Chapter 10

"Liz, honey, I love you, but what in God's name did you do to these mashed potatoes?" Lucky asked, a look of mild disgust crossing his face as he swallowed the offending food.

"Exactly what it said to do on the box!" Liz said defensively. "It said three teaspoons of salt, so I got one of the spoons I use for my tea and added it."

Emily looked horrified. "Oh Liz…you didn't."

"Yeah, I did. Why?"

Emily started laughing so hard she could barely speak. Nikolas shook his head and chuckled. Lucky looked slightly ill. Finally Emily calmed down enough to explain. "That's…not…a teaspoon," she managed through laughter. "You may use it for tea, but it's not a teaspoon. It's a tablespoon." She wiped tears of laughter from her face.

Liz's face fell. "Oh."

"Even I knew that, Liz," Nikolas teased.

"Yeah, one of the few things Prince Cassadine knows about the real world," Lucky retaliated with a grin.

"Hey, I'm learning, all right?" Nikolas defended. "Geez."

"Well, then I guess you'll be able to help Liz and I paint our new apartment," Lucky said.

"You're moving in together?" Emily asked excitedly. "That's so great you guys!" She gave Liz a hug.

"Yeah, it's not as fancy or depressing as Wyndemere," Lucky joked. "But it'll be just fine for us."

"Hey, Lucky, leave my house alone," Nikolas said in mock anger.

"Yeah, Lucky, shame on you," Liz scolded, flinging mashed potatoes off her spoon at Lucky, hitting him right on the cheek.

Lucky looked at Nikolas. "Going to let Liz fight your battles?"

Nikolas held his hands up. "Hey, I'm not getting involved."

"Oh yes, you are," Emily said, hitting him in the chin with a gob of mashed potatoes.

"What is it with my wife throwing food at me" Nikolas asked in exasperation.

"This means war," Lucky agreed, flicking mashed potatoes back at Elizabeth. The air was soon thick with mashed potatoes as an all-out was quickly developed. Liz and Emily hid behind the counter as Nikolas and Lucky hunkered down behind table. The girls were too busy giggling hysterically to notice that Lucky and Nikolas had made their way over to the counter until they were grabbed from behind and tickled mercilessly.

"Ah! Nikolas, stop!" Emily shrieked, writhing on the floor as Nikolas's fingers tickled her sides. "I surrender! I surrender!"

Nikolas turned her so that she was lying flat on her back. He leaned over her, his hands now resting at her sides. "That'll teach you to pick a fight with your husband," he said, leaning down to kiss her briefly.

Lucky and Liz watched their friends with a smile. They had come so far in such a short period of time it was incredible. There was no doubt in either of their minds that Nikolas and Emily would not only survive, but that they would reach the other side stronger than ever.

The Four Musketeers slowly got to their feet and surveyed the damage. Mashed potatoes littered the dining room of Kelly's, covering tables and chairs.

"Oops," Liz giggled, sending Emily into a fit of her own giggles.

"I guess we'll have to clean this up," Emily chuckled.

"Gee, you think so?" Lucky asked sarcastically.

"Hey, no sarcasm towards my wife," Nikolas ordered with mock sternness.

Emily took Nikolas by the arm and pulled him towards the kitchen. "Come on, hopeless husband, you can watch me as I clean."

He chuckled. "I told you, I'm learning about these household things. I even know how to use the 'swoosh-swoosh' now!"

"You mean the broom?" Emily asked with amusement, laughing. She couldn't believe how much she did that now- giggled and laughed. A few months ago, it felt as if she would never smile again, much less laugh. But Nikolas had changed all that.

Pausing at the door of the kitchen, Emily turned and kissed Nikolas. When she pulled away, Nikolas smiled. "What was that for?"

Emily shrugged and continued into the kitchen. "I just love you."

Fifteen minutes later Kelly's was sparkling clean. "I'm impressed, Nikolas," Lucky admitted. "You handled that broom like a pro."

Nikolas just winked at Emily, eliciting another smile. "Thanks, Lucky. I can't tell you how much your praise means to me."

Liz and Emily gathered up their purses and the four friends walked towards the door. "This was so much fun," Liz gushed. "We definitely have to do this more often."

"As long as you promise to never make mashed potatoes again," Lucky interjected.

Emily rolled her eyes. "I agree, Liz. The tradition of Kelly's closed dinners is one the Four Musketeers have to start again."

Hugs were exchanged all around, and then the two couples went their separate ways.

As Nikolas and Emily strolled hand-in-hand through the park, he looked at her. "Do you want me to take you back to the Quartermaine's?"

Emily shook her head. "Can I stay with you tonight?"

Nikolas pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Of course," he murmured. "But I don't have any pajamas for you to sleep in."

Emily smiled mischievously. "Feel up to a little adventure?"

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"I feel like I'm doing something wrong," Nikolas grumbled as he and Emily snuck through her bedroom window. "Sneaking into my wife's room at her parent's house."

Emily laughed as she began throwing her pajamas and some toiletries into an overnight bag. "I agree it does seem vaguely illegal." She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "But I'm not complaining."

Nikolas smiled as he leaned down to kiss her. "Me either." He took a seat on the edge of the bed as Emily continued to pack. "Remember when we got stuck in here last summer?"

"Mm-hmm," Emily answered with a happy smile. "You had just gotten your memory back and we got trapped here during the storm."

Nikolas nodded and took Emily in his arms again. "I promise, Em, the good stuff is going to start now."

Emily smiled at the memory as she finished zipping up her bag while still in his embrace. "There. All set. We better get out of here before my family or Alice hears us and decides to investigate."

"True. We should probably go before they discover us." Nikolas stood and picked up Emily's bag. "Let's go." The pair quickly escaped the Quartermaine Mansion in the same fashion in which they had arrived.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

"Well, I personally had a great time tonight," Emily declared as she walked into the bathroom wearing pajama pants and a white tank top. "It was a lot of fun."

"Yeah," Nikolas agreed, wiping his mouth with a towel as he finished brushing his teeth. "I can't decide which was more fun- getting hit in the face with mashed potatoes or climbing a tree to sneak into my wife's bedroom."

Emily giggled. "Come on, Nikolas, you can admit you loved it."

He stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Of course I loved it," he said, looking in her eyes. "I was with you."

Emily smiled and leaned up to kiss him. Her arms wrapped around his neck as Nikolas slowly deepened the kiss, holding her tighter in his arms and running his hands up and down her back. When Nikolas started to pull away, Emily pulled him back in for one more kiss before letting him go. They were both slightly out of breath.

Emily took a step back and glanced at his shirt. "You've got toothpaste on your shirt," she observed somewhat breathlessly.

"Huh?" Nikolas frowned down at the offending spot. "Oh." He walked out of the bathroom, stripping off his shirt as he went. He opened a drawer and pulled out another one and was about to slip it over his head when he felt her hand on his arm. He turned to see that Emily had followed him out of the bathroom.

"No," she told him softly, taking the shirt out of his hands and placing it back in the drawer. She then took him by the hand and gently led him towards the bed, her eyes locked with his. Nikolas allowed himself to be led. "Are you sure?"

Emily nodded. "I'm sure, Nikolas. We're taking this step-by-step. This is another step." As she slid under the covers, she looked up at him. "I just want you to hold me," she requested softly.

Nikolas smiled at her as he joined her under the covers and took her in his arms. "Another step," he repeated softly.

Emily sighed contentedly as she burrowed deeper into Nikolas's embrace and rested her face against his warm, firm chest. She had forgotten how well she fit into his arms. Lifting her head up, she pressed a gentle kiss to Nikolas's lips. "I love you," she whispered.

"Love you too," Nikolas murmured, brushing his lips over her forehead.

Emily closed her eyes and was soon fast asleep, her life one-step closer to the way it used to be than it had been that morning.