As the weeks passed they went barreling straight into the holiday season. Halloween came and went, and then there was Thanksgiving where typical Quartermaine shenanigans ensued and pizza was enjoyed by all in attendance. Ned and ELQ had been cleared by the SEC agents and his testimony was slated to be crucial evidence in the case against Jillian. Tracy was still in Port Charles, but even she had been cleared by the SEC. Ned still held evidence she tampered with ELQ long before London in his hands, knowing that timing was everything and having leverage over his mother could come in handy. He and Alexis had put all they had been through behind them as they got ready to welcome their son and enjoy the holidays.
Life seemed to settle and as much as she relished it, it made her uneasy. Everything seemed to resolve itself. Jillian was formally charged, and her trial was pending. Ultimately, Nikolas agreed and took his place as the Prince. And despite a minor confrontation with Stefan about how that played out, her relationship with her brother seemed to have gotten back to a place of mutual respect. Helena showed up at Nikolas' 25th birthday, and it took everything in her not to play the game that Helena had tried to engage in. She alluded to more, still blaming Alexis for interfering with Nikolas, but Alexis tried to put it out of her mind, not live in fear thinking that if she stayed clear, if she laid low for a while, Helena would go back to ignoring her and her family. She focused on wrapping up cases, prepping the ongoing work for the paralegal that was slated to assist as she was on maternity leave.
Alexis walked along the docks as she headed towards Kelly's to meet Ned and Kristen. They had promised their daughter they'd get their Christmas tree that afternoon and she was looking forward to spending some time with the two of them, their last weeks as a family of three. It had started to flurry and she took in the sight and smell of the first snow of the season, when she unexpectedly ran into Helena.
"Well, well, if it isn't the mommy to be. How wonderful to see you."
"Helena," she acknowledged and tried to walk around her and move towards the stairs, but Helena stepped in her path. "If you'll excuse me. I have somewhere to be." She fought the urge to engage, to bait her and play verbal dodgeball. There was something invigorating about flirting with the danger of her family, but she knew better, she knew she was blamed for Nikolas extricating himself from everything Cassadine, however temporary and she couldn't risk putting her family in danger.
"Well, busy, busy, busy, Natasha. You're looking a bit harried, how can we expect you to raise Mikkos' grandson properly when you can barely manage with one irrelevant daughter, who you so foolishly named after your insipid mother."
"My children are none of your concern."
"That's where you are mistaken, and well, he will be the son of a bastard, but a male descendant of Mikkos nonetheless and I have an obligation to my beloved Mikkos to look after the family legacy and protect it from…outsiders."
"If I were you, I'd be more concerned with your legal situation. Being out in public like this? Risky, don't you think, when you're wanted for murder was it?" She tried to brush off the obvious threat, knowing she couldn't cower in fear. It only gave Helena power and she had no intention of doing that.
"Oh, but haven't you heard? My time's been served, I'm free to move about wherever I please. And Nikolas is young. He needs guidance and I can't expect my weakling second born to provide the necessary tutelage."
"Nikolas is doing just fine without any guidance from you."
"He doesn't see the imminent…" She paused, finding just the right word, "hazard, facing the estate." She said making eye contact and then bringing her gaze to Alexis' pregnant stomach.
"If you come anywhere near this baby, you'll live to regret it." She was pushed too far, she let her fear show, and her instinct to protect her family took over. She knew in that moment that she'd do whatever it took to make sure Kristen and her son were not targets in the Cassadine vendetta.
"Making threats? What bravado. And here I thought you were a wiser woman, Alexis." She said, shaking her head, as she walked down the docks towards her yacht.
Alexis placed her hands protectively on her stomach, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you," she said quietly, certain, as she watched until she was out of sight before walking up the stairs and headed towards Kellys.
When she arrived, she walked over to the table where Ned and Kristen were already sitting. Kristen, sat with her back to the door, coloring, while he saw her enter and smiled at her as she walked towards them. She stood behind Kristen and ran her hand through her little girl's hair as she leaned in and kissed the top of her head.
"Hi mommy!" Kristen said, looking up at her mother.
"Hi, sweetheart." She said as she took Ned's hand and then leaned in and kissed her husband hello. She placed her hand on his cheek briefly before walking to shake the snow off her jacket as she took it off and sat down next to him, and across from Kristen.
"Mommy, guess what?!"
"What Krissy?" She replied, trying to match her daughter's excitement and put the altercation with Helena out of her mind.
"We went to the library today in school and I got 3 new books! And I can even read some of the words, mommy! Can I show you tonight, pleeease?"
Alexis looked at Ned, who laughed slightly. He had already heard all about the trip to the library. "Of course!"
"You ok?" He asked. He could read her and despite how present she was, he could tell there was something weighing on her.
She thought she could hide it, but she continued to pretend. "I'm with my two favorite people. How could I not be?" She replied, taking his hand and giving it a slight squeeze, knowing he could read her, but signaling she couldn't get into it. "How was your meeting at L&B today? Did you finally find someone to replace Nikolas?"
He let her avoid, dropped it for now and proceeded to tell her about the progress he made in getting someone in place that could keep L&B up and running. As he did Jillian walked into Kelly's and they froze. She made eye contact with both Ned and then Alexis, who glared at her in return before she chose not to engage and walk over to sit at the counter. She was soon followed by AJ who stopped at their table, "If it isn't the happy little Ashton family."
"Good to see you, AJ." Alexis tried to intervene before he started anything with Ned.
"Is that a hint?"
"Mmmhmm." She looked at him and nodded.
"I'm meeting someone anyway." He looked over at the counter to Jillian who waved and then stared at Ned, "and there she is. See you soon." He said as he walked over to the counter and sat down next to Jillian.
Ned watched them interact and then turned to his wife. "She's using him. Why can't he see that?"
"AJ needs to figure this out on his own. She only wants to get to us. Don't let her.." She said lovingly as she ran her hand through his hair and touched his shoulder. "Put down the keys, gatekeeper."
He leaned in and kissed her lightly and as he did Jillian rolled her eyes from across the room. "Thank you. I needed that."
"Anytime." She leaned in and kissed him. "Now, what do you say we go get that tree?" She said looking at their daughter.
"Yes, yes! Let's go!" Kristen exclaimed as they laughed at her excitement and stood up from the table and left Kelly's as a family.
They walked to Rice Plaza where they wandered the rows of trees before finally settling on one and bringing it to the car and driving home. They got the tree into the house and Ned went to get the boxes of decorations, while after putting on her pajamas, Kristen came back downstairs and took out one of the books she had gotten that day at the library. She sat on the couch reading with Alexis, who had popped a bowl of popcorn as she took comfort in being surrounded by her family. She had started to read to her little girl, but Kristen insisted she try some of the words. She was awestruck by her little girl, "You are becoming such a great reader, Krissy. I'm so proud of you!" Alexis said as she kissed her little girl's head.
"Thank you, mommy." Kristen beamed as Ned walked into the living room with the stack of boxes.
"I think this is everything." He said as Kristen hopped off the couch and went straight to the boxes, Ned had set down on the nearby table. They strung the white lights on the tree and Kristen lifted ornaments out of the box one at a time asking her parents to tell her the story behind each and every one.
"Tell me about this one, daddy." She said as she lifted a small glass heart with an inscription.
He smiled at Alexis who smiled back as she placed an ornament on the tree. "Daddy gave that to mommy when we had our first Christmas as a family." He said as he took it from her and placed it on the tree.
"What about this one?" She said as she pulled out a silver moon, with a pink dangling star hanging from its peak.
Alexis walked over and ran her hand down Kristen's head and took it from her, "this one is so mommy and daddy can remember the first Christmas with you." She said and then placed it on the tree.
They continued to decorate the tree, sharing their memories with their daughter. With all the excitement Kristen had finally tired herself out and fell asleep on the sofa. Ned brought the empty boxes back upstairs and Alexis stood by the tree and looked out the window at the snow that continued to fall. She reached for the ornament that read Baby's First Christmas, and then looked over at her little girl sleeping peacefully on the sofa as she flashed to the conversation she had with Helena that evening on the docks. She needed to protect her children and so she reached in her pocket and took out her cell phone. To her dismay it went to voicemail. "Sonny, it's Alexis. Things have changed and I think I need to take you up on your offer. Call me back, it's important."
He rounded the corner and heard her make the call and he wasn't sure what to make of it. She was quieter than usual all night and he noticed. He thought at first maybe it was Jillian and AJ, but she had been guarded at Kellys before they had even arrived. More was going on and now she was calling Sonny and he worried that maybe they hadn't rebuilt as much trust as he had thought. He approached her cautiously, trying not to jump to conclusions, not to fight with her and cause more damage. "Alexis, is everything alright?"
She turned at the sound of his voice as she placed her cell phone on the mantle. "No." She said quietly, knowing that she couldn't keep this from him. Knowing he had picked up on something at Kellys. Fearing he heard her call Sonny and that he was going to be hurt she didn't turn to him first.
He saw the flicker of fear in her eyes, fear that she would only let her guard down enough with him to see. He walked towards her and pulled her into his arms and she gratefully clung to him, before he pulled away and looked at his sleeping daughter on the sofa across the room. "I'm going to bring her upstairs to bed, and then we'll talk?" He said, trying to reassure her and push any thoughts about Sonny's presence in their life out of his mind. She nodded in response and he walked over and gently lifted Kristen into his arms and headed towards the stairs.
She sat down and waited for him to return, playing with the fringe on the edge of the cream blanket draped over the arm of the sofa. Soon, he quietly walked back into the living room and sat down next to her. She instinctively moved her hand to her stomach and as he did the same she covered his hand with hers as they felt their son. "He's active tonight."
"Very." She said as she made eye contact with him and then looked down at their hands.
"Any day now and we'll finally get to meet him." He replied as he gently caressed her stomach.
She smiled warmly at the thought, "Did you ever think we'd be here? Two people who initially bonded over hating Christmas, here, happily decorating a tree, one child tucked in asleep and another on the way." She let her gaze meet his again and interlocked her fingers with his as they moved to hold hands. "We have the family we've always wanted, Ned."
"What's going on, Alexis?" He asked cautiously, as she adjusted herself on the sofa, trying to find a comfortable position and then took his hand again.
She took a deep breath, "Helena. I ran into Helena on my way to Kellys tonight."
"And what did she say?" He tried not to jump to conclusions, stay rational. But he also knew Helena and her fear was justified.
She brought her hands down to her stomach again before locking eyes with his. "She's going to go after this baby, Ned. I'm certain of it."
"I'm not going to let her or anyone else hurt you or our children." He was adamant and reached to tuck her hair behind her ear before trying to take her hand again, but she pulled away.
"You can't promise that." She said deadpan as she got up and crossed the room.
"Lex…let me–" He felt her slowly building a wall. A wall he knew she didn't mean to build to keep him away, but she was in full blown protective mode and it was hard to reach her when she put her guard up.
"You can't protect us from this." She interrupted him, cold and distant, as she stood with her back to him. The minute she said it, she instantly regretted it. She closed her eyes, wishing she could take back those words.
"Oh and Sonny can?" Anger, jealousy quickly flashed through him and he stood and watched her walk towards the window.
"Where did that come from?" She turned, shocked he'd bring Sonny into this and saw the hurt on his face she knew was caused by her.
Her words cut him to his core, how could she think he couldn't protect her or their family. "I heard you leaving him a message just now. What offer, Alexis? Why don't you trust me?"
"I do trust you. And I love you and that's the problem." She stepped back towards him, pleading with her eyes for him to forgive the last few moments.
"I love you, too, but honey, you're not making any sense. I'd do anything if it meant keeping our family safe. You have to know that. I'd even–" He was certain, if it came to that he would do whatever it took to keep his family safe.
"Don't say it. Don't even think it. That's why you can't be the one to do this. Because I know you would and I won't let you compromise yourself like that."
"So you're asking Sonny to–" He was softening, realizing her motives.
"No." She looked at him, afraid he thought she had gone straight to worse case scenario in her haste to protect their children. "No. He offered to put his people on the house. That's it and I think we should let him. If anything happens, our kids will be safe.." She paused and then added, "you'll be safe- our future will be safe."
"You're trying to protect me, too." He stepped closer to her and took her hand in his as she nodded "and I understand your reasoning, I do..it's just.."
"Ned, it's not forever, it's just for now." She said quietly.
He closed his eyes and sighed, he hated letting Sonny Corinthos help protect his family, but he loved her and would do what she thought they needed. "Ok, for now." She leaned into him and let her forehead meet his and he kissed the top of her head, knowing they had reached a place of mutual understanding.
Meanwhile, across town, Jillian was being escorted by Ari into Helena's yacht. "Why the hell am I here?" She demanded, indignant.
"I've watched you play games with Natasha and her husband and I do say, it was rather amusing, and the fact that you even had a past with Mr. Ashton, now that, that was delightful, but it's time you made yourself a bit more useful, darling daughter." Helena said as she ran her finger along the edge of a letter opener.
Jillian stood there, shell shocked. "You're delusional."
Helena stood there amused, "No, my dear, that's you. There's a reason you were shipped off, your instability was clear even as a small child. And we couldn't have that."
"You're full of it." She had known she was adopted, but this. This was ludicrous, so completely unexpected she wasn't sure how to respond.
"You didn't think I just decided to purchase your silly little company and dump millions into it for the good of the Cassadine portfolio, did you? You foolish girl." Helena stepped closer, still fingering the letter opener. "Now, are you going to bend to my will or shall I make other arrangements?"