WPWTP3

Part 3

The next night, 9 p.m.

Seven men are standing in Sonny�s Penthouse: Sonny, Jason, Johnny, and four others. All are dressed in dark trenchcoats.

�You three on the south entrance,� he points to three of the men. �If you find someone that doesn�t look like anyone in this room or her,� he holds up a picture of Alexis, �knock �em out. If that�s not possible�pop.� He makes a gun sign with his hand. �We want Sorel�s men alive, if possible.�

�To take to court,� Jason says, pulling on a dark ski hat.

�Exactly. Jason and I will handle Sorel and Alexis. Johnny and Sam will cover us. Everyone got it?� They all nod. �Jason, where�s Carly?�

�I moved her, Michael, Zander, and Latisha into Alexis� Penthouse. They can�t leave, I�ve got two men at the door.�

�Good. Let�s go.� Sonny closes the door behind them.

Alexis paces her room. There are no windows and the door is locked.

�I can�t take this anymore,� she says, anxiety rising in her voice.

The small room seemed to close in on her. She sits on the bed and breathes deeply, trying to relax.

�Somebody, please, come get me! I�m going crazy!�

She settles back on the pillows, thinking of Ned. She won�t ever forget the words he said to her, that night, two weeks ago. �I love you so much, it hurts,� he had said.

�I love you too Ned,� she whispers.

Sonny, Jason, Johnny, and Sam crouch by a door, watching the other three men approach Sorel�s guards. They struggle and shot are fired. One of Sonny�s men falls to the ground.

�Let�s go, we gotta get to Alexis.� Sonny commands.

Jason nods and they run through the door, Jason leading the way.

�This way!� he shouts as more shots ring out.

�What the�?� Sorel jumps out of his chair at the sound of the shots.

Alexis sits up, alarmed. Sorel opens her door and grabs her by the hair, pointing a gun at her head. He duct tapes her hands and drags her out into the hall. He forces her down on her knees.

�Don�t move,� he growls. Alexis just cries silently, anticipating her impending doom. Jason turns the corner. His eyes widen as Sorel points the gun at Alexis. �Drop it pretty boy,� Sorel commands. �Ok, ok,� he tosses his gun out in front of him. �Good boy,� Sorel smiles.

Sonny carefully glances around the corner, past Jason�s right shoulder. Jason tries to keep Sorel talking, allowing Sonny to set up for his shot.

�So, I see you have found me Mr. Morgan.�

�Yeah, it wasn�t very hard.�

�I see that. So, how much will Corinthos pay?�

Sonny lines up his sight.

�For what?� Jason says, confused. Sorel points the gun and fires, hitting Jason in the chest. �Why, you�re funeral of course!� he laughs.

Jason staggers back, giving Sonny enough room. He moves slightly and Jason falls over. Sonny rounds the corner and fires a single shot. There is a silence, then a thump, as Sorel falls over, dead.
Sonny gets down next to Jason, whose eyes are closed. He isn�t breathing. Tears fill Sonny�s eyes and he turns away. Alexis is on her side, also unmoving. He runs over to her and his hand brushes something on her right side. He calls out her name and turns her over, only to see a knife sticking out of her side.

�Oh my God! Alexis, wake up!� he shouts. Alexis groans. �Sonny�I�I can�t breathe.� She begins to cough. �Lie still, I�ll be right back.� He stands up and turns around, running into Jason. Sonny is speechless.

�What?� Jason says. �I thought�I thought you were dead!� Sonny is dumbfounded.

Jason smiles. �Nah, just got the wind knocked outta me.�

�We�ve got to get Alexis to the hospital, he stabbed her,� Sonny says, returning to her side. They gently pick her up. There is a large puddle of blood on the floor. She goes unconscious. �Alexis, wake up! Johnny, get the car!� Sonny shouts.

Ned is pacing in the Mansion�s living room, alternately glancing at his watch and staring at the phone. He runs his hands through his hair. The phone rings. He picks it up quickly and almost drops it.

�Hello?�

�Ned, its Sonny. We�re on our way to the hospital.�

�Is she ok?�

�Just get there now.� Click. Ned grabs his coat and runs (as fast as he can) out the door.

�Paging Dr. Monica Quartermaine. Trauma 4.� Monica comes running. She isn�t too shocked to see Alexis. �What�ve we got?�

�Stab wound to the right side. She�s lost a lot of blood and her BP is dropping,� says the tech. �Has the knife been removed?� Monica asks.

�No.�

�Ok, get her to OR. Stat!� Monica commands. Sonny and Jason are sitting in the hallway, taking all this in. Moments later, Ned walks in as fast as he can, still limping. �Where is she?� he demands. �Surgery,� Sonny replies. �WHAT?� Ned cries. �Sorel stabbed her. She lost a lot of blood.�

�You said you�d keep her safe!� he yells, pulling Sonny to his feet by his collar. �Hey, man, settle down, she�ll pull through,� Sonny says, pulling Ned�s hands off him. Ned takes a deep breath. �What happened?� he asks. �One of my men was killed.� Sonny rubs his eyes. �And Sorel?� Ned inquires. There is a pause. �He�s dead.� Sonny replies. "Was anyone else hurt?" Ned asks. "Jason was shot in the chest, but came back to life, without a scratch." Ned looks confused.

Jason stands up and removes his shirt to reveal a bulletproof vest. "I had this feeling...about what would happen tonight, so I bought one," he explains. "Smart move," Ned says. Jason removes the vest. "Ouch!" Ned exclaims.

A large bruise is spreading across his chest. "Ouch is right," Jason agrees, "These things don't completely protect you." He sits down gingerly and pulls his shirt back on, clenching his teeth. "You should get that checked out, you might've cracked something in there." Ned advises. "That's what I said," Sonny says. "Nah, it's ok." Jason says, leaning back and resting his head against the wall. He closes his eyes.

Four hours later.

"Ned, if you don't stop pacing, I'm gonna nail you to the floor," Sonny says, irritation rising in his voice. "I'm sorry, I just can't stand this." Ned sits down.

"Yeah, I guess that's how Carly felt, waiting for me after surgery."

"Believe me, I hate this feeling."

"Ned? Hey!" Chloe walks up and hugs him. "Emily called me," she explained. "Oh..." Ned says. "Is she ok?" Fear rises in Chloe's voice. "Sorel stabbed her. She lost a lot of blood." Ned looks down.

"Is she going to make it?"

"The doctors said there's a very good chance that she will," Sonny says. "Well, that's great!" Chloe smiles. "Yeah," Ned smiles too and resumes pacing. "Ned!" Sonny warns. "Sorry, sorry," he sits down again.

"Ned?" Monica calls out, walking down the hall. Ned jumps out of his chair. "Is she ok?" he asks hopefully. "She's still unconscious, but she's going to make it," Monica says, glancing at Alexis' chart. "Thank God!" Ned exclaims. He hugs Monica, then Chloe. "Can I go see her?"

"Of course!" Monica replies. "Room 327." Ned almost sprints down the hall. "Well," Sonny says, standing up, "we'd better get going."

"Not so fast Sonny, your favorite police officer is waiting in the lobby for a police report," Monica says, smiling. "But my attorney isn't present!" Sonny jokes. "Very funny," Monica walks away. "C'mon Jason, let's go. Chloe? You staying?"

"Yeah, I'll go see Alexis later."

"Ok, goodbye," Sonny and Jason head down the hall.

Alexis' Room

Ned looks into Alexis' room before entering, noticing a nurse adjusting Alexis' IV. Sonny walks by. "Sonny, wait." Sonny stops short. "Yeah?" he says, walking up to Ned. "I, uh, just wanted to thank you. I don't know how to repay you." Ned says.
"It was nothing. Although there is one thing..." Sonny says, smiling. "Name it," Ned says. "Just make sure I'm invited to the wedding." Sonny winks and slaps him on the shoulder. "Huh?"

"Oh, c'mon Ned!"

"Ok..."

"I'll have a man at this door in an hour ok? For protection," Sonny says. "Great, I was going to ask about that." Ned says.

The nurse walks out of the room. "Excuse me gentlemen," she says. "How is she?" Ned asks. "Good, she wouldn't wake up for me, but I can tell by her heart monitor that she's trying." The nurse walks away. "Get in there and wake her up. Love can do anything." Sonny says.

"When did you get so sappy?" Ned asks, laughing. "Just get in there!" Sonny pushes him toward the door. "And tell her hello for me," Sonny is walking away. "I will," Ned says.

Ned opens the door quietly. Only a small lamp illuminates the room. Ned stops short when he notices the angelic glow it casts on Alexis' face. He silently pulls a chair up next to her bed and entwines his fingers with hers.

"Alexis, honey, you need to wake up. Please," he strokes her cheek. "I love you so much. Everything is alright now. You're safe. I'm here. I'll never leave you." Alexis doesn't respond.

4:30 a.m.

Alexis stirs. Ned's head is lying on the bed. He's fast asleep. Alexis slowly opens her eyes. She notices Ned and gently lifts her hand to caress his face. He wakes up slowly.

Ned raises his head. "Alexis!" He leans over and kisses her forehead gently. "Hello," she whispers. Tears fill Ned's eyes. "Oh honey, I was so scared." he says. "Why?" she asks, closing her eyes again. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"Ditto." She smiles. He scoots closer to her head and takes her hand again. "Are you in any pain?"

"No...I'm just glad to wake up and see you." She says, smiling again. "You should go back to sleep," he says, leaning over to kiss her forehead again. She moves her head so their lips meet. Ned pulls away slowly. "I love you," he whispers. "I love you too."

"Now, get some rest, I'll be here in the morning."

"Ok," she sighs. Ned keeps a silent vigil for the next hour, thanking God she was alive and safe.

9:00 a.m.

"Wake up sleepyhead," a strange voice says to Ned. Ned groans and opens his eyes. Amy is reading over Alexis' chart. He's in an awkward position, leaning on the arm of the chair. He stands and slowly stretches. "Oh, my back!" he exclaims as it cracks. He looks over at Alexis, still asleep. He smiles and kisses her cheek. She moves slightly, then opens her eyes. "Ow!" her eyes open wide and she clutches her side. "What?" Ned says, alarmed. "Pain medication wore off huh?" Amy says, not looking up. Tears fill Alexis' eyes and she clenches her teeth and nods.

"I'll be right back," Amy exits. "Are you ok?" Ned asks, concern in his voice. "Yeah, it's going away," Alexis replies, leaning back on the pillows and closing her eyes. "I'm afraid to ask, but what happened last night?"

"Sonny killed Sorel, but not before Sorel was able to shove a knife in your side."

"I don't remember being stabbed. I do remember Sorel shooting Jason and Jason fell back. Is he ok?"

"Perfectly fine. He had a bullet-proof vest on."

"Wow. That's good." she says with relief. She inhales sharply. "Ooo it hurts!"

"I'm here, don't worry. Hold on." Amy sets two large pills and a glass of water on the tray. "There ya go!" she says cheerfully. "Call me if you need anything!" she says as she leaves. Alexis downs the pills quickly and lies back on the pillows. "I hate my job." she says. Ned just laughs. "How are you? They shot you!" she exclaims. "Yeah, in the leg. I'm fine though, I just quit using crutches."

"Why did they shoot you in the leg? That's not Sorel's style. He goes for the chest."

"As a reminder not to socialize with Corinthos sympathizers." Ned quotes. Alexis smiles. "But I can't help it." he says.

"Knock knock!" Chloe enters. She leans down and carefully hugs Alexis. "Are you ok?" she says, setting her purse on the table. "It hurts, but I'll be alright."

"You have got to find another way to get attention." Chloe says in mock seriousness. "I know, I just can't help myself. Mobsters seem to like me." Alexis smiles. "Well, she's going to get plenty from me," Ned kisses her. "I sure hope so," Chloe says.

Monica knocks on the door and peeks in. "Ned? Can I speak to you for a minute?" Ned walks out into the hall. Monica follows. She takes a deep breath. "Ned, we did a rape kit." Ned clenches his teeth.

"And?" Monica looks down as tears fill her eyes. "Dear God," Ned says, closing his eyes. Monica hugs Ned. Tears spill over on Ned's cheeks. "I'm sorry," Monica whispers. "Wh...where do we go from here," he says, letting her go. "Well, luckily, she is neither pregnant or HIV positive. So she's not in any danger that way. But I just wanted to let you know what to expect."

"Expect?" he says. "Nightmares," she says, "she'll have trouble being intimate. A few other things will happen. It's common among rape victims to have these symptoms." Ned turns away as rage rips through him. "I'll kill them. All of them."

"Ned, you can't be like this. She needs your support right now. Not anger." she says. He exhales. "I know, I know."

"Just take a deep breath and get back in there. Everything will be fine." she nudges him towards the door. "Alright, thanks Monica."

"Yeah," she smiles, "I've got to get going." She kisses his cheek. "Stay strong," she whispers. "I will," he replies. He turns and looks through the window of Alexis' room, watching her talk and laugh with Chloe. 'She's so beautiful' he thinks. He taps on the door. "Can I come in ladies?"

"Oh, yeah sure," Chloe replies. "Alexis, are you ok? You look a little pale." He walks over to the bed. "I'm ok, laughing hurts." she smiles. "Sorry," Chloe smiles. "Well, I gotta get goin'. You be good. Both of you." She leans down to hug Alexis. "Bye Ned," she hugs him too and leaves. Alexis stares intently at his face. "What?" he asks. "Something's wrong. Tell me,� she says.

"Of course something's wrong. You were gone for days and you could've died. I don't want to think about that."

"Neither do I." Now Ned stares at her face. "Now what?" she says. "Turn your head this way." He guides her head with his hand. He gasps. "God, Alexis, what did they do to you?" His eyes mist over. "What?" she asks. Her left cheek is slightly purple. Her left eye is black and blue. He gently touches the area. "Oh, that," she averts her eyes for a moment. "What about this?" she touches the cut above his eyebrow. "A little present from Baldy's foot," he replies, "It was a lot worse a few days ago."

"Yeah, your eye is still yellowish and you cheek is swollen."

"All in the name of love," he smiles. Alexis pulls him to her and they kiss deeply. "I'm sorry," he whispers. "For what?"

"I should've protected you," he says. "Oh, Ned," she hugs him, "you would've been killed."

"If it would have saved you...," he says quietly. Alexis pulls back and stares at him, completely shocked. "What?" he says.

"You...you just said you would die for me," she begins to cry. "I would," he whispers, "without a second thought," he says, just before they kiss again.

4:30 p.m.

Ned is lying beside Alexis. Her head is on his shoulder. Both are sleeping. Monica knocks softly on the door and enters.

"Ned?" she whispers, shaking his shoulder. "Hm?" he yawns. "Ned, wake up," she says. "What?" he says, irritated. "I need you to get out of her bed so we can run some tests and change her IV. I'll be back in five minutes." Monica leaves. Ned groans and carefully pulls his arm out from under Alexis. She wakes up. "No, honey, go back to sleep," he kisses her cheek. "I can't now," she smiles. "Ned, you should go home, you need to sleep in a real bed."

"I know..." he says reluctantly. He stretches. "How long has it been since you've slept a whole night?" she asks.

"I haven't slept since you were kidnapped."

"I can tell. Go home. Come back tomorrow morning?" she says. "I don't think I can last that long without seeing you," he says, leaning down to kiss her. "You'll have to. Taggart's dropping by to grill me for questions. He'll be here,"

"All night," he finishes for her. "He tried to pull the same thing with me." He picks up his coat. "You leave me no choice. I can't believe you would pick Taggart over me." He gives her his best puppy-dog look. She reaches out for him. They kiss until Monica returns. Alexis pulls away. "I love you," she whispers. He smiles. "I love you too." He stands up and walks to the door, turning and waving on his way out. She waves back.

The next day, 10 a.m. Ned is walking down the hall. He peeks into Alexis' room before entering and almost laughs at the sight. Alexis is sitting up in bed, chewing on a pen, and poring over files and papers. Monica taps Ned on the shoulder.

"Oh, morning Monica," he turns around. "Good morning Ned," she says cheerfully. "I have good news."

"Great!"

"And bad news."

"Oh." His face falls. "The good news is that she can go home this evening."

"That's wonderful," he says. "And the bad news?"

"She had a terrible nightmare last night. She didn't sleep well at all." she says.

"Did she hurt herself?" Concern rises in his voice. "No. But, as you can see, she's trying to get her mind off it. So don't bring it up ok? She'll talk to you when she's ready." Monica advises.

"Ok," he sighs. "I'll see you this afternoon then?" she walks down the hall. "I'd better!" he waves. He takes a deep breath and opens the door.

"Do I need to make an appointment Miss Davis?" he says, sticking his head in the door opening. Alexis laughs. "You? No, come on in.� He kisses her. �How are you?� he asks. �I�m good now,� she smiles. He surveys the mess of papers and shakes his head. �What?� she asks. �What is all this? Couldn�t you call in sick?� he laughs.

�Just taking care of the details of dropping Zander�s case,� she says matter-of-factly. �Since Sorel�s dead and all.�

�Yeah�did Monica talk to you about when you�re leaving?�

�No, did she tell you?� Alexis looks hopeful.

�Yeah.�

�Well?�

Ned fakes a sad, depressed expression. �They�re keeping you here for another week. Apparently, when they did the CAT scan, they discovered that you had no brain. So they have to fix that.�

�Ned Ashton!� She slaps him with a folder. Ned laughs. �I�m just kidding. I get to take you home this evening.�

�That�s great!� she hugs him. �Thank you.�

�For what?� he asks. �Everything. Just everything.� She smiles and kisses him. �Are you going to stick around all day?�

�Of course,� he says, �Why?�

�Just wondering. It gets pretty lonely in here.�

�No visitors yesterday?� He sits on the edge of the bed.

�Just Taggart. Chloe hasn�t come by yet. I�ll call her and tell her to come over when I get home. It�ll be easier.�

�Yeah, it would,� he agrees. Alexis begins gathering and stacking papers. �What are you doing?� Ned asks.

�Well, this is really boring work, and you�re much more entertaining.� She smiles. �Why thank you.� He smiles. There is a knock on the door. Sonny enters.

�Good morning,� he greets. Alexis waves. �Hi Sonny.�

�How are you doing?�

�Good.�

�That�s great, you look a lot better than when I dragged you in here.� He smiles. �I came to tell you that Zander moved out of your place.�

�Oh really?� Alexis looks happy. �Yeah, we found him a place.�

�And who is paying for this place?� Ned asks.

�I am. Until he gets a job and gets back on his feet.�

�Ok�� Ned says, doubtfully.

�What?�

�Nothing, nevermind.�

�So, when do you get out of here Alexis?� Sonny changes the subject.

�Today!�

�That�s great!�

�Yeah, it is,� she says, looking at Ned. �Definitely,� he says. �Well, I wasn�t even supposed to be here, I�ve got to get home,� Sonny says, buttoning up his coat. �I�ll see you later ok?� He leaves, closing the door behind him. Alexis falls back against her pillows and groans. �Why can�t I leave right now?� Ned sighs. �I don�t know. I guess they�ve got more tests to run or something.�

�I�m so full of holes,� she holds up her arm that has the IV in it, �that I�ll leak the next time I drink something.� Ned laughs.

�That, actually, would be a sight. Have you eaten anything?�

�No, I still get nauseous and it hurts.�

�It�ll get better. Scoot.� He gently nudges her over and climbs into bed with her. �Come here,� he pulls her over to him. She rests her head on his chest. �I like this,� she says, closing her eyes. �Me too,� he kisses the top of her head. �Are you going back to sleep?�

�I might.�

�Ok. You should. I will too.� He smiles. �Are you sure?� she asks. �Yes.�

She tilts her head and they kiss. She sighs and rests her head back on his chest.

That evening�

Ned knocks on the door of her bathroom. �Are you ok?�

�Yeah, I�m fine!� she replies. �Need help?�

�No, I�m done.� She opens the door. �Are you ok?� Ned is concerned. �Yeah,� she walks to get her coat and almost falls over. Ned catches her. �Whoa, are you sure?� He holds on to her. �Yeah, I just got a little dizzy.� Ned puts his arm around her. �Just relax for a minute.� Ned puts his coat on, then helps her with hers. He guides her out of the room and down the hall.

Ned pulls the car up to Alexis� building. She had fallen asleep on the ride home. He gets out and walks to her side and opens her door. He gently lifts her out and kicks her door shut. She rests her head on his shoulder and wraps her arms around his neck. He carries her up to the Penthouse. The Penthouse is almost dark as Ned gingerly picks his way through the room and up the stairs. He lies Alexis on her bed and takes off her coat and shoes. She wakes up.

�Where am I?� she asks sleepily. �You�re home, you fell asleep in the car.� He tosses his and her coat on a chair. �Oh,� she rubs her eyes. He walks over to her dresser. �Which pajamas do you want to wear?�

�The black ones in the bottom drawer.�

�Hey! These are mine!� He holds them up. She smiles. �I stole them before you came back and took back all of your stuff.�

�Oh, you can keep them.�

�Good. I like them.� She gets up slowly. �Here.� She reaches out for them. �I need to wash my face and brush my teeth.� She disappears into the bathroom. Ned changes and looks at the bed. Monica�s words run through his head, �She�ll have trouble being intimate.� Would she let him sleep in the same bed as her? He was still standing in the middle of the bedroom when she walks out.

�What�s the matter?�

�I, um, didn�t know if, um, if you��

�Would want you in the same bed as me?� she finishes. Ned looks down. �Yeah.�

She walks over to him. �Of course,� she whispers. He smiles and kisses her. She pulls away and yawns. �Sorry, I couldn�t stop that one.� She says. She walks over to the bed and gets in. �I need to wash up ok?� He says. �Ok,� she settles under the covers.

Ned goes into the bathroom. He comes out five minutes later and Alexis is asleep. He kisses her forehead and switches off the lamp. He climbs into bed with her and pulls her into his arms. She instinctively rolls over and wraps her arms around him. Ned is asleep within seconds.

3:50 a.m.

�No! Get off of me!� Alexis shouts, pushing Ned away. He wakes up, surprised. Alexis hits him in the chest. �Alexis!� He shouts. She�s asleep. �Alexis, wake up!� She opens her eyes wide and sits up straight, shaking. �Ned?�

He sits up beside her. �Yes, sweetie, it�s me,� he says soothingly. She turns to face him, crying. He pulls her into his arms. She holds him tight. �Ned, it was so terrible,� she whispers. �Shhh,� he says, running his hand through her hair. �It�s ok. You�re safe.�

�I can�t stop shaking,� she sniffles. �Just take a deep breath, its going to be ok,� he whispers. The sit that way for a few minutes, Ned gently cradling and rocking her in his arms. She eventually falls back to sleep. He gently lies her down on her pillows and pulls the covers up to her chin. He kisses her cheek and lies down.

The next morning�

Alexis wakes up and rolls over. Ned isn�t there. She looks at the clock. 9:57 a.m. A note is propped up against the lamp.

Alexis,
Had to go to work today. I�ll be home tonight. Call me. I love you.
Love, Ned

She gets out of bed and stretches. She yawns as she trudges to the bathroom.

�So, how is she?� Nikolas asks. �Better,� Ned says from the couch at L&B. Nik sits down with is cup of coffee. He looks at Ned. �It doesn�t look like it,� he observes. Ned hesitates before explaining. �She�s been having really bad nightmares. She almost knocked me out last night.� He rubs his eyes.

�Wow, how did she do that?�

�She all of a sudden shouted �Get off of me!� and then she punched me. She was asleep.�

�Jeez,� Nik exhales. �Yeah, it was pretty bad.�

�What are you going to do about it?�

�I don�t know��

Alexis is up and dressed, drinking coffee at her desk. She is trying to organize her files and folders. Her mind keeps wandering to the kidnapping. The flashbacks of the rape make her cringe. She starts to cry.

�Ned. Ned. Earth to Ned!� Nik waves his hand in front of Ned�s face. �Huh? What?� Ned jumps. �I�ve asked you the same question three times. What�s wrong with you?�

�I�ve just got a bad feeling about Alexis. She hasn�t called me.�

�You want to go home? There�s nothing for you to do here.� Ned thinks for a minute. He sighs. �Yeah, I�d better.� He gets up and puts his coat on. �I�ll see you later Nik.�

�Yeah,� Nik waves. Ned hurries out to his car and drives away.

Alexis buries her head in her hands and cries. A knock on the door makes her jump.

�Alexis?�

�You don�t have to knock Ned.� He opens the door and walks in. She turns away so he won�t see her cry. She backs away when he approaches to hug her. �Alexis, tell me what�s wrong.�

�I�I just don�t feel very good today,� she lies. �Alexis, I�m not stupid, you�re a terrible liar.�

�I don�t know what�s wrong.�

�Yes you do. You can tell me Alexis.� He removes his coat and drapes it over her desk chair. �I�just don�t want to talk about,� she replies. �Alexis��

�Ned! Don�t push me!�

�But��

�No! I don�t want to talk about it. Ok?� She begins to cry again. He walks towards her. She steps away. �Please, don�t.�

�Don�t what? I�m not allowed to hug you anymore?�

�No!� she blurts out. �I�I mean�I�m not good enough for you!�

�What?!�

�Ever since the�the��

�Rape,� Ned says quietly.

�Yeah,� she whispers. �I don�t think I can do this Ned.�

�Do what?� She points to him, then to her. �This. Us.� Ned�s face falls. �I don�t think I can deal with a relationship right now. I�m not ready.�

�Alexis, what are you talking about? Where is this coming from?�

�I just can�t be with you until I�m ready, ok? I�I don�t feel like it can work right now. I just want to be alone.� She looks down.

�But Alexis,� he pleads.

�Please,� her eyes beg him. Ned silently puts his coat on and leaves. Alexis falls to the floor, crying into her hands.