The change within

Chapter 3

Nikolas stood at his car and looked over the address that he got from Elizabeth. It was on the third floor, end of the hall. He locked his car and walked towards the door, opening it and entering. He used the stairs, figured he needed the exercise and the time to figure out what he was going to do.

He couldn't just march in and demand answers, that'd just get him another slap. He touched his cheek subconsciously, he didn't want that happening. It hurt as it was; Emily packed one slap when it came to her angry.

He got to the third floor and went to the end to see Emily's loft door. He didn't go any closer though, still unsure of what to do. What does he care that Emily is seeing someone else, right? He's the one who wanted the divorce, not Emily and he got what he wanted, to be single again, to see Courtney, of course given the fact that she already dumped him flat for the next guy in sight…Nikolas shook his head. He really was over analyzing this.

He knew Emily, or he thought he did. Emily never got over anyone this quickly. Even when she had Zander and Juan fighting over her, she didn't get over Juan like that, even though Zander was there and Juan was a total jerk. It just wasn't Emily. She put on a brave face but inside, she was broken up. That was just what she was doing now.

The elevator ring in his ear brought him back to the present. He looked to see a young, blonde man get off and turn this way. Hiding in the corner, he observed the man.

He was dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans. He had brown leather boots on and a bouquet of flowers in one hand. Nice pick, Nikolas thought, adding it all up, whoever he was coming to get must be special to get a bunch of daisies and wild flowers.

The man continued his way towards Nikolas. That wasn't Emily's date, he was sure. Emily didn't go for those types. They were too loose and comfortable even for her. He was right, as the man turned the other corner to another area of lofts.

He breathed easy, not that he noticed and watched as the elevator opened once more. This time it was a brown haired man in a black suit, he carried a box of candy in one hand instead though. He went the other way.

Nikolas shook his head, he was just thinking crazy. Emily wasn't seeing someone else. That guy would be too stuffy for Emily, way too stuck and firm. She was good, but she didn't go that well in guys. She liked them half bad boy half, mature man she could be comfortable around. She was right in the middle when it came to those types.

Nikolas laughed to himself. He was getting paranoid it was just one of her girlfriends saying they would go out to the wine bars or something of the sort and see all the available men. Emily would no doubt be miserable.

He got out from the corner and went to the Elevators this time. He pushed the button for down and waited for an elevator to come up. Within seconds the elevator door opened again, revealing a dark haired man in a casual blue shirt and black slacks and a pair of casual black shoes. He also carried flowers, carnations, at least a dozen of them all different colors.

Nikolas nearly ran into him. "Sorry." Nikolas apologized and let the man step by him.

The other man just smiled. "That's alright, accidents happen." The man answered and turned down the way Nikolas came down.

Nikolas frowned and shook his head. He really was paranoid; he blamed it on lack of sleep. He didn't sleep too good last night that was the problem, maybe he should go do that.

Nikolas still stood in the hallway in front of the elevator that just left and watched as the man headed directly for the end of the hall, knocking on the last door, Emily's door. His eyes widened in shock. So he wasn't paranoid, she was going out.

The door opened to indeed reveal Emily in a red halter top and a knee length black skirt with a slit up one side. She was obviously not ready, considering she had no shoes on yet.

"Julius, you're early and I'm not ready yet!" Emily playfully teased him, feeling embarrassed because of that.

Nikolas eye's narrowed. Julius? Isn't that a smoothie? He didn't pay those thoughts any mind though and concentrated on the scene in front of him. "Julius", still hadn't given Emily the flowers.

"You look just fine the way you are." He reassured her and Emily laughed and Nikolas felt like a pin just poked him. Emily never laughed like that with him, at least in the end of things.

"Oh, that's so sweet…OH!" Emily started and exclaimed when she saw the carnations Julius had just pulled out of his back. Emily took them from him. "Julius, these are beautiful." She hugged him, having to get up on her tipsy toes to do so. "Thank you." She told him.

"It's nothing." Julius reassured her and smiled, breathing deeply at the smell of her.

Emily pulled back and invited Julius in. "Come in, you can sit on the couch and admire my loft while I finish getting ready." She was obviously joking her loft was a mess with the stuff she still had left to unpack despite that half of a day she took the day before to get settled in.

The door closed behind them and Nikolas flared with anger. How dare she hug him! On second thought, how dare he bring her flowers! Nikolas stewed with anger and would have loved to just open the door and demand to know what was going on but didn't, just turned and entered the elevator, decided that he was too angry to sound coherent. He'd confront them another day.

Inside the apartment, Emily led Julius into her home and invited him to sit down on the couch while Emily finished getting ready.

"Hey, Emily, mind if I look around?" He asked through her door.

"Go ahead, just don't break anything." Emily answered from the master bedroom. The only response she got was a hearty laugh from Julius.

Then she kneeled down near her closet and looked for some black heels. She picked out a pair quickly and put them on her bed, going to her mirror to finish putting on make up and a ruby necklace and earrings.

She quickly checked the mirror and made sure she looked as close to perfect as she could. Then she grabbed her heels and slipped them on, as she opened the door and back into the living room and kitchen.

Julius was looking at a shelf where she placed some photos of numerous people she knew and loved. He looked as she gained her balance in the heels. "Hey, you look even better than before." He joked with her.

Emily laughed and went to the kitchen to put the carnations in a vase before she left. As she did, she realized she needed to make something clear between her and Julius before they went out. She really liked him, but he was bound to find about her previous marriages and ex-husbands.

She checked her purse to make sure everything she needed was in it as she opened the conversation. "Hey, Julius, can I be brutally honest with you?" She asked him, not looking him in the face just yet.

Julius looked at her and frowned slightly. "Sure, go for it. I want to hear anything you have to say." He told her and Emily hoped he wouldn't go running after finding some of her previous mistakes when it came to her love life.

Emily decided to go for the blunt of it. "I was married twice before." She said simply and took a deep breath. There, she said it.

If Julius was shocked at her confession, he didn't show it. He looked down as he said "I know. I saw the magazines. You and Nikolas Cassadine just recently divorced and you were previously married to a Zander Smith, who is now dead." He told her, feeling a little bad for looking her up.

Emily frowned. "You keep up with the headlines or you just noticed I looked familiar and decided to snoop around at my background?" She asked him.

"Actually both and I guess it's my turn to be brutally honest." Julius admitted and took Emily's hand, leading her to the couch.

Emily grew worried and here she thought she was the one with the bad news. "Do tell." Emily motioned for him to continue.

Julius thought of what to say about this, and how to say it. "Um…well, you know of Orange Julius?" He asked her first.

"Isn't that a drink place that produces healthy smoothies and such, most the time anyway?" Emily has had it a time or two, but never particular cared for it.

He laughed. "Yeah, well, technically I own it and run it. I'm the CEO as well." He told her and prepared for the shock to come.

Emily didn't show it though, just smiled at him and laughed. "You're trying to say that your not who you said you were and just happen to be an heir and CEO of a very successful company, not to mention loaded." She guessed. She played that game occasionally herself.

Julius blushed slightly, caught. "Yeah, I am. I was just only at the bar to be normal, most likely you as well, if you were there." He admitted and tried making the playing field even.

Emily just smiled at him. "Well, yeah and lets just say when I'm going to run into my Ex, I don't want him to get the satisfaction of me being miserable." She added to his observation. Emily turned solemn again. "Look, I admit it, I'm not over Nikolas just yet, so I'm not looking for any real big commitment just yet so if you just want to call the date off now, cause I really wouldn't want to be a rebound person as much as the other person." She hoped not, but she wanted to give him the option.

Julius took her hand. "I have no problem with it if you are okay with it. I just broke up with my fiancée, so I'm just as much on the rebound as much as you are." He told her and took a deep breath now that was out.

Emily smiled. "Then it's settled. Good friends until we're off the rebound status?" Emily asked, not wanting anything official as much as him just yet.

He smiled and shook her hand, agreeing to her deal. "Sounds good to me. Good friends until further notice." He agreed with her.

Emily got up, and felt a lot more relaxed. "Well, now that is done, what do we say we do that movie and dinner thing?" She suggested and grabbed her purse.

"Sounds like a plan to me. What do you want to do first?" He asked her as they left and Emily locked her place up.

She looked at her watch. "Well, maybe dinner will be better. Most of the movies are almost starting; we won't make it in time to catch the beginning. Our confessions took more time than we both thought." She reasoned as Julius checked his watch as well.

A Rolex, like Nikolas's, Emily realized but quickly shook her head. She wasn't going to think of him tonight, it was all about having fun and getting to know Julius her new, good friend.

"Well, I think I can make it." Julius assured her and led her to the elevators. "You should see my car go when it's pushed to the limit. It's great; we can even put down the top." He touched her hair. "Feel the wind in your face, blow through your hair?" He suggested to her, flirting some, realizing he hadn't thought of Lydia since he met her. He really was moving on, he was happy to say.

Emily laughed as they got to the parking garage and Julius led her to a silver Porsche. "Nice." Emily commented as Julius opened up the passenger door for her to slide in like a gentleman.

He closed it and laughed, going around to the driver's side, getting in as well. "Well, thank you." He started it up and winked at her. "Why don't we see what this baby can do?" He suggested and pulled out of the parking garage, putting down the top as promised.

A forest green jaguar followed close behind.

Author's note: For the record Julius being heir of "Orange Julius", totally fictional and meant not to insult the actual CEO and heir/heiress of the company. It was just a small, quick detail that helped my pairing of Emily and Julius. That was all it was, so no offense meant whatsoever.

Again, thanks for the reviews. They were great and very much appreciated.