LUACH15

Chap 15

Saturday morning Alexis got woken up with a hand slapping her in the face by a arm that was stretching across her head. Sometime in the middle of the night Brooke-Lynn must have crawled in bed with her. She rolled over and smiled at the little girl all sprawled out in her little pink �Princess� pj�s. Alexis was tired and didn�t want to get up cause she knew Ned was still there and he would want to talk about last night, and she really didn�t want to start her day off arguing with him. So she closed her eyes and fell back asleep.

Alexis finally woke up a few hours later, it was 9:30. She knew Kristen would be up soon, so she slowly got up out of bed and covered Brooke-Lynn up and kissed her on her forehead. She quietly closed the door behind her and went into Kristen�s room. She walked over to her crib expecting to see her baby girl awake and smiling up at her, but she wasn�t there. Alexis smiled at the thought of knowing where ever Ned slept last night, Kristen slept with him. She walked down the hall and down the stairs. The house was quite. She walked in the living and noticed the TV was on with the volume down low. She walked over to the couch expecting Ned to be awake, but he wasn�t. He was sound asleep with Kristen sound asleep on his chest. His arms were wrapped protectively around her. Alexis smiled and sat on the coffee table in front of them. She closed her eyes trying to stop the tears that had began to form. No such luck, her eyes began to water and finally silent tears began falling down her cheeks. She watched them sleep for a few more minutes before she got up and headed to get the paper. She walked in the kitchen and sat the paper down on the table, it falling open to the front page. She knew that Brooke would want some French toast for breakfast, so she attempted to find all the ingredients to try and make it herself. But she couldn�t do it..she couldn�t make Ned's specialty meal. She sat down at the kitchen table with a glass of milk. She looked at the front page of the paper, she sighed and rolled her eyes. There was a picture of her and the girls at the park playing and beside it was another picture of Ned and Julia. Under the pictures it read: Attorney Alexis Ashton with daughter�s Brooke-Lynn and Kristen Ashton play at the park, while her husband has lunch with business guru, Julia Barrett, a former close �friend� of Ned Ashton�s. Alexis put her head down on the table. She thought �great, now the whole town knows� It would only be a matter of time before her phone would start ringing off the hook. People would start hounded her were ever she went, just like with the whole �Eddie�s Angel� fiasco. She got up from the table and walked back into the living room and sat back down on the coffee table in front of Ned and Kristen. She ran her hand over her baby girl�s head, letting her hand fall off her head and down onto Ned�s arm. Touching him, he slowly opened his eyes. Alexis hand was still touching Ned�s arm, she smiled a bittersweet smile at him and he returned a similar smile. �I�m sorry. I didn�t mean to wake you up� Alexis said. �Morning, sweetheart and don�t be sorry. I probably needed to get up anyway. What time is it?� Alexis looked at the clock on the wall �It�s a little after 10. Why is there somewhere you need to be?� Alexis asked taking her hand off Ned�s arm. �No there�s nowhere I need to be. It�s Saturday isn�t it? Do I work on Saturday�s?� Ned asked Alexis as she looked away �Not usually, but I was just..� She stared out the patio doors. Kristen began to wiggle and she stretch her little body out, her fists stretching up and hitting Ned in the chin, her little legs straightening out as if she was trying to stretch herself into growing a feet more inches. Ned rubbed her back as Alexis looked on smiling. Kristen began sucking vigorously on her pacifier before opening her big brown eyes. She smiled at her mother and turned her head back and looked at daddy. She smiled a huge smile and let out a little giggle. She buried her head in Ned�s chest and rubbed her little hands in her sleepy eyes. Ned and Alexis watched their little miracle girl wake up. It was one of the things they had grew to love every morning. They would lay in bed and watch her wake up and face a new day or they would lay in bed for several minutes listening to her giggle and dribble to all her little toys in her crib. Kristen had finally had enough of the spotlight for one morning and started fussing a little. Ned sa! t up with her and rubbed her little back. Alexis moved to sit next to them on the couch. She got herself ready to feed Kristen then Ned handed Kristen to Alexis. She held the little girl close to her as she ate. Ned moved and leaned back against the couch closer to Alexis with his arm on the back of the couch. Alexis shifted so that she was leaning on Ned, her arm propped up on his upper thigh, like they always do, so her arm wouldn�t get tired of holding Kristen while she nursed her. Ned�s wrapped his arm around Alexis shoulder, she slightly stiffened and looked up at Ned, he pulled her closer and she leaned her head back on his arm. For that moment she forgot about the pictures, the images of Ned and Julia yesterday. They sat in silence. It was killing them both. Alexis turned her head and looked at Ned. He smiled down at her and slowly leaned his head down to softly kiss her lips, when she didn�t move, he brushed his lips against hers. He pulled back slightly and looked into Alexis eyes, tears had began to form. �I love you, sweetheart. Please believe me nothing is going on with Julia and I. The papers are all wrong. They are making something out of nothing. You are the only women I want to be with, now, and forever.� Ned said before Alexis leaned up and was only inches from his lips when she said �I know and I love you too� kissed him on the lips with a little more passion. The kiss was interrupted by the sounds of little feet running down the stairs. Alexis felt Kristen jump when Brooke let out a yell �Daddy!� She ran and jumped into Ned�s lap. �Your home!! How come you didn�t show up to have lunch with us. Was it because you were with the pretty lady? You made mommy sad. Mommy didn�t know it, cause I was suppose to be in bed, but I heard her in your bedroom crying.� Ned looked at Alexis who looked down at Kristen and began playing with the sleeve on Kristen�s nite gown. �I�m sorry for not showing up yesterday, and I told mommy I was really really sorry for making her sad, but how about I make it up! to yall? How about we go out somewhere fun we will spend the whole day together just me and my girls, no cell phone, no beeper, just us. How�s that sound?� Ned asked Brooke. She got a huge grin on her face �Oh goodie!! I can�t wait! But first..how�s about some breakfast. My stomach is hungry� She said as she kissed Ned�s cheek and ran into the kitchen. �Ned you really don�t have to do this?� Alexis said unable to look at Ned �Yes I do..I need to be seen in public with my wife and kids. With the people I love more than life it�s self. We need to put these rumors and stuff to rest� Alexis looked at Ned and smiled �Okay..so what do we do if this turns into another whole �Eddie�s Angel� thing? I am not really up to be hounded every time I step foot out of my house and I don�t want to put the girls through that either. I don�t want Brooke's first day at Kindergarten to be some national event.� Getting up Ned said �Honey, it won�t. I promise. And Brooke won�t be here for her first day of Kindergarten� Alexis still sat on the couch Ned standing in front of her �You said that last time and it became to much for me and I ran out on you on our wedding day. Oh and about Brooke..I guess I forgot to tell you last night, seeing as I had several other things on my mind, but Lois called and said that she is going on tour with the new band and needed Brooke to stay with us to start her school year.� Ned smiled and held out a hand to help Alexis and Kristen off the couch. They walked into the kitchen Brooke-Lynn was sitting at the table with the newspaper in front of her with a sad look on her face. �What ya looking at princess� Ned asked walking over to stand behind her. He saw the pictures then looked up at Alexis �Not again� he said as he took the paper from Brooke. �What are these people trying to do me and my family?� Ned trough the paper in the trash �This is so ridiculous..we are going out in public as a happy family, You got that..we are going to show everyone th! at we are in love (he said to Alexis) and that I am a good daddy (he said to Brooke) But first I will make you breakfast, how does French toast sound?� Alexis smiled, Brooke clapped and yelled �Yummy� and Kristen blew milk bubbles. They all laughed.

The Ashton�s arrived at the park around noon. It was full of people. Kids were running and screaming. Mommy�s and daddy�s were playing with their kids and gossiping with the other adults. Ned and Alexis were walking down the sidewalk trying to find a open spot. Ned was pushing Kristen�s stroller and Alexis was holding Brooke�s hand walking beside them. Alexis noticed the some people staring at them, Ned noticed also and grabbed Alexis hand �It�s okay honey..we are going to prove those gossip columns all wrong� They found and empty spot sort of away from the crowd of people under a huge tree. Ned spread out the blanket and sat down and took of his shoes and leaned up against the tree. Brooke ran off to a nearby play area, still in their view. Alexis took Kristen out of her stroller and laid her on the blanket next to Ned. Alexis sat down and took off her sandals. Ned pulled Alexis in between his legs to lay back onto his chest so they could watch Kristen and Brooke-Lynn play. Brooke was on the swing then the slide. She was running around laughing and screaming. Kristen was as happy as can be out in the warm air kicking her little feet up in the air and sucking on her hands and toes. Ned wrapped his arms around Alexis and buried his face in her neck. Some people were still watching them. Ned and Alexis blocked them all out of their minds as if it were just them there at the park with their girls.

Brooke-Lynn ran over to them and flung herself into Alexis� lap. Ned wrapped his arms around both of them and squeezed them tight. Brooke let out a loud giggle as Ned began to tickle her. Alexis moved out of the line of fire and picked up Kristen. Alexis sat back and watched Ned play with Brooke. Kristen was sitting in her lap kicking and giggling herself. Ned slowly crawled over to Kristen and tickled her little tummy and made her squeal. Brooke jumped on Ned�s back causing him to fall into Alexis lap. �Oooppss..sorry� Brooke said laughing. They all sat there and played and laughed as a few people still watched them. One lady had the nerve to walk over to them �How dare you do that to your wife and children� Ned and Alexis stopped laughing and both looked up at the lady. �Excuse me� Ned said. �Here you are with your lovely wife and children playing the loving husband and father, then tonight you�ll run off to be with your lover. (to Alexis) Sweetheart you ought to divorce this jerk, all he is going to do in the end is bring heartache. Pack you and the girls up and get out before he can hurt you anymore.� She said before she turned her nose up and Ned and walked away. �Sweeteart..let�s go. I don�t want them to keep staring at me feeling pity for me. I know the truth but they don�t. All they see is you pretending to be in love with me, while they think you have a lover on the side.� Alexis started to get up, Ned pulled her back down. �We are not going anywhere. They can think what they want to like, I want to be here with you and the girls.� He said before he pulled her into a passionate kiss in front of all the people that had begun staring at them again.

Brooke had ran off again to play on the playground and Ned had his head laying in Alexis' lap he had fallen asleep with Kristen also asleep on his chest. Alexis was running her hands through Ned�s hair watching Brooke-Lynn play. She was watching Brooke running and laughing. She was so happy. She had no idea what those people were thinking about her daddy.

Alexis noticed a lady in a business suit walking towards them as she got closer she realized it was Julia. Alexis rolled her eyes and looked past Julia at the crowd of people that had started gathering to get a front row seat for this little piece of action. �Oh great!� she said outloud and she woke Ned up to let him know that his �lover� was heading this way. He slowly sat up not wanting to wake Kristen. He got up and laid Kristen in her stroller then proceeded to walk towards Julia. �What in the hell are you doing here?� Ned asked a stunned Julia at his sudden harshness. �I was wanting to see if you could meet today. I tried your cell phone and beeped you several times, but got no answer, so I called the mansion and they said that you had mentioned you were going to the park with Alexis and the girls. What�s with the sudden rudeness?� Julia asked �Have you not seen or read the paper in the past two days. They think I am cheating on my wife with you. I purposely left my cell phone and beeper at home. I wanted to spend the day with my family, not to be disturbed. It�s Saturday, it�s my day off and I want to spend it with Alexis. So if you don�t mind leaving before these people start getting more crazy ideas about us in their heads.� Ned said nudging Julia to walk away. Julia looked around at the people and got a smirk on her face. She turned back to Ned and said �Fine I�ll leave, but you had better be back in the mood to work on Monday. We have to get this deal closed. Otherwise we can really give them something to talk about seeing as I would have to be in town a lot longer.� She said touching the side on Ned�s face. She had just added fuel to the fire. Ned knew all the people were all thinking the same thing �He is with his lover in front of his wife, What a pig� He could see it on all their faces. Before Julia left she kissed Ned on the cheek. Ned jerked away and Julia just laughed as she walked off. Ned glared at her back and all the people that had gathered around to stare! . He turned back to Alexis who sat there with her legs drawn up to her chest with her chin propped on her knee. Ned sat back down beside her. �I am sorry about that. Someone at the mansion told her we were here and she wanted to talk about the deal. I told her no, that this is my day off and I wanted to spend it you with and the girls.� �She is such a tramp. She knew kissing your cheek would get them all talking again. If I wasn�t a proper lady, I would have walked right up to her and slapped her across the face. Ned I can�t stand her. I didn�t like her in Monte Carlo and I most defiantly don�t like her now.� Alexis said straitening her legs back out. Ned leaned in closer to Alexis his face inches from hers. �You know if we weren�t in such a public place I would rip your clothes off and make love to you, but since we are in a public place and people are staring, I guess I'll just have to just settle for a little making out. Just until later� Alexis smiled before Ned kissed her and pushed her back onto the blanket falling on top of her. She let out a small squeal as Ned kissed her with as much passion as he could. He wanted to make love to her, but right they in a public park , so he settled for making out in front of all those people that thought he was cheating on his wife. I guess he proved them all wrong, well at least for that day and for the moment. Some people went back to their business while others couldn�t tear their eyes away from them making out like that in a public and in front of children. They were so lost in each other that they didn�t care who was watching.