Alexis wakes up to find sunlight streaming through the window. Ned is still laying flat on his back. She smiles to herself.
Just then, he opens his eyes a little.
Ned: (moaning) �Oh God... shooting pain... everywhere...�
Alexis: (fighting back a laugh) �Baby, are you okay?�
Ned: �I feel like someone is pounding on my skull with a hammer.� He moans in agony. �Why didn�t you stop me from drinking all of that tequila?�
Alexis: �You wouldn�t have listened.�
Ned: (still on his back) �I am a very stupid man.� He moans in pain as he rolls over to face her. �You must agree, huh, Lex?�
Alexis: �I don�t think you�re stupid, Ned. I just think that you�re a little... hungover.�
Ned: (whispering) �You know that I love you and I don�t blame you for this.�
Alexis: �I know.� She leans over and kisses him. �I love you too.�
Ned: �Lexi, when is this pain going to go away?�
Alexis: �A day, give or take a large bottle of aspirin.�
Ned: (sighing) �I wonder how my partner in tequila shots is doing.�
The Penthouse.
Julia is sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a glass of orange juice, when there is a loud moan from upstairs.
She gets up and goes upstairs to their bedroom. Jax is sprawled out in the middle of their bed, a cold compress on his forehead.
Julia: (whispering) �What�s wrong, Jax?�
Jax: �Stop yelling. It�s hurting my head.�
Julia: �Sweetie, I�m not yelling.� She smiles. �Why are you moaning?�
Jax: �My head hurts so bad. Why don�t you just go get a gun and kill me now?�
Julia: (laughing) �Sorry, but I need you around for our wedding.�
Jax: �Oh God, we�re getting married tomorrow!� he tries to sit up and moans again. �My head... I want to die.�
Julia: �Perhaps you�ll think before you and Ned get into a shot drinking contest again.�
Jax: �You know what? We used to hate each other, and now we�re best friends.� He moans again. �But right now, I want to kill him. My head HURTS! Stupid Ned!�
Julia doesn�t say anything. She just smiles smugly.
Back at the Ashtons� house.
Ned is back to laying flat on his back. Alexis is staring at him in amusement.
Ned: (crossly) �What are you looking at?�
Alexis: �I�ve never seen you like this. I�ve seen you drunk, but not this drunk.�
Ned: �Well, congratulations, Mrs. Ashton. You get to see me completely smashed.�
Alexis: (running her hands through his hair) �You�ll be okay if you just rest.�
Ned: �I hurt too bad to rest. My head is pounding like a conga drum.�
Alexis: (moving so that she is hovering above him) �Is there anything I can do to make the pain go away?�
Ned: �I have no clue. I can barely remember my name right now. I hate Jax!�
Alexis: �Ned, he didn�t force you to drink the tequila.� She kisses him gently. �You know, you�re kind of sexy when you�re hungover.�
Ned: (managing a smile) �I love you, Brinna.�
Alexis: �I think that I can help you with this little problem.�
Ned: �Are you going to go kill Jax with a meat cleaver?�
Alexis doesn�t say anything. She gently lowers herself on top of him.
Ned: (weakly) �Alexis, I don�t have much energy right now, as you can see.�
Alexis: �Who said anything about you?� she smiles. �It�s a good thing that you decided to pass out AFTER you took your clothes off.�
Ned: (smiling a little) �Meaning?�
Alexis: �Saves me a lot of work.� She pulls her nightgown over her head and throws it on the floor. �Try to not throw up on me, okay?�
Ned starts laughing as Alexis begins to kiss down his body. She pulls the covers back and moves down his body, kissing him as she goes.
He moans as she lies down at the end of the bed, still on top of him, and begins kissing his legs and thighs. She gives special attention to his... lower body parts.
Ned: (barely audible) �You�re driving me crazy.� He moans.
Alexis: (breathing hard) �That�s the general idea.� She moves back up to kiss his lips.
Ned kisses her back, taking her tongue in his mouth and gently sucking on it.
His hands reach out and gently stroke her breasts. Alexis moans as he runs his hands over her body, stopping when he reaches her inner thighs. He strokes her as she moans loudly.
Alexis: (kissing him passionately) �I thought that you had no energy.�
Ned: �I just got my second wind.�
He rolls her over so that he is pinning her down, and begins kissing her upper body, never moving his hands from her inner thighs.
Alexis: (moaning loudly) �Make love to me, Ned.�
Ned: (whispering) �You didn�t even need to ask.�
Without another word, he begins making love to her.
Meanwhile. Wyndemere.
Mackenzie comes downstairs at the same time as Nikolas.
Stefan is sitting at the breakfast table, laughing into his coffee cup.
Mackenzie: (kissing him) �What�s wrong?�
Stefan: �What do you mean, what�s wrong? I�m laughing.�
Mackenzie: �Exactly.� She smiles at him and sits down.
Stefan: �I was just thinking that Jax and Ned must be totally hungover right now.�
Nikolas and Mackenzie both start laughing.
Mackenzie: (yawning) �I think I had a few too many martinis myself.�
Stefan: �I have a little headache too. I never knew how good tequila sunrises were.�
Nikolas: (smugly) �I don�t have a hangover. I only had two beers.�
Mackenzie: (teasingly) �Shut up, Nikolas.�
Stefan: (standing up and kissing his wife) �I have to get to work. I�ll be home around two, okay?�
Mackenzie: �Okay. I�m taking Christabel shopping for overalls at the Gap Kids.�
Stefan: �Overalls? She�s not a farmer, Mackenzie!�
Mackenzie: (laughing) �Go to work. I promise that I won�t turn our daughter into a reject from a farm, okay?
Stefan: �You�d better not!� he gets up and leaves.
Just then, Emily comes walking down the stairs. Mackenzie raises her eyebrows.
Nikolas: �Morning, Em.�
Mackenzie: (amused) �I�m assuming that you slept in the guest room, Emily?�
Emily: (looking at the ground) �Of course.�
Nikolas: (pleading) �Mackenzie, please don�t say anything to my father... please, my favorite step-mother?�
Emily: �I�ll leave if you�d like, Mackenzie.�
Mackenzie: �No, it�s fine. All I�m going to say is that protection is the key.� Laughing, she walks out of the dining room and goes upstairs.
Nikolas and Emily stare at each other for a long time and then start laughing.
Back at the Ashtons� house, a half hour later.
Ned is laying on his back again. Alexis is laying next to him, her head on his chest.
Ned: (breathing hard) �Wow, that was...�
Alexis: �Amazing?� she smiles. �How�s your hangover?�
Ned: (smiling smugly) �What hangover?�
Alexis: (amused) �Well, now I know how to automatically cure you.�
Ned: (stroking her hair) �I love you.�
Alexis: �I love you too, Ned. More than anything in the world.�
Ned: (moving his hands down to stroke her stomach) �How�s Christian?�
Alexis: �Sleeping.� She smiles slightly. �Julia knows.�
Ned: (surprised) �She does? How?�
Alexis: �She kind of guessed when I was drinking my tenth club soda last night. She�s very intuitive. I tried to play if off, but...�
Ned: �Nothing gets by Julia.� He smiles. �She�s always been like that.�
Alexis: �Don�t worry. She isn�t going to say anything.�
Ned: �Good.� He smiles. �I love having a secret with you.�
He wraps his arms around her and they begin to make love again.
That night. St. Andrew�s Episcopal Church.
Ned, Alexis, Avery and Brooke come walking in five minutes late.
Everyone is waiting for the priest to arrive from a meeting.
Avery and Brooke immediately run off to where Christabel, Lucas and Serena are sitting.
Jax: (seeing them) �My tequila brother!�
Ned: (giving him a quick hug) �How�s your hangover?�
Jax: �Slowly going away. Julia made me take aspirin and vitamins all day. You?�
Alexis: (as Ned wraps his arms around her waist from behind) �Secret method.�
Jax: (knowingly) �Ah. I wish that Julia was as nice to me as you are to Ned, Lex.�
They all start laughing as Julia comes up and hugs Alexis.
Julia: �What�s so funny?�
Jax: �We were discussing our hangovers.�
Julia: (smiling) �You deserved what you got, you two.� She smirks. �But I must admit that you were pretty funny last night when you were singing on top of the bar.�
Jax: (kissing her gently) �Have I ever told you that I love you, Julia?�
Ned: (whispering in Alexis� ear) �Hey Lexi, when we get home, can we have a repeat performance of this morning?�
Alexis: (teasingly) �You mean you having a headache and me making fun of you?�
Ned: �Very funny.� He discreetly rests one hand on her hip and the other on her backside. �You were very, very sexy this morning, Mrs. Ashton.�
Alexis: (smiling as she turns around) �I suppose that we can fool around when we get home.�
Ned�s eyes light up and he gently kisses her lips.
Twenty minutes later.
Father David: (rushing in) �I�m very sorry that I�m late. The husband of a close friend passed away and she needed someone to talk to very badly. I had to drive to Albany.�
Jax: (shaking his hand) �It�s no problem.�
Father David: �Okay, Jax, Julia, what do you say we get this show on the road?�
Julia: �Let�s start.� She smiles. �I can�t wait until it�s the real thing tomorrow.�
Father David: �Okay, tell me who these people are.�
Jax: �The maid of honor is Julia�s sister, Mackenzie Cassadine, and the best man is my brother, Jerry. The bridesmaids are Alexis Ashton, Bobbie Jacks, and Kimberly Baldwin.� He pauses. �My groomsmen are Ned Ashton, Stefan Cassadine and Scott Baldwin.�
Father David: �And the children?�
Julia: �The four flower girls are Avery Ashton, Brooke Ashton, Christabel Cassadine and Serena Baldwin. Lucas Jones is the ring bearer.�
Father David: �What about the ushers?�
Julia and Jax exchange a panicked look. Neither of them say anything.
Ned: (amused) �You forgot about ushers, didn�t you?�
Alexis: �What about the guestbook?�
Julia: (in a low voice) �I guess that a few things slipped our minds. Jax?�
Jax: �I was thinking, why don�t we ask Nikolas and Gregory to be the ushers? I mean, we�re getting to know Greg better and I really like him.�
Julia: �Good idea. And Monica and Emily could do the guestbook?�
Jax: �Sure. I�ll go call them.� They smile at each other.
Fifteen minutes later, Gregory, Monica, Nikolas and Emily have arrived and the rehearsal has begun.
The violinist begins to play Pachabel�s Canon. Bobbie and Stefan proceed down the isle first, followed by Kimberly and Scott.
Alexis: (whispering to Ned) �Does this bring back memories?�
Ned: (smiling at her) �Yeah. I love you, Lexi Brinna.�
The music gets to the crescendo and Ned and Alexis head down the isle, with her holding onto his arm. Both of them are smiling.
They get to the front of the church and Ned goes to the right, Alexis to the left.
Mackenzie and Jerry come down the isle after them, smiling broadly.
All of the adults smile as Lucas comes down the isle, carrying the ring pillow. He stops and goes to the right.
Avery: (yelling from the back) �Hey! What about us?�
The adults start laughing.
Father David: �Okay, girls, your turn.�
The four little girls walk down the isle in two sets of two, Christabel and Avery in the front, and Brooke and Serena in the back.
They throw little pieces of tissue paper as they walk down the isle.
When they get to the front, Christabel and Brooke go to the left, Avery and Serena to the right.
Suddenly, Pachabel�s Canon comes to an end and the violinist begins to play �Here Comes the Bride.�
Julia walks slowly down the isle, holding the small bouquet of roses that Jax gave her.
Christabel: (yelling) �I like your flowers, Aunt Julia!�
Stefan: (hissing) �Christabel! Shh!�
Christabel: (turning around to look at him) �Daddy! I know that we can�t do that at the real wedding! Don�t worry!� she turns to Julia. �I�m sorry, Aunt Julia!�
Julia: (laughing) �It�s okay, Sweetie.� She reaches the front of the isle and stands next to Jax. They face each other.
Father David: �Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of God to witness the marriage of Jasper William Jacks and Julia Michelle Barrett.�
Mackenzie: (whispering to Alexis) �Too bad his middle name isn�t Hugo or Hercules or something like that. We could have a lot of fun teasing him!�
Alexis: (stifling a laugh) �Mackenzie, you are so bad!�
As the ceremony goes on, Mackenzie and Alexis continue to whisper.
Mackenzie: (as Jax and Julia walk up to light the ceremonial candle) �Did you notice that there is this one little piece of Jax�s hair that�s sticking straight up? He looks like a porcupine reject.�
Alexis looks at the back of Jax�s head and starts laughing.
Julia: (turning around) �What�s going on?�
Alexis and Mackenzie shake their heads in unison. Julia turns back around.
Ned looks over at his wife and sister and sees that they are both shaking with laughter. He shakes his head at them.
Alexis blows Ned a kiss. He rolls his eyes. Mackenzie sticks her tongue out at him. He starts laughing, along with Scott.
Jax: (turning around) �Now what?�
Ned: �Ask Mackenzie.�
Jax rolls his eyes and turns back around as Ned mouths �ha ha� at his sister.
Later that evening at the Port Charles Grill.
The wedding party is seated at a long table, eating their dinners.
Julia: (looking at her sister and her best friend) �Okay, Mackenzie and Alexis, what were you two laughing at in church?�
Mackenzie: (innocently) �Oh, I was just telling Alexis about this guy named Hugo.�
Alexis: �Yeah, it�s her ex-boyfriend.�
Stefan practically chokes on his wine. Kimberly and Monica start laughing.
Ned: (snickering) �You actually dated a guy named Hugo?�
Mackenzie: (glaring at Alexis) �It was a long time ago.� She smiles evilly. �And Alexis was telling me about this guy she had a crush on at Harvard named Hercules.�
Ned starts laughing so hard that he�s practically crying. So do Scott and Gregory.
Kimberly: �I don�t remember anyone named Hercules.�
Gregory: �Neither do I.�
Alexis: (giving them a look) �He wasn�t in any of your classes.�
Jax: �And Ned? Scott? What were you two laughing at?�
Scott: �Oh, just those two. They were being stupid.�
Ned: (gently stroking Alexis� thigh under the table) �So, are you two excited about your honeymoon?�
Julia: �Who wouldn�t be happy to go to the Bahamas in the middle of winter?� she smiles. �Besides, Jax is going to surf for me.�
Ned: �I bet that you fall flat on your face all the time, Jax.�
Jax: �Nope, that would be you.� He grins evilly. �Need I remind you of the boating trip we took with Lois and Brenda... with the water skis?� Ned doesn�t say anything. �That�s what I thought.�
Alexis: �Jasper Jacks, were you torturing my husband?�
Jax: �No, not torturing per se, I just dragged him for a few miles on his face in the water.�
Everyone starts laughing except Ned.
Alexis: (trying to stop laughing) �Aw, Ned. Are you really that bad at water skiing?�
Ned: (sulkily) �No. I just was having problems that day.�
Jax snorts under his breath.
Kimberly: �Lex, do you remember the boat trip we took at Harvard? Greg, you too?�
Gregory: �Oh, you mean the trip that we took during spring break where you never bothered to check the gas gauge and we ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere right before a storm hit? Gee, Kim, for some reason that trip sticks out in my mind.�
Everyone starts laughing. Alexis just shakes her head.
Kimberly: (laughing) �Greg, you�re leaving out the most important part, about Alexis getting a little drunk and falling overboard!�
Everyone looks at Alexis. She blushes and looks away as everyone starts laughing.
Ned: (trying to save Alexis) �Speaking of embarrassing moments, Julia, or should I call you Ms. Oil?�
Julia: �Ned, shut up.�
Ned: (ignoring her) �When Julia first came to Port Charles, her father owned a cannery downtown that was also run by ELQ. It was an oil cannery. Little miss suave came on a tour with me wearing three inch heels and a silk suit. She lost her footing and fell into an oil vat.�
Jax: (laughing hysterically) �You�re kidding, right?�
Julia: (in a low voice) �No, he�s not.� She sighed. �I looked like a black seal.�
Jax: (laughing even harder) �That�s priceless. I wish there was a video of it.�
Julia: �Shut up, Jasper.�
Kimberly: (laughing) �Ooh, she called you Jasper! Five bucks says that you sleep on the couch tonight.�
Jax: �No, it�s not like that. She thinks it�s cute to call me that.�
Mackenzie: �Julia, where are you staying tonight? You too, Jax?�
Jax: �I�m staying at my penthouse.�
Julia: �So am I. We live there, remember?�
Scott: �It doesn�t work that way. You have to stay elsewhere tonight, away from each other.�
Jax: �That is so tacky!�
Ned: �Jax, I think that you and Julia can skip the afterhours activity for one night.�
Jax and Julia both blush. Everyone laughs.
Alexis: �Julia, you can stay with us.�
Ned: �Aw, I wanted Jax to stay with us.�
Jax: �How about if I stay at home tonight, and Ned comes to stay with me?�
Ned: �That would be fine.�
Alexis raises her eyebrows at him. He sighs, realizing that their plans for later will have to be given up.
Julia: �Lex, can I get dressed for the wedding at your place?�
Alexis: �Of course.�
Mackenzie: �I want to come too!�
Alexis: �I�ve got it. Julia and Mackenzie, come home with me. Ned, Stefan and Jax can stay at the penthouse tonight. Christabel can come with us, Stefan.�
Julia: �It�s fine with me, if it�s okay with you, Jax.�
Jax: �It�s fine with me. Me and my Tequila Brothers can bond.�
Alexis: �No watching the playboy channel, you three.�
The three men start laughing.
Ned: �Jax, Stefan and I will both go home and get our stuff for the wedding, and we�ll be over later, okay?�
Jax: �It�s cool with me, whatever.�
Later that night at the Ashtons� house.
Julia and Mackenzie are sitting on the couch in the living room. Avery, Brooke, Hannah and Christabel are asleep. Alexis is walking Ned out to his car.
Alexis: (wrapping her arms around him) �I love you, Ned.�
Ned: �I love you too, Lexi.� He smiles at her. �I�ll miss holding you in my arms tonight.�
Alexis: (whispering) �I�ll be dreaming about making love to you.�
Ned: �Yeah, you owe me now.� He kisses her gently. �How about a quickie in the car?�
Alexis: �Or not.� She smiles and kisses him. �I�ll see you tomorrow.�
Ned kisses her one more time and then gets into the car. He rolls the window down.
Alexis: �You three behave yourselves tonight.�
Ned: �I�ll try.� He smiles at her �Sweet dreams, Princess.�
He starts the car and backs out of the driveway. Alexis watches him leave and then goes back into the house.
Mackenzie: �What took so long? Were you two getting kinky in Ned�s Jag?�
Alexis: (laughing) �No, but he suggested it.�
Julia: �Why does that not surprise me?� she smiles. �Seriously though, you two are so cute. Almost five years, and you�re still totally hot for each other.�
Alexis: (blushing) �Ned is all that I�ve ever wanted and never thought I could have.�
Julia: �That�s how I feel about Jax.�
Mackenzie: �How are you feeling? I mean, baby wise?�
Julia: �The twins are sleeping right now.� She smiles. �What about you, Lex?�
Alexis tenses up. Mackenzie notices, but doesn�t say anything.
Alexis: �What do you mean, Julia?� she pauses. �Oh, how am I feeling since I was having a reaction to my pills a few days ago?� she gives her a look. �Just fine.�
Mackenzie: �So, Sis, are you excited about getting married?�
Julia: �Very much so.� she smiles. �I love Jax so much.� She frowns. �Can I tell you guys something in confidence?�
Alexis: �Of course.�
Mackenzie: �Sure.�
Julia: �Well, when Jax asked me to go to the Fire and Ice Ball with him last year, I balked at the idea at first. I didn�t want anything to do with him because I was so attracted to him.� She pauses. �Brenda loved Jax so much that I felt like I would be betraying her if I felt anything for him.�
Alexis: �Julia, Brenda would have wanted you to be happy.�
Mackenzie: �I never got to meet our sister, Julia, but I agree with Lex. You and Jax love each other. There is nothing that can change that.�
Julia: �I love you two so much. You always know the right thing to say.�
Alexis: (tears in her eyes) �My whole life, I wanted a sister. I mean, I had Stefan, but he never wanted to play dress up, or dolls. And I had Kim in college, but I have always wanted a real sister. You two are like sisters to me.�
Mackenzie: (tears in her eyes) �I feel the same way. That�s why I don�t call Julia my half sister or you my sister in law, Alexis. You guys are my sisters and my best friends.�
Julia: (tears falling down her face) �When Brenda died, I wanted to die too. She was the only person in the world who truly cared about me. She and I weren�t friends when we were little. We fought all the time, but we were sisters. Loyal to the core. And that�s how I feel about you two. Mackenzie, you are my sister, and Alexis, I love you like a sister. And I love Ned and Stefan like brothers.�
Alexis: (sniffing and laughing) �Regardless of the fact that you slept with Ned?�
Julia: �I try to overlook that.� She smiles. �I have something for you guys.�
She picks her purse up off of the table and pulls out two jewelry boxes. She hands one to each of them.
Alexis and Mackenzie open the boxes to pull out gold bracelets. There are three stones hanging from them, one for each of their birthstones.
Alexis: �Oh, Julia. I love it.�
Mackenzie: �Me too.� She smiles. �We�ll wear them to the wedding.�
Julia: �I�m glad you like them.� She smiles. �To us, best friends, and sisters forever.�
Alexis: �Best friends and sisters forever.�
Mackenzie: (at the same time) �Best friends and sisters forever.�
Julia: �I wonder what the guys are doing right now.�
The Penthouse.
The TV is on in the living room and Ned, Stefan and Jax are sitting in chairs and on the couch. All three of them are asleep.
Back at the Ashtons�.
Mackenzie: �They�re probably talking about sex, sports and politics.�
Alexis: �Or watching dirty movies.�
Julia: �Nah. I bet that they�re all asleep from their hangovers last night.�
They look at each other and start laughing hysterically.