The morning of the vote they got ready to head to the mansion for the emergency board meeting. Alexis was standing by the island finishing her coffee, looking over her calendar, trying to figure out when exactly she had time to fit this deposition into her already full week. She knew she had to move it. Not going to the vote wasn't an option if her marriage had a shot at survival. She'd make it work. He needed her there. She looked up as he walked into the room, tying the navy patterned tie. She walked over and took it from his hands and tied it herself. A windsor knot. "A tie?"

"Well, if things go the way my mother seems to think, I'll need to stop into the office later."

"I'm not saying I don't approve…" She smiled. "There. Perfect." She placed her hand on his chest.

"I'd think you'd much prefer to be taking this tie off of me than putting it on…"

"Gross. Your children are present." Addison said as she stood from the kitchen table and went to put her bowl in the sink.

"Sorry, princess."

"Later." Alexis said quietly as she pulled on the tie, and kissed him.

"Still in the room!" Addison announced.

"She's right. No one wants these visuals." Kristen added. "I'll see you at the board meeting" She said as she left for the mansion.

"Visuals of what?" Owen asked entering the kitchen.

"You don't want to know." Addison said as she left. Ned laughed and Alexis kissed him again.

"Oh… oh, gross…" Owen was repulsed as it made sense. He walked to get a bowl of cereal and avoided eye contact, tried not to even address it. Honestly, it was refreshing to not walk into a room where you could cut the tension with a knife. His parents were acting normal again. He was relieved.

"Is it ok if we go separately? I have some work I need to get to as soon as this board meeting is over."

"Totally fine. I don't expect you to put your entire day on hold for this."

"Thank you." She replied.

He kissed her cheek before going to pour his own cup of coffee. He still felt guilty for even insinuating he didn't want her the night before. He hoped that despite his obvious distraction, her demeanor this morning was evidence that they had made a small step at recapturing what was slipping away. Getting back what was lost would take work on both their parts. She was clearly trying. He had to find a way to make it up to her.

That morning, Alexis was at war with her instincts as she drove to the mansion. She wanted to be there to support her husband, but her gut was telling her today was not going to go the way any of them expected. They both worried their daughter crossed a line, but she also knew her husband and she knew he was hopeful the day would end with him as CEO. The job that he hated and loved simultaneously. The job that he would fight for and had been fighting for months to finally have back.

"Kristen, just a heads up is all I'm asking for." Ned said to his daughter as Alexis arrived at the mansion.

"Trust me, Dad."

"I do trust you. That's what worries me. When you set your mind to something…"

"It will be fine." She said, annoyed, her grandmother told him she was involved.

"You're not caught up in something you can't get out of, right?" Alexis wanted confirmation.

"I'm in control. It's fine. I promise, it's fine." Kristen tried to calm both her parents down as they walked into the living room.

"Tracy, why are we here?" Monica said as everyone sat in the Quartermaine living room. Everyone present. Everyone left on edge, curious, prone for a fight. The way Edward would have wanted if he had set this up himself.

"We have ELQ business to conduct in the matter of settling who will be the next CEO." Tracy announced to the room.

"If you want to call a vote and be humiliated, Aunt Tracy then go right ahead."

"Oh AJ, hit the bottle early today did we?"

"Actually I've been sober for months. Thanks for the support."

"I think at this point we can skip the speeches and last minute pleas. Time to put it on the record and settle this." Tracy explained.

Kristen looked at Michael and then at her grandmother and nodded. Ned watched his daughter carefully as his mother was about to start calling the roll.

Michael hesitated and Kristen's eyes grew wide as she stared him down. "Actually I have an announcement. I've decided to back out of the race for CEO. I'll be voting for Ned and I encourage others to do the same."

Ned looked at Kristen, shocked, while Kristen smiled at her dad, pleased with herself.

"What?!" AJ yelled standing up. "That's ridiculous. Who got to you? You had the support of half this family. It's your birthright."

"Listen, I've just come to see that now isn't the right time for me to take control of the company. Ned's right. I'm green and well the stock needs to be stabilized."

"I'm glad to hear you realized that Michael. There will be a place for you if you want it."

"I'll think about it. Thanks."

"Well if Michael doesn't want it, Ned has my full support." Monica said.

"Mine too," Emily and then Chloe agreed.

"I thought you two were staying out of it. If Michael doesn't want it, then I'm throwing my name in for consideration."

"There's no competition anymore AJ. Ned's won." Emily stated.

"Well I wouldn't say won." Michael added. "I just had second thoughts."

"Ned hasn't won anything. I say we vote. There's another choice."

"The last time you were CEO you lost our biggest subsidiary and set in motion a plan that got my pregnant wife kidnapped by a mad woman with your help, Junior. No one is foolish enough to vote for your level of incompetence again."

"I believe it was your own mother who colluded with the legal team, Ned. Check your facts."

"I'm well aware of my mother's faults," Ned stated.

"What's he talking about?" Kristen asked her mother.

"Nothing, let it go, ok?" The last thing she wanted was to relive the mess with Trainor.

"Ancient history, AJ. Enough. It's time to vote." Tracy stated and began to call the roll. Before long it was apparent that AJ didn't stand a chance as everyone fell into line behind Ned. AJ was furious, Kristen was proud, and Alexis watched her daughter carefully, afraid of what she may have done.

"Well Ned, congratulations. I don't know how you pulled it off. But you did. I look forward to the first stock report." Alan said, a bit relieved. ELQ needed steady leadership and he was reluctant to admit that Ned was the right person to meet the moment.

"Actually, I have another motion." The room froze. Kristen made eye contact with Michael. A look that said, you better be with me on this as well, or it will come out. As Kristen took in new information about her grandmother's alleged past influence on the legal team she knew what had to be done. ELQ needed a fresh start to recover and this may even help her parents settle this once and for all. It might also get her mother away from Morgan's case, so her sister could feel like she could speak up now that the vote was concluded. "I move that we name Alexis Davis-Ashton Chief Counsel of ELQ, effective immediately."

"Kristen, what are you doing?" Tracy asked, shocked. This was not what they discussed.

"I can't believe this. I truly can't believe this." AJ stated, outraged Ned's daughter seemed to have caught him so off guard.

Ned looked at his daughter with a glimmer of pride watching her take charge and then saw his wife's face. She was blindsided. She'd put off a deposition to be there and now it looked like he had plotted to vote her in without another conversation. They'd agreed to wait until he was CEO; he didn't know about this and he prayed that she would believe him. "I think we should table this, Kristen."

"No, there's a motion on the table. In the absence of a new chairman of the board, I move our new CEO calls the roll. " AJ said amused.

"It's ok, Dad. We have the votes."

Alexis sat there listening to her own daughter talk about her like she wasn't even in the room. Ned looked at his wife. "No, Kristen, we don't. Your mother can't vote. It's a conflict."

"Then give me Owen and Addie's proxy. I'm certain everyone else in the room sees the value of having Mom overseeing the legal team."

"Kristen does have a point." Monica added.

"So we vote. Dad?"

"I'll call the roll." He reluctantly moved.

"No. No you won't call the vote." Alexis stood angry. "I've made how I feel perfectly clear. I won't be working at ELQ." She said to her husband. "In any capacity," she added, closing the door to any shred of compromise. "I've got to go." She said as she left and AJ looked on, completely amused that Ned's play for CEO just wreaked havoc on his seemingly perfect marriage.

"Alexis, wait." Ned said as he followed her out to the foyer. She turned and looked at him expectantly. "Stay. We need to talk about this."

"I don't think you want to hear what I have to say right now. You need to give me space." Alexis stated as she walked out of the mansion. Ned sighed and walked back into the living room.

Chloe got up and met him by the doorway, "She'll calm down. She will."

"But what she has to say when she does. That's what scares me right now, Chloe. We aren't in the best place."

"I know. You'll figure it out."

"We've got to get to the hospital. Is that it?" Monica asked.

"Yes, get on with your day. Meeting adjourned." Tracy said.

"Congratulations, Ned." Monica said as she followed Alan out into the foyer.

On the opposite side of the room Ned watched Kristen talking to Michael, who then followed suit and left himself. "I need to talk to my daughter." He said to Chloe who nodded and left him in the living room alone with Tracy and Kristen.

"What did you do Kristen?" Ned asked his daughter as he approached her.

"I took care of it and that's all I can say." Kristen was vague. A part of her felt badly that her mother reacted that way and maybe she shouldn't have made the motion, but she had to try while the numbers were in their favor.

"Why do I fear you've done something you'll regret."

"Don't worry about it Dad. The person impacted the most already knows. It's fine."

"Where did I go wrong?"

"What?" The last thing she expected was that he'd be disappointed.

"I prayed that none of my children would ever make the same mistakes I made for this family. I just hope whatever you agreed to doesn't cost you more than it did Michael to stop this pursuit with AJ."

"It didn't cost me anything."

"Then who? Who did you sacrifice? What information do you have?"

"Dad, I really can't."

"You should be proud. Your daughter became a true Quartermaine this week." Tracy added.

"Are you kidding me mother?"

"Nope. She's sharp and is going to make a great leader of ELQ one day soon, but for now. The reigns are yours."

"That is what you wanted. Right, Dad?"

"Of course. But not at your expense, Krissy."

"It cost me nothing. I swear."

"Your daughter came through. You weren't doing much in the way to break the deadlock, the stock price is falling. Daddy would have approved." Tracy stated.

"Right, anything for the company." He said sarcastically. "There's been a lot going on with Addison. My family needed my full attention. My marriage needs my full attention."

"Oh stop. Your marriage is fine." Tracy blew it off.

"Actually, he's right. Mom's kind of been pushing him away and they've been at each other's throats."

"What's the matter with you Kristen? This is between your mother and me. And what you did today was not helpful."

"All you want is for her to work as Chief Counsel. What's so terrible about that?"

"You mean this was your idea? You want Alexis as Chief Counsel?"

"Yes, and it was the first in a long line of things that are pulling us apart."

"Of course it is."

"What's that supposed to mean mother?"

"How have you managed to stay married for this long and not know your wife?"

"She's worked for ELQ before."

"That may be true. But I highly doubt that will ever happen again. She's independent. She thinks for herself."

"Those are good things."

"I agree and I also think that's why she's good for you. She's not going to just come to ELQ because you ask her to."

"I hoped I could convince her. We agreed to table it until I was CEO. We had just agreed to talk about it again last night. Kristen, your interference today did more harm than good."

"No amount of romantic charm is going to convince Alexis to work at ELQ. You're a fool to think so." Tracy told her son. "And you agreed with your father about this?"

"He never asked me, but I mean it's a good idea. ELQ needs stability. I don't understand why Mom won't do it."

"You're clearly your father's daughter."

"Why do I think that's not a compliment, grandmother?"

"I love my son," She said and looked at Ned. "But he's easily blinded when he sets his mind on something."

"I love you, too, mother." He said a bit sarcastically. It was one of the few traits he shared with his mother and he hated having it pointed out. "Kristen, I'm leaving. You ready?"

"I'll be behind you."

"So what did you use, Kristen?" Tracy asked intrigued.

"It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. That's all. I'll talk to you soon Grandmother. Thanks for your help."

Alexis called Chloe from the car. She had her come pick up Addison. She explained she didn't want her to overhear the conversation she needed to have with Ned, so Chloe agreed to take the girls to a movie, give them time. So she went home. She could do some of what needed to get accomplished from home. When Owen asked to go meet Will at Kellys she was relieved. Neither of them needed to hear what was on her mind. Neither of her youngest children needed that stress.

"Alexis? Honey, are you here?" Ned asked as he entered the house. He'd try there first, but she was more likely at her office across town. He'd bring her lunch and hope she'd be receptive to talking with him.

"I'm here. Owen took the car." She said coming out of the office. She tried to keep her composure.

"I'm sorry," he said as he tried to hug her but she pushed him away.

"You're sorry? I sat there and watched as you and our daughter. Our daughter, Ned, tried to hijack my life!"

"That's not what happened."

"That's exactly what was happening! How could you do that to me? How could you use our daughter like that?"

"I wouldn't! I didn't, Alexis!"

"You knew how I felt about it. I've been telling you for weeks, but you, you blindsided me anyway!"

"I told you, that's not what happened today." He tried to calm down. He tried to stay rational. She was angry, hurt, and wasn't thinking clearly "I understand why you'd think that–"

"I'm oh, so glad you understand that. Is this what was distracting you last night? Your guilt. Is that why you didn't want to–"

He cut her off, frustrated she'd even think that, "You can't be serious. How could you even think that?"

"How? I don't know, Ned. You tell me. I tried to reignite some semblance of what we had and you wanted no part of it. I had to convince you to want me." She knew what to say to hurt him.

"That is not at all what happened last night and you know that. You're connecting things that have nothing to do with this."

"Really?" She wasn't so sure.

"Yes, really. Can you please just listen to me? Please, Lex." She just stood there, stared at him and waited. "We were going to talk about ELQ. Last night you said we'd talk about it–"

"You're right I did. And silly me, I was thinking of ways to try and compromise about it. To meet you halfway because I care about you. How stupid was I to think that was even possible. You've had your mind set on this from that afternoon in the Port Charles Grille. You couldn't care less about what I want in this situation… "

"Alexis, that's not true. I care about you. I didn't do this. It's not what I wanted or expected to happen today. We were both concerned about what Kristen would do. Please try to take a step back and think clearly about this "

"If it's not about trying to force me into fully warping myself into someone I don't even recognize for your family, then what? Tell me. What is this about?"

"This is about you. You and your life-long panic that everyone you love is going to leave you, so you push us away. Intentional or otherwise."

"No, this is about us. This is about the fact that we can't stop hurting each other."

"I didn't know Kristen was going to make that motion to name you as Chief Counsel. Honey, you have to believe that."

"But you didn't vote it down either. You knew how I felt and you were going to let it happen anyway. And there was this moment you were proud of her for even bringing it up. I saw it in your eyes."

"I won't lie to you about that. Watching her take charge of my family like that….I was. She's going to be a great CEO one day."

"You know, Ned, I knew eventually there would be a day when you'd feel called upon or be expected to step into the role your grandfather played in your family. I did, and I thought I could live with that."

"So what, now you can't live with that?"

She started to calm down,"The way you are with your family is one of the reasons I fell in love with you. You know that. It's just..."

"Just what?" He didn't understand. He wanted to understand.

"I never expected that you'd want me to do that with you and I can't. I married you. I didn't marry the Quartermaines."

"Grandfather loved you and thought of you as family, he wouldn't have left you stock if he had any doubts."

"And I loved your grandfather, I truly did, but I won't give up who I am, or my career, at the altar of the Quartermaine legacy. I won't do it."

"No one's asking you to."

"Aren't you?"

"Who you are is why I wanted you to do this with me. You are the best attorney I've ever met and I love who you are. This doesn't change that."

"I know you do, but it seems we're at an impasse. And we've tried, we really have, but all we do is fight, it's the same argument over and over again. I can't do it anymore. I can't."

"What are you trying so hard not to say?"

"Maybe we have irreconcilable differences."

"If that's supposed to mean what I think, I won't believe that's what you want until you actually say the word, Alexis. I won't. You mean too much to me. Our life together means too much to me."

She took a deep breath. This was killing her. It was killing her to watch him hear her. "I think we should get divorced."

"Lex-, I love you, don't do this." This was not how he expected the conversation to go and it was killing him to listen to how hurt she truly was.

"Our kids need us at our best. We're not at our best when we're around each other anymore." She'd spent all morning replaying the last few months and there were so many times they could have made different choices. But they didn't and now they had to face reality.

"Forget about the kids for a minute. This is about you and me. We've been happy. Haven't we?" He stepped closer to her. He tried to look into her eyes; she'd see he loved her. She'd see it.

She was having a hard time meeting his gaze. "There's no question some of the happiest moments of my life have been with you. But the key to this decision is the past tense. We both used it."

"Alexis, you are the only person who has ever seen and accepted all of me."

"And I thought you saw me."

"I do see you." He was quiet, but adamant.

"I'm not sure I believe that anymore," she whispered. This morning had broken a lot of trust.

"We swore this was forever. We promised to never let go." He tried to remind her. She had a hard time looking him in the eye. It was tearing them both apart watching the other try not to let the tears fall. "This is really what you want? You really believe we're broken beyond repair?" He asked quietly.

"I think all we seem to be able to do is hurt each other lately, and maybe it's time we acknowledge that what's best for this family is to divorce before we do any more harm to what has been a once in a lifetime love."

"Are you saying you're not in love with me anymore?"

"It's because I love you that I need to let you go and I'm standing here giving you permission to let me go as well because I don't ever want us to look at each other with contempt or disdain in our eyes."

"Is there anything I can do?" He didn't believe this was what she wanted. It's not what he wanted, but he also wanted her to be happy and maybe that meant listening.

"Don't fight what I think you know is true as well. I want this to be as painless as possible. For me, for you,..and most importantly for our kids."

"You'll handle everything?" He was resigned that this was what was happening. He wished he could go back to that board meeting and stop Kristen from making that motion, but he also had to admit that he'd made mistakes, too. She was right. They hurt each other. This wasn't out of nowhere. It didn't happen overnight.

"I can, if that's what you want. But you have a right to have your own attorney."

"I trust you, or don't you remember?"

"I remember." She paused and he reached for her hand and she let him take it. "Ok, so it's settled then. We made a decision?"

"We have." He agreed. He was so shell shocked he couldn't believe he agreed.

"When do you want to tell the kids?" She asked.

"We can do it tonight. There's no sense in prolonging this." He held her hand, she stepped closer to him and looked into his eyes. "We'll find a way to make this ok for them." He read her mind. He'd been here before. She had no idea the pain that was coming her way. He had to hope that once they started to actually live through this, she'd realize it wasn't what was best. That they could find a way to move past the hurt. He had to hope.