Day after the Nurses Ball. Jax and Brenda’s Penhouse. The phone rings. “I’ll get it!” Brenda yelled from the bedroom and rushed into the living room and picked up the phone. “Hello?” she said into the reciever. Jax sat on the couch writing something, watching her on the phone. “Yes, that’s right. She’s my best friend. Oh no. Oh my God.” It was all Brenda could do to stop from dropping the phone. “We’ll be there as soon as we can.” Brenda said the last statement with a quaver in her voice. Jax stopped writing when he heard her upset voice. Brenda looked at him on the verge of tears. “What’s wrong?” Jax asked putting his legal pad and pen down on the coffee table. “It’s Lois.” Brenda said quietly setting the phone back on the reciever. “What about her?” Jax asked his voice filled with concern. “She was in a car accident. She’s in the hospital.” Brenda said breaking down barly getting out the words to tell her husband. “Oh God.” Jax said rushing over and embracing Brenda in a hug. They both just stood there, both crying for Lois. After a while, they pulled apart from each other. “I need to tell Ned.” Brenda told her husband, tears still in her eyes. “It’s not going to be easy.” Jax said looking at her, hands on his hips. “I know.” She said. She paused for a moment. “Will you come with me? Please?” Brenda asked Jax. Jax nodded in agreement after a pause. ~*~ Later the same day. Ned and Alexis’ new house. Ned and Alexis are in the kitchen eating lunch with Brooke. “Honey, this is wonderful!” Alexis said gushing over Ned’s cooking. “You could do it too.” Ned told her smiling mischivously. “No I can’t.” Alexis said shaking her head laughing. “Sure you can. I’ll teach you.” Ned said to her. “Well, now that could be fun.” Alexis said coyly. Ned looked at her raising an eyebrow. The doorbell rings. “I’ll get it.” Alexis said wiping her mouth on her napkin and going through the swinging door to the living room to answer the door. “Brenda! What’s wrong?” Ned heard Alexis’ voice from the other room. “Sweetheart, why don’t you go upstairs and play for a little while?” Ned told Brooke. “Okay.” Brooke said and disappeared up the stairs to her new room. Ned braced himself and pushed the door to the living room and entered to find Brenda in tears hugging Alexis and Jax very nearly on the verge of tears himself. A state in which Ned or anybody else for that matter found Jax in. At Ned’s presence in the room, Brenda and Alexis parted and Ned saw that Alexis also had tears falling from her face. “Ned, Brenda has something to tell you.” Alexis told him looking deep into his eyes. “Come here, Ned.” Brenda said sniffling and leading him to the couch. They both sat down. Ned was still too afraid to say anything. Ned and Brenda faced each other. “Ned, I got a phone call today.” She told him. “From the Brooklyn police.” She said and heard Ned gasp and he knew that this had something to do with Lois. She’s dead. He thought. I’m going to have to learn to raise Brooke all by myslelf. How the hell am I going to do that? He thought to himself. But he didn’t voice his fear. “Ned, Lois is in the hospital. She was in a car accident.” Brenda said breaking the news gently. “She’s in a coma.” She finished. Alexis and Jax looked on with tears. They had their arms linked. Alexis’ head rested on Jax’s shoulder. Normally, Ned would have taken up a fight with Jax but he was too upset to give Jax a hard time. “Oh God.” Was all Ned said. “I gotta get to the hospital.” He said grabbing his coat. “Honey-“ Alexis said. “Look, Ned-“ Brenda started. “Ashton, why don’t-“ Jax began. “I need to do this alone.” He told them.  And with that he walked out the door without even packing a bag to head to the airport and catch the next plane to Brooklynn leaving his wife and two good friends behind. After Ned had closed the door, Alexis looked as if the world had crumbled. “He still loves you.” Brenda reassured her. Alexis nodded tearfully. “Yeah.” She said quietly. And with that she turned and went upstairs to check on Brooke. I won’t tell Brooke anything until we know for sure. She thought. Back in the living room, Brenda looked up at Jax hopefully. Jax nodded at her, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and went up the stairs to talk to Alexis. ~*~ Jax quickly walked up the stairs to check on Alexis. He stopped in the doorway watching Brooke and Alexis play. “Lexi, you look sad.” Brooke said to Alexis looking up at her. “What? Oh, I’m just tired sweetie.” Alexis said absorbed in her own thoughts. “Hi Brooke.” Jax said coming into the room. Alexis turned around to look at Jax hopefully. “Why don’t you go play so I can talk to Alexis for a minute.” Jax said to the little girl. “Okay.” Brooke agreed and skipped out of the room and downstairs. Jax made sure Brooke was out of earshot before he spoke. “Alexis-“ Jax started to say. “Just save it Jax. I know what you’re going to say.” Alexis said getting up before Jax could lay a hand on her. “You’re going to say that the only reason Ned is gone is because Lois is Brooke’s mother and that yes he really does love me. Well, whatever. If he really does love me then how do you explain that he is out there and I’m right here. He is out there with one of his daughter’s mothers while the other one, me is here.” Alexis said in tears. “I can’t explain it Alexis. But I do know that Lois never loved Ned the way you do. She’s not his soul mate Alexis. You are.” Jax told her grabbing her by the shoulders and looking her in the eyes. Alexis eyed him before turning away and breaking down into tears over the man that she loved. “Come here.” Jax said holding her tight while she cried into his shirt. “Unhand my wife.” They heard a voice at the door. Alexis pulled away from Jax to see Ned standing in the doorway with Brenda, smiling. “Oh, Ned!” Alexis said and ran to his open arms. “Hi, sweetie. I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.” He whipered in her ears. Jax and Brenda quickly and quietly left them alone and went downstairs to be with Brooke. After a few moments they pulled away. “Honey, why did you scare me like that!” Alexis said to him. “Honestly, I was scared Alexis. I didn’t want Brooke to grow up with out a mother. Or thinking that her mother abandedned her and I really didn’t know if I would be able to raise Brooke by myself if something happened to Lois…permanetly.” Ned told her looking deep into her eyes. “But I love you so so much Alexis. I never loved Lois like this. Alexis you think you have-had commintement problems? My mother voluntarily left me. Your mother didn’t have a choice.” Ned told her. “It’s okay. Just don’t do it again.” Alexis said through her tears. “Oh don’t cry baby, don’t cry.” Ned said wiping her tears away. “I can’t help it. I love you and our child so much. And Brooke.” She said looking up at him and he smiled agreeing. ___