Alexis stared at herself in the mirror and tears sprung to her eyes. She could hear Georgie and Maxie in the background warning her not to cry because they had already had to touch up her makeup twice. Taking the handkerchief Georgie offered Alexis blotted her eyes, laughing when Maxie loosely grabbed her chin and made sure no major damage had been done. Mac was across the hall with his brother, Robert, a man she had met only a handful of times, and Luke. Every now and then, they would catch a long string of expletives and not know which man it had come from. "Where's Kristina?"

"She's with Bobbie and Leslie practicing the throwing of the rose petals." Laura spoke up. "That dress you picked out is so beautiful. And Cameron's little suit..." Laura paused, trying to get herself together.

"How come she gets to cry and I don't?" Alexis teased her friend.

"Because she's not the bride." Georgie laughed.

"And we won't kill her if she ruins a perfect makeup job." Maxie threw in, playing with the veil.

"Now, let's make sure we got everything." Georgie stood up and began checking things off the list she had made up the day she had started helping her father plan this surprise wedding. "Alright, Alexis is here and looking gorgeous."

"Thank you Georgie, but I'm sweating like a pig. I do not look gorgeous."

"It's the three layers of thick material." Maxie assured her.

"Hush. Every bride looks gorgeous on their wedding." Georgie assured her. "Robin is making sure everything is in place up front."

"Is Kevin here yet?" Alexis wondered. He was, after all, the best man. Even though she knew Mac could replace him if need be with his older brother or, God help them all, Luke, she also knew how important Kevin Collins's presence was to her fiancé.

Maxie rolled her eyes. "Yes. He and Lucy just arrived. And of course Lucy is just full of suggestions for how I should design her dress for next year's Nurse's Ball. As if I'm crazy enough to do that again!"

"You know you loved it." Georgie baited her with a grin. "Okay groom, bride, and best man are here." She made a check on her list.

"Wait! Maid of honor! Alexis who is going to be your maid of honor?"

If Alexis was honest with herself, she wished Sam would take over the job, but it was too soon to expect that of her. Both she and Sam had decided a DNA test was the only way to know for sure if they were what the other was looking for. "Do I need one?"

Maxie made a dramatic sign of the cross. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just ask that."

"Of course you do! Even I had two!" Georgie pointed out.

Alexis twirled her chair around. "Laura, would you do me the honor?"

Laura smiled and reached out for Alexis's hands. "I would love to."

The door opened and four sets of eyes turned to see who it was. "I left the guest book in very able hands." Sam promised, her eyes twinkling when she thought about what David would want in return for her ditching him at the little table.

"Sam, come in." Alexis beckoned, waving her hands out in front of her.

"You know I think we should go make sure Luke isn't getting Dad drunk or anything." Georgie suggested, motioning for her sister to follow her out the door. Ever since Alexis and Dad had told them about Sam and the possibility she could be Alexis's daughter, Georgie felt a little awkward around her. But right now it wasn't about her, it was Alexis's wedding day and Alexis probably wanted a moment alone with Sam.

"I'll help." Laura chimed in, closing the door behind them.

"I didn't know I was so repulsive." Sam joked quietly.

"You're not. Not at all. Give them some time. They'll get used to it." Alexis promised, getting to her feet with difficulty. The dress itself weighed at least two tons and the sequined material seemed to go on forever. She rubbed her lace covered arms and offered Sam a smile.

"They're all very nice." Sam noted. "And we don't know what the results will say, so it's probably just as well if they don't warm up to me right away."

"I don't think we should immediately jump to worse-case scenarios. It's a wedding. A happy day." Alexis reminded her, lifting Sam's chin in her cupped palm.

"That's right. I'm sorry." Sam wrung her hands nervously. "Today you're marrying the man you love."

"I'm lucky." Alexis answered emotionally. "The best man in the world wants to marry me and I still don't know why but I'm not going to squander it away."

"Maxie said you were sick. Are you?" Sam broached the subject carefully. "There I go again. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Sam. Yes, I am. I have lung cancer." Alexis told her. "And at this point the treatments are pretty futile."

"The will to live is stronger than medicine." Sam replied, trying to keep the tears at bay. She compromised for covering her mouth with her hand for a second and then letting it fall away. She walked away from Alexis's loose grasp and tried not to pace. "Tell me about Mac. What makes him the one?"

"Well," Alexis sat, knowing she would regret it, and her eyes went dreamy. "He's funny and loving and passionate. He has this way of calming me down. Through all of this, he's been my rock, my constant. He gave me hope when I was first diagnosed and then again when Kristina was kidnapped. He's never left my side. Oh," Alexis looked down at her hands, but Sam caught the blush. "When he gets really frustrated, he slips into his Australian accent. There is nothing sexier, let me tell you."

"He sounds incredible." Sam whispered. "Just remember, he's the lucky one to have you."

*****

"Alright are you ready?" Kevin Collins patted his long time friend on the back, grinning from ear to ear. It had taken Mac a long time to find the right woman but now that he had, Kevin couldn't be happier for him.

"I was ready the morning I met her." Mac informed him with a chuckle. "Maybe someone should go check on my bride and make sure there's no confusion about where we're meeting."

"Alexis has always impressed me as a smart woman. I think she'll find you alright." Kevin teased.

"It's not her brain I'm worried about getting confused." Mac argued. "Damn these shaking hands."

"Here Bubba." Luke handed Mac over a shot glass filled with whiskey. "It's tradition."

Mac took the glass from his old friend and slammed it back in one drink. He winced at the burning, but at least his hands were still. "Thanks."

"No problem. Just don't tell my wife or Alexis I'm the one that got you drunk before you took the plunge."

"I'm pretty sure I won't be mentioning your name tonight." Mac muttered.

"Argh!" Luke backed up, mimicking rubbing his eyes. "Too much information."

"You sound like Lulu." Mac laughed. "Where is my goddaughter anyway?"

Luke shrugged his shoulders. "She was here and now she's off hiding somewhere. You know how much she hates dressing up and such stuff."

"I didn't even know she'd moved out of Kelly's until Maxie brought it up. Where's she living?"

"She moved in with a girl she knows from class. A house near campus."

"Have you met this girl? Do you want me to have her checked out?" Mac offered.

"No. Lulu's a pretty good judge of character." Luke turned Mac's offer down gently. "Besides this is about you, not my little Sweet Pea."

"Should we head out?" Kevin spoke up.

"You better or you'll have one unhappy bride." Robin answered for her uncle as she came through the door. "It's time Uncle Mac."

*****

The music signaled Alexis's entrance. Everyone looked toward the back. The doors remained closed. Patience might have been a virtue in other families, but it wasn't one the Scorpios handled well. Robin kept a smile on her face just in case Uncle Mac should look in her direction. Georgie and Maxie debated with their eyes about whether or not they should go and check on her. Robert was telling the minister of one of his great adventures in the South Pacific. Mac though, standing at the altar with Laura on one side and his big brother on the other, had never looked more confident that Alexis would come through those doors and meet him where he stood. They would exchange their vows just the way they had dreamed since he first proposed. Everything would be perfect.

The aging woman at the organ's fingers never tired and the groom never fretted. Behind him, the minister double-checked what he was supposed to say even though he had memorized them by about his hundredth ceremony. Robert was nearing the end of his story when the handles on the double doors started to shudder. Some of the guests had turned their attention to Mac; they turned around in their seats to witness what they knew would be the most beautiful bride. Finally, the bride emerged and, at her presence, everyone forgot about her being late or ever doubting she would arrive. Her hair was spun in an elegant bun with one single strand on either side of her face crimped and curled to perfection. Her eyes were lightly dusted with a creamy powder that matched her skin tone and a few able strokes of mascara. Maxie had chosen the most innocent of pinks to lightly smooth across her plump lips and spent an excruciating amount of time plucking her eyebrows.

The wedding dress, in Alexis's opinion, resembled a three tier wedding cake. Above the first layer was an exquisite white bodice. Though it was meant to be sleeveless, Laura had talked her into adding some temporary sleeves that worked a lot like pantyhose only they were open on both ends. Other than Laura and herself, no one noticed the add-on. The first layer was long piece of extended lace and the remaining two layers matched it in form and design, but each was a little longer. She felt a little like a lamp shade.

What she liked most about the shoes, perhaps even the defining reason she chose this dress, was because it went so wonderfully with her white heels. She told herself not to stare at them now, not at the thin ribbon strap or how attractive they made her ankles appear. One step at a time, her mind instructed. Find Mac. Find his eyes. Her eyes started at the velvet red aisle and then moved to stars that led to the altar. Her eyes slowly settled on his face and then his eyes. There she found her calm. There she found solidarity. While she was half startled at the idea of taking the few necessary steps to reach the aisle, he looked completely certain of her, of them, of their marriage and she let herself focus on that.

"You're beautiful." Mac mouthed to her as soon as she was in front of him. She smiled, self-consciously, and then had to laugh at her nervousness. "You are." This time, she was graced with his steady voice.

"Am I late?"

"Not at all. I knew when you were ready, you'd come." He assured her, taking her right hand in his.

The minister, taking the cue from them once they went completely silent and still, addressed the rest of the church. "Dearly beloved..." His words fell on deaf ears as the couple gazed into each other's eyes. It wasn't until he cleared his throat that they realized it was their turn to talk.

"Do you have the rings?" The minister prompted and Cameron held up the tiny red cushion that contained two matching bands.

"Repeat after me." The minister instructed but again they only saw his lips move. It was times like this when they were thankful they had stuck with the old-fashioned vows because they had been to enough weddings to have them memorized. Instead, they focused on each other's faces. Tears fell freely from their eyes and Mac's bottom lip trembled as he slid the ring onto Alexis's finger. When the minister turned to her, Alexis clutched his hand until her knuckles whitened to which he responded by lightly caressing her knuckles with his thumb.

Without waiting for the signal, Mac leaned forward and kissed Alexis deeply, as if no one was watching which won them a great deal of laughter and hoots from their guests. When they broke apart, it was not modesty that showed in their faces, but mutual satisfaction. "I am proud to present Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Scorpio."