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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Fourty Three
Nikolas
Nik closes the door behind him softly. Looking around Katherine's suite, he mentally kicks himself. How could he have been so stupid, so gullible. Katherine pats her wig. She'd searched high and low to find the one that looked just like her own hair and had it styled to match. "I knew you wouldn't desert me!" Katherine exclaims. She throws herself into Nikolas' arms... or tries.
Nik holds Katherine off and slides by her. "I should have stopped by before now. I didn't know exactly what happened until tonight." Nik clears his throat. Katherine goes over to sit on the bed. Nik coughs. "Excuse me for a minute." Nik walks into the bathroom and starts running water for cover as he opens up the medicine cabinent. So stupid. So gullible. There it was plain as day. Right where Lucky had said it was-- the pregnancy kit. He collects it and walks back into the suite. He tosses it on the bed next to Katherine.
"Nikolas?!" Katherine recoils from the box.
"You aren't too good at covering your tracks are you, Katherine? But you didn't have to be. I definitely played the fool for you."
"Nikolas, you don't understand! I never liked to bring this up around you but because of my..." Katherine looks away. "... of my age, it isn't safe for me to take the pill. I have the kit as part of my birth control, you know, the rhythm method." Katherine says in a rush.
Nik just looks at her as Katherine squirms. "There was a time when I would have believed that, Katherine. There was a time when I would have believed anything you told me. I believed you before I believed the man who raised me and who has loved me all his life. That isn't true anymore. It's over, Katherine. It has been for awhile."
"This is all that little bitch's fault!" Katherine gets off the bed and begins to pace. "She turned you against me."
"No, Katherine, you managed that all by yourself." Nikolas crosses his hands in front of him. It disguises the clenched fists and the urge to wrap his hands around her throat and slowly squeeze. This was what he had risked his relationship with Emily over? "With help from me. I'll admit; I was your fool but no longer." Nik's face goes icy cold and totally Cassadine. "Let me make my position clear-- whatever happens between me and Emily, I will never return to you or your bed. At one time, I thought we might remain friends out of consideration of our history but I see now that I was in error. Don't call me. Don't come by my cottage. If you see me on the street keep right on walking."
"But Nikolas...."
"We aren't enemies, Katherine." Nikolas interrupts. "You know what it's like to have a Cassadine as an enemy. That will only happen if you lay hands on Emily again. If you ever touch her again, there will be consequences.... dire consequences for you." Having said what he intended, Nikolas goes to the door and lets himself out. He hears the smashing of a vase hitting the door behind him.
"Don't think this is over, Nikolas Cassadine." Katherine seethes.
About half an hour later, Nikolas throttles the jag down to almost an idle as he makes his way up the path to Carly's stable. The road was well tended as gravel roads go but still the jag's rather low to the ground. The last thing he needs in this foul mood is to leave his transmission in the middle of the road. He hadn't called ahead. If Mrs AJ Quartermaine knew he's coming she'd have made herself unavailable. Nik pulls in behind Carly's SUV blocking it from leaving. Looking around at the property he can't help but admire it. The fall folage has turned to brilliant shades of red and gold. Emily had filled him in on some of Carly's antics. Some that had not even hit the papers. He knows Emily's new confidence is a direct result of Carly's influence... but there is a limit.
The videotape had to have been Carly's idea. Emily would never have thought of it. Nik walks around to the corral. Carly is occupied with her horse. He leans against the railing impressed with Carly's competence on the black Morgan. With narrowed eyes, he watches the trusting union between rider and horse. This is a side of Carly Quartermaine Port Charles never got to see-- calm and confident. Carly reins in Mr Roberts when she sees Nikolas leaning up against her fence. She dismounts smoothly. Grasping Mr Roberts reins in soft hands she walks over to the fence.
"Well this is an unexpected visit." She says to fill the silence. What was the guy doing here? It's not like she and Nikolas had spent any time together outside of that one time at Luke's. Emily. This is about Em. "Is Emily okay?" Carly asks in a rush.
"As far as I know." Nik says flatly not giving anything away.
"Go into the office; it's unlocked. I just need to put Mr Roberts back in his stall and get him cooled down." Carly directs Nikolas. Nikolas nods and turns away from the corral. Carly rushes through Mr Roberts cool down getting him settled in his stall. She neatly hangs the saddle and bridle in the tack room before entering the office where Nik stares out the window to where the Deception Spa can barely be seen between the trees. "Okay, so to what do I owe the dubious pleasure of a visit from a Cassadine?"
"Are we going to have a Spencer Cassadine type relationship?" Nik asks softly. "It is really so predictable."
"I hate being predictable." Carly answers but doesn't deny an instinctive caution when dealing with a Cassadine. She might poke a scorpion with a stick but she wasn't going to pick one up. Even Spencers had to draw a line somewhere.
"Where is your son?" Nikolas asks.
"Michael goes into the office with his father on Fridays. Why do you want to know?"
"I want to know we won't be interrupted."
"Sounds serious."
"I think I have something of yours." Nikolas turns from the window. He'd been talking to Carly's reflection in the glass this whole time. He tosses her a video tape.
"What is this?" Carly asks suspiciously.
"Emily's submarining of Katherine."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Carly's eyes narrow as she lies smoothly. How did Nikolas get the tape?
"Oh I think you do. I've already previewed it. It's quite entertaining but not Emily's style. So I suppose it must be yours. I won't have you put Emily in harms way."
"Don't be an ass." Carly drops the cassette on the desk. "Oh too late." She adds sarcastically.
"I've been called many things:..." Nik admits. "...Gullible, naive, played. But an ass is a new one. Out of respect for your mother and Emily, I thought this should be handled directly."
"Out of respect for my mother and Emily, I won't tell you exactly what I think of you." Carly nods crossing her hands in front of her and leaning up against the desk.
Nik quirks a brow. So ass wasn't the limit of Carly's opinion of him. "You have Emily playing a dangerous game with Katherine. She could get hurt. I won't allow that."
"She's already been hurt-- by you." Carly says flatly. "It's not the way of any of our families to turn the other cheek. Since Emily seems to hold you in some affection, I've cut you some slack. Katherine is another story. She had to pay. If Emily felt the same way, who am I to tell her differently or try to stop her."
"You know Emily felt the same way." Nik tries to cut through the sophistry.
"And you'd have her lay back and take it? Or go to her big strong Nikky to rescue her, handle it for her?" Carly says in a sing songy baby voice. before returning to her normal tones. "What a crock."
"She should have left it alone. Katherine was my responsiblity."
"Yo buddy, just so you don't get confused, ask anyone and they'll tell ya... I'm the center of the universe-- not you. You had plenty of time to handle Katherine and all you did was deflect her onto Emily. If you haven't already figured out from Katherine's return from the dead... that creature won't go away. And you playing all nicey nice and kissy kiss wasn't getting the job done."
"And you think this did?" Nikolas points to the videotape.
"The videotape wasn't for Katherine. You already figured that out." Carly admits. "But the submarining as you called it puts Katherine on notice that Emily is not a push over. I don't tell my sister-in-law what to do. How she handles Katherine is her choice. That she has to handle Katherine at all is your fault."
"Don't you think I know that?!" Nikolas runs an impatient hand through his hair. "Don't you think I realized that when I saw the bruises on Emily? Bruises that Katherine put on her? I've already confronted Katherine and warned her off."
"Oh more threats-- lovely." Carly rolls her eyes. "You've been so effective so far. My husband and I have have done more to get Katherine out of everyone's hair than you have-- ELQ, the spa, Deception. You talk a good game but you haven't done squat. Thanks to those bruises, Emily stopped yacking and started acting. Thanks to those bruises, Katherine is isolated from her support base within the Quartermaines. Edward wouldn't spit on her if she were on fire now. If it had been me I would have provoked Katherine on purpose just to get these results."
"Thank God, Emily is not you." Nik explodes.
"Something we agree on. But you better get on your game, Nikky, 'cause the way I see it you're being left in the gate. Emily's been remarkable forgiving and patient with you over the years. I don't see that lasting much longer. And it's not like you're the only horse in the race."
"Cook." Nik realizes immediately.
"Guess you aren't as naive as you think you are." Carly grins at Nikolas. "I think you know who my money is on. He's never hurt her the way you have. And he can cook. Emily already adores his family. Johnny is holding back because he thinks he's too old for her."
"He is."
"Yeah, but I don't see that as being a lasting obstacle. Especially if he perceives Em's going to hook up with someone that's going to hurt her. It's the whole bodyguard thing. You know he'd do anything to make sure that Emily won't get hurt. And there is the whole chivalry thing he has going." Carly goes behind the desk and casually sorts through her mail while she watches Nik out of the corner of her eye. "I've seen Emily with both of you. I know you have the inside track but frankly I like Emily more around Johnny. She has no problem speaking her mind, being empowered by and around him. Around you she's been burned too many times, has to guard her tongue, her very thoughts, afraid you'll cut her cold. I lived like that with Jason." Carly waves her hand around the office. "You'll notice that eventually I stopped, and went with the guy who made my happiness and our family his priority."
Nik steps back like he has been struck. Had he done that to Emily? "It was never my intention..."
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Carly quips. "Thanks for stopping by, Nikky, next time call." Nik turns without another word and leaves the office. Carly watches him leave and then mutters. "The things I do for you, Emily. Well if that doesn't bring him up to snuff my name isn't Caroline Spencer Benson Quartermaine."