Chapter 3

Time flew by. Christmas and New Year's came and went as Nikolas and Emily continued to deepen and strengthen their relationship. Commissioner Scorpio had assigned Nikolas and Lucky to be partners, and both Emily and Elizabeth took comfort in the knowledge that Laura's boys had each other's backs out in the field. Nikolas and Emily even coordinated their schedules so that they worked similar hours, thus allowing them to spend the rest of the their time together. They would go to the movies, or have snowball fights in the park, or even just spend a quiet evening at home in front of the fire. Every day they fell more and more in love, and they both felt so thankful to have the other in their lives.

On one particularly frigid day in mid-January, both Nikolas and Emily had pulled the morning shift at work. Nikolas's morning must have begun even earlier than Emily's, for when she awoke at five in the morning to get to the hospital, the other side of her bed was empty and Nikolas was nowhere to be found. Now she stood at the Nurses' Station at General Hospital, sipping her coffee in an attempt to warm up and give her system the jolt of caffeine to help her start her day.

"Hey, Emily," Dr. Winters greeted as she joined Emily at the station where Emily was perusing a file.

"Hey, Lainey," Emily replied with a smile. "Did you just get here?"

Lainey shook her head. "God, no. I've been on call all night, and I'm just about dead on my feet. Work has been so crazy lately; I swear I haven't seen Justus in days. I've got to get home before he forgets what I look like."

Emily nodded sympathetically. "It's tough. Nikolas and I try to line up our schedules as much as possible, but it's difficult when you factor in emergencies and overtime and other stuff like that."

"I know. At least you and Nikolas both work jobs where there is a degree of unpredictability, so you understand the problems. With Justus owning his own firm, he sets his own hours, so he doesn't really get it."

Just then Robin stormed over, so angry that steam was practically shooting out of her ears. "I hate men!" she fumed.

Emily couldn't help but grin. "Let me guess…you and Patrick had a fight?"

"Of course we did," Robin answered, scribbling furiously on a chart. "Because he is the most arrogant, pig-headed, obstinate jerk ever."

"What was the fight about this time?" Lainey asked.

"The same thing we always fight about- commitment, or rather the lack thereof." She looked at Lainey imploringly. "Is there some psychiatric disorder than makes men fear commitment, or is that just their natural personality?"

Lainey smiled. "I'm sure Patrick isn't the only man out there who has commitment issues."

Emily nodded in agreement. "It's true. Nikolas refuses to move in with me, even though he rarely sleeps in his own apartment."

Robin chuckled and shook her head. "Em, that probably has more to do with manners permanently ingrained in his brain than a lack of commitment. Trust me, from what I've seen, Nikolas has no problem planning a future with you."

"I'm with Robin," Lainey concurred. "He's moved back to Port Charles, quit his job, completely shifted career paths- all so he could be with you. That's definite commitment."

"But I would have done the same thing for him," Emily argued. "It's not as if I made him radically change his life for me. It was his decision." She caught herself and rolled her eyes with a grin. "Here I am, trying to make Robin feel better, and you two have to go and disprove my claims."

"Face it, Em," Robin said with a smile. "He's pretty much perfect."

"Are we talking about that hunky boyfriend of yours?" Dr. Kelly Lee asked breezily as she joined the group. "Because if we are, I am in complete agreement. The man is absolutely dreamy."

Emily shook her head and took a sip of coffee. "Nikolas isn't perfect," she informed them. "He has flaws." She conveniently left out the fact that she couldn't think of any at the moment, but they didn't need to know that.

Before any of the ladies could speak, a deliveryman stepped out of the elevator carrying an enormous and gorgeous arrangement of red and white roses. "Excuse me, ladies, but these are for a Dr. Emily Quartermaine," he announced to the assembled group, setting the flowers down on the desk.

Emily stepped forward slightly. "That's me," she said, slightly awed by the beautiful bouquet.

The deliveryman smiled at her. "Enjoy," he told her before turning and walking away. Emily continued to examine the arrangement for a few moments before noticing an envelope nestled amongst the petals. Reaching out, she removed it and extracted a note. She unfolded the slip of paper and began to read.

Emily,

You were sleeping so peacefully, you face filled with such beauty and serenity that it took my breath away, that I couldn't bring myself to wake you before I left this morning. I'm sorry I wasn't there to kiss you good morning and bring you breakfast in bed on this special day, but I hope the flowers tell you that I'm thinking about you even more than usual today. Because baby, today is about celebrating you, the fact that you are in this world, and that you love me. I can't put into words how blessed I feel that you love me. Just know that the look on your face as you slept is the same as what you have brought to my life, and I treasure you for that. Thank you for being you. Happy Birthday, Beautiful.

All my love,

Nikolas

None of the others had to even ask whom the flowers were from. The look of pure unadulterated happiness and love on Emily's face, coupled with the tears forming in her eyes, told them all they needed to know. "See!" Kelly exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Perfect!" Robin and Lainey made sounds of agreement as they dispersed and headed back to work, leaving Emily standing at the Nurses' Station holding Nikolas's note with a dazed look on her face. Finally, she snapped out of it and carefully placed the paper in her pocket before grabbing a chart and getting to work.

Emily had been floating on air all day, a permanent smile plastered on her face. She was in such a good mood that even the whiniest patients and most neurotic parents could not dampen her good spirits. Standing at the Nurses' Station writing notations on charts, she was so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice Nikolas exit the elevator and walk towards her. It wasn't until he leaned on the desk beside her and spoke that she became aware of his presence.

"Hey there, birthday girl," Nikolas said with a grin, startling Emily from her daze.

She turned to him, a smile already lighting her face. "Hi," she replied happily, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close. "Thank you so much for my flowers. They are absolutely beautiful."

He gently eased her away from him so he could see her face. "I'm glad you like them. I wish I could have been with you this morning, but I got called into work even earlier than I expected. So, I had to wait until now to give you this." Leaning forward, he captured her lips in a tender kiss full of love, one hand gently cradling her cheek, the other cupping the back of her head. Lifting his head, he smiled and softly said, "Happy Birthday, Emily."

Emily returned the smile. "That was well worth the wait," she affirmed. "And the perfect way to end my shift. Thank you."

"Anytime," he whispered, kissing her lightly once more. "Are you really done with your shift?"

She nodded. "Yes." A mischievous smile came to her face. "Why? Do you have any more birthday surprises in store?"

Nikolas shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe a couple…beginning with dinner at the Metro Court."

Emily eyed his dark jeans and the gray sweater peeking out from under his leather jacket and then glanced down at her own ensemble of navy blue scrubs. "I'm not exactly dressed for a fancy dinner, Nikolas."

"We'll swing by your apartment so you can change," Nikolas said easily. "What matters is that we leave now before some major crisis occurs and you get stuck here while all my well laid plans go to waste."

Half an hour later, Emily and Nikolas walked hand in hand into the lobby of the Metro Court. Emily had changed out of her scrubs and into a plum sweater and gray wool skirt that ended just below her knees accompanied by calf-high leather boots. "You look beautiful," Nikolas whispered in her ear as they made their way to the restaurant. "Every man in the room is staring at you."

Emily blushed slightly. Before she could reply, a voice with a thick Australian accent called out from behind them. "Emily! How lovely to see you!"

The couple turned to see Jasper Jacks striding towards them. "Hi, Jax," Emily said with a smile, giving her friend and hug. "It's good to see you too." She introduced Nikolas. "You remember Nikolas Cassadine, right?"

"Of course," Jax replied, shaking Nikolas's hand vigorously. "Nice to see you back in town."

"How was your honeymoon?" Emily asked with interest. "Did you enjoy Tahiti?"

"Absolutely. Brenda and I loved all of the SCUBA diving and boating we could do there."

"Jax and Brenda Barrett just got married," Emily explained to Nikolas.

"And it's all thanks to Emily," Jax interjected.

"Really?" Nikolas asked with a smile. "How's that?"

Emily waved her hand dismissively. "I ran into Brenda on my trip to Italy during college. I managed to convince her to come back to Port Charles with me for a visit. She and Jax reconnected and Brenda moved back home." She shrugged. "I didn't really do anything."

"Not true," Jax countered. "You made Brenda and I realize what fools we had been for all those years." He chuckled. "But enough about my love life. What brings you two to the Metro Court this evening?"

"It's Emily's birthday," Nikolas revealed. "I'm just taking her out to dinner."

Jax looked at Emily. "It's your birthday?" he asked. At her nod, his face split into a wide smile. "Then by all means, right this way," he said, leading them into the restaurant. "The best table in the house awaits."

"Jax, you don't have to do that," Emily protested.

"Nonsense. It's the least I can do. Now please, sit. Your server will be with you momentarily," Jax responded. "Enjoy your meal."

Nikolas pulled Emily's chair out for her as Jax walked away. "He's a nice guy," Nikolas observed, taking his own seat.

Emily smiled at him across the table. "Yeah, just like someone else I know."

The waiter soon appeared and took their orders. Nikolas and Emily talked throughout the meal, but after their plates were cleared there was a lull in conversation as Emily became quiet. Suddenly, she looked at him. "Do you think I'm perfect?" she questioned, her face serious.

Nikolas's eyes widened slightly at her question and a half smile formed on his lips. "I think you're perfect for me," he replied with a slight laugh, reaching out to take her hand.

Emily shook her head. "I'm serious, Nikolas."

"So am I. You have flaws, but they're nothing that keeps me from loving you and wanting to be with you." He squeezed her hand, his eyes showing his concern. "Sweetheart, is something bothering you? What brought all this up?"

"Nothing's wrong…it's just today, at work, Robin was telling me about how she had a fight with Patrick about commitment, and I said something about you, and both Kelly, Lainey, and Robin told me that you were perfect and I had nothing to worry about. And it just got me thinking. I mean, I don't view you as perfect. You have flaws, little things that can drive me crazy, but generally they're inconsequential. But…I don't want you to think I'm perfect, because I feel like you'd be putting me on this pedestal that I'm bound to fall off of, and I don't want you to be disappointed when I do." She looked at him. "Does that make sense?"

Nikolas nodded in understanding. "Let's take a walk," he suggested, rising from the table as he paid the bill. "A little frigid air will be good to help clear our minds before we start pointing out each other's flaws," he continued, eliciting a chuckle from Emily as he helped her into her coat before they left the restaurant.

Emily and Nikolas strolled along the docks, breathing in the cold night air. "Here, let's sit down," Nikolas suggested as they approached a bench. They sat, his arm automatically wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her into his side as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you," he whispered, almost as a preface to whatever conversation was to come.

Emily smiled and snuggled into his side, her head resting on his shoulder. "I love you, too." She paused. "So…you go first. What are my flaws, in your eyes?'

"Well, let's see…you have a tendency to always try to see the good in people, even when there isn't any good to see. You feel as if you have to save everyone from each other and from themselves, which means you end up putting yourself and your own feelings last, and you're the one who ends up getting hurt in the process." He sighed. "But the thing is, all of that is a part of who you are, and are some of the many reasons I love you. I would never want you to change that part of yourself, to try and get rid of those flaws to please me. Because they're a part of what makes you so amazing." He kissed her forehead again, letting his lips linger against her skin. "That's what I meant about you being perfect for me. I'm crazy about you, imperfections and all, and that will never change."

Emily lifted her head and met his eyes. "That's how it is with you, too," she said with a soft smile. "I mean, sure, it can be annoying sometimes when you insist on paying for everything even though I probably have more money than you do, but at the same time your chivalry is endearing and sweet. And yes, at times your brooding Cassadine side takes over and you become moody and pessimistic, but the dark Cassadine Prince thing is pretty sexy," she continued, earning a smile and laugh from Nikolas. She leaned forward and kissed him softly. "I guess I feel the same way about you that you feel about me. You may not be perfect, but you're perfect for me."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Nikolas joked, lightening the mood somewhat. But he became serious once more as he touched her cheek gently. "And listen, I don't think I could ever be disappointed in you, baby," Nikolas assured her, brushing the hair from her face. "Don't worry about that. I love you no matter what, forever."

"I love you the same way," Emily confessed in a whisper.

"Okay," Nikolas said with a smile, gently pulling Emily to her feet. "As long as we agree to be perfectly flawed, we'll be fine." He wrapped his arms around her, his smile widening. "Now, how about we go back to my apartment. I have a couple more birthday surprises there for you," he revealed, a playful gleam in his eyes.

Emily nodded. "Sounds good to me. You know, I haven't even gotten to open my presents yet," she murmured seductively, leaning into his body.

"No, you haven't," Nikolas agreed, lowering his head until his lips met hers. "I'll do my best to fix that."

Emily moaned as Nikolas kissed her, her arms slipping around his neck. She opened her mouth to his, allowing the kiss to deepen as they stood on the pier, lost in each other. Still, Emily couldn't shake the feeling someone was watching. Opening her eyes, she saw the form of a man staring at them from the top of the stairs. Her eyes widened in shock as recognition flooded her body. She tensed and pulled back slightly, causing Nikolas to look over his shoulder and see what had caused Emily to stop so suddenly.

"Oh my God," Emily whispered in disbelief. "Zander?"