variable in class not returning updated value - actionscript-3

Question

I'm relatively new to actionscript 3, and this one has me stumped. Here's my class;
package {
import flash.display.MovieClip;
import flash.events.MouseEvent;
import flash.events.Event;
public class Clicker extends MovieClip {
public var clicks:uint;
public var string:String;
public function Clicker() {
// constructor code
addEventListener(Event.ADDED_TO_STAGE, addedToStageHandler);
addEventListener(Event.ADDED_TO_STAGE, alignCentre);
string = "clicks: ";
clicks = 5; // I can change it here
}
public function clicked(e:MouseEvent):void{
clicks++;
trace(clicks); // it outputs updated value here
}
public function alignCentre(e:Event):void{
x = stage.stageWidth / 2 - width/2;
y = stage.stageHeight / 2 - height/2;
}
public function addedToStageHandler(e:Event):void{
this.stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, clicked);
}
public function get_clicks():uint{
trace(clicks); // gives me whatever I initialise it to in the constructor
return clicks;
}
}
}
I want to return the value of clicks from my Clicker class, but the value remains whatever I set it to in the constructor within get_clicks(), and I'm not sure why.
The variable has class scope, so why would it return the default value (in this case, 5) of clicks from get_clicks()? my clicked() method traces the correctly updated value. Is it a scope issue? I'm very confused.
This is my first frame where I create the object;
import flash.display.DisplayObject;
import flash.events.MouseEvent;
import flash.text.TextField;
var clicks:TextField = new TextField();
var circle:Clicker = new Clicker();
clicks.text = circle.get_clicks().toString();
trace(circle.get_clicks());
addChild(circle);
addChild(clicks);
As you'd expect from the problem I'm having, trace spits out 5 over and over, and Clicks doesn't change from 5.
Edit:
There was a mistake, but fixing it has caused clicks not to update at all. I had a library version of the movieclip on my first frame rather than adding the object to the frame with addChild. Now that I've added circle, clicks does not update as my clicked() method isn't being triggered when I click my object.

Answer 1

Resolved:
import flash.display.DisplayObject;
import flash.events.MouseEvent;
import flash.text.TextField;
var clicks:TextField = new TextField();
var circle:Clicker = new Clicker();
var myTimer:Timer = new Timer(100,0);
myTimer.addEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER, timerListener);
function timerListener (e:TimerEvent):void{
trace("Timer is Triggered");
trace(circle.get_clicks());
clicks.text = circle.get_clicks().toString();
addChild(circle);
addChild(clicks);
}
myTimer.start();
Rather than use the timeline and frames, I wrapped the code I wanted to repeat in a timer listener. Works exactly as intended.