The weekend was over. The new reality was going to be an adjustment. Owen walked into the house and went straight for the kitchen. He was glad to be home and he was glad to have his car back. He could see his parents whenever he wanted now and wasn't dependent on rides with friends after school.

Alexis emerged from her office as soon as she heard the front door close. She was happy to have her children home. It was two days and they felt like the longest days of her life thus far. She wasn't sure she could get used to this.

"How was your Dad's?" Alexis asked her son as she followed him into the kitchen.

"Strange. I know we've stayed there before. But it was the main house and always because you guys were away and this just feels different." Owen said honestly.

"I'm sure. You'll adjust, it will start to feel normal eventually."

"Were you ok?" His mom was alone and he worried about her.

"I was fine, O. I missed you both, but it's like I said. We'll all find the new normal, ok?"

"Thanks for dropping her off and making sure Owen got his car. It will make the week easier," Alexis said, wrapping her arm around Addison and hugging her hello as Addison and Ned both walked into the kitchen.

"Will we see you this week?" Addison asked her dad.

"I have some meetings in Manhattan for ELQ, but I'll call. Maybe I can stop by when I get back before you're with me again on Friday?"

"That sounds like a good plan. Doesn't it?" Alexis asked, looking between her two children and then made eye contact with Ned. "Can I talk to you outside for a few minutes?"

"Sure. Addie, Owen. I'll see you soon, ok?"

"Bye, Dad." Owen said.

"Bye." Addison said as she hugged him.

Ned and Alexis walked to the main entrance. Alexis grabbed her coat and put it on as she followed him outside onto the porch. "So, what's up? I assume whatever this is you didn't want the kids to overhear…"

"Yeah. I just, well…I wanted to make sure you still want me to handle everything. Before I start the paperwork…you could have changed your mind…"

"Oh." He was taken off guard after their last conversation. "I thought…"

"What? It's ok if you don't want me to handle this."

"No that's not it. After last night…"

"You thought maybe we'd drop this altogether." She knew him.

"Wishful thinking."

"No, it's who you are. Last night was a moment of weakness in what was a hard week and an emotional conversation that morning."

"A moment of weakness or a moment of truth?"

"Ned we can't just ignore that we decided to divorce after a week. It's hard, but we agreed. I don't want to drop this, get back together, only to have it fall apart before our eyes a week later. As easy as it would be to throw my arms around you right now. We can't do that to Addison and Owen and more importantly we shouldn't do it to each other."

He sighed, she made sense. He hated when she approached emotional situations with logic. "You're right. I'm sorry, you're right."

"So, do you still want me to handle the paperwork?"

"Yes. This shouldn't be contentious. We both agreed this is what's best for all of us."

"We did. How were they this weekend? Really."

"I think it was exactly as you said and hard on all of us, if I'm being honest. But it's like I heard you tell Owen. We'll all adjust."

"It has been and we will…right?"

"Right. Did you talk to Mac again?"

"Not yet. I want to try and talk to Owen again first."

"Makes sense. You'll keep me in the loop?"

"Of course. Call me when you get back into town and maybe we can go to dinner? Go over everything? Last night you said you wanted to talk…"

"I do, but I'll see you later this week." Last night he had hope they'd figure it out and she clearly wasn't on the same page as him. "Dinner sounds like a good plan."

"Have a safe trip."

"Thanks, bye."

"Bye." She sighed as she watched him walk down the steps and get into his car before turning to head back inside.

Inside as their parents talked on the porch, Addison stood in the kitchen with Owen and now Kristen who had come downstairs. The reality of facing a new week at school was starting to settle in. She worried about what would happen when Morgan returned. She worried about what was being said. She worried she wouldn't be able to stop worrying.

"Are you sure you're going to be ok tomorrow?" Owen asked, knowing the conversation at Kellys the day prior had her on edge ever since it happened.

"I'm kind of hoping he won't show up." She tried to convince herself.

"Joss said he was being released." Owen said, rationally.

"But if he has a court appearance…maybe he won't be there…" Addison had to hope.

"We could ask Mom…"

"Owen, you can't. She'll start to put things together and if they find out about this—" Kristen intervened.

"They'll lose it on you, Krissy. Not us. Not each other."

"I don't know, Owen. We promised. We have to stick together right now. Please." Addison reminded him.

"Krissy, when do you leave?"

"Tomorrow, why?"

"Because maybe Addie will do the right thing without you running interference."

"Hey! That's not fair. I'm doing what I need to do, ok? Krissy is besides the point."

"Right. Owen…"

"I'm not going to say anything." He sighed.

Alexis walked back into the kitchen and looked at her three children, who suddenly stopped talking. "Someone want to tell me what I just walked in on?"

"Nothing, really. We were arguing about where to get the take out tonight." Kristen said.

"That's all? You're sure?" She was skeptical.

"Positive." Addie agreed.

"Because your sister leaves tomorrow. I'd hate to see you two fighting again…"

"Mom, we're fine. I swear." Kristen said.

"Owen?" Alexis looked at her son. He'd tell her what was up.

"What? If they say it's fine. Then it's fine."

Alexis watched her son carefully. Something was definitely going on, but she dropped it. It was the last night she'd have all three of them together for awhile. "Well, I thought we might–"

"No!" All three of them said simultaneously.

"Seriously, let me finish.…Chinese?"

"Perfect. See? I win." Kristen added in an attempt to make their argument seem legit.

"It's not a competition, Krissy. I'm going to go read. Call me when it's here."

After dinner Alexis walked upstairs and looked for Addison. She had said she had good news to share. She needed to hear good news from her youngest. Addison was quiet at dinner, and she worried when she immediately retreated again to her room to read. Books were her escape, but they were also becoming her only coping mechanism lately. She knocked on the door and entered. "Mind if I come in?"

"No. What's up?" Addison said honestly as she sat up and made room on the window seat.

"You said you had good news? I've been waiting all weekend. What's going on, peanut?" Alexis asked as she sat next to her daughter.

She was glad her mom remembered and smiled. "Cam said he likes me, Mom. He doesn't like Joss. He likes me."

"Oh sweetheart, I'm happy for you."

"You were right. Christmas Eve wasn't what it seemed. I'm sorry I didn't believe you. Maybe if I had I wouldn't have gone to that party…"

"Hey, listen to me. You went and that was a perfectly normal thing to want to do, ok? What happened there isn't your fault. It's not, please believe that."

"But maybe if—"

"Addison, it's not your fault."

She looked at her Mom, and let some of what she'd been holding in finally surface. "Owen wouldn't have gotten into that accident if it wasn't for me though. He was looking for me. If I hadn't been there–"

"Owen's accident isn't your fault either." Alexis assured her daughter and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Morgan Corinthos caused his accident. It wasn't anything you did. You got yourself out of a horrific situation and your brother was trying to help. Neither of you did anything wrong."

"Morgan? Really?" Emotions started to get the better of her. She had no idea.

"What is it baby?"

She looked at her mom and kept going. "Mom, it's all my fault. All of it."

"What? What else could you possibly be blaming yourself for?" Alexis interrupted her, confused and sympathetic.

Addison sighed. She wanted to tell her. She couldn't. "Nothing. It's stupid. I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry I'm such a screw up."

"You're not, Addison. You're not."

"If you say so."

"I know so. Something traumatic happened to you. You could have never predicted this." Alexis said as she wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"I've got school tomorrow…"

"Yes."

"What if he's back? He hasn't been at school. What if he's there?"

"Addison, if you tell me who it is, we can make sure you don't cross paths. We can get a restraining order. We can press charges. Just tell me who did this and I can help."

"I wish I could. I really do."

She sighed. She wished Addison would just finally face this head on. "I can't force you. But if you change your mind…"

"I know. I should probably finish the homework we got this weekend."

"Ok, I'm surprised you haven't yet."

"It's just hard to concentrate. I'll get it done."

"I know you will. Don't stay up too late. Night. I love you." Alexis said and kissed her forehead before standing up to leave Addison's room.

"I won't. Love you, too." Addison watched her mom leave, looked at the stack of binders on her desk and then took out her phone to text Cam. She'd give herself just a few more minutes of distraction.

Later that night, most of her homework completed, she had tried to fall asleep. It took time but she eventually did. Suddenly, she sat up, her heart raced, she could barely breathe. The nightmares were getting worse and now she was dreaming of things that hadn't even happened. Her worst fears about facing school playing out in her mind. She got up and went downstairs. She told herself she'd get up, get a glass of water, maybe read to distract herself and then she'd be able to try and calm down and go back to sleep. She was surprised when she saw the light to her parents office still on. Her mother was up working, and so she decided to try and talk to her. Maybe she needed to face the fact that talking about it might help. "Mom?" She asked quietly as she stood in the doorway.

"Addison? What are you doing up? It's after midnight." Alexis asked concerned as she put down the photo she held in her hands and looked up at her daughter.

"You miss Dad." Addison observed.

"Let's just focus on you for a moment. What's going on?" Alexis said as she took off her glasses, and stood as Addison walked fully into the room. Addison stepped closer to her mom and wrapped her arms around her mother. Alexis hugged her daughter tightly and kissed her head. "You're safe, peanut."

"I know."

"You want to talk about whatever had you up?"

"We don't have to, if you need to finish your work…do you have a big case tomorrow?"

"Work can wait."

"But do you? I don't want to be the reason you're up all night."

"I have a hearing for Morgan Corinthos tomorrow, but you are more important than any case. Ok? Let's go talk." Alexis said as she hugged her daughter again and walked out of the office, shutting off the light. Alexis and Addison climbed the stairs and Alexis followed her daughter into her bedroom. Addison climbed back into bed and Alexis pulled the comforter up and moved to sit next to her, wrapped her arm around her. "So, what's going on?"

"I had a nightmare about it again."

"Again?"

"Yeah. I've been having nightmares ever since it happened."

"Baby, why didn't you say anything?"

"I thought I could handle it. I was handling it, but this one was different. It wasn't just replaying what happened over and over again. This time I was at school and he was there and his friends were laughing and then I was trapped with him and no one could hear me and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't stop it." Addison tried not to get upset, but failed.

"It wasn't real. It was a dream, Addie. It was just a dream. You did stop it. You got away. You fought back, you did everything you could, my brave, strong girl."

"No, I didn't. Joss did. Joss stopped it."

"Joss?"

"Joss turned on the light. Joss heard me and stopped it. Joss is the reason I got away."

"I thought you didn't see who that was? Do you remember more details about that night?"

"Not really. So you see? I wasn't brave or strong. I was so stupid to think I could handle it and stay there. And I'm so afraid. All the time. Like all the time. How can I make it stop? Help me make it stop, Mommy."

"Oh Addison." Alexis hugged her daughter tightly and then tried to wipe her tears. "I would do anything to make this go away for you. I wish I could. You have no idea how badly I wish I could."

"So how do I make it stop? I want to be able to sleep again, Mom. I want to go back to the way things were before all this."

"I'm not sure you're ready to hear what I think you need to do."

"Tell me. Tell me what you think. Please."

Alexis sighed, "I think you need to report it. I think we should go to GH and you need an exam. I think that by standing up for yourself, you'll find your way through this. You need to use your voice, peanut. You need to face it head on and stop pretending."

"I'm not pretending." Addison said quietly.

"Baby…you are. You're pretending like you can just ignore it and it will go away. I'm worried about you…"

"The cut is pretty much healed, the bruises are almost gone. What would going to GH even do?"

"It would document the injuries, sweetheart. When you report it, the police will want documentation. I saved your clothes. They are sitting in a bag in my closet, just waiting for you to be ready to face this."

"But they'll ask who and I can't do that. I can't."

"Can't or won't, sweetheart?"

"I just want to be able to fall back to sleep without being afraid. Without it morphing into something worse."

"Shhh. Ok. You don't have to do anything you're not ready for. I promised you that and I meant it. Stay here; I'll be right back." She said as she got up and kissed her daughter's forehead.

A few moments later Alexis walked back into the room and sat back down next to Addison, the sound machine in her hands. "What's this?" Addison asked, examining the small round device.

"It's a sound machine. It's actually the very first gift your father ever gave me. It used to help me think of him and feel safe, when I was afraid of what Helena would do when I first came to Port Charles and I learned who I was. And it used to help you, when you were a little girl and afraid of the dark. You might not remember it, but your father and I used to put it on and it would help you fall asleep without us."

"Really?"

"Really. So pick some place and we'll close our eyes and pretend we're there where nothing and no one can harm us."

"What's your favorite?"

"It depends. Sometimes it's the beach, sometimes it's the rainforest. You choose."

"The beach sounds nice." Addison said and Alexis selected the sounds of the ocean and set the machine down on Addison's beside table before wrapping her in her arms once more.

"Now, close your eyes and picture yourself there. The sun on your face, the sound of the waves." She looked down at her daughter and saw that her eyes were closed. "That's my girl. Take a deep breath and relax."

Alexis laid there with Addison and she finally felt her breathing start to slow, indicating she had fallen asleep. She gently got up and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She walked down the hall and looked in on Owen. He was sleeping peacefully and she took a few moments to just watch his chest rise and fall before she shut the door and then finally looked in on her oldest child before walking to her bedroom and crawling into bed herself. It was after 1, closer to 2 and she would have to be up what seemed like way too soon. She worried about Addison. She worried she was trying too hard to carry on like nothing happened. She worried that she had unintentionally taught her that coping mechanism and was blaming herself. Then, she thought about Ned. About how he'd have had the right words to quell her own fears about their daughter. She missed her husband and she laid there and wondered again if she was wrong about the divorce or was it really just this hard to separate from someone who had become her heart.