Alexis wakes up laying on her stomach at the end of their bed with the sheet partially covering her. She turns to see Ned bending over her, wearing maroon silk boxers.
Ned: (kissing down her back) �Good morning, beautiful.�
Alexis: (laughing as he gently trails his tongue down her back) �Good morning, sexy.�
Ned: �You looked like an angel when you were sleeping.� He leans over and gently kisses her tattoo. �Do you know how much I love this tattoo? It matched your dress last night.�
Alexis: (whispering as he kisses her backbone) �I love you, Ned.�
Ned: (softly) �Do you want some breakfast?�
Alexis: (yawning) �I�m too lazy to go downstairs and get some.�
Ned: (lifting a tray onto the bed) �Never fear, breakfast is here.� He lifts up the lid on the silver platter to reveal chocolate covered strawberries and orange juice.
Alexis: (delighted) �Aw, EJ, you made me breakfast?�
Ned: (shrugging) �I woke up early.�
Alexis sits up and covering herself with the sheet, moves back to sit against the headboard. She leans over and kisses Ned.
Ned: (kissing her back) �Good morning, Lexi.� He kisses her stomach. �And good morning, Christian Nathaniel.�
Alexis lays her head on Ned�s shoulder as he proceeds to feed her the strawberries.
The Penthouse.
Jax and Julia are sound asleep on the couch, their clothes strewn everywhere.
Jax: (opening his eyes to see his surroundings) �Jules, wake up.�
Julia opens her eyes slowly and smiles as she sees Jax�s arms wrapped around her.
Julia: �Good morning, Jasper.�
Jax: (sighing) �I really do hate that name.� He smiles. �But you�re allowed to call me it.�
Julia: �Good, because I�m going to call you that whether you like it or not.� She leans up and kisses him gently. �Last night was a lot of fun.�
Jax: �You looked sexier than any other woman in the world in that dress.�
Julia: (smiling) �Mackenzie helped me pick it out. She said you would like it.�
Jax: �Today is the first day of the year 2000.�
Julia: �Very observant, my favorite Aussie.�
Jax: (laughing) �What I mean is, we have... uh... one month and thirteen days until we become Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Jacks.�
Julia: (sitting up and wrapping the blanket around her) �You�re right! Oh wow! We have a lot to get done!�
Jax: (leaning over and kissing her) �Before you go into manic-Julia mode, go take a shower, and I�ll make us some omelets and juice, and then we can talk about our wedding.�
Julia smiles happily and runs upstairs to take a shower. Jax watches her leave, smiling.
A half hour later. The kitchen.
Jax: (pouring Julia a glass of juice) �So, we need to pick wedding colors first.�
Julia: �I was thinking... maybe... white and maroon?� she smiles. �Since it is going to be a winter wedding. What do you think?�
Jax: �Ooh, I like it. I think that maroon would look good for the cummerbunds and the bridesmaids dresses... I think it will look great.�
Julia: �Okay, my maid of honor is Mackenzie, and my bridesmaids are Alexis, Bobbie and Kimberly... and your best man is Jerry, and groomsmen are Ned, Stefan and Scott.�
Jax: (writing it all down) �The ring bearer is Lucas, and the flower girls are Christabel, Avery, Brooke and Serena.� He smiles. �They�re going to look so cute in... white dresses with maroon sashes.�
Julia: �That would look adorable.� She smiles �Write it down.�
Jax: (laughing) �Yes, mam.� He grins at her. �Now, what about the reception? I thought that having it at the hotel would be a little... trite... same with Caf� Mattice.�
Julia: �What about Chez Plaisance, that new French restaurant? Alexis and Ned said that it was very romantic and very elegant.�
Jax: �That�s a possibility... I read a review of it somewhere... there�s a ballroom, I think.�
Julia: �Yeah, I think so too. We could rent the whole place out.�
Jax: �I�m all for it if you are?�
Julia: �I�m there.� She smiles. �This is going to be a wonderful wedding.�
Jax: (grinning) �Forget the wedding... what about the honeymoon?�
Julia: �The Bahamas, right? I can�t wait until we�re alone on a beach...� she frowns. �You with your washboard stomach, me being three months pregnant with twins.�
Jax: (taking her hands) �You know that I love you, Julia.�
Julia: �I love you too, Jasper.� She gazes deep into his eyes and then starts laughing.
Jax glares at her for a long time and then starts laughing too.
The firehouse. Ten o�clock.
Kimberly and Scott walk through the front door, holding hands and smiling at each other.
They stop in shock as they get a look at their house.
All of the couch cushions are on the floor, a pillow has been ripped apart and there are pop cans all over the floor.
Sound asleep on the floor are Serena, Christabel, Brooke, Lulu, Georgie and Avery. Maxie and Morgan are asleep in the two reclining chairs.
Scott: (raising his eyebrows) �Good morning, everyone!�
The eight girls open their eyes to see Scott and Kimberly staring at them, not amused.
Kimberly: �Girls, could you please go in the kitchen with Scott? I would like a few moments alone with Morgan.�
The girls stand up and head into the kitchen with Scott as Morgan gets out of her chair and heads over to Kimberly, smiling sheepishly.
Morgan: �Mom, I know what you�re thinking...�
Kimberly: �No, Morgan, you don�t. How could you be so irresponsible? And where is Betty? She�s supposed to be baby-sitting you!�
Morgan: �Mom, listen. Betty was upstairs with Hannah and Olivia and then she went to bed because she had a headache. Maxie and I told her that we�d keep everything in control.�
Kimberly: �I�d say that you didn�t do such a good job.�
Morgan: �I know, and I�m sorry. Serena started a pillow fight.�
Kimberly: �Serena did?� she looks surprised. �You mean, your sister?�
Morgan: (nodding amusedly) �Yep. See, she isn�t such a little angel after all. I told her to knock it off but she ignored me.�
Kimberly: �I�m sorry, Morgan. I didn�t mean to blame you.�
Morgan: (giving her a hug) �It�s okay.� She smiles. �So, how was your anniversary?�
Kimberly: �Wonderful. The gala was great and then we stayed at the hotel.� She blushes.
Morgan: �That�s so cool. I hope that when I�m an adult, I�m in love like you and Scott are.� She grins. �You two are so cute.�
Kimberly: (smiling) �It�s a great feeling being in love.�
Morgan: (putting the cushions back on the couch) �How did you and my dad fall in love?�
Kimberly: (blushing a little) �Well...�
Just then, the doorbell rings.
Kimberly: (relieved) �We�ll have a nice talk later, okay, Morgan?�
Morgan: �It�s cool with me.�
Kimberly goes over to open the door. Standing there is Ned, Alexis, Stefan and Mackenzie.
Kimberly: (coolly) �Good morning, Ned, Stefan and Mackenzie.�
Alexis rolls her eyes. Ned squeezes her hand tightly.
Alexis: (monotone) �Are my children ready to leave?�
Kimberly: �Betty is getting Hannah dressed, and Scott is making breakfast for the older girls.� She stares at Alexis. �You can come in if you�d like.�
Alexis doesn�t say anything. She just steps around Kimberly and into the house.
Ned: (seeing the living room) �Wow, what happened here?�
Morgan: (in a small voice) �Pillow fight.�
Mackenzie: (laughing) �Cool.�
Stefan: �I hope that Christabel wasn�t involved in this.�
Morgan: �Don�t worry, Mr. Cassadine. Serena is responsible for most of the damage.� She smiles. �However, Christabel was having fun beating on Avery with a pillow.�
Stefan just shakes his head.
Scott: (coming into the room) �Oh good, you�re all here. I wanted to talk to you guys about Jax and Julia�s wedding.�
Kimberly: �Morgan, can you go help Maxie supervise breakfast?�
Morgan nods and heads into the kitchen.
Scott: (as they all sit down) �Well, I was thinking about giving Jax a bachelor party.�
Ned: (grinning evilly) �Ooh, fun. Can I help plan it?�
Alexis: (disgusted) �It is beyond tacky to have married men staring at some peroxide blonde with silicone breasts dancing around for them all night.�
Ned: (defensively) �That�s not all we do.�
Alexis: �Is that so? What else do you do at a bachelor party?�
Ned: �We get smashed.�
Alexis rolls her eyes. Kimberly and Mackenzie start laughing.
Mackenzie: �Hey, maybe we should give Julia a bachelorette party.�
Kimberly: �Now that would be fun!�
Stefan: �No way! We don�t want sweaty men wearing next to nothing dancing around our wives! Strippers are so... so... ugh.�
Mackenzie: (sweetly) �Stefan, we never said that we were going to hire a stripper.�
Stefan: (glaring at her) �Mackenzie, I know you too well.�
Alexis: �I agree with Stefan on this. I think that stripping is degrading.�
Ned: (teasingly) �You didn�t think that when you stripped for me on my birthday.�
Alexis: (glaring at him) �A lot of things happened on your birthday.� She gently pats her hip, where her tattoo is located. Ned laughs. �Besides, it�s a whole different story when you�re stripping for your spouse.�
Kimberly: �Okay, you guys, if we promise to not hire a stripper, do you agree to comply in the same way?�
Scott, Ned and Stefan exchange a look. All three of them sigh at the same time.
Scott: �Okay.� He sighs again.
Alexis, Mackenzie and Kimberly exchange a look. None of them say anything.
Later that day at the Ashtons� house.
Alexis is walking in from the kitchen, feeding Hannah a bottle, when the doorbell rings.
Alexis: �Ooh, Hannah, there�s someone at the door.� She smiles. �Let�s go get it.�
She goes over to the door and opens it. Standing on the doorstep is Kimberly.
Alexis: (before she can stop herself) �What do you want?�
Kimberly: (her eyes red) �May I please come in? Alexis, please?�
Alexis: (seeing Kimberly�s upset expression) �Fine.� She opens the door wider.
Kimberly walks in and sits down in a chair as Alexis puts Hannah into her playpen. She goes and sits on the couch, staring at Kimberly.
Alexis: �So what do you want?�
Kimberly: �Morgan asked me something today. She asked me how I fell in love with Gregory.� She pauses. �And you know what, Alexis? I realized that I fell in love with him because it was so... illicit.�
Alexis: �I could have told you that.� She snarls. �Kimberly, I don�t want to talk about this. As a matter of fact, I don�t really want to talk to you at all.�
Kimberly: (pleading) �Alexis, please. Just hear me out.�
Alexis: �Fine.� She leans back and crosses her arms. �Go ahead.�
Kimberly: �Alexis, you have no idea how sorry I am about everything that happened. I never meant to get pregnant. I never meant to hurt you.�
Alexis: �I�m sure that you didn�t set out to intentionally hurt me, but Kim, you did. And I remember having this conversation about six months ago when I found out about the two of you being lovers... but now I know that you had a child together and...�
Kimberly: (cutting her off) �Alexis, I did a stupid thing by never telling you and Greg about Morgan. I was young and I was scared. But can you imagine how I felt, giving her up at birth, and finding her on my doorstep twelve years later?�
Alexis: (softly) �I don�t think I could ever give up a baby.� She looks her in the eye for the first time. �Did you know that it was Morgan right off the bat?�
Kimberly: (nodding) �The gold M necklace that she wears... I gave that to her when she was born. I saw it and I instantly knew who she was.� Tears begin to fall down her face. �Alexis, I am so sorry. I miss you so much. You�re my best friend, and I am so sorry for everything.�
Alexis: (beginning to cry too) �I�m sorry for kissing Scott. I was just in a state of shock. And you know that I would never have made love to him. I love Ned too much.�
Kimberly: �I know that. I was just using you as a scapegoat.� Her smile wavers. �And as for giving Morgan your middle name, in my defense, I didn�t think you would ever find out about her, and I wanted to honor you in some way.�
Alexis: �I understand.� She continues to cry. �I missed you too.�
Kimberly gets up and goes to Alexis. They hug each other, still crying.
Kimberly: �I love you, Alexis. You�re the sister I never had.�
Alexis: �I love you too, Kimberly. You�re the best friend I�ve ever had.�
Kimberly: (sniffling) �And now that we�re best friends again, we have some work to do.�
Alexis: �Doing what?�
Kimberly: �Throwing Julia the bachelorette party of the century.� She smiles. �Complete with a stripper.�
Alexis: (as they sit down on the couch) �But we promised the guys...�
Kimberly: �Oh please, Lex. Do you really think that the guys aren�t going to hire a stripper? Even your darling husband isn�t going to admit that to you.�
Alexis: �You really think that they�re going to?�
Kimberly: �I KNOW that they�re going to.� She smiles. �Unless we take care of it.�
Alexis: �How?�
Kimberly: �By sending a replacement stripper.� She grins. �A male stripper.�
They look at each other and start laughing so hard that they�re crying.
Alexis: (falling off the couch) �Kim, you are so bad!�
Kimberly: (rolling on the ground) �I know!�
Just then, Ned walks in and sees Alexis and Kimberly in hysterics on the floor.
Ned: (raising an eyebrow) �Should I ask?�
Alexis: (snorting) �No.�
Kimberly: �Hey, Ned, have you come up with any plans for Jax�s party?�
Ned: (slowly) �No... why?�
Kimberly: �I was just thinking, since you promised to not hire a stripper, you�re more than welcome to borrow Serena�s candy land game, or Twister, if you want a really, really wild party.�
Alexis doubles over laughing at this point.
Ned: (trying to not laugh) �Alexis, why on earth did you forgive her? She�s just plain mean to me!�
Alexis: (laughing) �She�s not mean, Ned. The only mean person around here is you!�
Ned: �I�m not mean! How do you figure?�
Alexis: �I still haven�t forgiven you for what happened in Cabo San Lucas.�
Kimberly: (sitting up) �You mean, having sex on the beach and getting caught?�
Alexis: �NED, YOU TOLD SCOTT?�
Ned: (at the same time) �ALEXIS, YOU TOLD HER?�
Kimberly: (laughing) �Nope. It was on the news here.�
Alexis: (barely breathing) �You�re lying.�
Kimberly: �Oh, you wish I was. I�m serious.�
Alexis: �Kim, this isn�t funny.�
Kimberly: (snickering) �Oh, but it is. Scott, Claire and I saw it on the news the day it happened.� She smirks. �Really, you two. You should be more discreet.�
Ned: �I can�t believe this.� His face is bright red.
Alexis just groans and buries her face in her hands.
Kimberly: �But don�t worry. We didn�t tell anyone.�
Alexis: (not looking up) �No wonder Claire always looks at me like I have two heads.�
Kimberly: �She does not.�
Alexis: �Yes she does.�
Kimberly: �I think that she�s a little resentful of you and me being best friends.�
Ned: �Uh, back to the important issue here, did they say our names on the news?�
Kimberly: �No, but after all of the skin flicks you two have inadvertently given us, we recognized you right away.�
Alexis looks like she is about to cry. Ned goes over to her and puts an arm around her.
Alexis: �Kim, please don�t tell anyone! If our friendship means anything to you...�
Kimberly: �Lex, chill. If I was going to spill all about your little aquatic adventure, I would have done it when we weren�t speaking to each other.�
Alexis glares at her. After a few seconds, she starts laughing. So does Ned.
Kimberly: (getting up) �Anyway, I�ve got to get home because Olivia has a checkup, so I�ll call you later about what we were talking about before Ned walked in...�
Alexis: (laughing) �Okay.�
As the front door closes, Alexis flops back on the couch, blushing profusely.
Ned: (smirking) �What were you two talking about?�
Alexis: (pulling him on top of her) �Nothing.�
Ned: (resting his head on her chest) �Yeah, and I�m going to actually believe that!�
Alexis: (playing with his hair) �I don�t have to tell you if I don�t want to.�
Ned: (smiling at her) �You�re pretty sexy when you�re secretive.�
Alexis: �You think I�m sexy all the time.�
Ned: �You�re right.� He smirks. �Except when you have the flu and you�re so congested that you drool in your sleep.�
Alexis: (laughing) �Ned!�
Ned: (innocently) �What? I was just setting the record straight about when I think that you are sexy and when I think you�re not.�
Alexis: �You are a terrible husband!�
Ned: (kissing her gently) �I am not. Because if I was, you wouldn�t love me so much.�
Alexis: (laughing) �I hate it when you�re right.� She frowns. �I hope that you guys were serious when you promised to not hire a stripper.�
Ned: (not looking at her) �We won�t. Why are you so worried? Are you jealous?�
Alexis: �Do you think that those kind of women are pretty?�
Ned: (holding her close) �Yeah, some of them are slightly pretty. However,� he kisses her forehead. �You, Alexis Brinna Ashton, are beautiful and magnificent and ravishing.�
Alexis: (smiling) �I feel better now.� She kisses him. �Thanks, Sweetie.�
Ned: (looking around) �Well, I see that Hannah is asleep, but where are our other two daughters?�
Alexis: �Nikolas and Emily took them to the movies.�
Ned: (suggestively) �So we�re basically alone?�
Alexis: �You could say that.� She smiles. �What do you have in mind, Ned?�
Ned: �Let�s leave Hannah down here, take the baby monitor upstairs to our bedroom...�
Alexis: (cutting him off) �I�m there.� She picks up the baby monitor and heads upstairs.
Ned chases after her and catches up to her in the hallway. He picks her up and carries her into their bedroom, tossing her on the bed.
Alexis: �Do you get some kind of ya-ya from manhandling me and throwing me on our bed on a weekly basis?�
Ned: �Now that you mention it, yeah, I do.�
Alexis: (pouting) �But it�s not fair. You�re too big for me to throw around.�
Ned: �Too bad for you, Lexi.� He grins. �So you can�t torture me. Oh darn.�
Alexis grabs his hands and pulls him onto the bed. She rolls over and straddling him, begins to tickle him.
Ned: (laughing hysterically) �Alexis... stop... stop... now!�
Alexis: (continuing to tickle him) �Never!�
Ned: (laughing so hard that he�s about to cry) �You�re a bad wife!�
Alexis: (leaning down and whispering in his ear) �I know. Want to punish me?�
Ned: �Sure.� He rolls her over and begins unbuttoning her white blouse. With each button that comes undone, he kisses her bare skin.
Alexis: (moaning) �Just the touch of your lips does things to me that you can�t even imagine.� She moans again. �Oh, Ned.�
Ned: (whispering) �Do you know how much I love you, Alexis Brinna?�
Alexis: (whispering back) �Show me.�
Just then, the phone rings.
Ned: (sighing as he picks it up) �Hello, Ashton residence.� He pauses. �Yes, oh, you need it signed? Well you can go ahead and fax it to me... I�m sure... when are you breaking ground for sure... February twenty third... that�s great... okay, fax it over... bye.� He hangs up and turns back to Alexis.
Alexis: (as he kisses her neck) �Who was that?�
Ned: �Contractors. For the shelter.�
Alexis: �I�ve been meaning to talk to you about that.� She sits up. �Where did you ever come up with the idea to build a battered women�s shelter in honor of my mother?�
Ned: (stroking her bare stomach) �Actually, it�s in honor of you... but I can�t exactly build you a memorial shelter... besides, I thought you might like to have something in honor of your mother. I know that you loved her above all else.�
Alexis: (tears in her eyes) �You have no idea how much this means to me.� she smiles. �You always know what to say and do to make me melt.�
Ned: �Do you remember her at all?�
Alexis: �Sometimes I see her in my dreams. She was so beautiful. When I was little, I looked kind of like Avery, and I thought the world of my mother. She was a queen to me and I worshiped her.�
Ned: (stroking her hair) �I bet she was as beautiful as you.�
Alexis: �She was the most beautiful woman in the entire world.� She smiles. �Have I ever told you that I love you, Ned Ashton?� Wrapping her arms around Ned�s neck, she pulls him on top of her and they begin making love.
That night.
Alexis and Ned are asleep, curled up together in their bed.
* * * D R E A M * * *
Four year old Alexis and Arianna walk on the beach in Greece, holding hands. Alexis stops to pick up a sand dollar.
Alexis: �Mother, look! It�s a sand dollar! It�s so perfect!�
Arianna: (beaming at her daughter) �Alexis Brinna Cassadine, you are the most precious little girl in the entire world.�
Alexis: (gazing in adorement at her mother) �I love you, Mother.�
Arianna: �I love you too, my sweet little girl.� She frowns. �Alexis, are you happy here?�
Alexis: �What do you mean?�
Arianna: �With me and your father and your cousins?�
Alexis: (nodding vigorously) �I love it with you... and I love cousin Stefan!�
Arianna: �I know you do. He�s a good friend to you.�
Alexis: �He plays hide and seek with me!�
Arianna: (laughing) �An American game. How sweet.�
Alexis: �Mother, why doesn�t Aunt Helena like me?�
Arianna: �She does... she just has a funny way of showing it.�
Alexis: (sticking her jaw out) �She�s so mean sometimes!�
Arianna: (bending to her daughter�s height) �Alexis, you have to promise me something. If anything ever happens to me and Father, and you must go with Uncle Mikkos and Aunt Helena, you will obey them, and let Stefan take care of you.�
Alexis: �Are you going somewhere?�
Arianna: �No, Sweetheart. I�m just telling you that. Do you understand?�
Alexis: �Yes, Mother, I understand.� She throws her arms around her mother. �You�re the best mother in the world. I love you so much.�
Arianna: (holding her close) �I love you too, Alexis. You have no idea how much.�
* * * E N D O F D R E A M * * *
Alexis wakes up and sits up in bed. Next to her, Ned is sound asleep.
Alexis: (to herself, tears in her eyes) �I�ll never forget you, Mother.�
Laying back down, she snuggles close to Ned and slowly falls asleep.