She sat on the edge of her bed wringing the remains of the water from her hair. Her eyes stayed fixated on the floor as her actions from the night before played in her head. Actions she didnt regret, but glad they had stopped where they did.

Alexis replaced the towel wrapped around her with her robe. It was now mid morning and she had spent it trying to retrace all that she had done in the past week and a half. Even if she did seemed she left everything behind, her penthouse, her job, even Sonny, she still didnt want to go back now she was determined and only to prove everything to herself.

She now stood in front of the bathroom mirror looking back at herself. She pressed down on the skin under her eyes and leaned into the mirror for a closer look now as if she were looking for re-assurance to all she had done. Especially re-assurance that she wasnt making a big mistake about her make out session with Ned last night. She leaned back out still looking back at herself and let a grin cover her face and even let out a small smirk that took the place of a girlish giggle.

But her face went solemn again. She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again but now she could feel her heart beginning to race through her chest.

I do love him

She looked shocked at herself for saying that out loud as if it had no consequences

What have we done, what have I done? Her mind couldnt erase the questions

She left the bathroom and headed down stairs. She loved the house; she loved the space to move around, the room to breathe and even the grass that surrounded it all. Yes it was different not having Johnny or Max to protect her but she felt safe and she would miss the company but if not for the first time she felt like she could be at home.

Alexis now came from out of the kitchen as the phone rang. She sipped at her cup and made her usual face at the first taste of her coffee, which she could handle, by the third sip or so.

Hello

Alexis!

Kristina!

I dont have much time this time to talk with you but is everything ok? Are you getting settled?

I m working on it

Do you really like the house?

I love it!

And youre happy?

So far, so good

How is everyone?

Their good. Amazingly its pretty quiet around here

Hows Nicholas?

Good and he said to tell you hello and that you could call him

I will and uh how is Ned

Um hes good, she said making it very obvious at her change in tone that something was up

Alexis?

What?

Just tell me youve been getting along

Actually weve been getting along maybe a little too well

Thats GREAT! Kristina said sounding excited and hoping it meant what she thought it did

Kristina had decided to go to Paris for a couple of weeks to visit some friends and to give Alexis a little breathing room. It was also Kristinas way of letting Ned have a chance to realize for sure that he still loved Alexis. Kristina wanted him to see she was no cure for his emptiness caused by Alexis.

Well I only had time to check in and ask you a thousand questions to catch me up. Im on my way to go skiing

Are you having a great time?

I really am Alexis, vacation is good you should try it!

Me? Right she said letting out a smirk Ill let you go

I miss you and I love you

I miss and love you too and Kristina please be careful

Ok! Bye Alexis Alexis could tell she was grinning by the sound of her voice at Alexis mom like worries

Bye

Alexis hung up the phone shaking her head. She was still amazed how they could be related. Yes they had a lot of the strange tendencies but they couldnt be more different in the way they lived their lives.

Alexis sat back down on the couch and read the front page of the newspaper from the day before. Her mind wondered thinking again of Ned. She couldnt help it. It had felt so good but so strange to be in his arms and to kiss him at all much less the way she was last night.

The one thing that kept weighing on her mind was that she didnt want what had happened to she and Ned before to happen again. And she found herself trying to pinpoint where they went wrong and what she could do to change what had gotten in between them. She also hated the fact they never had discussed anything. How could she start whatever it was with Ned again if they couldnt discuss the problem and it wasnt all about Sonny Corinthos.

The phone rang again braking her thoughts

Hello

Hi

Hi

Ive already tried to call you four times this morning and I cant seem to get anything done until I hear you and I are ok

Ned were fine. I was actually just thinking of you

Really? he realized he was staring to sound like a teenage boy with his crush

Yeah the tone in her voice changed and Ned noticed

Can I see you tonight, maybe dinner?


Alexis let a noticeable silence go between them

Alexis

Ned

His throat went dry

Um can we talk

Talking is good, he said almost relieved but still unsure of what was in store

Do you want dinner

I cant do this over dinner

Alexis and Ned both started to fidget on opposite ends of the phone

Alexis

Ned will you just go with me on this one?

Ok Ill stop by later he had nothing left to do but to agree with her


Ned stood on her doorstep no flowers in hand only a worried to death that she might have come to her senses about last night.

She opened the door to see him standing there still dressed in his suit. Alexis motioned for him to come in. She didnt know where to start and he certainly didn't

Alexis opened her mouth but nothing came out

You wanted to talk, he said sounding completely unsettled by her nervousness

Alexis grabbed Neds hand and pulled him over to the couch. Ned sat down and Alexis sat facing him.

Ned I. We she let out a sigh I couldnt even find words to go over this in my head much less with you

Ok tell me the subject and we can go from there he said trying to make it a little easier on her

Subject me and you, issue that there is a me and you

I want there to be a me and you he said reassuringly

There is always been a me and you

You know were really bad at this communication thing

Yes, I know this looking at him as if duh

Just say it

Fine she took a breath. Ned we have to talk about intentions. We have to talk about what went wrong. I mean we just cant ignore what broke us. I mean Ned Ill be sorry for the rest of my life for doing what I did to you

Alexis he said interrupting her

BUT, You and I are almost destructive to each other were pig headed, we have trust issues and there even more about trusting other people than trusting each other. You know Im neurotic but you wont let me be neurotic She said raising her tone as if she was catching on to her own point

I let you be neurotic, he said matching her tone

Well youre over protective about EVERYTHING!

I only do it because I love you and somethings YOU JUST DONT THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES!

LIKE WHAT? Alexis stood up from the couch

LIKE HELENA CASSADINE, HELL ALL OF THE CASSADINES AND

Alexiss eyes widen

AND WHO? SONNY

I DIDNT SAY SONNY

SONNY WASNT SUPOSE TO BE AN ISSUE

WHEN THE LOVE OF MY LIFE GETS SHOT AT BY GANGSTERS ITS AN ISSUE!! WHEN I SEE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE FALLING FOR ANOTHER MAN ITS AN ISSUE

Now Ned was standing and it had gone to a full blown out fight and she was yelling the first things that popped into her head

WHAT ABOUT YOU AND OR SHOULD I SAY EDDIE MAINE? IM NOT A GROUPIE, IM CERTAINLY NOT LOIS

I DIDNT WANT TO GO BACK IN THE FIRST PLACE TO BEING EDDIE MAINE, YOU BROUGHT IT UP

I WANTED YOU TO BE HAPPY

IT DIDNT MAKE ME THAT HAPPY

WELL I WASNT HAPPY EITHER

FINE!

Her frustrations suddenly got the best of her

AND, AND I CANT BE SOME LITTLE WIFE

I NEVER WANTED YOU TO BE THE LITTLE WIFE

WELL EVERYONE ELSE WANTED ME TO BE AND YOU WERE STARTING TO SEE IT THAT WAY AND MY GOD I WAS GOING TO BE NUMBER SIX

Arguing was like discussing the hard and to the point issues with them, they just werent good at it.

I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO MARRY ME. WE DIDNT HAVE TO GET MARRIED, YOU AND I COULD HAVE STAYED THE WAY WE WERE

I WAS SCARED OK

She was now trying to catch her breath because she knew she had just hit the nail on the head but Neds angry face turned as the lump in his throat made him feel sick

God I know you were stopping the shouting match

Alexis was now shaking her head

I did love you, I do love you but everything fell apart and we didnt

Fight. We didnt fight for us.

We let everyone dictate our lives so much that we forgot to fight for each other and I was tired Ned, of everything, everyone. We were like a sitcom, the Gatekeepers who got married.

I should have fought for you Ned bringing his hands to his face as if the realization was almost over bearing

I didnt play the part either as Alexis started to pace the floor in front of him, showing her obvious guilt

What did we do? he said in desperation

We fell apart

I need you, I mean need you Alexis, to breathe, to get up every morning, to laugh. I need you to be alive and this past year I dont feel like Ive lived one single day.

Alexis stopped pacing and walked up to him placed each palm to the side of his face and she pressed her lips to his. And then looked back at him.

Ned Ashton lets get one thing straight right now. This is not out of lust; this is out of love! You get it? she said in a demanding tone

Uh yes I get it Ned almost shocked at her forcefulness

And Alexis backed Ned on to the couch and sat down on top of him straddling him as she started to kiss him. She had no intentions of letting the night end the way it was about to but she thought she had at least made her point and they had a long way to go but she now knew for sure the important things.

She wrapped Neds tie into her fist to pull him closer

I miss the tie

He grinned as she loosened it and took it off, then she began to unbutton his shirt and give him small kisses down his chest

Ned let his hand find the side of her face as he guided her back to his lips

Ned, I want you and they continued to kiss

Ned stopped for a moment letting her eyes focus on his

Alexis, I - need you

Then make love to me

And he did. He wanted her to remember what it was like with him. The way he made her feel, the things he would do to her.

He ran his hands down the front of her body just to make sure it wasnt his fantasy. She looked at him and her eyes screamed that she wanted him. He kissed her as he unbuttoned her shirt. Replacing each button with a kiss to her newly revealed skin.

They were both naked now and not holding back anything they emotionally and physically wanted to do. Beads of sweat met his fingertips from where he held her and
she screamed with pleasure having him inside of her as his strong body over powered hers.

Alexis and Ned now lay on the floor covered barely by the blanket on the couch and his body covered the rest of her.

I missed you so much he whispered to her

She only ran her finger across his lips and she let the dimples appear on her cheeks

Ned?

Yes? he said still giving lingering kisses to her neck

Alexis this sat up letting her naked body be exposed again

Be here in the morning

I had no intentions of not being here looking puzzled by her comment

Come to bed with me

Ned made no verbal response he only followed her as she pulled him up the stairs and they got in bed and she placed her body in the familiar body next to hers as if he were molded for her. There was no question at that moment in time that they had made any mistake about what they had done. Nor was there any question that either of them hadnt realized what they had at that moment and that they knew they would fight relentlessly for it everyday.