PART SIX

Audrey Hardy met them at the door. She flung it open and demanded answers. "Show me your hand, young lady."

Elizabeth wasn't going to play any games. She wasn't the same rebellious teen that had lit up a cigarette on the very same porch. No, Elizabeth had grown up a lot since then and her dearest friend was about to make her the adoptive mother of his child. No, Elizabeth looked her grandmother in the eye and held up her left hand, ring side out. With a warm smile she began her explanation. "Grams, you should hear me out, I-"

"I should send you to your parents!" Audrey shook her head. "And here I thought you were growing up.. maturing somehow."

Nikolas shifted from one foot to another. "Mrs. Hardy, please." He tried to get a reaction with a smile. "If you would please let us come inside, we'd be able to explain-"

"Explain how my grand-daughter goes from runaway hellion, to runaway juliet, and now a child bride? I can only imagine what your parents would say. Truly, Elizabeth, how am I to look you in the eye when all you continue to do is disappoint me?"

"Mrs. Hardy, don't say those things." Nikolas' smile was gone, his tone darkening with the glittering of tears in Elizabeth's eyes. "If you'd just let us.. let me explain, you'd understand how wonderful Elizabeth really is!"

Audrey turned her icy expression on the young man. "I'm sure you think your pretty words and princely manners will turn any woman's head!" She lifted her chin in a defiant sweep. "But, I am not some easy school girl who will giggle and blush when you utter pretty words."

She watched Nikolas grasp Elizabeth's hand in his, squeezing it for comfort.

Scoffing at the tender touch, she narrowed her eyes on her grand-daughter. "What you might not know, dear, is that until you are 18, you'll need your guardian's permission to marry. And I," she looked both of them in the eye for effect, "will NOT be giving my permission... and I'm sure, if you try to contact her parents they will also carry such a dim view of your... marriage. You forget, I assume," she turned on Nikolas again, "that my other grand-daughter, Sarah, has also fallen victim to your... graces. You, Nikolas Cassadine, will NOT become part of my family."

Elizabeth squeezed his hand to return the comfort and stepped back. "I'm sorry you feel this way, Grams. I only wish that you had given us a chance to explain. Maybe then, you'd understand how much this means to both of us."

"We're more than happy to wait until Elizabeth is eighteen," Nikolas explained, "we want to do this the right way."

"The RIGHT WAY?" Audrey's bitter laugh was hard for Elizabeth to hear, the younger woman flinched as though the words had a physical touch. "Elizabeth, give the boy back his ring and come inside. It's getting late."

"You can't dismiss me..." she looked at Nikolas, "you can't dismiss us like naughty children, Grams."

"Then don't," bit her voice, "act like one." She glared at them both. "I put up with your childish behavior with Lucky... you were hurting... you were recovering... and he gave you strength. Strength," she ground out, "that you told me was love... everlasting love! Now, in the space of a few months, you've turned to another man?" Audrey shook her head. "Elizabeth, I hoped that one day you would find the deep and abiding love that I had for your grandfather, but I'm sad to say... that I doubt you'll ever find true happiness if all you're going to do is jump from one man to another and-"

Elizabeth ran back to the car, tears flowing down her cheeks. Nikolas lost hold of her hand when he stayed behind to address Audrey. "That was cruel, Mrs. Hardy."

"I'm just trying to get her to see reason... something she'll never do with your pretty words and fancy jewels, and-"

"You don't even know her, Mrs. Hardy. You don't know that she's all you hoped for and more. What she would do for those she loves... it's... it's..." he looked up at Audrey with every ounce of conviction in his eyes, "she is the most amazing person I know, Mrs. Hardy. I've met kings and queens with less true honor and integrity than Elizabeth has... and if we can't even get you to talk to us... truly talk and listen, then we will wait until she's eighteen. And she will make me the happiest of men... and I will devote every minute of every day to show her how much she means to me."

He took a step back toward the car before he looked back up at Audrey. "I just hope you realize it so you can fix things with Elizabeth." He was gone a moment later, leaving Audrey shaken and confused in her own doorway.

- Nikolas' House-

When the jaguar pulled up in front of the house just after midnight, Nikolas had to blink a few time s to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Stefan's limo was parked in the driveway. Putting his brake on, Nikolas climbed out of his car, squaring his shoulders. He took less than five steps from his car before Stefan greeted him with hands held up in surrender. "I am sorry to come unannounced, Nikolas." He took another few steps closer when Nikolas didn't make a move to run for the front door. "I had initially decided to return to Spoon Island, but then I thought it best that I come and see you."

"I suppose," Nikolas began, dropping his keys into his pants pocket, "you've spoken to my mother?"

Stefan took note of the hard edge of Nikolas' tone and didn't push. "Not in the last day or so."

Nikolas' look of surprise gave way quickly to curiosity. "Then why are you here, waiting for me at this hour?"

"I spoke with Katherine today..."

That was all he needed to say. Nikolas held up his hand. "Let's go inside and talk." He looked at the driver who was studiously averting his attention to the steering wheel in front of him. "I'd rather not let everyone hear you yell at me too."

-Alexis' House-

Pushing open the door to her guest room, Alexis looked in at the young woman curled up in the bed. Even with the lights off, there was enough light coming in through the window from the moon for her to see the bunch of tissues clutched in her hand and the dried tracks of tears on Elizabeth's cheeks.

Shaking her head, Alexis began to close the door behind her, but the hinge groaned loudly.

Elizabeth propped herself up on her elbows and blinked at her hostess. "Is everything okay?"

Giving Elizabeth a sheepish grin, Alexis stepped inside. "Nothing wrong, Elizabeth, I just wanted to check on you."

"You're very kind to me and I'm sorry if I'm causing you any trouble by staying here and-"

Alexis set a hand on Elizabeth's arm. "Shhh... hey, I'm sorry if I frightened you, Elizabeth. I'm not here to complain... I'm just sorry you've had a rough day."

"I can barely remember any of it... I guess it's by choice, I'm thinking of it all as a nightmare. One long unhappy nightmare... that I'm hoping I can wake up from it soon."

"If you would like to change your mind, Elizabeth, I'm sure Nikolas would be more than happy to let out of our scheme."

"No," Elizabeth sat up more, the blankets fell to her waist revealing her crumpled blouse, "I want to help... Nikolas is my closest friend next to Emily and I do anything for either of them."

"This is quite a sacrifice you're making, Elizabeth."

The younger woman shook her head. "No... not really." Elizabeth wondered if she should confide even further in the woman that appeared to be the only support that she and Nikolas could expect. She couldn't open up to Alexis... not yet. Not when her emotions were running so wild inside of her chest. "What Katherine is doing is wrong. It was one thing to seduce Nikolas into having an.. an affair with her, but to use an innocent baby to sink her hooks into him? It's just wrong!"

Alexis agreed. "And tomorrow, when the sun comes up and you've had some rest. We'll figure out what to do. How to get your things and bring them here so you can have a safe place to stay ." She could tell that Elizabeth was hesitating and she felt for the girl. "But get some rest... things will seem brighter in the morning."

Elizabeth nodded and sank back down into the bed. "Thank you for letting me stay."

Pausing by the door, she smiled. "You're family, Elizabeth. I'm happy to help."

As she closed the door, an image popped up in Alexis' mind from a few hours prior. Nikolas leaned up against the headboard, Elizabeth snuggled up in his gentle embrace as she cried a stain into her nephew's shirt. The two falling asleep cuddled together, with Nikolas' cheek pillowed on the chocolate fall of her hair. They had seemed quite a pretty picture even with their sorrow wrapped around them.

Nikolas had come to her asking for help to save his child, but after seeing how much he cared for the young Webber girl, she knew there was much more to this than Nikolas was willing to admit... or rather, more than even he knew was going on.