" "I�m not defending him Ned. I think what the two of you did to Emily in there was just down right cruel." "Wait a minute." Ned yelled, "I didn�t come over here with the intention of ruining the day. Jax invited Tracy just to get to me and you." "Me?" Alexis asked. "Yes you Alexis, don�t give me that shocked look. You know darn well Jax is in love with you and he�ll do anything to win you." "I am not some prize that the two of you get to fight over and then who ever wins gets me." Alexis screamed. "Well isn�t nice to see the two love birds getting along so well." Tracy said walking over to them. "What is he an arm piece Tracy? Or you afraid if you let go of him he might leave and then you�d have nobody here that likes you." Alexis yelled. "Considering we haven�t even been properly introduced my dear you sure do have a personality problem." Tracy shot back. "Go to hell." "Uh she also has a mouth on her. My dear son what on earth ever made you marry a woman like this?" Tracy asked letting go of Jax and walking over to Ned. "I hope it was for the sex and not her social standings." "That�s it mother I�ve had enough." Ned said taking her arm and walking away. He was so pissed that he hadn�t even occurred to him that he left Alexis and Jax alone. ^^^^^^^^^^^ "She�s something else isn�t she?" Jax asked. "You have no shame do you Jax?" Alexis yelled. "You deliberate brought her here to cause problems." "Alexis sweetheart you should no by now that if I want something, I go after it at any cost." Jax said as he put his arm around her. "Even if the cost is losing the one thing you�re trying so hard to achieve?" Alexis asked him bluntly. "I�m sorry Jax but I think you owe Emily more then just an apology." "Well if I owe her one I guess I owe you one as well." "You don�t owe me an apology Jax. But what you do owe me is to stop playing these sick games of yours. First you walk back into my life and bluntly out of nowhere tell me you love me. Then because I won�t return your phone calls you buy into a company forcing me to meet with you over business, not to mention kicking Ned out of the L&B building, for no apparent reason other then for your sick pleasure." "Alexis I love you and I wouldn�t have to do all these things if you�d just agree to have dinner with me so we can talk." He said taking her hands in his. "Something almost happened between us not once but twice and we�ve never even talked about why." Alexis closed her eyes. "I know you have feelings for me and I�m sorry getting all wrapped up in your safe little world isn�t going to make those feelings go away, if anything by avoiding them I think there just going to keep getting stronger." She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She knows what he was saying was partially true. The more time she spent with Ned and her kids the more she thought about Jax. She�s tried so hard to push him away but there is still that something, that she has no idea of what, holding her in place. Jax slowly brought his lips to hers and she took a deep breath before she reached up and kissed him. The kiss grew quickly but Alexis pulled back before it could get out of hand. "I have a business meeting in Albany tomorrow about L&B. Ned� not going he has to stay here and take care of some paperwork for the new building he just bought." She looked down and couldn�t believe what she was going to say. "If you want you can call Janis in the morning and she�ll let you know where I�m staying. Now if you�ll excuse me I really do need to get back inside." "Thank you Alexis." Jax said quietly as he reached over and grabbed her arm before she left. "Till tomorrow." "Till tomorrow." |
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