‘Til Death Do Us Part

The Marriage Series

by Melanie Walker

 

 

 

 

 

Nikolas Cassadine watched his wife from across the room. She really was quite beautiful, after three months of marriage he was definitely ready to concede that fact. She was at this party tonight at his request, she had attempted to bow out gracefully, citing her class studies as her reason, but he had not allowed her to do that. He had been told by one of her guards this morning that she had been to see a lawyer and he knew that if he intended to keep his wife he would have to explain, once again, that there would be no divorce. That Cassadine’s, with the exception of his uncle, did not divorce.

 

She had laughed hysterically the first time he had told her that, telling him that she wouldn’t be bound to him by a tradition. He wondered if he hadn’t been forced into the marriage because of his need to protect her if he would have eventually fell in love and married her anyway. He wondered a lot of things like that recently. If his psychotic ex-girlfriend had not attempted to kill his best friend he would have had no reason to protect her, she would have gone away to school as she had planned. Maybe fell in love and married someone with a normal life. And Emily Quartermaine would have been a memory to him.

 

His friendship with her had been teetering on the brink of something for years; his relationship with Gia Campbell had very nearly cost him her. Both her friendship and her devotion. And nearly her life. But Gia was thankfully locked in a nice tight padded room, and his wife was at this moment engaged in conversation with his irksome younger brother. The same younger brother, who no doubt, was again telling her to leave him, to file the divorce papers that he had the lawyer rip up. His wife would not leave him, today or any day.

 

Tonight, he had decided, she would become his wife in more than name. She had shared his bed since the day they wed, but they had never consummated the marriage. He had forced himself to be content to only hold her during the night, she was scared for her life and he was scared for her. But with the Gia problem resolved, they could move forward. He had wanted her to come to him on her own, to admit that she wanted him, that she still loved him. He had waited patiently for the last two weeks since Gia had been arrested, but Emily had continually evaded him. Putting both his half-brother Lucky and his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth between them as barriers.

 

He had knocked the Elizabeth barrier down earlier today after he had dealt with the lawyer. She would no longer be an issue, and had actually volunteered to help him win Emily over. She was soon to be married to Emily’s brother Jason and was already pregnant with their first child. The fact that she was pregnant was what he had used to keep her from hindering his efforts to win his wife. Not the fact that she was pregnant, but the fact that she was four months pregnant, which meant that she had been sleeping with Jason while still with Lucky. Lucky didn’t know, and Elizabeth didn’t want or feel the need to tell him. Nikolas wasn’t sure how much longer it could be kept a secret, Lucky would start to put the pieces together soon, but after gaining her support he had promised that Lucky would not hear the truth from him.

 

“She’s still talking to Lucky?” Elizabeth whispered to him as she walked up beside him.

 

“He’s probably telling her to continue with the divorce. He’s been whispering that in her ear for almost a week,” Nikolas stated bitterly. The fact that his brother was working against him and trying to destroy his marriage was something that never failed to strike a blow with him.

 

“He’s just upset because he feels you tricked Em into marrying you,” Liz said smiling a wide smile at her soon to be in-laws. Monica and Alan were currently on the dance floor and they kept shooting little glances over at them.

 

“I explained to him at the beginning that Stefan refused to let me put guards on Emily unless she was family and I rejoined the family.”

 

“You should have just told the Quartermaine’s or Jason what was going on, they would have put guards on her and you wouldn’t have had to worry about it,” Liz said practically. She still couldn’t understand why Nikolas hadn’t done that in the first place.

 

“It was my problem; Gia went after Em because of me. I couldn’t just pawn the problem off on to them when they didn’t cause it.”

 

“I don’t buy that, and I don’t think Lucky does either. There were a hundred ways to protect Em without marrying her. Actually I can’t believe she agreed to it in the first place, or Zander let her agree to it.”

 

“Emily was scared; I don’t think she even realized she was married to me until after I had her moved out to Wyndemere. And Zander, what a creep! He forbid her to do it, then tried to get her to move in with him. Even though she told him she wasn’t ready for that.”

 

“And she was ready to marry you and live with you?” Nikolas just shot a quelling look at her, then realized she was just voicing what he himself had been thinking.

 

“I think you wanted to marry her, you wanted Em tied to you so you wouldn’t lose her. But you’re going to if you don’t get Lucky to back off, and he won’t back off until he realizes that you intend to make this a real marriage,” Liz said sharply then turned on her heel and walked back over to where Jason was standing waiting for her.

 

Nikolas watched her leave then turned his attention back to his wife. She had left Lucky’s side and was now making her way to him.

 

“Nik, we need to talk,” she said sharply. Nikolas looked at her angry face and then over at Lucky’s smug one and realized that she knew that he stopped the divorce proceedings. How was he going to get out of this one?

 

 

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Nikolas could feel the anger radiating off of his angry wife. Stefan had thankfully rescued him when Emily had approached him. Stefan liked Emily and was thrilled that she was part of their family. Stefan had rescued him yet again when it was time to leave by arranging to ride in the limo with them. Nikolas knew, as Stefan must that Emily wouldn’t confront him with what she had learned until she had him alone. She didn’t like to make scenes, probably because her family had caused so many of them. She had actually been involved in several of her own. Once the launch landed they made their way up to the house where they parted company, Stefan giving Nikolas a rueful smile before disappearing into his study. Nikolas followed Emily into their bedroom and closed the door behind him.

 

Emily paced in front of him; she was beautiful when she was angry, he was positive that if he looked hard enough he could actually see the sparks flying off of her.

 

“How could you?” she seethed at him, she ran her fingers through her hair agitatedly, pulling it down from the twist she had worn it in all night.

 

“How could I what? You want to clarify the problem?” he questioned back making his way over to the black leather love seat positioned against one wall. Kicking off his shoes and pulling at his tie, he sat back lazily and watched her fume.

 

“You know what I’m talking about! You went to the lawyers and stopped the papers! I thought you understood that I was doing that,” Emily said harshly, the color rising in her face.

 

“And I told you, that it would be over my dead body. We’ll remain married and that is final,” Nikolas stated calmly.

 

“I can arrange the dead body part if you really want to go there,” Emily retorted, “I just figured you would rather be divorced than dead, guess I was wrong.”

 

“Don’t threaten me Em, I’m just doing what I have too,” Nikolas said calmly, “You used to love me once, and eventually you’ll remember that you still do.”

 

“A childhood infatuation can’t be held against me,” Emily said smartly, “Just like I don’t hold the fact that I’m substituting for whoever you really want here.”

 

“What are you talking about? You’re my wife not a substitute anything,” Nikolas stated warily running his fingers through his dark hair.

 

“Please, you can’t even begin to make me believe that I’m the one that you really want in this room with you. Trapped in this life with you. I’m no competition for the likes of Katherine, Sarah, Liz, Gia. To you I’ve always come in second, the best friend that you go running to when your current relationship falls in the dumps. I’m not going to be some consolation prize because Gia’s insane or Liz has decided that she would rather have Jason than you or Lucky.”

 

“You’re not a consolation prize, I married you because I wanted to,” Nikolas stated harshly, “Who’s telling you that I see you as a prize anyway? Lucky?”

 

“You leave Lucky out of this; he’s at least being honest and truthful with me.”

 

“Yeah, honest and truthful. He’s trying to bust up your marriage!”

 

“What marriage? We may sleep together in that bed but that’s it! Is that a marriage?” Emily spat hotly at him, she had kicked off her heels and was stalking back and forth like a caged lion.

 

“What, you think it’s time we made our marriage real? I’m game if you are,” Nikolas retorted sharply, not thinking, and then regretting his words with his next breath when he saw Emily go white.

 

“Em…” Emily held up her hand to get him to stop talking, when she looked at him her eyes were calm and clear.

 

“Just let me go Nik, you don’t love me. Find someone else to be your Princess,” she said softly before she looked away to the floor.

 

Nikolas sighed, he hadn’t meant to say what he had. He’d planned a quiet seduction for her, something that would have showed her how much he did want her and how much he possibly did love her. He couldn’t tell anymore if he was doing this because she was his wife, or if he genuinely loved her. He stood and walked so he was standing in front of her, he took her hands in his and held them tightly before he raised them to his lips. He softly kissed the knuckle of one hand and then his ring on the other.

 

“Em?” he said quietly, her eyes rising to meet his, “No.” Emily looked at him in incomprehension before her eyes flamed again; she jerked her hands out of his and backed a few steps away, looking at him and then the ring on her finger.

 

“Argh,” she screamed at him throwing her hands up in frustration, she then spun on her heel and stalked to the closed door and jerked it open. He didn’t breathe until he heard the guestroom door slam shut.

 

“Well that went well,” he said quietly to himself and then shut the door and leaned heavily against it. She’s a sound sleeper, I can just carry her back in here after she goes to bed he thought to himself. He heard something crash against the wall in the guestroom, or maybe I’ll just give her a day or so to cool off.

 

 

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Resting against the wall of the gym, both Emily and Kylie were relaxing after their kickboxing class. Neither was in any hurry to move and Emily was telling Kylie about the fight with Nikolas on Saturday. 

 

“And then I stormed out and slept in the guestroom,” Emily was just finishing.

 

“So what, he came and got you, explained everything, told you he loved you and you all made up, right? Right?” Kylie asked leaning back against the wall of the gym.

 

“No, he let me fume, alone in that guestroom all night. Then when I got up Sunday he was gone.”

 

“Gone? Where?”

 

“Oh Stefan said something about a problem in the city that Nik had to take care of. He’s supposed to be back today. I personally think he’s just avoiding me,” Emily grimaced.

 

“Probably, although Nikolas doesn’t strike me as the type who avoids problems. I think he would tackle them head on…” Kylie started, “What? He tackled the whole Gia thing head on right?”

 

“Yeah, I guess,” Emily mused resting her head on her knees.

 

“Look Em, you’re going to have to decide if you want to make this thing with Nik work. If you don’t than just walk away, you don’t have to divorce him, just don’t stay with him. Cause the longer you stay with him, the harder it’s going to be to leave when you make your decision.”

 

“I don’t want to leave, I just want him to admit how he really feels about me. If he just thinks of me as a friend and has no romantic feelings for me at all I think I deserve to know. But he keeps avoiding the issue when I bring it up, and just keeps citing that whole “No Divorce” thing. If he would just tell me once that he might love me or could or does, I’d be fine,” Emily said softly.

 

“Well if you didn’t accomplish anything else, you did tell him about the whole Zander problem, right?” Kylie asked after she took a drink from her water bottle, when Emily didn’t answer she glanced over at her,   “You did tell him about the whole stalking thing right?”

 

“Well, after the fight it kind of slipped my mind, and then he wasn’t there on Sunday, so no. I didn’t get a chance to tell him,” Emily sighed. She looked up and moaned, “Oh look it’s my stalker now.” Zander had walked into the gym and was currently making a beeline for Kylie and Emily. He was stopped just feet away by Scott and David, Emily’s bodyguards.

 

“Look guys, I just want to talk to her.”

 

“Sorry, no can do. Mr. Cassadine said you weren’t to have any contact with Mrs. Cassadine after the last stunt you pulled,” Scott said motioning for David to get Emily and Kylie moving. Emily and Kylie stood and made motions to follow David.

 

“Look, it was all a misunderstanding, and I’d explain it to her if you guys would just let me.”

 

Scott shook his head and Emily spun on her heel making her way back to Scott.

 

“Emily,” Kylie said softly.

 

“How did I misunderstand you kidnapping me Zander? Was I supposed to thank you?! You almost got me killed by Gia,” Emily spat at him; she was tired of him. Even if her marriage to Nikolas didn’t last, she didn’t want anything to do with Zander.

 

“I’m sorry, I was just trying to protect you,” Zander started.

 

“Sorry doesn’t cut it, I’m married now. Married! And you continuing to do crap like this isn’t helping me any,” Emily turned on her heel and went to walk away.

 

“He doesn’t love you, and you don’t love him,” Zander said sarcastically. Emily spun around angrily and her right fist connected with Zander’s jaw, Zander fell to the ground in shock.

 

“Stay down!” She said angrily, as he tried to stand up, “Nikolas may not love me, but I do love him. Stay away from me, stay away from my family and stay away from my friends. And the next time you come near me and make some snide comment like that. I’ll punch you somewhere that’ll hurt a hell of a lot more!” With that Emily spun around again and stalked past her bodyguards and Kylie on her way to the door. Kylie smirked at him and then moved to follow Emily. Scott and David just grinned at each other and followed them.

 

“Think someone should warn Mr. Cassadine that she has a mean right hook?” Scott asked.

 

“No, me thinks, that if Mr. Cassadine doesn’t know already he may know soon enough.” David laughed.

 

 

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Nikolas pounded angrily on his half-brothers door, “Lucky I know you’re in there,” he yelled.

 

“Well of course I am, I live here,” Lucky said sarcastically as he opened the door, Nikolas pushed him back into the room.

 

“What the hell is your problem Prince boy?” Lucky asked rubbing at his chest.

 

“Stay away from Emily,” Nikolas said angrily.

 

“Sorry Niki, Em’s my friend. As long as she wants me as her friend you’re just going to have to deal with me,” Lucky smirked at him.

 

“Than as my brother, would you stop trying to convince her to leave me?!” Nikolas asked hotly.

 

“Em’s got a mind of her own, if she wants to leave you I don’t think you’re going to stop her,” Lucky laughed sprawling in an easy chair.

 

“Well then, let her make up her own mind, stop whispering whatever it is you’re whispering in her ear,” Nikolas said before opening the door.

 

“Have you told her how you feel about her yet?” he heard Lucky ask behind him.

 

“What?”

 

“Have you told her how you really feel?” Lucky repeated quietly.

 

“I don’t think that’s any of your damn business,” Nikolas retorted sharply.

 

“If you told her how you feel for once instead of telling her that she’s going to stay married to you ‘because’, you might find it easier to find out where she’s coming from and where you’re going,” Lucky said tiredly. Nikolas turned around in shock. “What?” Lucky asked.

 

“Oh my god, you’re not working against me, are you? Is this some kind of game?” Nikolas asked in shock, closing the door.

 

“No game.”

 

“Then why?”

 

“Because Em’s my friend, and whether I like it or not you’re my brother. She’s happy with you, sort of, and she was getting frustrated because every time she would try to talk to you about why she should stay to you, you would throw up that whole “No Divorce” creed in her face. I thought I’d give her and you a little help,” Lucky said picking up set of keys that were lying on the table next to his chair and twirling them.

 

“So why did you tell her that I’d went to the lawyer to stop the divorce papers?” Nikolas asked still in shock, he ran his hands over his face, still in disbelief that his brother had not been trying to destroy him.

 

“I was leveling the playing field. You can’t be heavy hand with Em, she’ll buck against the restraint and then try to topple you off your high horse.”

 

“What? She’s knocked you off your pedestal once or twice?” Nikolas laughed. Lucky grinned.

 

“Oh yeah, did she tell you she’s taking kickboxing classes as one of her electives?” when Nikolas shook his head no, Lucky smiled widely, “she and Kylie wanted to be able to protect themselves so they signed up for them. I made some comment about Jason that she didn’t like and she nailed me in the face.”

 

Nikolas laughed again, “So that’s where that bruise came from?”

 

“Yeah, she protects her family and Nik, she considers you family. If you want her to stay with you just tell her once and for all how you feel. It shouldn’t be that hard, you’ve known her long enough.”

 

Nikolas looked at his brother shaking his head, “Who are you and what have you done with the real Lucky Spencer?”

 

“Look I’ve had a lot of time to think since Liz left me for Jason. And it seems to me that if you’re honest with the people that you care about, then in return they’ll be honest with you.”

 

“I guess,” Nikolas watched Lucky carefully, if he told Lucky the truth about Liz and Jason he would just open up another can of worms that nobody wanted to deal with, plus it would be breaking his promise to Liz.

 

“I’ll save you the trouble Nik. I know about Liz and Jason. And I know about their baby,” Lucky said quietly.

 

“How long have you known?”

 

“Since the beginning. I’m not totally blind, I saw the way they looked at each other, I just wanted her to love me the way she used to, before…”

 

“Before you ‘died’.”

 

“Yeah, it really hit me when Emily got upset about something that she had seen. She wouldn’t tell me what it was but I knew that it had something to do with Liz and Jason. A couple of days later Liz broke up with me and Jason asked her to marry him.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Nikolas said, he truthfully was, he felt bad that Lucky was alone while he wasn’t.

 

“Don’t be. Em promised me that if I stayed on good behavior and promised not to pick any more fights with you or Jason that she would set me up with Kylie.”

 

“Kylie would eat you alive man.”

 

“Yeah, but it might be worth it,” Lucky grinned and for once Nikolas got a look at the Lucky that he used to know. The one that used to be carefree and happy, the one that had a zest for life before Faison and Helena had gotten hold of him. Maybe there was still a chance for them to at the very least, be friends again.

 

 

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Emily was attempting to sneak into Wyndemere, not the brightest idea that she’d ever had. But she wanted to take care of her hand, which was now throbbing, before Stefan or Mrs. Lansdbury got a good look at it. God forbid Nikolas be home already and she have to explain it to him.

 

“Emily? What are you doing home so soon?” she heard Stefan ask from behind her.

 

Busted, groaning Emily turned around to face her Uncle by marriage.

 

“Afternoon classes were cancelled, so I thought I’d get home early just in case Nikolas was back,” she said brightly trying to look nonchalant while backing to the stairs.

 

“I see,” Stefan said, Emily breathed a sigh of relief and then turned around to rush up the stairs, “What happened to your hand?”

 

Emily turned around on the steps and looked at him, he didn’t look angry just questioning.

 

“Well, I hit something,” she said carefully.

 

“Something or someone?” Stefan asked carefully as he moved forward taking her right hand in his looking at the scraped knuckles and bruising. He was careful not to show that he noticed Emily’s wince when he held it.

 

“Someone,” she muttered quietly.

 

“And they deserved it?”

 

“Oh yeah, they definitely deserved it.”

 

“Not my nephew I suppose,” Stefan mused, “I believe your hand was in fine shape yesterday.”

 

“No I didn’t hit Nikolas, I… well I hit Zander,” Emily explained. Stefan’s amused eyes looked up to meet hers, “Well he deserved it,” she muttered.

 

“I imagine he did. I’ve heard some of the comments that young Mr. Smith has been making,” Stefan let go of her hand and turned to go his study. When Emily didn’t immediately follow he turned to look back at her, “Come, I’ll take care of your hand, I don’t believe you broke anything but it will be quite sore for a couple of days.”

 

Emily shook her head and in shock followed Stefan into his study.

 

A few minutes later she was still in shock, Stefan had carefully cleaned and was now bandaging her hand up; he seemed to be an expert at it.

 

“I used to bandage Nikolas’ scrapes when he was a boy, he didn’t get into fights, so I don’t recall ever having to bandage his hands, but…” Stefan said noticing her expression.

 

“I don’t normally get in fights either.”

 

“Mr. Smith had it coming?”

 

“Yeah,” Emily said quietly.

 

“What did he say that provoked such a violent response?” when Emily didn’t say anything he met her eyes, “I won’t say anything to Nikolas, but you normally don’t take a physical route when you get angry. You normally yell.”

 

Emily flushed as she realized that he must have heard her argument with Nikolas on Saturday, “You heard us Saturday?”

 

“I believe I was the only one that heard, but yes, I did hear you. Nikolas doesn’t normally raise his voice, but you seemed quite agitated and then I heard the guestroom door slam, I believe you also threw something, maybe a vase against the door,” Stefan said amused.

 

“Sorry, I’ll pay for the vase,” she offered.

 

“Nonsense, you haven’t been the first person to throw something in this house, and you certainly won’t be the last…. Now then, Mr. Smith?”

 

“He said… well he said that Nikolas didn’t love me,” Emily said softly her eyes downcast again. This was totally mortifying to be talking to her husband’s uncle about the sad state of affairs between them.

 

“I see… For what’s it worth I believe Mr. Smith is incorrect in his assumption that my nephew doesn’t love you,” Stefan smiled gently as Emily raised surprised eyes to meet his, “my nephew hides his feeling very well. He may not even realize that he has feelings for you. When you were in danger before, when Ms. Campbell was threatening your life, he was terrified that she would succeed. When he came to me for help, for guards for you, I admit that I was selfish. I used the danger that you were in to secure what I wanted. I wanted my nephew to take his rightful place and I wanted him settled. With the emotion he was showing for you, with the danger you were. I believed that you would be the one most suited to him. Besides he would be married to someone, who didn’t need or want his money,” Emily watched Stefan with tears in her eyes. Could it be possible? That Nikolas had no clue that he had feelings for her. She didn’t know if she could be patient enough for him to figure it out on his own. She was still looking at Stefan when his study door flew open.

 

“Uncle have you seen Emily? Her guards are here, but she’s not in our room,” Nikolas asked bursting into the study. He took one look at Emily sitting in one chair, Stefan sitting in another and the bandaged hand lying on the desk.

 

“What the hell happened to your hand?” he asked angrily.

 

Emily and Stefan exchanged looks and Stefan sat back in his chair. This should be interesting!

 

 

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“All right I think I’ve been patient enough,” Nikolas stated as he closed the bedroom door behind him. Stefan had rescued Emily by asking Nikolas to look at some papers that he had been holding for him, while he was doing that Emily had beat a hasty retreat to their bedroom where she had showered and changed into a pair of sweats. She was now lounging on the leather love seat watching her husband warily.

 

“I hit something,” Emily said cautiously. She didn’t think that Nikolas would be as understanding about the whole Zander debacle as Stefan had seemed to be. Nikolas had an itchy trigger finger where Zander was concerned and had more than once tried to take care of the problem on his own.

 

“You hit something? Not Lucky again, because I just left him,” Nikolas said standing at the door. He was half-afraid if he moved away from it and gave her an escape route that she would take it and bolt.

 

“You know about me hitting Lucky? How?”

 

“He told me, something about him making a comment about Jason and you hitting him in retaliation.”

 

“Well he may be my friend, but Jason is my brother.”

 

“Well actually if you want to get technical, Lucky is your brother too,” Nikolas said smartly, he raised an eyebrow at her confused expression, “well he is. He’s my half brother, which makes him your half-brother in law by marriage.”

 

“I’ll remind you of that the next time you light into him about interfering in our marriage.”

 

“Well Lucky won’t be interfering anymore, we came to an understanding today,” Nikolas smiled.

 

“You came to an understanding, what’s that supposed to mean?” Emily asked warily. She didn’t think she liked where this conversation was going. Lucky had been on her side, telling her that it was the right thing to do to leave Nikolas, if he had changed his mind now, like Liz, what was she supposed to do?

 

“Lucky understands why I want to stay married,” Nikolas said smiling as he remembered the conversation that they’d had. It had been like they were really brothers again. Once they got past the why Lucky was doing what he was doing, Lucky had given him some insight on how to handle this situation. As he was making his way back to Wyndemere he’d had an epiphany, while circumstances other than love had drawn them together, he wanted them to stay together because he did love her. He wasn’t sure how or when it had happened, but Lucky had suggested thinking about how he would feel if Emily succeeded in her quest to divorce him, and he had realized that he would be devastated. The thought of not having her with him, after everything that they’d been through was not one that he was comfortable imagining. Now all he had to do was convince her of that fact, and then get her to admit that she still loved him. He hadn’t thought it would be to hard, until he remembered their fight on Saturday and realized that she might have no reason to believe that he was sincere.

 

“Anyway your hand?” Nikolas asked again running his hand through his hair.

 

“Well…” Emily paused, how to put this so Nikolas wouldn’t call out the militia, “Zander happened to show up at our kickboxing class.”

 

“I thought I told your guards that Zander was to have no contact with you.”

 

“Well you did, Kylie and I were leaving with David and Scott was handling it. But…”

 

Nikolas sighed, “Zander made some snide comment and you felt the need to deal with it on your own.”

 

“Well yeah, how’d you know?” Emily looked at him questioningly.

 

“Em, the reason I put guards on you was so you wouldn’t need to deal with stuff like that and creeps like Zander Smith.”

 

“Well I dealt with him in my own way, he won’t be bothering me or us anymore,” Emily said confidently. Nikolas smiled softly, she had said us, he walked slowly towards her coming to a stop right in front of her, kneeling in front of the couch he slowly reached out one hand and traced a tendril of hair that had come loose from her ponytail. Tucking it behind her ear he caressed her cheek softly then gently picked up her injured hand and kissed it softly. Emily felt her mouth go dry as she watched him, it felt like she was drowning in his eyes. How could he continue to make her feel like this?

 

“I’m sorry that we fought Saturday,” he whispered softly, a soft smile playing on his lips.

 

Emily had to clear her throat several times before she huskily said, “You are?”

 

“Yes, I had planned on spending the evening with you differently.” Emily’s eyes widened in surprise and she pushed herself off the couch, desperate to put some space between them. Nikolas turned on his heel and slowly rose again watching her. When she made no move to leave the room he walked to where she had come to stop by the dresser. Emily watched him warily, if she didn’t know better, she would think that he was trying to seduce her. But Nikolas didn’t think of her that way, she was the “kid” sister that needed to be protected, not the one that he wanted.

 

Nikolas put one hand on her waist and drew her close to him, she looked up at him their eyes meeting, in answer to the questions that were appearing in hers he leaned down and captured her lips in a searing kiss that left them both breathless. Emily’s fingers hooked through the belt loops on his pants as she tried to draw him closer. He pulled away to look at her, smiling at the look of wonder on her face. He leaned down to once again taste her lips with his.

 

“Stop,” Emily whispered, Nikolas groaned resting his forehead against hers, “why?”

 

“Why?” he repeated.

 

“Yes why now?” she asked, her eyes when he looked in them again were full of hope and fear. Fear that he was just playing with her, hope that maybe he had, for once chosen her.

 

“Because when I was talking to Lucky he told me to imagine my life without you in it, without you with me always, and I realized that if I didn’t have you. I would have nothing, I would be devastated, I would be a hollow shell of a man,” Nikolas whispered to her.

 

“Really?”

 

“Really. I love you Emily. And I want you to stay with me because I love you, not because of a tradition.” Emily smiled tremulously her eyes filling with tears and she leaned up to join Nikolas’ lips in a sweetly, innocent kiss. She locked her arms around his neck, and breaking the kiss she hugged him tightly and whispered against his ear, “I love you too.”

 

Nikolas laughed, pulling away he kissed her again moving her towards the bed, his hands attempting to take her sweatshirt off while she attempted to unbutton his shirt.

 

“You know what?” he asked between kisses. “What?”

 

“Once your semester is done, we’re taking a long honeymoon. Somewhere warm, where you won’t have to wear so many clothes.”

 

Emily laughed, “Whatever you say,” as she kissed him back they fell back onto their bed.

 

 

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“Liz you should sit down,” Monica Quartermaine said as she watched the very pregnant young woman pace.

 

“Sit? You’ve got be joking? If I sit down it’ll take a crane to get me back up again,” Liz moaned. She couldn’t believe this, her wedding day and she was 8 ½ months pregnant.

 

“Just a couple more minutes,” Emily said as she came rushing back into the bride’s room.

 

“Who’s bright idea was it to get married at 8 ½ months pregnant?” Liz grumbled as she rubbed at a twinge in her back.

 

“I believe that was you. You wanted to be married before the baby came,” Emily laughed as she fixed Liz’s veil.

 

“Stop that!”

 

“Stop what?”

 

“Stop being all cheerful, you’re making me feel like a louse because I’m so miserable,” Liz smiled.

 

“Are you okay?” Emily asked as she noticed Liz rubbing her back.

 

“Yeah, damn false labor pains. Jason took me the hospital Wednesday night because of them. The doctor said they were normal.”

 

Monica walked over and put her arm around Emily, “Girls, I’m going to go out and take my seat,” she smiled at Liz and kissed Emily on the cheek.

 

“Ohhhh… You’ve got be kidding me!!”

 

“Liz are you alright?” Emily rushed forward and Monica turned back.

 

“I think my water just broke,” Liz moaned, holding her stomach. Emily looked at Monica in shock, and Monica quickly took charge of the situation.

 

“Okay, I’m going to call for an ambulance, Emily you go get Jason.”

 

“No!” Liz said forcefully.

 

“What?” Monica asked trying to help her sit in a chair.

 

“No ambulance, not yet, you get Jason and the priest in here. I’m not going to the hospital or having this baby until I’m married!”

 

“Um, Liz. I think getting you to the hospital is the most important thing. You can marry Jason after you have the baby,” Monica said calmly, holding Liz’s hand.

 

“No way, this baby is not going to be illegitimate. I’m going to have someone else’s last name or I’m not having this baby!!”

 

Monica and Emily exchanged looks, “O-kay. Emily you go get Jason and Father Carmichael. Liz you just keep breathing.”

 

 

******************************************************************************

 

 

Two Days Later

 

Emily was standing at the window of the nursery watching her new nephew.

 

“Hey, I thought I’d find you hanging out here,” Nikolas said coming up behind her. He put his arms around her drawing her close to him, kissing her cheek his hands caressed her stomach, “when do we get to share our news?”

 

“I wanted to wait until after the wedding, but then Liz had to go and grandstand.”

 

“Like I wanted to go into labor before I was even married,” Liz laughed as she and Jason walked up to them. Liz looked remarkably well and Jason looked happier than Emily thought she had ever seen him. The two couples stood near each other and watched the latest addition to the Quartermaine family fuss in his crib.

 

“Grandfather’s already got ELQ stock assigned to him,” Emily whispered to Jason.

 

“I know, grandmother had to force him to hold off putting him on the board of directors until he could speak. Jason David Morgan is going to have more stock and responsibilities in Kindergarten then most kids have when they graduate.”

 

“What news?” Liz asked suddenly.

 

“What?” Emily asked confused.

 

“Nikolas said you had news that you were waiting to share?”

 

Emily and Nikolas smiled, Emily holding his arms tight around her.

 

“We’re pregnant,” Nikolas said proudly.

 

“Oh my god, congratulations!” Liz said hugging Emily and Nikolas together. Jason shook Nikolas’ hand.

 

“Congrats man,” he looked over to where his son had finally gone to sleep, “they’re miracles every single one of them.”