**so I'm tired of waiting for the show to decide which pairing for Liz they're going for... so I went back in time to 1999 - no title yet... let me know if you have ideas... **
Part ONE
"Well... hello, Elizabeth."
That saccharine tone could only come from one person. Katherine Bell.
Elizabeth glued a smile on her face and turned around, snatching her order pad from her apron pocket. "Katherine. What can I get for you?"
Turning slightly to the side to accentuate her rounding belly, Katherine gave Elizabeth a bright grin. "There's only one thing you can do for me, Lizzie." Before Elizabeth could comment, Katherine continued. "You can leave Nikolas alone."
Taken aback at the direct edict, Elizabeth had no immediate answer.
Katherine had no problem continuing on with her own thoughts, there were few of them and they were very focused. "He is the father of my child, Elizabeth. I know how hard it is for a girl like you to understand it, but family is important to Nikolas and if you want him to be happy, he needs to focus on our child and what that will mean to him. He, quite simply, doesn't have room for you in his life."
"Nikolas is my friend, and-"
"Friend!" Katherine laughed at her, exposing the staid strand of pearls around her neck. "You talk about him like you're still in grade school." Her cool eyes seemed to look right through Elizabeth. "In some ways, maybe you are. You don't know what it's like to nurture a living being inside your body, Elizabeth." Katherine slid her hand around her belly. "If you did, you'd know that I'm willing to do anything... ANYTHING to protect my child from the likes of you."
Elizabeth hoped Katherine didn't see the trembling in her hands or the gathering tears in her eyes. "Nikolas can make up his own mind about his life, Katherine. And as his friend, I'll protect him with everything I have."
"You? Well, that's just precious. Now I know," Katherine sniffed at the younger woman, "I don't have much to worry about."
(Across Town)
Nikolas leaned on Alexis' desk and waited for an answer. "Well?"
"Well?" His cousin leaned back in her chair and sighed. "I don't know what you think changed in the last twenty minutes since we spoke on the phone, Nikolas. If you want to fight Katherine for custody of the baby, you're going to have to think about making changes in your life."
"I can make changes!" Nikolas pushed away from the desk.
Alexis couldn't hide the sudden twist of a smile on her lips. "Yes, the Cassadines have always been such flexible people." She rethought her words when she saw NIkolas' dark expression. "I'm sorry, Nikolas. I was trying to make you smile."
"Smile?" He shook his head. "There's very little in my life that makes me smile, Alexis."
"What about Elizabeth?" She ventured the statement carefully, knowing how gently she had to procede. "She makes you smile."
He nodded. "Yes, one of the only people that can put things in perspective for me... make me remember there's more to my life than... than... the darkness my family seems to revel in."
"Then maybe we can make this all work for the best." Alexis indicated the chair that NIkolas had abandoned a few minutes before when he'd entered the office. "Let me explain."
(That Night)
Nikolas pulled the door open after the first knock, surprising Elizabeth on the other side. "Sorry," he apologized as he pressed a comforting hand to her lower back and ushered her into his house, "I was waiting for you."
She smiled. "I guess so." She looked around the half-dark room and into the shadows.
"What?" He looked at her and tried to understand her curious expression.
"I was just wondering if people were going to jump out of the shadows for some kind of surprize party."
Her smile fed his own and a moment later she was wrapped in his embrace. He held her close for a moment as he breathed in the scent of her hair. When he pulled back he shook his head at her confused expression. "Sorry, I-"
"Stop it," she swatted his arm, "you don't have to apologize to me! If you need a hug, I'm happy to give it to you... neither of us have a lot of money and hugs are free... so you can have as many as you need."
"You'll be sorry you said that one day." Nikolas led them to the sofa and gestured for her to sit down in her customary spot. She left her shoes under the coffee table and tucked her feet under her legs and looked up at him expectedly.
Nikolas had to look away for a moment an ignore the strange fascination he had with the red painted nails on her toes. "I wanted to talk to you about something and I'd like you to consider all of my words before you answer me."
She looked at him, noting the agitation in his body language. Something had happened that worried him and she was going to give him all the help she could. Nikolas didn't deserve to worry like this. "Sure. I'll listen to you, Nikolas. I'm happy to help with anything! What do you need?"
"I need you to marry me."