 |
||
The Quintessential Q
Chapter Eighty Five
History Lesson.
A cool draft hits the back of Nikolas neck and he turns around to see what it is. Maddy coming in from the backyard. She is tucking her cell phone into her pocket. His gaze narrows in on her face. They aren't actually living together but he spent as much time with her as anyone with all of their comings and goings. "What's up, Maddy?"
"I have to check in down at the kiosks. Look Em, is it okay if 'Candy gives you a lift home?"
"Sure. Is there a problem?"
"No. Routine stuff. But if you've got the ride covered I thought I'd hit a few places... see the scene check the sites."
"Oh I'm jealous." Em moans. She raps the cast with cane. "As soon as this thing comes off..."
"We'll paint the town. By then I'll have all the best places nailed down. Tell Carly's mom and stepdad sorry I couldn't stay."
"Jerry understands business." Nik covers for her nodding.
"Thanks." Maddy grabs her gloves from her pocket and turns up her collar on the coat and leaves.
"You don't do it anymore."
"Do what?" Nik asks Em.
"Flinch when she calls you Candy."
"When she called me about Jerry and Bobbie I flinched then."
"Why?"
"She called me Nikolas."
Em exaggerates a shudder teasingly. "Oh scary."
"Coming from her-- it is." Nik laughs.
"When did you two get so tight?"
"While you were kidnapped. Maddy was really good about keeping me up to date on the investigation."
"Maddy was keeping you up?"
"Yeah, everyone was talking to her. Your grandfather, me, even Taggart. In her own little way she was coordinating the search. We've talked a couple of times since then."
"Really? Maddy is always so closed. She's lively so you don't really notice. But you picked up on it, didn't you?"
"Yeah, something is up. We'll find out what it is when she's ready and not before." Nik changes the subject. "Are you ready for the party over at Wyndemere for Ned and Alexis? It is next Saturday."
"Already have an outfit I can wear over the cast. This isn't going to be as fancy as the Baccanalia is it?"
"No. As Cassadine celebrations its going to be pretty low key. A few hundred of the closest minions and toadies."
"Oh God." Emily covers her eyes.
"I'll be there to protect you." Nik offers. "Do you want me to pick you up or are you coming over with your family?"
"I'll have to get back to you on that one." Em looks around. "We should really get out of here and let Jerry and Bobbie have some down time. What do you think Jerry told Lucky?"
"Maybe we should all go to Kelly's like old times or my place and find out?" Nikolas suggests.
Em grins at Nikolas. "I do like the way you think. Let's see if we can get them moving." She holds out her hands and Nikolas assists her in rising tugging a little harder than he really has to. Em runs into him and Nik hugs her close until she regains her balance. "Thanks."
"No problem. Any time." Their rising from the couch catches Lucky and Elizabeth's attention.
"What's up?"
"Anyone for Kelly's for a double chocolate shake?" Em suggests.
"Sounds good." Lucky has realized Maddy left. When he and Nik go to get the girls' coats he mutters. "Good thing we brought both vehicles. It would have made dropping me and Elizabeth off interesting while you were trying to get alone time with Em."
"True." The guys assist the girls with their coats. Bobbie comes back down stairs.
"Are you leaving already?" Bobbie pouts.
"Thanks for dinner, Aunt Bobbie. It was great and welcome home." Lucky gives her a hug.
Nikolas looks at Bobbie carefully then giving her a hug he leans back again. "You look very happy."
"I am." Bobbie gives Nik's hand a squeeze. "And I'm glad you can share this and be happy for me."
"Me too." Nik squeezes her hand back. He'd missed having his friend. Building his relationship with his brother had the unexpected but very welcome benefit of giving him Bobbie back. "I'll see you at the hospital on Monday?"
"Right. Back to the grind." Bobbie rolls her eyes. "I know Amy will fill me in on all the latest."
"I don't think there is a place you could hide from that one." Nikolas laughs. Jerry comes back downstairs. He stands behind Bobbie wrapping an arm around her waist and hugging her back to him. "Be good to her or I'll hurt you." Nikolas jokes but in his heart he isn't.
"If I'm not I'll let ya." Jerry nods. He shuts the door after the kids leave. "I'd say alone at last but we still have the one upstairs."
"Who is playing with his video games and listening to his music. I loved our Honeymoon, Jerry, but you know I'm really glad to be back and in our own bed."
"Kind of missed it myself." Jerry admits. "I never thought I'd have that the whole my bed thing."
"And you never will. It's strictly our bed." Bobbie smiles. "Race ya?" Bobbie starts up the stairs before she even finishes the challenge. Jerry is right behind her.
Lucas hears the door shut on his mom's bedroom and reaches for his walkman earphones. "Mushy stuff constantly. I'll be warped. They are as bad as Carly and AJ." Still he grins. Things were getting back to normal. And he's going to be an uncle again.
Kelly's restaurant. Lucky and Liz make the shakes and rob the pie safe for slices for everyone. As soon as everyone has dessert in front of them, Lucky drops some change in the juke box picking out combinations at random. When he is seated again Em decides to share. "You guys missed Carly and AJ's big announcement."
"What was that? She declare war on some small country?" Lucky jokes.
"Nope. She's pregnant and you're going to be a cousin all over again. Maybe this time it will be a girl. Just like Carly."
"Bite your tongue." Lucky protests. "Really? Another Spencer?"
"Spencer-Quartermaine please." Emily retorts for accuracy sake. "I don't think I'm going to tell Grandfather though. Not until I absolutely have to. He'll go insane trying to get invites over to the Happy Family house. And he'll go even battier about Monica taking a swing at Carly."
"Your mother took a swing at Carly?" Liz leans in wanting all the dish.
"Connected too. Smacked her good and Carly more than returned the favor. Lucas couldn't wait to tell Bobbie and Jerry that one. This whole Carly being pregnant puts a different light on things, doesn't it?" Emily bites her lip.
"Oh don't cut Carly any slack just 'cause she's pregnant. Dad and Bobbie both tell stories about Carly while she was pregnant with Michael. She takes hormonal to new heights." Lucky points at Em with the dessert fork for emphasis. "She did the whole laundry cart faking AJ was drunk while she was pregnant with Michael."
"Laundry cart?" Nik looks at Em.
Em makes a face. "That one didn't end up in the papers. Carly was living with Tony at the time. But Carly was upset one night and ran into AJ. They'd both been drinking. One thing led to the other. Well when it was all over AJ couldn't remember anything and Carly didn't know who Michael's daddy was Tony or AJ."
"Or Jason right?" Elizabeth knows as does everyone that Jason had been Michael's daddy for the first year and still did the part time dad thing. The longest baptism on record had actually made the tabloids.
"Oh no. Jason was the white knight Carly turned to when AJ and Tony started putting on the pressure. But there was a point where AJ was starting to remember. Carly must have been about four months along right?' Em looks over at Lucky for confirmation who nods. "So Carly drugged him, put him in a laundry cart and dumped him in the middle of a courtyard pouring a fifth of vodka over him for emphasis."
Nik starts laughing. "Oh you're kidding right?" Em just shakes her head. "And he married her and she is one of your influences now-- a role model."
"I know it's strange. Only a Quartermaine man would consider that foreplay."
"A Cassadine would consider that grounds for divorce and they don't divorce."
Lucky gets a little defensive. "Aunt Bobbie had a good reason for that and you know it... now."
"Stefan is sticking to chess these days and containing Grandmother. He paid for his distrust of Bobbie." Nik muses. "They could have been happy I think but now Bobbie has Jerry and Stefan well..."
"He has chess." Lucky winces. "Before you take over the Cassadines you really are going to have to get that guy some hobbies... other than Spencer baiting."
"But the Spencers make it so easy." Nik quips back. "So what did Jacks have to say to you?"
"I think he invited me to go pirating with him." Lucky decides to keep the part about Blue Jay to himself.
"Pirating?!" Emily laughs. "Oh yeah, that sounds exactly what the Jacks brothers do. Poor Jax has been straining at the bit to get back to it. Wow. I guess his year is up too. I wonder how much time he'll be spending at Deception now. Grandfather is a collector. Some of this, some of that. But Jax... pirate, chop shop artist, junk man, and you know he learned it from Jerry and his father. Deception has been counter to his MO since he's been there for the better part of a year. Jax would call himself a corporate raider but Pirate is probably more accurate."
"You sound like you envy him." Nik notices.
"Not really. But it might be fun." Em muses. "I think I'd like the discovery part. Finding the thing that would be profitable but isn't and nurturing it until it is."
Damn, Maddy scores another one. Nik thinks. it's just a matter of time before EBQ becomes a reality. Nik looks down at his watch. "We'd better get going, Em, if you're going to make it home before curfew. Do you want me to drop you at Carly's or at the mansion?"
Em looks down at her own watch. "The mansion I think." Emily rises and slides on her coat. "This has been really great. I missed us being the four musketteers after you guys left for college and stuff and left me in high school hell."
Em leaves with Nikolas. Lucky locks up after them. Liz starts clearing away the dishes not wanting Tammy to walk into a mess. Lucky puts the chairs up on the tables ready to mop up. Liz comes around the counter and takes up one of the stools... She rests her elbow on the counter and her head in her hand as she watches Lucky efficiently mop the floor. "Bobbie drugged Stefan?"
"It didn't actually happen. Stefan found out about it somehow before Bobbie could go through with it. Bobbie was trying to find out what Stefan was up to."
"Up to?"
"I don't remember the details. Dad pretty much kept me out of the loop with the details. It was either the computer virus that would get the Cassadines into every or any computer in the world or where Grandma Lesley was being held."
"You sound so... calm about that. World domination or what happened to your grandmother." Liz shakes her head. Life in Colorado had been so much simplier.
"I have to be." Lucky pauses to refresh the mop. "Nik and I can't keep score in the Cassadine/Spencer battle without bringing it to our generation and we both refuse to do that. And considering that Mom and Dad paid Stefan back for kidnapping Grandma Lesley by faking her and my mother's death.... Nik was the one that got hurt by that one. It's twisted the knife in their relationship-- something that has never really healed. We're in the same place with Mom. We can love her but not trust her."
"It's a good thing women are more forgiving."
"What do you mean by that?" Lucky asks.
"Well I forgave you for being interested in my sister first."
"Yeah, that was pretty stupid wasn't it?"
"And Emily forgave you for telling her your mother was dead. And from the way she was acting tonight with Nikolas-- for him doing Katherine at her birthday party."
Lucky grimaces. "Not a visual I want to have in my brain, Thanks Elizabeth."
"Sorry." Liz answers. Lucky had finished up the floor and takes a stool next to hers. They'd wait a couple of songs and then the floor would be dry enough for them to leave. "How about this for a visualization." Liz leans in close and starts whispering in Lucky's ear. She is only a few sentances into the romantic scenario she is building when Lucky turns his head and captures her mouth with his. Liz slides her hands up Lucky's arms.
"You really don't have to be home do you?" Nik reminds Emily. "Your grandfather thinks you are spending the night over at Carly's. We could go for a drive."
"I can't do that." Emily shakes her head. "Not after the kidnapping. Everyone feels so guilty thinking Rita and I were safe somewhere else. I feel so guilty for not letting them know where I was heading that night. If I had maybe...."
"Maybe Orchid and her running buddy would have found another time, another place. She was a sick, motivated bitch." Nik grinds out. Ever since the kidnapping Emily had been treating him like a buddy maintaining a friendly distance. Was it Cook? Or him knowing about what Orchid had done to her?
"Are you going to be okay? I mean if Taggart is searching planes that left the airport right after Rita and I were released."
Nik shrugs. "The plane was actually the oldest in the Cassadine fleet and due for retirement. The new plane is going to be delivered next week. That plane was sold a week ago and will probably never be on US soil again."
"It sounds as if you thought of everything."
"No. If I had it never would have happened. You told me of your concerns about Orchid long before she acted."
"Like you said-- she was a sick motivated bitch. You can't second guess nutcases." Emily lets Nikolas off the hook. "Do you think Lucky will go pirating with Jerry?"
"I hope so. If he doesn't maybe the two of you can go."
"Me?!" Emily is shaking her head.
"Come on you know you want to." Nikolas teases.
"Maybe. If I found the right thing." Emily considers. Nikolas pulls through the gates of the mansion with minutes to spare. He turns off the engine of the jag parking infront of the mansion. "I had fun tonight."
"So did I. We should do it again. I know you spend Sundays with Michael but maybe after you drop him off at Carly's house..."
Em smiles to give herself a second. She doesn't quite know what to say. And she never thought there'd come the day when she was putting Nikolas Cassadine on hold. "Can I call you? I don't know exactly what is going to happen and with the news about Carly and the new baby...."
"I understand." Nik reaches across the narrow gap between the seats of the jag and kisses Emily. The kiss is brief and tender.
"I should get inside." Emily pulls back. "I'll call you tomorrow." Before Nik can get around the car Emily is already opening the door and climbing out. He walks her to the door.