~ Q mansion Christmas Morning ~ Ned is sitting in front of the fire staring at the Christmas tree. “Maybe you should give her a call.” Reginald states walking into the room. Getting up and walking over to the breakfast bar. “What would be the point?” “The two of you just had a baby and the three of you should be spending Christmas together.” “Alexis has made it clear that she doesn’t want me to be a part of their lives, and as strange as this may sound I need to respect that.” Reginald doesn’t say a word as Ned walks past him and out the door. ~*~ ~ Christmas Day 12 noon ~ Alexis comes walking out of her bedroom. She starts to walk towards the kitchen when the door bell rings. “Merry Christmas.” “Nik, Gia please come in.” “So where’s the little one?” Gia asks. “She’s in my room sleeping if you’d like to go see her.” “Come on Nik let’s go see her.” “You go ahead Gia I’ll stay here with Alexis.” Gia walks off and Nik pulls Alexis over to the couch. “Is Ned coming by this morning?” Looking very uncomfortable. “Probably not.” “It’s his daughters very first Christmas and he has no intention of even coming and seeing her. I know that you and he aren’t a hundred percent back together but still I thought he’d be here, or you’d be there.” “Nik it’s a little more complicated then you realize.” “The only thing I realize is that the two of you are just letting what you have, had and could have again slip through your fingers. Not to mention what right from the start you are allowing your daughter to lack. You grew up without a father and resented it all your life. Do you really want your own child to fill the same emptiness you felt all your life?” ~*~ ~ Gatehouse 3 pm ~ Alexis with Krissy in her arms walks up to the door and knocks. “Doesn’t seem like daddy’s home.” she knocks again. “Well Krissy what do you think we should do? Should we go check the main house or should we just let ourselves in and wait for daddy to come home?” She pulls out her cell phone. “I guess we could always call him and see where he is?” Thinking about it for a moment and then placing it back in her pocket. “I say we get you inside where it’s nice and warm, I’m sure daddy will be home soon.” Alexis using her spare key that she never returned after their last break-up let’s herself in. She places Krissy on the couch and looks around the room. “Krissy daddy doesn’t even have a Christmas tree.” She pulls out her cell phone and dials a number. ~*~ ~The Cottage 3:30 pm ~ “Coming.” Brenda yells making her way down the stairs “Ned please come in.” “I just wanted to stop by and wish you a Merry Christmas.” He kisses the side of her face. “And give you this.” Brenda takes the present from him as the phone rings. “I’ll get it.” Jax yells from the kitchen. “You have Jax cooking Christmas dinner?” She places the present next to the tree. “I’ll open this later, right now I want you to tell me how things are going with you Alexis and the baby. You have no idea how happy I am for you. You and Alexis from what I’ve heard have come so far in your relationship and the two of you deserve to be happy.” Jax comes walking out of the kitchen. “I have to go out for a little bit.” “Jax it’s Christmas.” Brenda whines He takes her arm and pulls her off to the side. “I know, I won’t be long I have to go help Alexis with something.” He looks over at Ned. “Do me a favor and keep him here for about an hour and then somehow mange to convince him he needs to go back to the Gatehouse.” “Will do.” She kisses his cheek. “Merry Christmas Ned.” “Merry Christmas to you to Jax.” Jax leaves and Brenda walks over to Ned helping him off with his coat. “Brenda I really can’t stay?” “I’m sure Alexis and the baby are fine.” She pulls him over to the couch. “now tell me does she sleep through the night or does she cry al night?” ~*~ ~ Gatehouse 4:15pm ~ Ned opens the door and turns the light switch on. He is shocked when he sees a tree lit up in the corner of the room. “What the heck.” He say to himself as he trips over what appears to be a baby bag. He picks the bag up and throws it on the couch. “So daddy what do you think?” She asked sitting on the bottom of the steps. Dumfounded “Alexis what are you doing here I thought……..” Standing up and placing Krissy in his hands. “I know what you thought and what I said but it’s Krissy’s first Christmas and she wanted to spend it with her daddy.” She wipes a single tear from his eyes. “And truth be told I wanted to spend Christmas with her daddy as well.” Not knowing what to say. “I love the tree, where did it come from?” “A friend helped me out, the same friend also helped me with dinner.” She points to the table which is covered with all his favorite foods. Walking towards the tree with Krissy. “ I take it the same friend helped keep me away from the house?” She pours the two of them a glass of wine. He is about to take the glass from her when he notices a certain ornament on the tree and picks it up instead. “I had that made just for you. Do you remember when that picture was taken?” “Just before you we left the hospital.” He looks over at her. “The day we took Krissy home.” “I know that wasn’t a great day for you because it was also the day I told you I didn’t want you to help me raise my daughter. I was wrong Ned and I’m sorry. You are as much a part of Kristina as I am and I so want you, no take that back I so need you to help me raise her. I was actually hoping that invitation of yours was still open?” Holding the ornament of him holding baby Krissy. “What invitation is that?” “The one of you wanting Kristina and I to move in here.” Tears begin to scream down his face. “Are you and Krissy really coming home?” Crying as well. “Only if you’ll have us.” “Have you?” holding out his hand. “Come with me I’ll show you how much I so want you to and Krissy to come home.” She takes his hand and together they walk up the stairs. They walk down the hallway and he kicks open the door across from his bedroom. He steps to the side allowing Alexis to enter the room. “Ned when did you do all this.” she walks over to the crib. “It’s whitewash I love whitewash.” She looks closer at it. “OMG Ned this is the same exact crib I was planning on buying Kristina while I was……” “About six months pregnant.” she looks up at him. “I know I came across the magazine you were reading and really do love the fact that you not only marked everything you wanted but that you filled out the order form as well” Smirking “It cut down my work tremendously” He walks over and places Krissy in the crib. “I think she likes it.” she kisses his lips lightly. “I know I do.” The two of them have their hands wrapped around each other’s waist and her head is against his chest. They sit there for a few moments just watching baby Krissy sleep. A few minutes later Alexis breaks the silence. “I love the pastel blocks you have painted on the back of the door. And the Disney Princess theme how’d you know?” “You like it?” “Are you kidding me I was talking to Nikolas just the other day and I was telling him that I was thinking about decorating Krissy’s nursery in either a pooh bear theme or some sort of Cinderella, fairy princess theme.” she hits him playfully on the chest. “You talked to Nikolas didn’t you?” “No.” he laughs. “Krissy here is my little princess and I wanted her to know it.” “And you’re her daddy and I want her to know it.” He kisses her forehead. “Come across the hall with me.” they walk out and into his bedroom. “I hope you like it.” She walks over to the foot of his bed. “Ned this Cradle is gorgeous it must be 30, 40 years old. “Well I knew you’d want Krissy close to you at night so I had Reginald help me get it out of the attic.” He sits next to her on the bed. “It was mine when I was a baby. I didn’t even know Grandmother saved it.” “I’m glad she did.” she looks at the closeness of the two of them sitting on his bed. “Ned about this living arrangement.” “You don’t have to worry about a thing Alexis, you can have my room I plan on sleeping on the couch.” “Ned you can’t do that. Besides there is plenty of room in Krissy’s room for a bed. I can just move mine in there.” “Don’t move I have a Christmas present for you.” “Ned we need to talk about this.” She yelled after him. ~*~ A few minutes later Ned with present in hand walked back into the room. He was about to say something when he saw Alexis sound asleep on his bed. He placed the present on the table and walked to the closet pulling out a blanket. He covered her body and kissed the top of her head. Carefully he sat down next to her and just watched her sleep as he ran his fingers threw her hair. She unknowingly grabbed a hold of his other hand and held it tight. Ned couldn’t help but think of how much he’s missed her and how glad he was that she was finally coming home. |
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