Preparations for the wedding have begun to finally come together as the various little details settle into the big picture. Despite Emily's constant inquisition as to who the bride and groom are, Johnny has confirmed the final draft of the wedding invitations, which are set to be delivered in the coming morning with none the wiser. If only he could see Sonny's face when he receives his invitation.

With the bride and groom set to return by nightfall, every last detail must be ready for them, leaving no chance of turning back or postponement. Although he hadn't been too eager to allow them to, Johnny has left the security details in the hopefully more than capable hands of Corelli and O'Brien. The usual threat having been established in order to force his hand in accepting their 'offer'.

It was only upon Ethan's return that he had felt the ability to let out the breath he had long since been holding. Everything is riding on this wedding going off without a hitch and he couldn't risk letting anything get in the way of it happening. If Elizabeth is going to have any chance of breaking free from the Spencer clan for good, she has to marry Jason. The sooner the better.

"Gotta admit it." Ethan voices as he stands beside him. "I never actually believed you'd pull it off."

"That makes two of us." Johnny admits as he looks at the final set up for the church. "If not for Emily, I probably wouldn't have."

"You might have." Ethan assures. "It just would have been a hell of a lot more simpler and a terrible eyesore."

"You think you could have done better?"

"Hell no." Ethan scoffs. "If it were up to me, I would just shove the two in a Vegas chapel and be done with it."

"Would have been easier, that's for sure." Johnny agrees, taking a deep breath before shaking his head. "But Elizabeth deserves this...she deserves everything we can give her."

"No argument there, mate." Ethan shoves his hands in his pockets, finding that he just might enjoy the wedding more than he had believed. "Ready for that beer?"

"Definitely." Johnny turns away from their hard work to head out of the church. "Anything to drown out Emily's constant questioning of who the bride and groom are."

"Don't even try to play me." Ethan scoffs at his friend. "You and I both know that you'd die for a chance with little miss Emily 'Princess Perfect' Quartermaine."

Neither confirming nor denying Ethan's claim, he simply slugs him in the shoulder before climbing into his SUV to head to the bar. Knowing Emily, she'll most likely be seated at the bar by the time he gets there with Ethan. She's gotten a little better with the drinking these last few days, but he still feels the need to keep an eye on her just in case.

He wants to feel sorry for her, truly he does, but he just can't bring himself to. Elizabeth has had to suffer through the Spencers and her grandmother for a lot longer than Emily has. Maybe, just maybe, this will give her enough insight into Elizabeth's situation to soften the blow of the wedding that's about to happen. One can hope.

WNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

After driving nonstop for the last day or so, Elizabeth and Jason decide to stop by the closest hotel for a quick nap before getting back on the road. With time running out on Jason's deadline, the sooner they get back to town and start planning the wedding the better off they'll be.

Of course, before he can even think of planning the wedding, he needs to make a stop by Robin's place and explain everything. A talk he wasn't at all eager to have at this point, but - thanks to Sonny - its a talk he has to have. Regardless of their standing with each other, she deserves to hear about his impending wedding from him.

"Look." Elizabeth voices from the minibar. "No matter where we go, they always seem to have your favorite beer and, yet, they can't manage to have my tequila."

"Thanks." he replies softly, taking the beer she hands to him. "You know, if you want something harder, we can always order room service."

"I looked over the menu." she reminds him. "There was no mention of tequila on the list."

"Leave it to your fiance." he says simply, walking over to the phone to order her beverage of choice. "There's not much I can't get given the right motive."

Fiance, she repeats in her mind, surprised by how easily he seems to be able to say. So comfortably. Slipping out of her jacket, tossing it onto the coat rack, Elizabeth relaxes on the couch as he speaks to the concierge about room service. In a matter of days, she'll be Mrs. Elizabeth Morgan and she has to admit that it has a tempting ring to it.

Just under ten minutes, there's a knock on the door and in comes room service with one of the most expensive bottles of tequila she has ever seen in her life. Waiting long enough for Jason to tip the waiter, Elizabeth picks up her tequila tentatively before looking at him with a sense of awe.

"You've got to teach me that one." she says with an air of laughter in her voice before allowing him to pour her a shot. "That kind of skill can really come in handy."

"If I did that, you wouldn't need me anymore." he counters, handing her the glass. "Then what?"

"I'm pretty sure I'd still need you." she says simply, downing the shot before meeting his eyes. "You know...for other things."

"Like what?"

"This."

Without a second thought, void of hesitation, she touches her lips to his, needing to feel his against hers. She had only meant for it to be a simple embrace, to show that she would always need him, regardless of the things that they'll learn from each other during the duration of their marriage, but it didn't end up that way.

Slowly but surely, the kiss picks up momentum, the passion growing, the desire building, the intimacy of the moment swallowing them whole. Lifting her up, he holds her closely as her legs wrap around his waist, allowing him to maneuver them towards the bed. Though all form of rational thought has long since flown out the window, Jason still has enough of a mind set to know that he will not make love to her on the hotel room floor.

"Are you sure?" he questions as he hovers atop of her, staring into her deep lust filled blue eyes. "If its too fast..."

"I'm sure." she says quickly, slamming her lips against his. "I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you. Right here. Right now."

Drowning in each other, no longer afraid of the fall, their bodies come together as one in the most delicious way known to man. As their bodies meet, passion filling every inch of their bodies as the ecstasy takes over, a door opens up in their hearts that neither had been truly prepared for. A door that leads them down the path to a true marriage. A marriage of love rather than necessity. For, with just a simple taste, the hunger is born, a hunger that will never be satisfied. A hunger for every last piece of each other.

"You did it again." she whispers as their breathing begins to return to normal.

"What's that?" he questions, placing soft kisses on her shoulder.

"You made me speechless." she says simply, turning to face him. "How do you do that?"

"I guess, the same way you help me find my voice." he replies softly, reaching up to caress her cheek gently. "Before you, I didn't know how to voice my feelings. Now I do."

"So I give you your voice and you take mine away." she smiles lovingly before kissing him softly. "I think I can get used to that."

"I know our relationship has started a little backwards." he voices, linking his left hand with hers. "But I'm hoping we can build our way to a real marriage."

"Really?"

"Yeah." he assures her. "Do you think that's possible?"

"I believe anything's possible." she says without hesitation. "As long as we're sure its what we want. Nothing's impossible."

"Okay." he lets out the breath he hadn't known he was holding. "But I need you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"If being married to me becomes too much, I need you to be honest with me and tell me." he says seriously. "I know you think you'll be able to handle all the changes that's bound to happen, but you'll never truly understand until you're living it."

"Jason..."

"Just promise me, please." he pleads. "I've seen this life tear apart a lot of relationships and I never want it to get to the point that I lose you in my life."

"I promise." she assures, knowing that he needs to hear it. "You'll always have my honesty."

WNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

He had always known that sooner or later the two idiots would find their way to them. Unlike the two Corinthos men, he had believed they'd get to him a lot faster than this, but - hey - no one ever said they were very bright. Of course he never expected Emily to jump to their defense. That, in all honesty, was a very huge surprise.

"What will fighting with them get either of you?" Emily snaps at them. "Elizabeth won't change her mind any faster if you beat up her best friends!"

"We're her best friends." Lucky gestures to the three of them, the Four Musketeers. "Not them!"

"In Elizabeth's eyes they are!" Emily shouts. "All fighting with them will get you is a night behind bars. So, grow the hell up and leave them alone."

"Why are you protecting them?" Nikolas questions, looking at her in shock. "Since when are you on their side?"

"For the first time in a really long time, Nikolas, I'm on Elizabeth's side." she counters, folding her arms across her chest. "If that means protecting these dummies, so be it."

It would another long moment of awkward silence, but sure enough the two brothers leave Jake's without another word spoken. What was there to say? They have already made complete fools of themselves, more than either he or Ethan could truly hope for. Now, with a good amount of Port Charles as witnesses, the impending wedding between Elizabeth and Jason won't be much of a stretch. And, if they keep it up, it just might be more welcomed.

"That was almost decent of you." Ethan voices as he steps away from the bar. "Up until the dummies bit, of course."

"He's right." Johnny voices once Ethan walks over to the pool table for a game. "Didn't think you cared so much."

"I don't." she says plainly, plopping down onto the stool. "I'm just tired of them running their mouths."

"Uh-huh." Johnny shakes his head, plopping down onto a stool next to her. "Admit it. You're starting to warm up to us."

"Keep dreaming, Zacchara."

"Sooner or later, you're going to have to face the truth." Johnny counters, waving over the bartender. "You're more like us than you are like them."

"I am not."

"Whatever you say, Quartermaine." he smirks, ordering them up a couple shots of vodka. "Drink up."