Alexis stood outside the door waiting for him to answer. Beside her Kristina stood looking extremely pleased. She was dressed in her favorite pyjama's and clutching a tickle me Ernie that had long ago lost his laugh. Alexis had been about to read her a fifth bedtime story when the phone had rung. He was at his wits end he told her without preamble as soon as she answered. Hearing the desperation in his voice Alexis knew she had to help. And that is why mother and daughter now stood outside his door, with identical looks of impatience, finally it opened.
"Natasha, thank God you came I have no idea what to do. Hello Tasha Jr, love the pj's."
"Luke." Came the slightly sardonic reply. For a brief instant Luke forgot his troubles and smiled as he always did when he saw her. She was the image of her mother inside and out, six years old and already on to him.
"Where is she?" Alexis asked interrupting his thoughts.
"Upstairs, she's locked herself in her room, even did the chair thing so I couldn't jimmy the lock."
"Well, she is your daughter." She pointed out, smiling at how like Luke his daughter had become.
"Would you just go fix this, please?" Luke asked knowing that he could count on her, as he had so many times in the last years.
It had started seven years ago when he walked into Kelly's and found a very pregnant Alexis and his daughter enjoying ice cream sundaes and conversation. In the years following he and Alexis had forged a surprisingly close friendship built out of situations of need. She had helped him with Lesley Lu, often defusing situations very much like tonight. She had also gone to Lesley Lu's third grade Mommy and me tea, and various other events. In return Luke had tried to help her in his own unique way. He had been the one to find Sonny when Alexis went into labour and make sure he was there to see his daughters birth. He had also brought over a bottle of vodka on the night Alexis refused Sonny's fourth proposal, his last one. They had a bond that began with single parenthood but had grown to include genuine caring.
"Do you want some help Mommy?" Kristina asked, trying to stifle a yawn.
"I think I can handle it, why don't you stay down here and keep Luke company?"
"Okay." She agreed easily.
Alexis went up stairs and headed straight to Lesley Lu's room. She knocked lightly on the door and then called.
"Lesley Lu, its me."
"Is Dad with you?" Came a muffled voice from within.
"No, it's just me, your Dad's downstairs with Kristina, no doubt corrupting her morals."
As soon as Alexis reached the top of the stairs Kristina turned to Luke and smiled.
"Wanna a play a game?" She asked as sweetly as any six year old can sound.
"Sure." He replied smiling. An instant later Kristina pulled a deck of cards from what her mother assumed was a hollow tickle me Ernie and began to shuffle.
"Joker's wild?" she asked with the two thing she had got from her father arrogance and dimples.
Meanwhile upstairs Lesley Lu opened her door and allowed Alexis to enter. She had been crying and in fact still was. It was awful. She moaned throwing herself onto the bed and again dissolving into tears.
Alexis sat down on the edge of the bed waiting for Lesley Lu to calm down.
"Want to tell me what happened?" She asked when the sobbing stopped. Sitting up Lesley Lu told her the story.
"It was my first dance and I was so excited." She told Alexis who nodded with understanding. "And then I found out he volunteered to chaperone, I begged him not to do it Alexis but he wouldn't listen. Anyway he promised me that he would stay in the background, he promised...but then ... he...he danced" At this point the sobbing resumed and Alexis put her arms around the girl, letting her cry.
Downstairs Kristina was winning, again.
"You cheat." Luke accused.
"No, I don't, Mommy told me to never cheat cause it's bad."
"Yeah what about your father?"
"Daddy says I don't need to cheat cause I got his genes." She told him before raising him five.
"You sure do." Luke grumbled realising she was about to clean him out.
"Oh sweetie I'm so sorry, no one should be subjected to your fathers dancing." Alexis sympathised causing Lesley Lu to smile slightly. "So did you have a good time before your Dad did his Travolta impression?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"You guess, what about Evan, did he ask you to dance?" Alexis asked knowing Lesley Lu had a major crush.
"Yeah, twice." She admitted smiling.
"Well, then I would say the night wasn't a total loss."
"But Dad..."
"I know your Dad screwed up but he is a Dad, it's sort of his job. And he is sorry. Hey, it could be worse you know, Sonny has already assured me he's bringing no less than five of his men to Kristina's first dance." The two of them laughed and Lesley Lu hugged Alexis.
"Thank you." She told her feeling much better.
"I should probably get going." Alexis told her heading towards the door.
"Alexis would you tell my Dad that I'm not mad at him."
"Sure."
"And Alexis?"
"Yeah?"
"Next time I have a school dance would you please be a chaperon instead."
"It's a promise." She told her before heading downstairs where she found Kristina and Luke sitting at the table both looking far too innocent. Ernie was sitting beside Kristina and there was a huge pile of jelly tots in front of her.
"Luke, why you give her all that candy?" Alexis demanded.
"Well, I didn't exactly give it to her..."
"Um, I'm going to run upstairs and say goodnight to Lesley Lu." Kristina told them scampering up the stairs and knocking on the door.
"Dad?"
"No, it's me."
"Come on in Kristina," Lesley Lu invited.
"Are you okay?" Kristina asked peeking through the open door.
"Yeah your Mom helped."
"She's good at that." Kristina agreed, climbing up on the bed beside Lesley Lu.
"So did you whip my Dad at poker?"
"Yeah."
"So did you work your magic?" Luke asked Alexis once they were alone.
"Well, she told me to tell you she's not mad."
Without thinking Luke grabbed Alexis and kissed her.
"Thank you, I don't know what I would do without you Tash." He gushed half in an attempt to cover the awkwardness of the situation.
"I really should go upstairs and get Kristina," she told him rushing to the stairs in very much the same way her daughter had only moments before. Lesley Lu's bedroom door was open and Alexis could hear the girls talking.
"...And then there was this one time my Mom and your Mom found a passageway that lead outside and they snuck out of the haunted house and went up on the hill to watch the sun rise." Lesley Lu was repeating one of the many stories Alexis had told her over the years when she asked about her mother.
Alexis peeked her head in the door to see that Kristina was sound asleep and Lesley Lu appeared that she was soon to follow. She backed out of the room smiling. Seeing those two little girls together Alexis thought of herself and Laura on the island. They had both been so scared, so helpless. Their daughters were neither of these things and never would be, she would make sure of that. Several minutes later she came back downstairs and smiled at Luke.
"My daughter seems to have decided to stay, she's fast asleep."
"Well, she's more than welcome to spend the night, so are you for that matter. My bed is plenty big enough for both of us." He told her winking mischievously.
"Thank you but in case you have forgotten there is a spare bedroom up there." She reminded him, she had stayed in it before while watching Lesley Lu for Luke when he was away.
"So you'll stay?" He asked hopefully, he didn't want to be alone tonight. Alexis glanced at the stairs knowing that it would be nearly impossible to wake up Kristina.
"All right but no funny business."
"Tasha I can't believe you, can't a man invite a beautiful woman to have a sleep over without being accused of ulterior motives."
Alexis smiled at that. Despite his constant flirting Luke had never actually followed through, she knew he was still in love with Laura and always would be. Still he had been a good friend and she appreciated him more than she would ever admit.
Luke sat down next to Alexis and handed her a bowl of popcorn a drink. He enjoyed evenings like this more than he cared to admit. He and Alexis made a great team, even though he knew she would never admit it. And so they spent the evening as they had so many others, talking and laughing, just being together, two halves of two different wholes.