Spending the entire day at Michael's beside had been easier than Emily would have thought. With Lucky by her side, she managed to only focus on the good times she had shared with the young redhead, from the first moment she held him in his arms as his godmother to the precious months she spent as part of their makeshift family with Sonny to the lilac cashmere sweater he had picked out for her last birthday. They were tiny moments, a glimmer of an amazing little boy, but they were her memories to remember. She would hold them in her heart forever.
After saying her departing words to Jason and Carly, Emily was relieved to escape to the safe haven of her limousine with Lucky. She was quiet as he sat next to her on the seat, his hand resting comfortably on her thigh as she stared vacantly out the window. Her thoughts were focused on what had happened prior to the visit when she had finally let go and gave in to feelings she had been fighting since she was an awkward teenager. She had truly loved Nikolas Cassadine, but a part of her had always known that it was Lucky. Now that they were officially together, she was ready to face whatever was going to come her way.
"I'm ready to see Nikolas," she announced without looking at him. A sporty red convertible passed by their car followed by a blue SUV. Emily focused on the mundane details to avoid his eyes, which she knew were filled with mixed emotions. "He can't hurt me anymore. I'm not afraid of knowing that he moved on. We meant a lot to each other, and nothing will ever change that. I just think that it's time that we figure out what we mean to each other now."
Lucky ran his fingers through his dark hair nervously. He had known sleeping with Emily would change their relationship, but a part of him had still feared that she would go back to his older brother. He couldn't have blamed her if she did. For as long as he could remember, his best friend had proudly proclaimed that Nikolas was the love of her life. How could he call her out on that when he had thought the same to be true about Elizabeth at points in his life? If that was what she had decided, he would have found a way to accept it. Now that she was telling him that he wouldn't have to, he couldn't help but feel like something else was still going to happen.
She must have sensed his hesitation because the next thing Lucky knew, Emily was crawling into his lap, straddling his body so that she could face him. She reached up and framed his face in her hands, brushing her thumbs along his strong jaw line while staring confidently into his bright indigo eyes. "It's not like that, Spencer. I am in love with you," she murmured. "Do you understand that? It's you that I want, you that I needed."
The otherwise stoic detective felt a bit sheepish as tears started to glimmer in his eyes. Without a word, she reached up and wiped them away with the pad of her thumb. "I believe you. I know that you love me, and I want you to know that I am in love with you," he declared. Emily nodded as she pressed her forehead to his. Lucky tilted his head to wrangle her lips into a long, heartfelt kiss. After a long moment, she pulled away and grinned up at him. With a slight nod, he pressed the call button to inform Milo of a change in plans.
A few hours later when the limousine pulled up to the launch, Emily couldn't help but feel a little nervous. She had taken this ride so many times but never like this. She had never gone out to Spoon Island with the intention of telling her Cassadine prince that she was truly over him. For as long as she could remember, she could never have imagined getting past him. He had been the stuff of her girlhood dreams. However, the thing about dreams is that you eventually wake up, and reality inevitably comes back. Thankfully for Emily, the thing that was waiting for her was even better. She was blessed enough to have fallen in love with her best friend.
"Good afternoon, Master Spencer," the uniformed captain greeted him warmly as he helped Lucky board the boat. The man had been hired after Emily's supposed death, so he didn't recognize his companion. To him, Emily was just another passenger that helped him kill time until he could go back home to his four kids. "The ride should take the usual ten minutes. Waters are fairly calm this evening and Master Cassadine hasn't had any guests tonight. He and Mademoiselle Crowell are expecting you at Wyndamere."
"Thank you, Sam," Lucky retorted gratefully before leaning back in his seat. The unseasonably cold breeze blew across the water, causing him to wrap his arm around Emily to keep her warm. She snuggled into his embrace. "I didn't know that Nadine was going to be there. If you're not comfortable, we could always turn back and do this tomorrow."
Emily shook her head bravely. "I am going to have to meet her eventually, and tonight seems like a good a night as any," she decided. "Besides, from what you tell me, I am probably going to like her. If she is as much like me as you say she is, she'll like me, too. That's the kind of people we are, too damn nice for our own good. I'm guessing that this hasn't been easy for her to do. I can't imagine having to live in the shadow of someone else. People inevitably would compare the two of us. It's not fair to her. Nikolas has decided to love her, and I hope that my sudden resurrection will not take that away from either of them."
Turning to study her face, Lucky was not at all surprised that there was not a single negative emotion apparent in her beautiful features. Emily was a truly good-hearted person and she really did seem to want the best for the new couple. "You are amazing," he complimented her. "Most people would be jealous or hate Nadine. You're wishing them the best. You're defending her. They really broke the mold when they made you, Quartermaine."
Shrugging her shoulder, she was the epitome of modesty. "I would never begrudge Nikolas the chance to find what I found with you. I'm lucky that I'm in love with my best friend. It sounds like Nadine has come to be that for Nikolas. No one could understand what it was like to lose me, but I think that somehow she must have for him to be able to let her in. You know how private your brother is. He has clearly chosen to trust and love her. That is the only seal of approval I need."
He was still considering her words when Sam pulled the small boat up to the docks just outside Wyndamere. The pale moon cast eerie shadows over the dark mausoleum, and Lucky knew not for the first time why his father referred to the Cassadines as vampires. Once they were anchored securely at shore, Lucky jumped from the boat and helped Emily step onto the dock. Sliding his hand in hers, he quickly sent a silent prayer in hopes that his mother was watching over them.
"Alfred is off tonight," Sam told them as he started the motor back up. "Nikolas told me to just go ahead and send you in. He should be in the sitting room with Nadine and Spencer. Just call me whenever you are ready to come back to town and I will motor over to pick you up."
Emily nodded in acknowledgement as she gazed up at the mansion in amazement. This was the very scene of her death, but she didn't feel the emotions she had expected. She had thought she would feel angry or fearful or at least sad, but she actually felt happy. Not remembering a lot of that evening meant that she could choose to remember the good times she had spent in this house. She had had a very good life here with Nikolas and Spencer, memories that she would always be fond of. Some of those memories included Lucky and Elizabeth. It had been a good life, and now, she would create a new set of memories.
She felt immediately at home as she entered into the main foyer of Wyndamere. Emily looked automatically to the table next to the stairway knowing that she would see exactly what she expected. Still in its sterling silver frame was the engagement picture they'd had taken at Rice Park just before their first wedding. It was their favorite photograph together, and she was happy to know that Nikolas still kept apart of their life together in his home.
Lucky followed her gaze to the photograph and smiled. He still had the same photo at his house sitting on the window sill his office. Elizabeth kept hers on the end table next to the sofa, and Jason's was displayed prominently in the middle of his mantle. "Um, do you want me to go in first or how should we do this?" He waited for her to answer, but she only offered a silent shrug. Neither of them knew how to handle this, just as they hadn't known how to do anything since she came home. "I'll go in first and then you can come in when you are ready. If you haven't come in fifteen minutes, I'll make up an excuse to leave."
After agreeing to his plan, Emily hid discreetly behind one of the swinging doors and prayed that Spencer's nanny wouldn't make a surprise appearance. Lucky gave her one last reassuring glance before walking into the living room as if nothing was going on. "Hey, Lucky!" she heard a female voice greet him warmly. Peaking through the crack in the door, she watched as a petite blonde rose to hug him. "We haven't seen you for days."
"I had to go out of town for awhile, but I'm back now," he offered, looking sideways at his brother.
Nikolas looked like he was about to say something when Spencer shot up from his seat on the couch. "Uncle Lucky!" the toddler squealed, throwing his arms excitedly around his favorite uncle. "Daddy and Nadine took me to the toy store today, and I got a whole bunch of new cars for my train set. Nadine even helped me set up all these cows for the new farm set we picked up. You have to come and see it."
"Lead the way," he grinned, taking the little boy's hand. He glanced back at the door one time when a thought popped into his mind. "Why don't you convince Nadine to come up here with us so that I can catch up with her?"
Neither Nikolas nor Nadine seemed to suspect anything as the happy threesome disappeared upstairs to see Spencer's most prized possession. When they were gone, Nikolas walked over to the desk and began to leaf through a pile of papers. From her hidden place in the doorway, Emily allowed herself a moment to watch him work. She had always loved to do that, lavishing in stole moments on the landing as he commanded respected even over the telephone. It was the same rush now, watching his brow furl as he went over a spreadsheet. Watching him like that, she could still see the man she had fallen so hopelessly for. Knowing that gave her the push that she needed.
"Hey, you." Nikolas felt the world go dark as the pages fell from his hands and into a heap on the floor. She stood in the doorway in a white gauzy number looking like the living embodiment of an Earth Angel. Pressing his hand over his mouth, he tried to find his voice but failed. She smiled softly as she crossed the room and wrapped her arms comfortingly around his shaking frame. They fell together to the floor as he buried his face in her shoulder. She stroked his hair soothingly, willing herself to stay strong for him.
When he felt like he finally had his breath back, Nikolas moved back enough to look at her. "You're real," he breathed, still completely in shock. "Lucky was right. I didn't believe him when he told me, but here you are, Em. You're here with me."
Nodding silently, Emily brushed away his tears just as she had with Lucky earlier. "He found me and brought me home," she murmured. There were no words. She suddenly felt like she had used them all up. "I can't believe how big Spencer has gotten. He seems very content. I'm glad that you both have Nadine. You deserve to be a happy family."
Nikolas wanted to tell her that it could never be a family without her, but he knew that was no longer true. Even when he hadn't wanted to, Nadine had forced him to move on for the sake of his son. Over time he had come to realize that he had also moved on for himself and for her. They had become close, and she was a big part of his life now. Still, he couldn't help but feel the same familiar love come rushing back as he held onto Emily now. "She's still not you."
There was so much more to say, but a certain rambunctious little boy suddenly reappeared and stole their chance. He stopped short at the couch when his eyes fell on Emily. It didn't matter that he wasn't even two when she had died, he recognized her immediately. "Emily?" he asked confusedly. "Daddy told me that you went up to heaven to visit Mommy. If you came back, does that mean she can too?"
A painful silence fell over the room as Nikolas stood up and went over to comfort his son. Lifting Spencer easily into his arms, the father hugged him tightly. "Your mommy isn't going to come back," he told him softly, looking into his eyes to make sure that he understood. "Emily was in a different place than Mommy. We're lucky she got to come back." He looked over his son's shoulder at the blonde nurse that he had come to love. She looked shaken, confused and suddenly unsure. He wanted to go over and hold her in his arms, protect her and Spencer from all the confusion unfolding around them.
Lucky slipped past his brother to check on Emily. He rested his hand on her shoulder, turning her slightly so that she would meet his gaze. She managed a small smile to show him that she was fine, but her eyes were quickly averted back to Spencer. He kept glancing at her over Nikolas' shoulder as if he was trying to figure out how this could happen. He somehow squirmed out of his father's arms and ran over to her. Hiding behind Lucky's leg, he kept peering up at her until finally he made his carefully calculated move. Reaching for her hand, he tugged her toward the stairs. "Come see my trains," he demanded. "Nadine got me a farm."
Never one to argue with a child's demands, Emily looked apologetically at the other adults in the room before disappearing upstairs with Spencer. Lucky waited for his brother to attack him, but Nikolas didn't seem to care that he was in the room. His only concern was for Nadine. He hung back and watched as Nikolas went across the room to hold Nadine. "This doesn't change anything," he attempted, but she wasn't having any of it.
"Nik, are you kidding me? This changes everything," she argued, her voice barely audible. She was too polite to fight in front of company, but she couldn't pretend that this was normal. "Your dead fiancée, the love of your life, just came back from the dead and showed up at your house. She's upstairs with your son. Tell me how I'm supposed to not worry about this. What's my place in this?"
"I don't know," he admitted honestly. "How could I know? This just happened. All I know is that this doesn't take anything away that I feel for you. You stuck by me through all of this, and I have made a commitment to you. I don't go back on my word."
"If that's all you would stay for, I release you from any promises you made," she retorted as she tried to pull away from him. Nikolas wouldn't let her go without a fight, and before long, he managed to have her wrapped in his arms. "Nik, please…"
Nikolas tilted her chin so that her baby blue eyes met his. "I don't want you to let me out of my promises. I want you to make me stick to my word. Please, don't destroy us before we get the chance to figure out what all this means," he implored. "I won't pretend to have all the answers right now, but I know that we can fine them together. I don't know how, but we will."
An unexpected noise from the staircase diverted all attention back to Emily. Spencer had stayed upstairs to set up the new trees that had come with his farm set, leaving them with the opportunity to talk openly as adults. She noticed that Nikolas didn't even pretend to pull away from Nadine as she came the rest of the way down the stairs and into the sitting room. Padding across the polished wooden floor, she took Lucky's hand and pulled him over to a chair big enough to fit both of them. Perched in the spacious seat, she finally regarded the other couple in the room. "Let's find those answers."