Alexis drove to Kelly's. She stopped to pick up some chicken soup for her daughter. As she waited she saw the message from Ned that Addison was still sleeping earlier. She had a missed call from the school, probably Mrs. Ryan, she was running a few minutes late. She didn't even listen to the voicemail, just returned the call. She waited for them to connect her to Addison's teacher. She assumed it was about her grades. Her grades were slipping, she saw with her own eyes how disengaged in school Addie had become and her English teacher emailed that morning.

"Hi, Mrs. Ashton? Thanks for getting back to me."

"Thanks for reaching out. I'm worried about her schoolwork."

"Her grades are concerning, right now. I agree. But I'm more concerned with the change I've seen in her."

"Change how?"

"She's been withdrawn, more anxious than I've ever seen her. Monday she came into my classroom between classes, seemingly looking to hide, for a place to regroup. Then, I heard her in the hall as I was walking from the lunch room. Another student pulled her into a classroom. By the time I got there she panicked and bolted. I believe she skipped last period class. I have a meeting with the administration about my concerns later this afternoon."

"She hasn't said anything. We thought she was coping as well as she could be… who was the other student?"

"I can't disclose names, I'm sorry. If you don't mind my asking, but coping with what?"

Alexis sighed, "She's struggling with something that happened over break. She doesn't want people to know. She's afraid. We're handling it. But, let me talk to her and talk to her father. We'll be in touch. Thanks again for calling." She said as she took the bag of soup and walked out of Kelly's. She hung up with Mrs. Ryan and drove home. It was so much worse than they'd thought. They knew she was struggling. What she couldn't wrap her head around was why all of a sudden had it taken a turn for the worst. She was surprised to see Ned's car at the house when she pulled into the driveway. He didn't need to stay, but he loved his kids, she should have known he'd stay and keep an eye on her.

"Ned?" Alexis asked, walking into the house. She put the bag of soup down on the table by the door. "What are you still doing here?"

He stood and helped her with her coat. "Hey. The school called me. They tried to reach you but you were in court."

"About what?" She asked as Owen came downstairs. "Owen what happened?" She asked, noting the small bruise on his face.

"Our son got into a fight with Morgan Corinthos."

"Morgan? Owen, why?" She asked as she gently touched her son's cheek.

"I'd like to know as well. Are you ready to finally ready to tell me what happened?"

He sighed. "I already told you at the school, Dad. It's not my story to tell."

"A three day suspension for fighting is absolutely the result of your actions." Ned said, trying not to get frustrated, but making his point.

"Three day suspension?" Alexis was playing catch up.

"There's a zero tolerance policy for fighting." Ned explained.

"You met with the principal?"

"Yes and our son wouldn't say anything to either of us. I got the distinct impression that if he had, the consequence would not have been as steep. They were looking for mitigating factors considering it's your first offense."

"Owen. What do you have to say?"

"I was protecting someone."

"Who? Who were you protecting?" Alexis asked as Addison came down the stairs and everyone turned to her.

"Mom, you're home early."

"I told you I would be. How are you feeling?"

"Not great."

"Have you tried to eat anything?"

"Not yet."

"I brought chicken soup. Why don't you try to get something in your stomach?" Addison nodded and took the bag of soup from her mother and walked towards the kitchen. "Owen, can you give me and your father a few minutes?" Alexis added.

"Sure." He said as he followed Addison into the kitchen.

"He got into a fight? Really?"

"He did. He owned that much. The principal also brought up some concerns about Addison. He asked if things changed here…"

"Did you tell them about us?"

"I did. Addison may not want them to know what happened over break, but she's taking the divorce pretty hard. At least they're armed with something to help them support her."

"Mrs. Ryan called yesterday. I didn't call you. I should have."

"It's ok. What's going on?"

As Alexis filled in Ned about Mrs. Ryan's concerns and the email she got from her English teacher that morning, Addison and Owen talked in the kitchen. Addison sat at the island with the bowl of soup while Owen stood having taken out the container of Chinese leftovers.

"You got into a fight over me?" Addison asked her brother, shocked.

"I heard he chased you into some classroom. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Chase is an exaggeration, but yeah. Mrs. Ryan found us and then well you saw how I freaked out."

"He wasn't trying to do anything was he?"

"No. He was worried about what I'm planning to say. Who knows."

"Well he should be. Dad's CEO, you can speak up. You held up your end of Kristen's deal. Don't feel pressured to keep quiet because of her…"

"But, Mom and Dad…Krissy…"

"How many times do I need to tell you, they're divorcing, Addie…keeping quiet won't change that."

"But what if I tell them and it makes it worse. Can't I hope they'll work it out."

"I wish I was as optimistic as you. I just don't see it happening. So are you really sick?"

"Yes? I can't be there, Owen. I can't. Not after yesterday. He'll find me. Hope…"

"Did you talk to Cam? Maybe that would help."

"I sent him a message. Mom would never let me see him after staying home today."

"How much trouble do you think I'm in?"

"I don't know, but I'm so thankful for you."

"Addie, I don't know how much longer I can do this…" He admitted.

"Please Owen." She begged.

"Will you just try and talk to them? They'll try to help. They love us. They'll understand."

"I'll think about it. I know I'm not being fair to you." She reluctantly admitted as she put her bowl in the sink.

"Thanks." He said. Both Addison and Owen walked out of the kitchen and headed towards the stairs. Their parents stopped them both. They had tried talking to them separately. It wasn't working. It was time to try another tactic. Talk to their children together and so they all went to the living room and sat.

"So, Owen, are you ready to tell us about this fight today?" Ned asked their son.

"Do I really need to be here for this?" Addison asked.

"Yes." They said simultaneously. They had started to put things together. The only person he would have been protecting was his sister.

"Talk to Addie." Owen said, not wanting to betray his sister's confidence. But he could read his parents, they were finally figuring it out.

"Addison, what does your brother mean? What do you know about this?" They'd give her a chance to tell them.

"Thanks a lot." Addison got defensive.

"I'm sorry, Addie, but you need to tell them."

"Tell us what?" Alexis asked.

Owen looked at his sister. "Krissy is back in Boston. She won't know. Hell she won't care, she already got what she wanted."

"Will one of you please tell us what's going on?" Ned said, now confused.

"Owen, we agreed. I just told you I'd think about it. Why are you doing this?" Addison said, ignoring her dad.

"It's your call, but what you wanted to prevent is already happening. So, like I said, maybe you should just tell them." Owen said, giving his sister one more chance.

"Owen, why don't you go upstairs and we'll talk to you about this suspension later, ok?" Ned said, changing course mid conversation. Remembering what he overheard between his daughters. Owen got up and left the room and Ned looked at his youngest daughter, "Start talking, princess."

"School's just hard right now. That's all. It's hard to concentrate and I can't keep up and it's like everything in my life is spinning out of control and I can't stop it."

"You're facing more than most, but your Mom and I are here. Let us help you figure it out." Ned stated. "What does this have to do with your sister? What are you trying to prevent?"

"I can't, Dad. I just can't."

"You and your brother keep saying that. What is going on? Is this about that party?"

Addison looked at her father, her eyes pleading with him to drop it.

Alexis jumped in, changed the subject before their daughter got too upset. "Your English teacher emailed me today, she said you failed your last test? Addison, I know it's been hard considering what happened over break and then with Daddy and I getting divorced you've been hit with a lot. But English has always been your thing. I'm worried about you."

"I forgot to read the chapters. I was reading something else–" She made eye contact with her mother.

"The book from Cam." Alexis said in understanding. Ned looked between mother and daughter. He was missing something. Something important.

"Yes, and I forgot. It's like I said. I can't keep up but I'll try to focus more. I promise."

"But, forgetting to read? Addison…" Ned worried. She'd always been able to juggle multiple books.

Alexis heard the concern in Ned's voice and added, "Peanut, I talked to Mrs. Ryan this morning…" They watched Addison freeze. She kept going, "It sounds like you had a panic attack at school this week? Maybe more than one…"

Addison flashed to the hall, the classroom, looking up and seeing Hope through the stacks videoing the entire thing. The myFace posts last night. The comments. The assault. His hands on her. She tried not to cry. She tried to keep it together. "Oh god, I think I'm going to be sick." She suddenly jumped up and ran towards the bathroom. Alexis looked at Ned concerned, got up and went to check on their daughter.

Soon she emerged, her arm wrapped around Addison. Addison sat between her parents. Ned placed his hand on his daughter's back. "You feel any better?"

"Not really."

"You'll be ok princess, you will be. Talking helps, remember?"

"Just trust me, Daddy, please. I'm doing what's best for all of us."

"You're not making any sense, sweetheart." Ned stated.

"But whatever this is, it involves your brother? And somehow Kristen?" Alexis asked. She wanted desperately for her daughter to finally just open up. They could help her.

"Please leave it alone." She looked at her mother, who ran her hand through her daughter's hair and then she looked at her father, "I'm sorry Owen got into a fight over me. I know it's my fault. Just please stop asking questions you don't want the answers to."

"So, Owen's fight was about you?" Ned asked.

Addison shifted uncomfortably. She gave them more information than she should have. "Yes."

"We're still a family. We can all trust each other. We can handle the answers; just talk to us baby. "

"Mom, please…it's between me, Owen, and Krissy. Drop it. I'm begging you. You have to drop it." She tried to hold back her tears. It was too much.

Alexis looked at Ned, then back at their daughter, on the verge of tears again, "For now."

"Thank you." Addison breathed out and wrapped her arms around her mother. She clung to her and then quietly asked "Can I go up to my room now? I really don't feel well."

Alexis nodded as her daughter pulled away, wiping her own stray tears from her eyes. It was hard to watch her baby struggle to cope. Ned reached to wipe the mascara that had started to run and then took Alexis' hand and squeezed it. Addison noticed and started to leave the room and then stopped at the stairs. She had to hope. "Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"Please, don't be mad at Mom for letting me not tell you more."

"I'm not mad at your mother; don't worry about us. I just wish you'd trust us. I love you."

"I love you, too. Don't go home without saying goodbye ok?"

"I won't. I promise."

He watched their daughter head up the stairs and then turned to Alexis. "So, want to tell me why you're letting her avoid this?" He quietly asked.

"Ned…" She pleaded, quietly. She didn't want to fight. They just told Addison they wouldn't fight about this.

"I just want to understand it." He was calm, rational, supportive.

She nodded. He was trying. He was acting like the man she fell in love with. She owed him the truth. "Because you were right. Because I do understand what she's going through and I won't force her to talk about whatever is going on inside of her. I won't force her to relive it again if she's not ready."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" He asked and watched her carefully.

She stood and walked towards the bookshelves and then turned to face him. "When I was fifteen years old and on that island. Yes."

"Honey…" He stood and immediately took her in his arms. Despite it all, he loved her.

She held him close, inhaled his scent. She missed the safety of his arms, but they were doing what was best, she reminded herself.

"Why wouldn't you tell me? It clearly helped shape who you are. I would have listened. I would have understood." He stepped out of the embrace, but never let go of her hands.

"I know you would have tried."

"All I want to do is love you. It wouldn't have changed anything, except maybe helped me understand you better."

"I moved on. I tried to forget. I buried it until that night and I saw the look on Addison's face and it hit me all over again. So that's why I won't force her to do anything. To say anything. This has to be on her terms, Ned. She needs to feel empowered. She needs our love and support."

"She has that. You think whatever this thing is with Owen and Krissy has to do with that night, don't you?"

"I know it does and so do you. And if she's not talking to us or Dr. Winters about it…at least she's talking to someone."

"Which brings us back to Owen's suspension…"

"No electronics?"

"Agreed. I'd still like to know what happened at that school today…"

"I don't want him to break his sister's trust."

Ned sighed. "At some point they're going to tell us what's actually going on…right?" He said as he sat and she followed.

"I have to believe they will." Alexis said quietly and Ned pulled her into another embrace. They sat like that for a moment. Neither wanted to pull away first, but both knowing they needed to.

"Dad, you're still here?" Owen said, walking downstairs.

"I am." Ned said as he and Alexis separated, moved farther apart.

"Can you stay for dinner?" He asked, hopeful. Part of him still didn't believe his parents were divorcing. He was in trouble, but it was nice having them together again. Seeing them together again.

"I don't think that's the best idea, buddy."

"Ok, sure that makes sense I guess. So how much trouble am I in? Really." He said as he sat across from them, and awaited his fate.

"No electronics for the duration of your suspension."

"That's it?" He was surprised that was all.

"We don't know what happened today or why you did it, but it sounds like you were defending your sister—"

"She didn't say anything? And you let her? What the hell." He was frustrated and interrupted.

"Owen!" Alexis was shocked he reacted that way.

"I'm just tired of keeping this a secret. Quite frankly I'm surprised you haven't figured it out."

"Don't say anything else. I don't want to see you all at odds with each other considering–" Alexis emphasized.

"That you and Dad are getting divorced?"

"You need each other. O, go get your game controllers. You'll get them back Monday."

"Mom, I won't play it."

"Just do it. We don't solve problems with violence in this family."

He looked to his father. "We may be getting divorced but we're on the same page about this, Owen. Do what your mother says and leave your cell phone."

"What?"

"You heard me. No electronics means no cell phone." Owen passed his phone to his father.

"Go get the controllers." Owen nodded and left the room. Ned looked at Alexis, "I'm going to say goodbye to Addie."

"Ok." She said as she stood and walked to the kitchen, reflecting on her interaction with their son. He'd wanted to talk about it for weeks. Maybe her own trauma, her own relationship with her brother was clouding her judgement when it came to her son and his sister. She only had Stefan. Addison had more than Owen. Addison had her and Ned, an entire family of extended family and friends who wanted to support her. She had to change course. She had to keep trying to talk to her son and then she'd know how to proceed with Addie.

Owen came back upstairs from the finished basement. His parents weren't in the living room. "Here they are." Owen said, walking into the kitchen and handing the game controllers to his mother.

"Thank you." She said as she took them. "Owen, I wish you'd just trust me with what happened. I know you don't want to betray your sister, and I respect that. I understand that, but fighting isn't you."

"Mom…"

"How does this involve Kristen? Can you at least tell me that? Help me try and support you both."

Owen sighed. He'd take the heat. He was tired of covering. "She knows who assaulted Addison. She swapped Addie's silence about the assault with Michael for the ELQ vote."

"What?!" She was shocked. This was the last thing she expected.

"Addie agreed… after the fact. All three of us agreed to keep it quiet. But I can't sit here anymore and not say anything knowing that he's back at school. Knowing what they're saying and seeing how badly Addie is struggling with even stepping foot in that building right now."

"Who Owen?"

"Just think about it Mom and you'll figure it out. You know. I swear you've just refused to let yourself see it."

Her son got into a fight with Morgan, it wasn't who he was. She flashed back to the police station, The cut on his forehead, the scratches. He swore it was from the car accident. Her daughter had said she hit her attacker in the head. Joss stopped it. Josslyn. She flashbacked every conversation she had with her son. Owen was out looking for his sister. He had reported Morgan's drunk driving and then there was the list. Morgan had posted the list. He was at that party. Add in that now Michael was involved and his ELQ vote was traded for her daughter's silence. It had to be. "Morgan?"

"What about Morgan?" Ned asked, walking into the kitchen to say goodbye to his son. "Did you decide to finally tell us why?"

Owen looked at his father and then said to his mother before he left the room, "Talk to Addison, Mom. Before you do anything talk to Addie."

"Owen, you tried to tell me."

"I did."

"You're right I didn't see it. I refused to see it. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I know. Just talk to Addison."

"What's going on? What about Morgan? Owen?"

She looked at him; torn between wanting to confirm what she thought with their daughter first and telling him what Owen had told her and helped her piece together. She looked at the clock, "Let me talk to Addison and then I'll fill you in. I don't want her to walk into the middle of this conversation. Can you stay?"

"I can. Alexis, what's going on?"

"Kristen traded Addie's silence for Michael's ELQ vote." She said as she went upstairs to talk to Addison leaving Ned standing there stunned. And then he knew, too. It was Morgan. His daughter's assailant was Morgan Corinthos. All the pieces suddenly fit.