A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing. It's nice to know that there are others who saw the squandered potential between these two. I miss them.
"Wait, where are you going?" Claudia asked as Sonny grabbed his coat off the rack.
Turning he scowled, "What?"
"It's Christmas Eve, you're not going to just leave your wife home alone, are you?" she asked annoyed.
He rolled his eyes, "I'm going to the hospital, they have Santa who reads the Christmas story to the kids, you can come if you want" he said looking at his watch.
"I thought you'd never ask" she said smiling, "Let me grab my jacket" she said turning towards the stairs.
As soon as she turned around she rolled her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was spend the holiday with him…but she wasn't letting him get off easy. He was getting the world handed to him on a platter, and she was no side dish.
OoO
"Whoa, what's up with the extra security?" Carly asked as Nikolas and Spencer walked into the lobby of the hospital.
Nikolas nodded to Spencer to run to a waving Cameron, "Helena's been lurking around town" he said once his son was out of earshot.
"Oh"
"Yes, so until I can shuttle her out of the country"
The elevator dinged and it wasn't something he could explain the way the air seemed to grow thick whenever she entered a room, or the way his stomach tied up in knots seeing her draped on Sonny's arm like she was his newest accessory. It wasn't jealousy, or maybe a part of it was…mostly it was looking at him and knowing that he didn't realize who she was, the fragility under the hard exterior. He would end up destroying another piece of her just as the other's before him.
He took her breath away. It was lame and something she would never admit aloud…but it was there, every time his dark eyes stared intently at her. It wasn't like all the others, looking at her, picturing her naked. It was like Nikolas saw the naked already…and not in the biblical sense. He could look right through her to the little messed up girl in dirty red sneakers. She went back and forth on wanting to push him away or be close to him.
"Daddy, Santa is coming!" Spencer said excitedly to which Morgan chorused in, "SANTA"
Carly smiled at him, "Ah, Merry Christmas" she said as they walked together, him shooting one last parting glance at the raven haired woman across the corridor.
OoO
"DAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDY!" Kristina yelled as soon as she caught one glimpse of her father.
Tearing across the room she flung herself in his arms, "Princess" he said pulling her to him.
Alexis walked up slowly, "Claudia" she said tersely, "Sonny" came with more warmth in her voice.
Letting her go he looked at her closely, "Gah, my girl is growing so big, before I know it she will be asking for a car from Santa"
Leaning in, "Daddy, Santa's not real, but we pretend for Molly" she told him.
Claudia couldn't help the smile that came to her face. It made her want to kick herself…since when did she become soft for some bratty kids?
Sonny turned to her, "We're going over there, you can do whatever you want" he said before taking Kristina's hand as she drug him towards the monstrosity of a tree. Alexis followed and she couldn't help but remember that this was a family thing…and she was not family.
OoO
The chandelier lights shone sparkles at every angle of the Metro Court ballroom. The end of 2008, everyone in Port Charles dressed to the nines. Sonny was left at home, a wet blanket she was not going to let ruin her good time. The black cocktail dress was strapless and clung to her like second skin, the red strappy stilettos tied halfway up her calf and matched perfectly with the ruby earrings. Grabbing another glass of champagne she sashayed across the dance floor. Johnny had taken her for a couple of spins around the floor before Lulu dragged him off, Ric and even Jax had filled her dance card. The night was young, the champagne was flowing and she was going to enter 2009 with a bang…hopefully not the lead filled kind.
OoO
It wasn't exactly his scene, the whole New Year's Eve party but after buying into the hotel he thought he owed it to Carly to show up and pretend he was having a good time. All in all it hadn't been too bad. Carly had drug him out on the floor a couple of times….he was sure it was most likely a ploy to make Jax jealous but it had been awhile since he had held a woman close. Now he stood at the bar nursing a brandy watching the crowd. Lulu blew him a kiss from the floor and he smiled and gave a nod. Elizabeth danced with Matt Hunter, Lucky and Sam, Carly and Jason…and it seemed as if everyone had sort of paired off as the clock counted down to midnight. That's when he saw her, those coal dark eyes beckoning him.
OoO
Maybe it was the champagne lowering her inhibitions, or the atmosphere of the night…but the moment she saw him across the floor, the amber liquid swilling around the crystal glass, she wanted him, wanted to loose herself in his tanned skin, the pink lips, the rock hard of his abs…and she stared a couple long moments before crooking her finger and hoping her followed.
OoO
The rush of cold air hit his face and he saw her perched against the railing, "Hey there Prince" she said grinning.
"You beckoned?" he asked.
She walked towards him, her hands playing with his tie, "Where's your date?" she asked.
His eye brows knitted together, "What are you talking about"
"Carly"
That made him smile, "Carly is my business partner, my friend, not my date"
"Oh"
From inside the countdown could be heard, "Ten, Nine, Eight"
A finger came up to brush a strand of hair from her face and her eyes shined up at him.
"Seven, Six, Five"
She licked her lips as her finger traced his bottom lip.
"Four, Three, Two"
"Happy New Year's Claudia"
"Happy New Year Nikolas"
"One"
Everything else faded as his lips met hers, softly, a sweet kiss as their lips tangled together, stealing each other's breaths. His hands came to her face as it deepened as he pushed her warm back against the cool of the wall, his torso melding with hers, his tongue parting her lips, hands tangling in her hair. Her arms wrapped around his muscular back, one leg twisted around his legs attempting to pull him impossibly closer.
As he pulled away she could feel her lips swollen and plump, a breath caught in her chest. He ran his finger along her cheekbone, "Happy New Year"
