The next morning Addison stood in the kitchen getting what she needed. She wasn't sure whether she would bring up what she saw at the hospital party, but she knew she wanted to make it clear how she felt. Bringing cookies seemed like a way to break the ice. She was just starting to follow the recipe when her mother entered the kitchen and went to pour another cup of coffee.
"Making cookies again? This early?" Alexis asked.
"Yeah. I'm meeting Cam in Rice Plaza after Kelly's with Sophie." Addison explained her plans for the day.
"I'm glad. So it was just a misunderstanding then?" She asked her daughter hopeful.
"I'm not sure. We haven't talked about it." Addison stated, but then noticed her father walking into the room and clammed up.
"Talked about what?" Ned asked as he came into the kitchen for more coffee.
"Nothing, Daddy. Don't worry." She still wasn't ready to tell her Dad she liked Cam. Let alone what happened on Christmas Eve.
"Ok, princess." Ned looked at Alexis, "I'm going into ELQ today. But I shouldn't be home late."
"ELQ? Did something change with the vote? Is there a board meeting today?" She asked, walking towards him.
"No. I told my mother I'd take a meeting with one of the subsidiaries threatening to jump ship. The chaos within the family isn't inspiring confidence."
"Oh. Well, have fun. They don't stand a chance." She said, knowing her husband truly did like to plot strategy and make deals. Then, she kissed him lightly.
"I'll tell them you said that. Actually I could use your advice on one section of the contract…"
"Ned…" She said skeptically.
"It will take 15 minutes. Max. This isn't some trap, Alexis. You've done things like this for me before." He clarified his intent before things could escalate.
"I have, you're right. I'm sorry. Where is it?" She said, touching his arm.
"It's ok. The contract is in the office. Want to look at it now?"
"Sure. I've got some time before I leave myself." Alexis replied and followed him out of the kitchen.
Addison watched her parents carefully. They didn't fight. They almost had, but they didn't. She breathed a sigh of relief. They were trying. They were, she reminded herself as she continued to make the cookies she was bringing to the plaza.
Addison walked to Rice Plaza after meeting Sophie. She was looking forward to the festival that was setting up for New Years, just a few days away and maybe just maybe she'd clear the air with Cam and finally tell him how she felt. Sophie had told her he was shocked Joss kissed him and that what she saw couldn't be what she thought. It didn't add up and it gave her hope her mother was right afterall. Maybe it was just a giant misunderstanding.
Joss waited at Rice Plaza. She told her mom she was meeting her sister and a few friends. She still couldn't understand what Cam could possibly see in Addison. She knew they were friends. They all grew up together, but it didn't make sense. Addison kept to herself at Madison and seemed to have no desire to even try and fit in. Meanwhile, she kept tabs on Cam via myFace. He was popular, had friends. It didn't make sense. As Joss came around the corner, she spotted Cam immediately and walked straight towards him. "Hey! How was your Christmas?"
"It was good, Joss. What are you doing here?" He was surprised to see her.
"Just checking out the ice sculptures. I thought I was meeting my sister here. You?" She lied.
"I have plans with Addie." Cam said, looking for her.
"Fun. Maybe we can all hang out together."
"I don't think so, Joss. Not after that stunt you pulled at the hospital."
"I told you. There was mistletoe and–"
"There's Addie," he cut her off and Joss grabbed his hand, pulled him towards her.
"Seriously, what is your problem? Addison, wait!" Cam said as he pushed Joss away and saw Addison's horrified face as she turned to leave.
She heard him, but she didn't stop. She couldn't believe she'd be that stupid. He'd invited Joss? It made no sense. He hardly talked to her. Even when they were at the same school last year they barely acknowledged each other. They all may have grown up together, but they didn't have much in common.
"Adds, please stop!" He shouted as he ran after her.
He sounded desperate, she was hurt, but she stopped and turned around. He caught up to her. "That's not what it looked like." He said out of breath.
"It's ok, Cam. You don't have to lie to protect my feelings."
"What? Why would you think that?"
"I saw you on Christmas Eve and now this…" She tried to explain, but she was still processing it. It didn't make sense. But she saw what she saw.
"It's all Joss. I swear. I don't like her like that." Cam insisted.
"Well she likes you, Cam. That much she's made clear more than once. I'm sorry I've got to go. I only came to tell you I couldn't stay and give you these." She said as she handed him the container of cookies.
He took the container. "I thought we were hanging out today."
"Family stuff. Sorry." It was a lie he'd believe. She needed to get out of there.
"Tomorrow then?"Cam asked hopeful as Joss stood next to him.
"Just let her go, Cam." Joss said impatiently as she stood there taking in the wreckage. Mission accomplished.
Addison pulled out her phone, "Sorry, my sister is waiting for me. I really do need to go." She lied. She needed an escape.
"Ok. I'll text you later." Cam asked, hopeful.
"Sure." She said and walked back to Kelly's and called Kristen.
Cam stood there and looked at Joss. "Why would you try that again?"
"I like you Cam. Maybe it was impulsive, but I like you. I didn't know how to tell you."
"Well I like Addison, so stop with these stunts. I'd like to be able to be your friend because of Sophie, but I don't like you like that and I can't be if you keep this up."
"What could you possibly see in Addison? She's–"
"Funny and creative and a really good listener." Cam jumped in. He wasn't going to stand there and let Joss trash talk Addison. "So leave her alone. I know everything that's gone on at Madison."
"From her point of view, Cam."
"Well you're not doing yourself any favors by acting this way, Joss. If I didn't know better I'd bet this whole thing is an act just to continue to torture her. For some reason you're jealous of Addison and I'm not going to let you ruin my friendship or anything else between me and her. I'm gonna go."
"Sure, go. Go after her and convince her there's nothing here. She's not right for you, Cam."
"You have no idea what's right for me, Joss. See you later." He said as he walked away and took out his phone. He texted Addison. He had to convince her what she saw on Christmas, what she saw just then was nothing. Was all one sided. Maybe it was finally time he told her how he actually felt. Maybe that would convince her.
Addie sat at the counter of Kelly's with hot chocolate and waited for her sister to arrive. She couldn't stop replaying the scene with Joss, Cam's comment about it not meaning anything, the Christmas party, everything. She was so lost in thought she didn't even realize her sister had walked up behind her.
"You ok, Addie?" Kristen asked again as she sat on the stool next to her.
"I'll be fine." She kept it vague. She wasn't sure what to say.
"Change of plans?" Kristen asked, concerned. Her sister was quiet.
"You could say that." Addison replied as she drank her hot chocolate.
"You seem upset. Can I do anything?" She wanted to help. She wanted to try and be supportive and not jump into being the family fixer as Addie always put it.
"Can you change the fact that Joss is all over Cam?" She finally turned to face her sister.
"Addie, I'm sorry."
"Didn't think so." She turned back to her hot chocolate.
"Did he know you liked him?"
She flashed back to what she saw at the hospital party. They were flirting with each other that much was clear. "No, maybe. I don't know. We've had a few moments. I thought it was mutual, but neither of us said anything and now it's too late."
"You've been friends forever. I'm sure you'll figure this out."
"What do you think I should do?" She asked. Her sister had dated in high school. Was seeing someone in Boston. She would have advice. It was one of the few times she actually thought she needed Krissy.
"Honestly? I'm not a relationship expert. I broke up with Jack."
"You did? When?"
"After Thanksgiving. It was never going to work."
"What happened? I thought you were in love with him?"
"Yeah. Maybe. I wasn't sure. Anyway I shouldn't be giving you advice."
"I'm sorry, Krissy." She said as her phone buzzed in her hand. It was Cam.
Cam- I swear what you saw isn't what you think. Can we please meet later Adds?
Addison- Can't. Like I said, family stuff.
"I'm sorry, too. Is that him?" Kristen asked, noting her sister's distraction.
"Yeah. I don't know what to say to him. I need time to think about it."
"Then give yourself the time you need." Kristen advised.
"Yeah, maybe. Let's just go home." Addison said as they stood and walked out of Kelly's.
The next day, Addison couldn't stop spiraling about what she saw and what it meant. She sat and stared at another message from Cam. Please just talk to me. You're one of my best friends. She didn't want to ignore him, but she had no idea what to say. As she sat there and replayed all of their recent interactions she had another message. This time from Hope. She was throwing a party tonight. She wanted her to come. Just one more thing to worry about. Why would Hope be inviting her to some party? They were barely friends. Hope was fake, she knew that, but then she couldn't get the idea of actually being included out of her head. After everything that went down the last few days with Cam, maybe she should try harder to integrate herself more. Maybe she should have listened to what the school and her parents had tried to tell her back in September. There was no way her parents would let her go, but maybe there was a way. At the very least maybe it would help get her mind off of Cam and Joss for a little while. She put down her phone and decided to go downstairs, find her sister. Kristen owed her and might just help her figure out a way to go to this party.
"Your father and I need a night away." Alexis said to Kristen, who was sitting in the living room. "Can you be here for Addison? Owen is at Will's."
"Yeah, I can do that." Kristen said, closing her laptop and placing it on the coffee table.
"Do what?" Addison asked, walking into the room.
"Daddy and I are going away for the night and Kristen will be here."
"I'm 14, not 4. I don't need her to watch me like a toddler."
"Just in case anything happens, we know you'll be fine." Alexis assured her youngest. "Maybe you two can use this time to continue moving past what happened. To just be sisters again."
"Yeah, maybe." Addison said, realizing she may have a way to get to that party afterall and her parents would never need to know.
Later that evening, their parents had left and Addison sat in the kitchen with her sister. They had ordered pizza and Kristen thought they were going to just hang out and watch a movie. She wanted to get her mind off her breakup and maybe it would help her sister stop worrying about what to say to Cam.
"Krissy?" Addison asked, apprehensive.
"What's up?" Kristen responded, putting down her glass.
"I need a favor." Addison stated, nervously. She hated breaking the rules, but she needed to go. She needed to at least see what it was like to be included.
"What is it?" Kristen asked skeptically.
"So, there's this party tonight…" Addison hesitated, second guessing her own judgment. Knowing if her parents found out they'd be disappointed in her choice.
"Absolutely not." Kristen was adamant.
"You owe me." As soon as Kristen immediately tried to stop Addison from even asking, she doubled down, attempting to make a point about their recent history.
"Do you know what will happen if Mom and Dad find out I dropped you off at a party?"
"They won't find out unless you go and throw me under the bus again. They're gone for the night and I'll be here when they get back. You did way worse than this."
"Why do you even want to go? That doesn't seem like something you'd enjoy." Kristen asked, confused. She knew her little sister, despite what Addison thought.
"I just do, ok! Now will you take me or do I need to figure out another way?" Addison snapped, she hated being second guessed. She needed to do this. She needed to stop spiraling about Cam and this could help.
"No, I'll do it. If you're going to be reckless, I'd at least like to know where you are. But I'm picking you up at 10."
"Deal. Thanks, Krissy." She said relieved. "Seriously. I never get invited and if I didn't show up I'd probably never be invited again."
"Don't ever accuse me of not being your sister again."
"Got it."
"Don't do anything stupid ok? There's going to be alcohol. There's going to be open containers. Don't drink and don't drink from anything you didn't get yourself."
"I won't. I promise. I'll be ready in 15 minutes." Addison said as she went upstairs to change. She settled on jeans and her green v-neck top. She grabbed her phone and her coat and told herself she could do this. She could try to make new friends. She could have fun, even with people she wasn't sure were genuine. She could figure out a way to enjoy high school if Cam wasn't going to be in her life.
They agreed they needed this. They needed to face what was happening. They needed to talk and find the middle ground. Ned drove and Alexis looked at him as he turned left towards the hotel. "I thought we were going to dinner at that new place first?" She asked, intrigued.
"The Port Charles Hotel has room service." He answered. He had called ahead. There was already champagne and chocolate covered strawberries waiting. He knew they needed to talk, but they also needed to recapture the romance.
"If we go straight to the room, what are the chances we'll actually talk? We agreed being in public will prevent us both from tearing each other apart. Would force us to listen." She was concerned they'd continue to ignore the issues.
"We need time away to reconnect."
"We connect just fine," She said. It was the one thing that had never changed about them. Falling into bed, especially when they couldn't communicate with words was what they knew. "What we need is a real vacation. Just you and me. Tonight is a good start, but I'm not naive enough to think we're going to solve it all in one night."
"I don't disagree."
"I hope you believe that I do want to solve this.."
"I do." He said as he took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "So, straight to the suite and room service?" He said, flashing his dimples.
"How can I resist, when you look at me like that?" She shook her head and smiled at him. He was impossible.
"You can't." He smiled at her as they pulled into the hotel parking lot and went straight to the room.
Across town the party being hosted by Hope was in full force. Loud music, underage drinking, not an adult in sight as Addison walked into the house, convincing herself she could do this. She could pretend she liked these kids for a few hours. Maybe even find another freshman that might not think she's this social freak.
"Who invited Ashton's sister?" Morgan asked as he spotted Addison enter the house. She'd avoided socializing except at lunch. It was bizarre that she'd be there.
"Me. You can thank me later." Hope said as she smiled at Morgan.
Meanwhile, Addison waved to Sophie, who waved back and then continued talking to the girls she usually sat with at lunch. She scanned the room and made eye contact with Joss and then Sarah who looked at her questioning her presence. As she read the room she second guessed her decision to even come. Her sister was right, this wasn't her scene. She knew she was reacting to seeing Joss kiss Cam and wanting to find some place for herself at this school knowing that things would never be the same with her friend again, but this wasn't who she was. She spotted a less crowded room, a sofa, and was walking into the other room when she ran into her brother.
"Addison? What are you doing here?" He was surprised to see her.
"I mean I could ask you the same question Owen." Her parents thought he was at Will's.
"I'm just surprised."
"That I'm capable of attempting to be social?" She tried to joke.
"That's not what I meant. Just stay safe. Don't drink anything ok?"
"Why does everyone feel like they need to warn me about that? I won't. It was risky enough to come without telling Mom and Dad. I'm not completely stupid."
"I know. I'll be outside by the fire if you need me…"
"I'm fine. See, Sophie is over there." The last thing she needed was for people to start talking about how she tagged along with her brother as some sympathy invite.
"Gotcha. Well, I'm going to try and find the guys." He said as he made his way past his sister, still surprised she was there, not quite sure he trusted the people he saw her go stand with as Hope yelled her name across the room and Addison walked towards her. He thought she was done with that group.
As their children were making choices they wouldn't approve of across town, Ned and Alexis entered the suite at the Port Charles Hotel completely unaware of the potential for disaster headed their way. "This was a good idea," Ned said as they entered the suite and he grabbed the edges of her coat and pulled her close.
"Coming straight here was your idea." She kissed him and then stepped back, "We need to make the most of this time. We need to actually talk."
"Plenty of time for that," he kissed her and she wrapped her arms around him in response. As their kiss escalated, soon their coats were discarded and she was backing him onto the bed. They both knew they needed to talk. That they couldn't ignore what was breaking them, but they found their common ground in bed first.
Soon, they laid there, on their stomachs, faces inches apart as their breathing slowed. "We're so good together," he whispered.
"We are," she quietly agreed and he kissed her softly. "So how do we make sure we don't lose this?" She asked the hard question. The one she had no answer for.
He rolled onto his back and pulled her closer. She rested her head on his chest and he kissed the top of her head. "If I knew, I don't think we'd be here." He was honest. Raw. They laid there in silence, afraid to say the wrong thing. "You hungry?" He spoke first.
"Not really," she said. "We can order something to share though…"
"Sounds good," he replied and kissed her head again before reaching for the phone on the nightstand. She kissed his chest and held him close, savoring the feeling of being in his arms, knowing they eventually needed to face reality.
Meanwhile at the party across town, "Hey, I brought you something to drink. What are you doing over here by yourself?" Morgan said, handing Addison the red solo cup and sitting next to her on the leather sofa.
She placed it on the table at the end of the sofa. "I'm fine Morgan. Thanks."
"Oh come on. You didn't come here to just sit on the sidelines. I can tell you want more."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Addison asked confused, her gut telling her to move away as she slid closer towards the end of the sofa.
"You have to want to fit in. You must want friends…" Morgan said, moving closer.
"I have friends. I'm fine." Addison said moving away again.
"Who? Cameron Webber?" He asked, laughing.
"Who Cameron and I are to each other is none of your business. Did your sister put you up to this?" She couldn't believe Morgan of all people would be asking her about Cam.
"I don't talk to my sister about girls I'm interested in."
"Morgan, I think I made how I feel perfectly clear at lunch the other day."
Across the room, Joss watched her brother carefully. He was definitely attempting to come on to Addison, and she clearly wasn't interested. At first when she saw them sitting together at lunch she thought maybe Addison was interested in her brother to get back at her for wanting Cam and for starting the campaign to isolate her from the rest of the freshman class. But, now, watching them interact more closely, she wasn't so sure.
Morgan inched closer towards Addison. They'd been playing this game for months. He knew she liked him, faking disinterest. "Come on, don't play games Addison, there's a reason you've been hanging out with us at lunch and it can't be Hope. There's a reason you showed up here tonight. If I didn't know better I'd think you reported us because you wanted the attention."
"Are you serious?" She was floored. How could someone be so self absorbed. He was worse than his sister.
"How do you think you got invited?" Morgan asked. Hope knew he was interested, and she clearly had invited her for his sake. Morgan was going to prove that Addison was worthy of the spot on that list he had pushed for once and for all.
"You're drunk." She said, as he moved even closer and she could smell the alcohol on his breath. She tried to get up, but he stopped her and pulled her towards him and kissed her. She shoved him off of her. "Don't touch me," she said as she tried to stand again.
"Oh come on, loosen up a bit," Morgan said as he tried to kiss her again, but stopped when a few other seniors entered the room and called his name. "Come on, let's go outside." He said to Addison as he stood and tried to pull her to her feet.
"I'll be there in a minute," she lied, as Morgan left with the others, hoping it would give her a chance to find a room with people she knew. People she trusted. As she walked out into the hall Joss stopped her.
"You ok?" She asked, concerned. She saw what happened. She also knew her brother was struggling and unable to think things through clearly. He wanted what he wanted and couldn't see beyond that recently and adding alcohol wasn't going to make it better.
"I'm fine. Why do you care anyway?" Addison questioned her motives.
"Jeez, relax ok. I know you're upset about me and Cam, but I was just asking."
"I can't deal with you right now." Addison replied and kept walking. She spotted Sophie and her friends and walked over towards them. "Hey."
"Hey." Sophie said more interested in the people she was dancing with, clearly drunk or close to it herself.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Addison asked, trying to just get a couple of minutes with her friend. She needed to talk to someone about what just happened and Sophie was the only person there she knew and trusted besides her brother.
"Addie, we're here to have fun." Sophie said as she drank from her cup. Not sure why her friend was being so serious, not quite wanting to be seen with her out of fear her own social standing would suffer.
She sighed and nodded and walked away. She looked at her watch, 8:30. She could last another hour and a half. She'd stay near the largest crowds. She'd avoid Morgan and the other seniors. She could go find Owen, but she didn't want it to seem like she was incapable of having fun, being social. She didn't need to be rescued by her older brother.
At the Port Charles Hotel, Ned and Alexis sat in bed, and he passed her a flute of champagne. The clock read 9, and they still hadn't truly talked, but the time together was meaningful and they took time to appreciate all that wasn't said between them. They both knew what they weren't saying was because they loved each other so deeply that they didn't want words to hurt the other and overshadow the connection that was truly there from the beginning.
"Ned, we should try to talk, but I don't know where we're supposed to even begin to understand it all." She said as she put down the glass of champagne.
He sighed. "You're right. I know you're right."
"I love you and I also know maybe I haven't shown you that lately." She brought her hand to his cheek.
"I know you love me. I love you, too, but I can't wrap my head around the fact that you've been pulling away. Why, Lex?"
"I don't mean to, it's not intentional. It's just…" She let her thought trail as she tried to find the right words. She didn't want to hurt him and she wasn't quite sure how to explain what she had come to realize. That she felt like she was about to drown and disappear into the Quartermaine dysfunction. That she felt totally disconnected from her own family, and who she was before him.
"Just?" He tried to gently encourage her to continue, but suddenly her cell phone started to ring, taking him off guard. "I thought we said no cell phones?" Ned said as he kissed her shoulder and reached for her phone.
"What if one of the kids needed to reach us?" She said sheepishly. He shook his head and laughed, but she responded. "Honestly though, I just had this nagging feeling that it needed to be on. That we needed to be reachable. I turned it on when you let in the room service."
"Ok, ok, answer it." He said as it continued to ring and she looked at the caller id. Her instincts were usually spot on when it came to their kids.
"It's Elizabeth Webber." She told him surprised; concern and confusion in her voice.
"Elizabeth Webber?" He questioned as she answered, equally as confused.
"Hi, Elizabeth?" Alexis asked as she answered.
"Alexis, hi. I'm glad I was able to reach you." Elizabeth said, relieved on the other end of the phone.
"Is everything alright?" Alexis asked, her concern only increasing at the sound of Elizabeth's voice.
"I'm not sure. Addison is here." Elizabeth answered and looked over at the teenage girl sitting on her sofa, worst case scenarios spinning in her head as she watched her son's friend.
"What? Why?" Alexis asked, her daughter was supposed to be at home with her sister.
"She says she walked. She just showed up… no coat, no cell phone…something is going on. She seems pretty upset, but trying hard to keep it together."
"We're on our way. Thanks for calling." Alexis said, her concern evident in her voice.
"Wait-" Elizabeth said before Alexis hung up.
"What is it?"
"She said to tell you that you're out of guacamole. She insisted."
"Tell her that I have it and that we will be there in 15 minutes." She said, processing; every worst case scenario running through her mind.
"What's going on?" Ned asked as she hung up and looked at him with worry and confusion all over her face.
"Addison," was all she said as she immediately got up and got dressed and he followed her lead.
She dressed quickly, frantically and Ned followed her lead. Panic setting in, not quite sure what happened, not fully understanding why his wife was so worried. "Alexis, what is going on? You're scaring me." Ned said as he handed her her coat and they scanned the room one last time for their belongings.
"She used our code word, Ned. She used the code word we had agreed on." She said as she put on her coat and walked towards the door.
"Code word?" He was lost and followed her down the hall to the elevator.
She continued to press the button until the doors opened. She needed to get to her little girl. "Yes. We made a plan. We had a plan and I hoped that she would never, ever, have to use it." She said as they stepped onto the elevator.
"She's ok, right? Elizabeth said she was ok?" His worry increased with each passing interaction with his wife.
"She said she walked there; has no coat, no phone, nothing. Something happened to our baby girl tonight and I pray to God it's not what I think."
"Where the hell was Kristen?"
"We'll deal with that later. Let's just make sure Addie is safe and ok first." She made eye contact with him.
"Alexis…"
"I know." She replied as he took her hand and squeezed it. They rode down to the lobby and then walked quickly to the car and drove, silently praying their daughter was ok.