Alexis, Sierra and Julia are sitting in chaise lounges on the sand when Mackenzie and Kimberly walk up to them carrying glasses of iced tea.
Mackenzie: (handing them each a glass) �Why so sad, you guys?�
Alexis: (sighing) �I miss Ned.�
Julia: (sighing, at the same time) �I wish Jax was here.�
Sierra: (sighing, at the same time) �I miss Justin.�
Kimberly: (exchanging a look with Mackenzie) �You guys, we miss Scott and Stefan, and yet, we are still making the most of this gorgeous beach.�
Just then, a cute guy in a swimsuit walks by and whistles at them.
Kimberly: (smirking) �And our gorgeous surroundings too.�
Alexis: (laughing) �You are so bad, Kim.�
Just then, another cute guy walks past them and smiles.
Julia: �Too bad that we�re all married.�
Sierra: �Except me.� She smiles. �But I�m taken too.� She blushes as they all laugh.
Mackenzie: �However, how can these guys walk past us WITHOUT whistling? I mean, we�re the best looking babes on the beach!�
They each look down at themselves and shake their heads.
Julia: (laughing) �She�s right, you know. Mackenzie, the combination of that little white bikini and those abs is making me nauseated. Ditto with Sierra and Kimberly.� She grins at Alexis. �Even you look fabulous and you�re pregnant. I, however, look like the iceberg that sunk the Titanic.�
Everyone laughs.
Alexis: (wearing a two piece black swimsuit with a tankini top and boy cut bottoms) �Julia, you look fine.� She appraises her red one piece with a halter top and high cut legs. �Very sexy.�
Sierra: (wearing a pale pink bikini with white piping and matching pink sunglasses) �I�m sorry to be such a bore. I don�t mean to miss Justin so much.�
Kimberly: (clad in a teal and blue flowered bikini) �It�s okay. Us old married folks understand the concept of new love.�
Mackenzie: �Old married folks? We are not ALL old married folks! Alexis has been married for like three times as long as the rest of us.�
Alexis: (grinning evilly) �Maybe that says something about you, Sis.�
Mackenzie throws some sand at Alexis. She just pulls her black sunglasses down on her eyes and lays back, a smirk on her face.
Sierra: �I feel like going in for a swim. Anyone want to come?�
Mackenzie: �I will.� She sets down her iced tea and stands up.
Kimberly: �Me too.� She gets up and the three of them head for the water.
Julia: (sipping her iced tea) �I miss Jax, but this is exactly what I needed.�
Alexis: (looking up at the blue sky) �Me too. It is beautiful here. It almost makes me forget about the real world.� She looks sad. �Almost.�
Julia: �You miss your kids, huh?�
Alexis: �Brooke wanted me to bring her in my suitcase.�
Julia: (laughing) �What about Ned?�
Alexis: �He offered me a million bucks to stay home.� She grins. �I offered him two million to leave me alone. We settled for plans for a VERY nice welcome home when I get back to Port Charles.�
Julia: �You know what? I never knew how deep a connection could be between two people until I met Jax. I mean, when I was single, I would hop on a plane and jet off to wherever I desired to without even a thought. But now that I have Jax, I can�t even imagine spending a day away from him.�
Alexis: (softly) �All that traveling made you forget about life, huh?�
Julia: �You did it too, huh?�
Alexis: �In college up until I moved to Port Charles. Seeing places I had never seen before and meeting people that I would probably never see again was a fascinating experience for me. When I was in Spain, or Paris, or even just Manhattan, I could just be a person�not a Cassadine, not Helena�s little toy� I could just be��
Julia: �Persona Non Grata?�
Alexis: �Exactly.� She smiles a little.
Julia: (raising her glass) �Well, then, to us, Lex. Persona Non Grata best friends forever.�
Alexis: �I�ll drink to that.� They clink their glasses of iced tea together and than take long drinks from them.
An hour later. Port Charles. The Ashtons� house.
Ned looks up from reading his newspaper on the couch to see Brooke and Avery staring at him.
Ned: �May I help you, girls?�
Brooke: (sulkily) �When is Mommy coming home?�
Ned: (patiently) �I told you ten minutes ago that she will be home in a week.�
Avery: (stomping her feet angrily) �But I want her to come home now!�
Ned opens his mouth to say something but just then, Hannah starts to scream on the baby monitor.
Ned: (getting up) �I will talk to you two later.�
Brooke: (as Ned runs up the stairs) �I want Mommy to come home! I need to talk to her really bad!�
Avery: (teasingly) �Why? Did David kiss you again?�
Brooke: (blushing) �Shut up, Avery!�
Avery: (sticking her tongue out) �Why don�t you make me?�
Brooke: (taking a threatening step towards Avery) �Look it, you little twerp�.�
Ned: (walking back downstairs with Hannah) �Girls! What�s going on here? I was trying to get your sister back to sleep but you�re yelling too loud!�
Avery: (yelling) �Daddy, Brooke was about to beat me up.�
Brooke: (screaming) �No I wasn�t, you dork!�
Ned: (getting mad) �What is the matter with you two?�
Brooke: (bursting into tears) �I want Mommy to come home!�
Ned: �Brooke, she isn�t coming home for a while. So you�re going to have to stop it.�
Brooke: (shouting) �No!� she runs past Ned and up the stairs.
Ned can hear her bedroom door slam. He sighs and turns to Avery. She just shrugs.
Fifteen minutes later. Brooke comes sneaking out of her bedroom and stands at the top of the stairs. She can see Ned watching the Little Mermaid with Avery and Hannah.
She slips down the hall to Ned and Alexis� bedroom and going in, shuts the door and walks over to the bed. Sitting on Ned�s nightstand is the number of Alexis� condo.
She picks up the phone and dials the number.
Maui. The condo.
Alexis, Julia, Kimberly, Mackenzie and Sierra have just returned from the beach.
Julia: (hearing the phone ring) �I�ll get it.� She picks it up. �Hello?�
Brooke: (trying to sound grown up) �May I please speak to Alexis? This is one of her�. um, clients.�
Julia: (raising her eyebrows) �One moment please. I�ll get her.� she sets down the phone. �Um, Alexis, it�s one of your clients.�
Alexis looks confused. Julia mouths �Brooke� at her. She smiles.
Alexis: (taking the phone) �This is Alexis. Who is this?�
Brooke: (still trying to sound adult) �This is one of your clients.�
Alexis: �Are you sure that this isn�t my daughter, Brooke Lynn Ashton?�
Brooke: (beginning to cry) �Mommy, come home.�
Alexis: (over her friends� loud talking) �Sweetie, hang on. I can�t hear over your loud aunts so I am going to take this in my bedroom.� She walks down the hall to her bedroom. �Now why do you want me to come home?�
Brooke: (sobbing) �I� I�. miss you�. And David� he�� she cries harder.
Alexis: �What happened, Sweetheart?�
Brooke: �He tripped me today and I fell down and there is a bump on my knee.�
Alexis: �Did he do it on purpose?�
Brooke: �I think so. Clayton told him to trip me and then he gave him a dollar.�
Alexis: (mad) �Did you tell your teacher?�
Brooke: (softly) �No. I wanted to tell you.�
Alexis: �Did you tell Daddy?�
Brooke: �No.�
Alexis: �Did he say that you could call me?� Brooke doesn�t say anything. �Brooke?�
Brooke: (crying harder) �No.�
Alexis: �Brooke, you know that we don�t want you to use the phone without permission. Especially for long distance calls.�
Brooke: (sobbing) �I�m sorry, Mommy. I just miss you so much. Please come home.�
Alexis: (her heart breaking) �Brooke, I would come home if I could, but I need to be here right now with Aunt Julia and Aunt Mackenzie and Aunt Kim and Sierra.�
Brooke: (sniffling) �Can I come there?�
Alexis: �Brooke, you know the answer to that.� She thinks for a moment. �But since I am not at home right now, can you do me a big favor?�
Brooke: �What?�
Alexis: �Can you help Avery with her spelling homework? Since you�re the champion speller in our family, I bet that if you help her, she�ll get a hundred percent on her test. So can you be my bestest friend and help her?�
Brooke: (laughing) �Okay, Mommy. I�ll help Avery.� She sniffs again. �Mommy, one other thing.�
Alexis: �Yes?�
Brooke: �Even though Samantha and Serena are my best friends, you�re my real best friend. Sometimes I forget you didn�t have me because you are my mommy. And I want to be just like you when I grow up.�
Alexis: (tears falling down her face) �I�ll tell you a secret, Brooke. I always wished for a daughter just like you.�
Brooke: (shocked) �What about Hannah and Avery?�
Alexis: �I love them just as much, but I always knew that my oldest child would be special and help me with her sisters and we wouldn�t just be mother and daughter. We would be friends too. And I am so glad that you and I have that special bond.�
Brooke: (whispering) �I think I need to get off the phone. I don�t want Daddy to be mad at me.�
Alexis: �If Daddy yells at you, tell him that it was my fault.� She smiles. �Now be a good girl and ignore David if he�s being a dork, okay?�
Brooke: �Okay. I love you, Mommy.�
Alexis: �I love you too, Sweetie. I�ll call you tomorrow, okay?�
Brooke: �Okay. Bye.� She hangs up the phone.
Alexis stands in the bedroom holding the phone with tearstains on her cheeks. Just then, Kimberly comes in.
Kimberly: �You okay?�
Alexis: �Brooke misses me so much that she can barely breathe.� She sits down on her bed. �You know, when I stand in her doorway at night and watch her sleeping, I truly do feel like her mother. And sometimes I feel bad because she is not my daughter and I feel selfish for thinking that she is.�
Kimberly: (sitting down next to her) �Alexis, you may not have given birth to Brooke, but she is your daughter in every sense of the word.�
Alexis: �Just like Serena is to you.�
Kimberly: �Exactly.� She smiles. �It�s funny because I was completely in love with that little girl even before Scott and I got together. It�s like she cast a spell on us and made everything perfect.�
Alexis: �We�re really lucky, Kimberly.�
Kimberly: (giving her a hug) �The luckiest girls in the world.� She smiles. �But while we�re out of husbandly supervision, what do you think of having dinner at the Hula Grill� you know, the restaurant on the beach where the male waiters wear nothing but sarongs.�
Alexis: �Ned would kill me.� She grins. �So it�s a good thing that he isn�t here. Let�s go.�
Mackenzie: (sticking her head into the room) �So did you convince her to go, Kim?�
Kimberly: �Of course. Alexis knows that it is a woman�s prerogative to get the most visual use out of the eye candy here, especially since her darling husband will never know about it.�
They all start laughing and getting off the bed, Kimberly and Alexis head to their closets to pick out something to wear while Mackenzie heads for the showers.
An hour later. The Hula Grill.
Alexis, Mackenzie, Sierra, Kimberly and Julia sit at a table sipping their drinks.
Just then, a gorgeous Hawaiian waiter comes over dressed in a red flowered sarong.
Waiter: �My name is Manny and I will be your waiter for this evening. Have you decided what you plan to order yet?�
Mackenzie: (practically drooling) �Um, we may need a few minutes.�
Manny: �That�s fine. I�ll be back in a few moments, ladies.� He walks away.
Sierra: (watching him walk away) �Justin who?�
They all start laughing. Just then, Alexis sees someone enter the restaurant and she knocks her water glass over, her face a ghostly shade of white.
Julia: �Lex, are you okay?�
Alexis: �I�m fine.� She is flustered and her face is still white. �I�ll be right back.�
She gets up and heads across the restaurant to where a man is sitting alone. He has dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. Seeing Alexis, his mouth drops open in shock.
Man: �Alexis?�
Alexis: �It is you.� She looks shocked.
Man: (standing up) �Ah, little Alexis.�
Mackenzie, Kimberly, Sierra and Julia look on in shock as Alexis throws her arms around the man.
Kimberly: �Who is that? He is beyond gorgeous.�
Mackenzie: �I thought Greg and Ned are the only men she�s been involved with.�
Julia: �I thought so too.� She frowns. �Maybe we were wrong.�
Over at the other table.
Man: (holding Alexis close) �I can�t believe that you�re here. This is a huge coincidence. I�m here on business.�
Alexis: �Mikhail, I can�t believe that you�re here at the same time as me. I haven�t seen you for what, ten years?�
Mikhail: �Ah, Alexis, you�re even more beautiful than you were the last time I saw you.� He picks up her left hand and looks at it. �And a wedding ring?�
Alexis: (grinning) �I�ve been married for almost six years.� She grins. �I have three daughters,� she pats her stomach. �And a son on the way.�
Mikhail: (kissing her cheek) �Good for you, Alpha. You deserve to be happy.�
Alexis: (laughing) �No one has called me that for so long.� She grins. �But I am not an alphabet anymore. My initials are ABA now.�
They sit down across from each other.
Mikhail: �What does the A stand for?�
Alexis: �Ashton.�
Mikhail: �And you�re blonde now?�
Alexis: �Dye. I got talked into it. Besides, it�s called blonde copper.� She grins.
Mikhail: �How are Stefan and Nikolas and everyone?�
Alexis: �As a matter of fact, I�m here with� well, here she comes now.�
Mikhail and Alexis look over to see Mackenzie coming towards them, smiling slightly.
Mackenzie: �Lex, we were beginning to wonder if you were ever coming back.�
Alexis: (still staring at Mikhail) �Mikhail, this is Stefan�s wife, Mackenzie Cassadine. They�ve been married for five months.�
Mackenzie: (holding out a hand) �It�s nice to meet you. And you are��
Alexis: �This is Stefan and my cousin, Mikhail Cassadine.�
Mikhail looks a little nervous but smiles anyway.
Mackenzie: (her eyes wide) �Are you serious?� she smiles. �Wow, it�s nice to meet you, Mikhail. I thought that Alexis, Stefan and Helena were the only Cassadines left.�
Alexis: �Nikolas and Christabel too.�
Mikhail: �Who is Christabel?�
Alexis: �Stefan�s daughter. Her mother is his ex-wife, Katherine, who died, and Mackenzie adopted her. She�s five.�
Mackenzie: (seeing Julia, Sierra and Kimberly staring at them) �I think our friends are a little curious by now.� She smiles. �Mikhail, why don�t you join us for dinner?�
Mikhail: �Alexis, is that alright with you?�
Alexis: �How could it not be?�
They all get up and head over to where Sierra, Kimberly and Julia are.
Alexis: �I�m sorry that we ran off on you, you guys.� She pats her cousin�s arm. �Mikhail, these are my best friends Sierra Hudson, Julia Jacks and Kimberly Baldwin. You guys, this is my cousin, Mikhail Cassadine.�
All three women look surprised. Alexis and Mackenzie laugh. Mikhail looks confused.
Mackenzie: (as they sit down) �Forgive the shocked expressions, Mikhail. Most people are a little shocked to meet anyone with the last name Cassadine.� She grins. �People look at me a little oddly and I�m only a Cassadine through marriage.�
Mikhail: �It is quite alright.� He holds out a hand to each woman and they shake it. �It is nice to meet you all.�
Julia: �Wow, Alexis, if I had seen you two together without knowing you, I would automatically know that you were related. You look more like brother and sister than you do cousins.�
Sierra: �Julia�s right, Lex. You two look just like siblings.� She smiles at Mikhail. �Of course, that is a compliment.�
Mikhail: �How could it not be? Alexis has always been beautiful.�
Alexis and Mikhail smile at each other. Kimberly and Sierra glance at each other as they notice Mikhail�s smile waver a little.
After dinner.
The group is heading out of the Hula Grill when Alexis lags a little behind.
Mackenzie: �Lex, are you coming?�
Alexis: �Actually, I was thinking of going for a walk on the beach with my favorite cousin.� She grins. �I�ll come back to the condo in a little while.�
Julia: �Do you want us to come and get you with the car?�
Mikhail: �I can drive her back to your condo so you don�t have to.�
Alexis: �Thanks, Mikhail. And thanks for the offer, Julia.�
Sierra: �We�ll see you in a little while.�
Alexis: (grabbing Mackenzie, in her ear) �Can you do me a favor?�
Mackenzie: �Of course. What?�
Alexis: �Don�t say anything to Ned when he calls. I want to tell him myself because he doesn�t know that I have any other family.�
Mackenzie: (hissing) �Why didn�t you ever tell him?�
Alexis: �I�ll explain later. Just don�t tell him.�
Mackenzie: �Got it.� She smiles. �I�ll see you later, Sis.�
Mikhail and Alexis wave at the four women as they leave and then head out onto the beach. The breeze makes Alexis� hair move around her face and the long skirt of her white sundress billow out.
Mikhail: �Are you cold?�
Alexis: �No. It�s beautiful out here.� She grins. �And I can�t believe that I ran into my cousin on vacation with my friends.�
Mikhail: �Your friends seem wonderful, especially Mackenzie.�
Alexis: �Yeah.� She smiles. �My husband Ned is best friends with Stefan, Kimberly�s husband Scott, Julia�s husband Jax and Sierra�s boyfriend Justin so we all have a lot of fun hanging out together.� She grins. �So where are you living now?�
Mikhail: �I have been living in Athens for the past few years. However, my company has been planning to transfer me to New York.�
Alexis: �Why do you even bother working for that company? Stefan always thought you should come work for Cassadine Industries.�
Mikhail: �I have always made it my personal mission to stay away from Helena.�
Alexis: (as they sit down on a bench) �I had forgotten just how vile she was to you whenever you came to visit.�
Mikhail: �Isn�t that the way she treats everyone?�
Alexis: �I never understood why no one ever told Stefan and I that we had a cousin that was the same age as me and was born on the same day. I remember only meeting your mother once. Anza, right?�
Mikhail: �Yes. She died about six years ago.�
Alexis: �I�m sorry. I know how that feels.�
Mikhail: �What do you mean?�
Alexis: �Well, as you know, Arianna died when I was a little girl, but I never even got to know my father as my father. I don�t think that you knew this, but Mikkos is my birth father. Thaao was just my mother�s husband.�
Mikhail: �I knew that.�
Alexis: (surprised) �How did you know that? Did Stefan or someone tell you?�
Mikhail doesn�t say anything. Although the sky is getting darker, and it is hard to see, Alexis can see the look on his face.
Alexis: �Mikhail?�
Mikhail: (softly) �There�s something you need to know, Alexis.�
Alexis: �What?�
Mikhail: �I�m not your cousin. I�m your brother.�
Alexis: �Very funny.�
Mikhail: �I�m serious, Alexis. You and I are twins� fraternal twins.�
Alexis: (upset) �Mikhail, that isn�t funny.�
Mikhail: �No, Alexis, it is not funny. And I just found out about four years ago. There was a birth certificate in an old bank vault. On July 31, 1964, Alexis Brinna Cassadine and Mikhail Estes Cassadine were born to Arianna Davis Cassadine and Mikkos Cassadine.� He sighs. �I was taken away from birth and given to Anza and Luka, and raised as theirs.� He touches her arm. She jerks away. �Alexis, why don�t you believe me?�
Alexis: (furious) �Because last year when a woman showed up claiming to be my mother, it turned out to be a henchwoman hired by Helena and she ended up kidnapping my daughter Avery.� She tries to stand up, but Mikhail grabs her arm. �Mikhail, let me go. Now.�
Mikhail: �Alexis, listen to me. I am not lying to you.� He looks deep into her eyes. �You even heard Julia and Sierra say that we look like brother and sister. We ARE twins. Arianna and Mikkos are my parents too. If you want proof, I have the birth certificate with me back at my condo. I carry it with me wherever I go. It�s kind of a talisman.�
Alexis: �I�. I�.� she starts to cry. �I don�t know if I believe you.�
Mikhail: �Look into my eyes, Alexis. You�ll see your eyes. OUR eyes.�
Alexis: (sobbing) �How could she have done this to us?�
Mikhail: �Who? Our mother or Helena?�
Alexis: �Both of them. I spent my whole life alone. I never knew that my�. my�. brother� oh Mikhail.�
Mikhail: (pulling her into his arms) �I looked for you, but had changed your name.�
Alexis: �Four years ago� I was already married. You would have never known that I was Alexis Ashton instead of Alexis Davis.�
Mikhail: �Do you believe me now?�
Alexis: (whispering) �I do.�
Mikhail: �My sister.�
Alexis: �My brother.�
Mikhail: �May we never be separated again.�