The Pacific Ballet School, Port Charles.
Alexis, Ned, Kimberly, Scott, Jax, Julia, Mackenzie and Stefan are sitting in the auditorium, waiting for Avery and Serena�s ballet recital to begin.
Julia: �So, are you guys busy on Friday?�
Ned: �I don�t think so, why?�
Jax: �We wanted to get everyone together for dinner.�
Kimberly: �Sounds great. Where?�
Julia: �Caf� Mattice.� She and Jax grin at each other.
Just then, the curtain goes up, revealing a group of little ballerinas in pink tutus.
Audience: �Aww.�
Jax smiles at Julia and takes her hand.
Friday night.
Caf� Mattice is closed to the public because Jax and Julia rented it out.
Scott, Kimberly, Stefan, Mackenzie, Bobbie, Jerry, Alan, Monica, Mac, Felicia, Emily and Nikolas are milling around, drinking champagne and eating canap�s when Ned and Alexis walk in.
Julia: �Ned! Alexis! I�m glad you made it!�
Ned: �Sorry we�re late, but we were halfway over to the family�s house when we realized that Hannah�s pacifier was on the kitchen counter.�
Alexis: �You should have seen Lila with Hannah. It was so sweet. She and Reginald were so excited about baby-sitting.�
Jax: �What happened to your nanny?�
Ned: �She got accepted to a graduate program at Columbia, so she took it. We haven�t started looking for a new nanny yet.�
Meanwhile, across the room.
Nikolas and Emily are talking with Stefan and Mackenzie.
Nikolas: �So, Father, how is Christabel doing? Does she like school?�
Stefan: �Actually, she is enjoying it immensely. She made friends with a girl named Kate.� He smiles. �She painted me a picture of a horse yesterday.�
Mackenzie: �She wants her own horse now. She wants to name is Sporty Spice.�
Stefan: (rolling his eyes) �I am going to get Ned back for giving her that CD.�
Emily: �The fixation will go away sooner or later. I used to be the same way with the Smashing Pumpkins.�
Mackenzie: �What happened?�
Stefan: �Who are they?�
Nikolas: �Father, the Smashing Pumpkins are a rock group.�
Emily: (to Mackenzie) �Billy Corgan became kind of annoying.�
Mackenzie: �Got ya. I used to have an obsession with Billy Joel.�
Stefan: (proudly) �I know who he is.�
Mackenzie: �Wow, Stefan. I am sooo proud of you.� She, Nikolas and Emily laugh. Stefan glares at her.
Across the room.
Alexis: (approaching Kimberly and Scott) �So, how are you two? I haven�t seen you for a couple days, Kim.�
Kimberly: �I�ve been really busy.� She grins. �Jerry and Jax are keeping me busy with one thing after another.�
Alexis: (teasingly) �I don�t know if I should be talking to you, what with you being a member of a rival corporation and all.�
Scott: �How is life at ELQ?�
Alexis: �Just dandy. Luckily, I am doing a lot of my work at home, since the nanny didn�t work out so I have to stay home with Hannah.�
Kimberly: �What happened to your nanny?�
Alexis: �She�s doing some program at Columbia. We have to look for a new one.� She pauses. �If we decide to get one at all.�
Ned: (coming up behind her) �What do you mean, if? I thought that you wanted to go back to work full time.�
Alexis: (smiling sheepishly) �I kind of like being a full time mommy. I get just as much work done at home.� She looks pointedly at him. �Maybe more. You know, less distractions.�
Ned, thinking of the incident in the copy room, starts laughing.
Kimberly: �Anything you�d care to share with us?�
Alexis: �Ned has a tendency to be annoying at work. He likes to pick on me.�
Ned: �I do not! You�re always bugging me!�
Scott: �I wish that Kim worked at my law firm.�
Ned: (teasingly) �Maybe you three and Mackenzie should go into business together.�
Alexis: �I don�t think so. Too many company secrets from ELQ, J&J Jacks and Cassadine Industries would be floating around.�
Kimberly: �Besides, it wouldn�t be fair to Scott. Three women would kick his butt.�
Scott: �Hey!�
Kimberly: �Just kidding.� She gives him a quick kiss.
Just then, Jax begins tapping his wine glass with a fork.
Jax: (as the waiters begin to come out with the salad course) �Could everyone please have a seat?�
Everyone sits down at the long table in the center of the room.
Jax and Julia remain standing, holding their champagne glasses in their hands.
Julia: �I know you all must be wondering why we have invited you here tonight. I�m assuming that �dinner� wasn�t an interesting enough explanation.� She smiles.
Jax: �Well, you all are our friends and family, and we wanted you to be the first to hear our good news.� He smiles lovingly at Julia. �Julia and I are getting married.�
Everyone looks shocked.
Julia: (nervously) �Say something, anyone.�
The group exchanges a collective glance and then they all begin applauding.
Jax takes Julia�s hand and slips her engagement ring onto her ring finger.
Julia: (proudly) �I�ve been waiting since Vegas to be able to show this off.�
Jerry: �Sorry we didn�t say anything at first, you guys. Speaking for myself, I had no clue that you two had even discussed marriage.�
Julia: �We didn�t really. We just kind of bonded over Avery and Hannah when Alexis and Ned were in Bali.�
Mackenzie: �I am so happy for you both. Congratulations!� she gets up and hugs both of them.
Everyone gets up and chimes in with their congratulations and hugs
Bobbie: (looking at Julia�s ring) �Wow! What a rock!�
Jax: (blushing) �It�s not that large.� He pauses. �Look at Alexis� wedding ring!�
Julia: (as everyone sits back down) �And we want all of you to be involved in the wedding. We�re planning to get married in March.�
Jax: �Jerry, you�ll be my best man, right?�
Jerry: �Of course.�
Jax: �And as for my groomsmen, I must ask my Tequila Brothers. Ned? Stefan? And you too, Scott?�
Ned: �I�d love to.�
Stefan: �I would be honored to be in your wedding.�
Scott: �Sure.�
Julia: (smiling nervously) �It took me a while to decide how many bridesmaids I wanted, and I have come to the conclusion that I want three. But first, I must ask my sister, Mackenzie, if she will be my maid of honor.�
Mackenzie: (looking like she�s about to cry) �Julia, it would be the greatest honor for me. Thank you.�
Julia: �I�m glad that you agreed. But then I got to thinking, that my bridesmaids are more like sisters to me than they are friends. So, I am asking my honorary sisters, Alexis, Kimberly and Bobbie, who is technically going to be my sister in law once removed, will you be my bridesmaids?� she smiles. �I promise that I won�t make you wear anything with bows or ruffles on it.�
Alexis and Kimberly: (at the same time) �I would love to.�
Bobbie: �It would be an honor.�
Jax: (thinking) �We want Lucas to be the ring bearer, and if it is alright with their parents, we would love it if Avery and Serena were the flower girls.�
Alexis: �Avery would love it.�
Kimberly: �So would Serena.�
Julia: �Now that we have this all settled, let�s have dinner.�
An hour later.
Mackenzie is coming out of the bathroom when Julia comes over to her.
Julia: �Mackenzie, I�m really glad that you agreed to be my maid of honor.�
Mackenzie: �I know that I�m only your half sister, and I can never replace Brenda, but...�
Julia: �Half sisters is not how I would describe us. We are sisters. Just plain sisters. And I am not expecting you to replace Brenda.� She smiles.
Mackenzie: �I�m glad that you asked me.�
Julia: �Sisters have to stick together.� She gives Mackenzie a hug.
Mackenzie: �And thanks for Jax asking Stefan to be a groomsman. He looked pleased.�
Julia: (laughing) �After the karaoke experience Jax, Stefan and Ned had together in Vegas, how could he not ask him?� she pauses. �You know, as my maid of honor, you are required to be my right hand woman.�
Mackenzie: �I�m looking forward to it.� She smiles. �I have to make sure that you don�t pick lime green dresses for us.�
Julia: (laughing) �I was thinking more along the lines of orange and yellow.� Noting the shocked look on Mackenzie�s face, she grins. �Just kidding. Jax and I haven�t chosen a color scheme yet.�
Outside the caf�, Stavros stands back by the dumpster, holding an explosive device in his hands. He pulls the pin and throws it towards the windows. He races away.
Alexis is walking towards Ned when there is a huge explosion that rocks the entire caf�.
Debris falls everywhere, glass shatters and a fire starts over by the bathrooms. Everyone falls to the floor, losing their footing.
Ned: (screaming) �Alexis?�
Alexis: �I�m over here.�
Ned crawls over to her and pulls her into his arms.
Ned: �We have to get out of here.�
He stands up, pulling her with him, and they head for the door.
Julia, Jax, Monica and Alan are already at the door, which is jammed and unable to be opened. They can hear fire trucks approaching as there is a second explosion that rocks the caf� again.
Kimberly: (who is over by the bathrooms) �Scott! Scott, where are you?�
Scott: (somewhere across the room) �Kim! Can you hear me?�
Kimberly: �I can hear you! Where are you?�
Scott: �By the bar. Stay there. I�ll come get you.�
He heads through the throngs of smoke and debris to reach Kimberly, whose ankle is twisted at a funny angle.
Meanwhile, over at the door, Ned and Jax are trying to open the door.
Ned gives it a good kick, loosening the jam, but leaving it un-openable.
Alexis: �I bet it can be opened from the outside.� Without waiting for an answer, she heads over to the windows, and using her purse to batter out the remaining glass, tries climbing into the window pane.
Ned: �Alexis, get back here!�
Alexis: �No! Come over here and help me!�
Ned: (coming over to her, almost unable to see her in the smoke) �Alexis, you�re going to hurt yourself. Let me do it.�
Alexis: �You can�t. You won�t be able to fit through such a small space.� She turns around and looks at him. �I�ll be fine.�
Ned sighs, and without a word, picks her up and hoists her through the window.
Once outside, Alexis carefully makes her way over to the door, which is jammed badly.
She gives it a few good pushes, to no avail.
Ned: (inside) �Lex, can you get it open?�
Alexis: �Hang on for a minute. Stay back, okay?�
Ned: �Alexis, what are you doing?�
Alexis doesn�t answer him. She backs up, and taking a running start, races towards the door and slams into it. The door swings open.
Ned, Jax, Julia, Monica and Alan look at her, impressed, and step out into the clean air.
Monica: �Where�s Bobbie and Jerry?�
Jerry: �We�re right here.� He comes out, followed by Felicia and Mac. Their faces are all covered with soot and dirt.
Emily and Nikolas come out next, Emily heavily leaning on Nikolas, having accidentally breathed in some of the smoke.
Ned: �Em, are you okay?�
Nikolas: �I think she has a little smoke inhalation.�
Just then, Scott staggers through the door, carrying Kimberly.
Ned: �Kim, are you okay?�
Kimberly: �My ankle. I think it�s twisted pretty badly.�
Jax: �So, we�re all out, right?�
Julia: (looking over the group) �Oh my God! Where�s Mackenzie and Stefan?� Without warning, she runs back into the caf�.
Jax: �Julia, come back!� he races after her.
Alexis: �I hope they�re alright.�
Ned: �I�m sure that they are.�
Inside the caf�.
Julia: (screaming) �MACKENZIE! STEFAN! WHERE ARE YOU?�
Jax: �Julia, come back here! It�s not safe for you to be in here!�
Julia: (crying hysterically) �My sister! Where is she?�
Just then, they hear a weak voice from the back of the room.
Stefan: �Julia? I need your help, now! Mackenzie�s hurt.�
Julia races towards the sound of his voice with Jax behind her.
Through the smoke, they can see Stefan crouching over Mackenzie�s lifeless body. A large planter is next to her.
Stefan: �It fell off the shelf and hit her head... she�s unconscious... Oh God... what if she dies... Mackenzie, can you hear me?�
Mackenzie doesn�t answer him.
Jax: �We have to get her out of here. It could explode again.�
Julia: �But she�s hurt. We can�t move her.�
Jax: �We don�t have a choice. Are you with me, Stefan?�
Stefan: �We have to do this. I�m with you.�
Jax and Stefan carefully lift Mackenzie up, and they carry her out of the caf� with Julia behind them.
Jax: �We need a stretcher over here!�
A paramedic comes over and helps them put Mackenzie on the stretcher.
Alexis: (hugging Stefan) �Are you alright?�
Stefan: �I�m fine. Mackenzie needs to get to the hospital though.�
Paramedic: �We need a family member to go with her.�
Julia: �I�m her sister.�
Stefan: (jumping in) �No. I am her... husband.�
Julia: �You are...�
Jax: (cutting her off) �We�ll meet you at the hospital.�
Stefan gets into the ambulance and it races away towards General Hospital.
The rest of the group watches in horror as a third explosion rocks the caf�, a huge fire breaking out.
Ned: (holding Alexis close to him) �I can�t believe this.�
Jax: �We�d better get to the hospital.�
They all head for their cars and leave for the hospital.
As Ned races into the parking lot of GH, Alexis, who has been silent the entire time, looks at him somberly.
Alexis: �Helena?�
Ned: �It could have been.� He glowers. �If anything happens to my sister because of her, I will kill her.�
They get out of the car and head into the emergency room.
Stefan is pacing the floor anxiously.
Just then, Dr. Joe Scanlon comes out of the trauma room.
Joe: �Mr. Cassadine, Mackenzie�s head wound seems to be pretty serious. She is in a coma.�
Stefan: (gasping) �Is she going to be okay?�
Joe: �We�re going to admit her and send her up to neuro-ICU. The next 24 hours will be critical. If the brain shows any more swelling, we may have to go in and relieve the cranial pressure or she could die.�
Stefan: �Doctor, is she going to die?�
Joe: �We have the best specialists in the hospital working on her. The only person who can really determine if a coma patient is going to make it is the patient herself. You have to wait until Mackenzie comes out of this on her own.�
Stefan: �And in the meantime....?�
Joe: �Talk to her. Make your presence known. She may be able to hear you.�
As he walks away, Stefan looks at Alexis, his eyes full of terror.
Stefan: �I can�t lose her. Not after Katherine. This can�t happen again.�
Alexis puts her arms around her brother and holds him against her. For the first time, it�s Alexis comforting Stefan, and not Stefan comforting Alexis.
Three hours later.
Ned, Alexis, Julia, Jax and Stefan are still at the hospital, dispite the fact that it is two in the morning.
Stefan is sitting in a chair next to Mackenzie�s bed. There is a large bandage on her head, where there was an large cut from the falling glass.
Stefan: (taking her hand) �Mackenzie, I only have a few minutes with you, because Ned wants to see you, so if you can hear me, please listen.� His voice wavers. �Mackenzie, please wake up. I need you. You can�t die. I�ve lost too much to lose you too. I love you and so does Christabel. She wants you to be her mother, and so do I. I want to fill your life with happiness, and love, and give you...� he breaks down in sobs. �Mackenzie, I love you. Please come back to me.�
He turns to see Ned standing in the doorway. Alexis is with him.
Stefan: (wiping his eyes) �I�m going to go talk to her doctor, and I�ll be back soon.�
Ned: (approaching the bed) �Hey there, sis, I want you to listen to me and wake up.� He takes one of her hands and Alexis takes the other. �Mackenzie, you have to stay with us. I want you around to be my sister, and Avery and Hannah�s aunt... We haven�t had enough time. I know that I treated you pretty badly when you first came here, but what can I say? You kidnapped my wife. But I was willing to look past that, and I�m glad I did. Because I found a wonderful young woman, with a big heart and an amazing brain, who I am lucky enough to call my sister. You can�t die. There are a lot of people who love you, especially me, Julia and Stefan. I love you, sis.� There are tears running down his face as he steps back and Alexis steps forward.
Alexis: �Mackenzie, please wake up. You�re not just Ned and Julia�s sister, you�re mine too. You�re a member of this crazy family, whether you want to be or not. I know that you�re going to wake up, because anyone who is half Quartermaine and half Barrett has to be made of steel. You have to come back to us, especially Stefan. I know that he has a funny way of showing his emotions, but he loves you. When Katherine died, a part of him died with her. And then you came along, and made him live again. You made my brother a better person. He laughs, he smiles, and he loves. And he loves you. You have to wake up and tell him that you love him. He needs to hear that.� She wipes away a few tears. �We all do.� She leans down and kisses Mackenzie�s forehead. �Don�t give up.�
Alexis walks over to Ned, and taking his hand, leads him out of the room. They quietly say good-bye to Jax and Julia, who are waiting to go in, and leave.
Jax: �Do you want me to go in with you?�
Julia: �Actually, if you don�t mind, there are a few things that I need to say to my sister. I�d appreciate it if you would stay out here and keep Stefan company when he returns.�
Jax: �Okay.� He gives her a quick kiss. �I�ll be here waiting for you.�
Julia smiles weakly and heads into Mackenzie�s room. There is no sound except the steady hum of Mackenzie�s respirator as she sits down next to the bed.
Julia: �Mackenzie, you really need to wake up. I need you to plan my wedding with me.� She begins to cry. �I need you to be my sister.� She pauses for a long time. �You know, when Jax first asked me to move back here, I didn�t really want to. I was too afraid that memories of Brenda would haunt me. But they don�t. I�m happier now than I have ever been. I lost one sister, but I gained another one. And I have Jax now. He makes me so happy. But, he isn�t enough. I need my sister to be here to walk down the isle at my wedding.� She shudders. �Tonight was supposed to be perfect.� She begins to cry harder. �Come back to me, Mackenzie. I need you, and I love you.�
Julia lays her head down on the side of the bed and begins to sob.
Later that night.
Ned stands at their bedroom window, looking at the stars. Alexis comes up behind him and slips her arms around his waist.
No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no.
Listen little child, there will come a day, when you will be able, able to say,
Julia comes out of Mackenzie�s room, tears running down her face.
Never mind the pain, all the aggravation,
You know there�s a better way, for you and me to be.
Jax pulls Julia into his arms and lets her cry.
Look for the rainbow in every storm, fly like an angel, heaven sent to me.
Goodbye, my friend. I know you�re gone, you said you�re gone,
But I can still feel you here.
Stefan stands on the beach where he and Mackenzie made love on his birthday, a lost look in his eyes.
It�s not the end. You�ve got to keep it strong until the pain turns into fear.
So glad we made it, time will never change it, no, no, no, no, no.
Scott looks down at Kimberly�s sleeping form, her bandaged ankle on a pillow.
Just a little girl, big imagination. Never letting no one take it away.
Went into the world, what a revelation, she found there�s a better way,
For you and me to be.
Monica stands at her bedroom window, staring out. Alan comes up behind her.
Look for the rainbow in every storm, love�s gonna be there for you,
You�ll always be someone�s baby.
Nikolas holds Emily in his arms as they fall asleep on top of his bed.
Goodbye, my friend. I know you�re gone, you said you�re gone,
But I can still feel you here.
Christabel wakes up, calling out for Mackenzie.
It�s not the end. You�ve got to keep it strong until the pain turns into fear.
So glad we made it, time will never change it, no, no, no, no, no.
You know it�s time to say goodbye, no, no, no, no
Instrumental section.
Flashback to the explosion of Caf� Mattice.
Flashback to the debris and smoke all over the place as Julia races back inside
Flashback to Stefan crouching over Mackenzie�s body.
The times when we would play about, the way we used to scream and shout.
We never dreamt you�d go your own sweet way.
Ned turns around to face Alexis, tears streaming down his face.
Look for the rainbow in every storm, love�s gonna be there for you,
You�ll always be someone�s baby.
Goodbye, my friend. I know you�re gone, you said you�re gone,
But I can still feel you here.
Jax and Julia drive back to their penthouse, Julia looking blankly out the window.
It�s not the end. You�ve got to keep it strong until the pain turns into fear.
So glad we made it, time will never, never change it, no, no, no, no, no.
You know it�s time to say goodbye, no, no, no, no.
Stefan stands in his bedroom, holding a framed picture of Mackenzie.
And don�t forget on me you can rely, no, no, no, no
You know it�s time to say goodbye, and don�t forget on me you can rely, no, no, no, no
I will help you, help you on your way, no, no, no, no
I will be with you everyday, no, no, no, no
Mackenzie lays in her hospital bed, the steady beat of her heart monitor sounding through the room, her eyes closed.
Ned: �Dear God, please save my sister. This is all I ask.�
Helena�s yacht. Stavros stands on the deck, staring out at the water.
Stavros: �And so starts the beginning of the end.�