Brook Lynn walked into the MetroCourt and looked around the lobby. She'd received a strange text from Molly. The only information given was that she was to meet the girl in the lobby of the hotel. Brook Lynn wondered if everything was okay. Her eyes scanned the room one more time before coming across Molly sitting on a couch by herself.

Brook walked over and smiled. She had a seat on the couch tiredly. Her feet were killing her. "Hi, Molly. I got your message. Is everything okay, Sweetie?"

Molly smiled brightly and hugged Brook Lynn. "Hi. I was just hoping that we could talk and I didn't want to have to take the launch all the way over to Wyndemere. I hope this is okay."

"It's fine. I was already in the city anyway. I did some shopping for Emelina's nursery today. I picked out beautiful furniture," said Brook.

Molly's face lit up. "Emelina is such a pretty name. I think it is great that you are honoring Emily that way."

"Well, Emily was very much loved not just by Nikolas but by the Quartermaines as well. I have very fond memories of Emily. So your text message was pretty vague. What do you want to talk about?"

Nikolas stood behind the couch with a bouquet of red roses and a box of chocolate. "I am the one that needed to talk to you. I had a feeling if I asked you to come here myself that you wouldn't show up."

Molly stood up and put her bookbag over her shoulder. "I'm sorry Brook, but Nikolas said that he really needed my help. I hope you aren't mad."

Brook stood up and hugged her. "No, I'm not mad at you."

Nikolas said, "Molly, Jesse should be waiting outside for you. He'll drive you home. Thank you again."

Molly grinned. "Anything for true love."

Nikolas chuckled softly watching Molly walk out of the hotel. He turned his attention to Brook Lynn to see her scowling at him and his smile faded. "I know that it was wrong to trick you but you have been avoiding me like the plague and I didn't know how else to get you here. I just want to talk. I booked a suite for the two of us. Will you come upstairs…please?"

She smiled slightly and said, "Sure, but only because I really want that box of chocolate."

Nikolas smiled at her and said, "I'll take what I can get."

He put his hand on her back and walked with her to the elevator. Nikolas actually felt nervous. He had no way of knowing how this evening would work out. The only thing he knew was that he loved his wife and he wasn't about to lose her because of his psychotic grandmother.

Brook felt awkward being alone with Nikolas. She wasn't sure what to say to her own husband as they rode the elevator up to their floor. "The roses are beautiful, Nikolas. Thank you."

He smiled slightly hearing Brook speak to him without prompting. "I am glad that you like them. I actually picked them out myself. I didn't send anyone."

She looked at him for a moment and the briefest of smiles appeared. "You went to a florist on your own? I am impressed. I didn't think Prince Nikolas ran errands like that."

As the elevator doors opened he said, "Only for someone truly special."

Nikolas led the way to their suite and pushed the door open.

Brook took in the scene with a smile. There were candles and flower arrangements placed strategically around the living area of the suite. A dining table had been set up for dinner although at the moment it was bare save for candles and roses.

Nikolas closed the door behind them and said, "I admit that I did not choose these flowers myself. Olivia Falconeri made sure that all of this came together for me. Do you like it?"

She looked around the room and then turned to look at Nikolas. "Who wouldn't?"

"A wife that is extremely fed up with her husband and his lunatic family," said Nikolas.

"Nikolas, I…"

"Please, have a seat, Brook. I want to talk to you. I want to explain some things and then you can tell me whatever you'd like. You can scream at me at the top of your lungs if it makes you happy. Just give me time to talk to you," said Nikolas.

She smiled softly. "I don't think that Carly would appreciate me screaming at the top of my lungs. I am sure it would disturb her other customers."

"I paid Carly a significant amount of money to mind her own business tonight. I don't think that she will be interrupting our evening."

Brook nodded slightly. "I get the chocolates while you talk, right?"

Nikolas chuckled softly and said, "Yes, you get to enjoy the chocolate."

She took the box from his hand and had a seat on the couch. Brook kicked off her heels and groaned softly. They made her calves look amazing but did nothing for her rapidly swelling ankles.

Nikolas sat on the couch and said, "Put your feet on my lap. I'll massage them for you."

"Really?" asked Brook Lynn.

"Of course."

She smiled sheepishly and put her feet on Nikolas' lap and relaxed against the arm of the couch. The younger woman opened the box of chocolate and debated which one to eat first.

Nikolas started massaging her feet. "I overheard your conversation with Sonny today. At least part of it."

"Why didn't you say anything earlier? How much did you hear?" asked Brook.

"I don't want you to be mad at me. I just…you weren't talking to me and I thought listening in was the only way for me to find out what was going with you. Baby, I am sorry that I haven't been there for you. I didn't realize that you've been going through so much. I wish that you would have told me. I would have been there for you. You didn't need to suffer through this on your own."

"How was I supposed to talk to you, Nikolas?"

Nikolas said, "You seemed to talk to Sonny pretty easily."

Brook sighed softly and set the chocolates aside. "Sonny is my godfather. That is a pretty important role in the Catholic faith. So he's always been a part of my life in one way or another. Even if it was just presents on holidays and phone calls. I was upset and it was comforting to be able to talk to someone that loves me."

"Brook Lynn, I love you!"

"Honey, I know that you love me. I know that. But the love of a husband isn't the same as love from a relative. They love you unconditionally. In that moment when I saw Sonny I felt like it was okay to break down. I knew he'd make me feel better. I knew he'd try to make it all better. I am sure you'd feel the same way about your mother or your Uncle Stefan."

Nikolas nodded slightly. "Or Alexis. I talked to her this morning while I was at her office. I didn't know how to fix us and I knew that she'd listen. I knew she'd be on my side."

"And that is what I needed from Sonny today. I needed to be able to unburden myself and hear him tell me that it'd all be okay. I needed that more than I realized before he showed up. I didn't have anyone else to talk to. The Quartermaines would be calling up their lawyers to file for a divorce."

"I was surprised that Sonny didn't offer the same. We are just barely civil to one another," said Nikolas.

She smiled a little. "That is more you than it is Sonny. He doesn't have any problems with you. Trust me…he would tell me if he did. Sonny is not known for keeping his disapproval to himself. He was only too glad when my attentions were off of Johnny Zacchara."

Nikolas nodded slightly. "Unfortunately, you married a man that has the tendency to carry a grudge. An un attractive trait I know."

"Not so much. I've been known to carry a grudge myself."

"So you didn't want the Quartermaines pushing you toward a divorce? Does that mean that you have reconsidered leaving me?" asked Nikolas.

"I never wanted to divorce you, Nikolas. You are my husband and I love you. I just have been having a hard time and I felt like you couldn't or wouldn't understand me. When I said that Helena should be dead the look in your eyes. It was like you saw something in me that you didn't like and that killed me. I thought that I had turned you against me. When everyone else thought so low of me…you were the only person that saw beyond that," said Brook.

"Brook, no one could blame you for how you feel about Helena. I feel that way about her too. She has driven me to rages where I have lost control of myself. I pushed her off a cliff once and she lived. Killing Helena would not cause an sorrow in my life. The thing you have to understand is that the people in my family have the uncanny ability to come back from the dead. While you think that they are dead you become relaxed and complacent while they plot how to exact their revenge. Keeping Helena under lock and key is the best way for me to keep an eye on her and I do mean keep an eye on her…"

Nikolas took his cell phone from his pocket and pulled up surveillance footage from Ferncliff.

Helena was in a bed looking pretty much out of it.

Brook Lynn squinted at the footage and her eyes shot to Nikolas. "What is this?"

"This is live streaming footage of Helena's room at Ferncliff. She is under heavy sedation by orders of her psychiatrist."

"Sedation? Why?"

Nikolas said, "That was always the plan. I just didn't tell you because I didn't know how you'd react to me doing something like that. Dr. Morrison hasn't always worked at Ferncliff. She was my mother's psychiatrist for a time. She is more than aware of the damage Helena has caused. We have an agreement that Helena is a danger to herself and others and for that reason must be sedated and kept in isolation."

Brook's eyes widened at that revelation. It was devious. It was dastardly. It was perfect.

He was wary of her silence. "Say something. Please."

"I was so upset because I was scared that she was going to break out of Ferncliff and try to take Spencer again or hurt me. That's why I've been losing sleep. I just didn't feel like a couple of guards and cinderblock walls were going to contain her."

Nikolas said, "I will do anything and everything to protect my family, Brook. I should have told you from the beginning but I guess I was trying to protect you. I didn't want you to see me as the Cassadine everyone else already knows that I can be."

She chuckled softly. "We were both holding things back because we were scared that it'd make the other person stop loving us…"

"Pretty much. It is no excuse for not seeing how much pain you have been in. I only saw the anger. I was too blind to see that there was something underneath that."

Brook shook her head. "That isn't your fault, Nikolas. I'm a Quartermaine we don't really do outward displays of emotion. That is with the exception of anger. Fear and crying…well that is just unseemly and unbecoming for a Quartermaine."

"Alexis suggested that seeing a therapist might help you process everything you went through. I mean it was a serious and life threatening situation. That could be part of the reason you are struggling so much," said Nikolas.

"You think that I should see someone?" asked Brook.

Nikolas caressed her cheek and said, "I think you should do whatever is necessary to feel better. I love you and I don't want what happened in Rome to destroy us. I don't want it to destroy the family that we are building."

She chuckled. "You just touched my face after rubbing my feet."

He laughed softly at her sense of humor. "Sorry. Why don't you go wash your face and change clothes into something comfortable? I'll order dinner."

"I don't have any clothes here…"

"Yes, you do. I packed an overnight bag for you. It is in the bedroom waiting for you," said Nikolas.

She smiled softly. "You really did think of everything, didn't you?"

Nikolas kissed her softly. "Yes, I did."

Brook slipped into the bedroom to change.

Nikolas sat across from Brook Lynn eating dinner. He drank a little wine and smiled at her. "I feel bad that you have to be a teetotaler tonight. Maybe I shouldn't have ordered the wine for me."

"It's fine, Nikolas. You get to drink coffee and I haven't asked you to stop doing that. Besides I am almost positive that wine would give me heartburn. Everything gives me heartburn. I was talking to my cousin, Lucia, and she said that lots of heartburn means the baby will have lots of hair."

Nikolas laughed heartily and put down his wine glass. "Is this some sort of Cerullo family myth?"

"Don't laugh at my cousin. It is an old wives' tale. I am not sure if it is true or not. She's really excited for me. Luci didn't think I'd ever get pregnant or if I did I wouldn't be married when it happened."

"What about you? Did you think you'd ever get married or have a baby?"
asked Nikolas.

Brook looked thoughtfully for a moment. "I don't know. I was so focused on my singing career that I didn't really give the future very much thought. I was sort of a here and now type of person. Some people have been known to call me short-sighted."

"And now?"

"Now I think about the future a lot. I think about our baby girl. I wonder who she will look like and who she will grow up to be. I think about what our lives will be like ten years from now. You've changed me, Nikolas. For the better."

Nikolas reached over and caressed her hand. "You have changed me too."

Brook smiled at that. "Next weekend I will be going to Bensonhurst. My family has the baby shower organized. I can't wait to see what they've come up with."

"Would you like for me to come to Bensonhurst with you?"

She stopped eating and looked at Nikolas a little surprised. "You want to come with me?"

Nikolas asked, "Why wouldn't I?"

"I just thought that because of the reputation you wouldn't really want to come," said Brook.

"I want to be anywhere that you are, Brook Lynn. Spencer and I will come to the city with you. We'll get a hotel and spend the entire weekend in the city."

Her face lit up. "I'd really like that a lot, Nikolas. You are going to love my family. The Cerullos can be overwhelming but they are friendly and they love everyone. They are nothing like the Quartermaines."

"Well, I can't wait to meet them. I have something that I want to give you. A gift. I'll be right back," said Nikolas.

He dabbed at his mouth with the cloth napkin and tossed it on the table as he went to retrieve Brook's gift.

Brook finished her dinner and relaxed in the chair. She wondered what sort of gift Nikolas was talking about. For the first time in two weeks the young woman felt content.

He walked back into the room a few moments later with a manila envelope in hand.

She took the envelope with a skeptical glance. "I was expecting something shiny."

Nikolas chuckled and sat down in his chair. "Just open your present, Brook."

He took a drink from his glass of wine and watched her carefully. Nikolas was fairly certain that she'd like his gift but there was always the off chance that she wouldn't.

Brook Lynn opened the envelope and removed a document. Her eyes scanned the top page quickly and then looked up at Nikolas. "What is this?"

"My beautiful wife is the brand new owner of Legacy Studios in downtown Port Charles. I know that you haven't been able to go to the city to work on your music. Now you don't have to. You have your own place right here in Port Charles."

Her eyes widened in surprise and then she said, "Nikolas, I don't know what to say to this. I can't believe you bought the studio and I didn't know anything about it. This is an amazing gift but you didn't need to do this for me."

"I bought the studio because I want you to have it. I don't want you to give up your dreams to be my wife. Now you can do both," said Nikolas.

She smirked slightly. "You mean…you weren't sure that I'd accept your apology so you got me a little something to sweeten the deal."

Nikolas chuckled. "Actually, I bought the studio first. What do you really think of it?"

"I think that this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. I can't wait to see it for the first time. I might hold off on recording until after I have Emelina. I haven't been feeling very well lately. But I hate to leave it just empty," said Brook Lynn.

"Well, it won't be empty. That is the second part that I didn't tell you about. The studio is split into two halves. There are two separate studio spaces within the same building. One would be your private space. An independent record label rents the other studio space. So, you will be making money from it even if you aren't in there recording your music."

She chuckled softly. "So it's not just a studio. This is an actual business for me. You know…there is no reason I can't rent out my private studio. I know some of the local singers and a couple of bands that drive a long ways to record their music. I could rent the space out on a daily basis or hour blocks to the people that needed it."

Nikola smiled. He liked seeing how happy this seemed to make Brook Lynn. There was the smile he thought might never make an appearance again. "Sounds like a good idea to me. I talked to Lucky today and he suggested something. We both got married without our families present. You and I were supposed to do some sort of reception for our families. Lucky suggested we do a joint dinner."

"I don't see anything wrong with that. I don't have many friends or family here in Port Charles. If we have this dinner I'd want to invite Sonny. I don't think it'd be right for me to exclude my godfather," said Brook Lynn.

"I don't care for Sonny but he is important to you. I would never say that he wasn't welcome. I'll talk to Lucky and try to set up a date."

Brook smiled and said, "Thank you for understand how important Sonny is to me. So we are staying here tonight?"

"I asked Alexis to watch Spencer for the night. He was really excited to spend the night with Molly. He isn't home by himself with the staff. You don't have to worry about him," said Nikolas.

She blushed. "Was I that obvious?"

"I know that you haven't let Spencer out of your sight very often since we've been home. He's safe at Alexis' house. I promise."

Brook Lynn chuckled softly. "I didn't think you noticed."

"That's all I've seen from you since Rome. I knew two things: you didn't want to be around me and you were worried about Spencer. And you've been doing a lot of shopping."

"In my defense I have been shopping for Emelina and not myself," said Brook Lynn.

Nikolas chuckled and kissed her cheek. "You don't need to explain what you've been buying to me. You have a credit card and your own bank account for a reason."

"Well, I want to tell you anyway. I've been buying clothes and furniture for our little girl. I hope you will like the things that I've bought. The furniture I ordered will be delivered in a couple weeks."

"I know that I will love whatever you've picked out. I have to admit I am nervous. I don't know what to do with a daughter," Nikolas said.

"Honey, you are a great dad to Spencer and Aiden. Having a daughter won't be that different."

Brook Lynn's cell phone started ringing. She frowned. "I should get that but I don't feel like getting up. I am comfortable. Whoever it is will call back later."

Nikolas chuckled and asked, "Do you want me to get your phone?"

"No, I will return the call later. I'm spending time with my husband."

Brook Lynn's phone stopped ringing and a moment later Nikolas' phone started ringing.

Nikolas said, "Let me check that."

He took his phone from his pocket and glanced at the screen. "It's Tracy."

"I guess she is looking for me. Answer it. Please," said Brook Lynn.

"Hello, Tracy. No, we aren't watching the news. What's happened?" asked Nikolas.

Brook Lynn sat up in her seat more looking concerned.

"We're already in the city. We'll be there in a few minutes." Nikolas hung up and said, "Edward had a heart attack. It's not looking good. We need to get over to General Hospital."

"Oh my God…"