Thank you to those who continue to read my story. I hope you will review so I know what you think. Even if you haven't reviewed until now, I don't mind that at all. I just love to hear from you and what you think of the story. To those to review, thank you. I hope you continue to.

Chapter 46 "Elizabeth is released"

(Emily and Max are at Kelly's sitting at a table. Max is drinking orange juice and Emily is drinking a soda. They're talking when all of a sudden, Nicholas comes through the door. He walks to the counter and orders a coffee. Emily calls out Nicholas' name and Nicholas turns around and sees them. Emily and Max tell him to come to their table to sit down. Before he goes to Emily and Max, he tells the waitress to bring the coffee to their table. Nicholas goes to sit down at their table)

Nicholas: "Hey guys."

(He sits down)

Nicholas: "What's up?"

Emily: "Oh, nothing much. We were going to see Michelle in a little while."

Nicholas: "Oh, really?"

Max: "Unless you wanted to see Michelle first…"

(Max gives Nicholas a look as a hint. Nicholas gets the hint)

Nicholas: "Yeah, I'll probably see Michelle first, if that's alright?"

Emily: "No problem. I'll go home for a little while. I have a test to study for anyway."

Max: (looking at Nicholas) "She's always doing homework."

Nicholas: "Yeah, no kidding. You're always doing homework, Em. When are you going to take a break?"

Emily: "When the study guide is done. It's 3 pages."

Max: "She's half way through it."

Nicholas: "What about you, Max? How much do you have left?"

Max: (laughs sarcastically) "Who, me?"

Nicholas: (gives him a weird look) "O…kay."

Emily: "He hasn't started it yet."

Nicholas: (chuckles) "Really?"

Max: "Hey, I haven't had much time to do it. Between seeing Michelle and school, there's not a whole lot of time for schoolwork."

Nicholas: "I see."

Emily: "I help him with his homework when I can.

Max: "Yeah, she's a great help, too."

Nicholas: "When's this test anyway?"

Emily & Max: "Friday."

Nicholas: "So…you have 3 days to study for it, eh?"

Emily: "Yep."

Max: "She'll ace it."

Emily: "How do you know I'll pass it? Maybe I won't."

Max & Nicholas: (looking at each other) "She'll ace it."

Emily: (laughing) "Shut up! No fair! You two against me?"

Nicholas: "Oh, Em, you know we're just picking on you."

Max: "Yeah, we love to pick on you."

Emily: "Yeah, you sure do. Don't worry. I'll get my revenge."

Max & Nicholas: (slowly) "Uh-huh."

Emily: "I will! You just don't give me enough credit because I'm a girl."

Nicholas: "Okay, I'll tell you what….when you can pull off a great practical joke, then MAYBE I'll stop."

Max: (pretends to cough & covers his mouth a little) "Yeah, right."

Nicholas: (looks at Max) "I heard that."

Emily: "You're not very secretive, Nick."

Nicholas: (shrugs) "Oh well. I tried."

(15 minutes later and Nicholas' coffee all drunken up, he gets up from his chair)

Nicholas: "Well…." (putting on his coat) "…I'm going to go to the hospital. I'm gonna visit Michelle for a little while."

Max: "Okay dokey. Emily and I will visit her in a few hours after her and I do that study guide."

Emily: "We'll give you some privacy so you two can chat."

Nicholas: "Okay. Uh…thanks. You two going to go back to the Quartermaine house for awhile?"

Emily: "Yeah. We'll go to my room where we'll have our privacy."

Nicholas: (teases) "Ooooo…privacy."

Emily: (laughs) "Not that kind of privacy! Gosh!"

Max: (laughs) "You just love picking on us, don't you, Nicholas?"
Nicholas: "Well, I try to anyway."

Emily: "There's never a dull moment in the Quartermaine house these days."

Max: "I know that for sure. When's your mom supposed to be home?"

Emily: "I think she said a half hour because she had to finish her rounds. I wanna surprise her because lately whenever I'm there she's not and whenever she's there I'm not. She gives her heart and soul to the hospital. I admire that so much about her."

Max: "I'm sure you do. She's a great doctor."

Nicholas: "I can vouch for that."

Emily: (smiles) "Thank you. I appreciate that."

Nicholas: "Well, I'll talk to you two later."

Max & Emily: "Okay. Bye."

(Nicholas leaves Kelly's)

Emily: "Hmmm."

Max: (taking a drink of his orange juice) "What's on your mind?"

Emily: "I wonder what Nicholas has to talk to Michelle about."

Max: "Uh…I'm not sure. I'm sure just a friendly visit. Doesn't he always do that?"

Emily: "Well, yeah, but it was different this time."

Max: "What do you mean?"

Emily: "I just got the impression from Nicholas that what he had to talk to her about was important, that's all."

Max: "I'm sure it's just a regular chat."

Emily: "Didn't you pick up on it?"

(Max loses his train of thought)

Emily: "I'm…"

(She looks at Max, who looks like he's in his own little world)

Emily: "Max? Max?"

(Max looks back at her)

Max: "Uh…sorry. What?"

Emily: "Are you ok?"

Max: (stutters) "Uh…yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Emily: "You…You just seem like there's a lot on your mind."

Max: "Oh. I'm fine."

Emily: "You sure?"

Max: "Yep." (thinking to himself) "If Emily found out right now the feelings Michelle and Nicholas have for each other…no one may not like it. But then again, I could be wrong."

Emily: "Did you bring your homework from school with you?"

Max: "Uh...yeah, I think I did. Hold on a second."

(He digs in his backpack and finds his homework in his books)

Max: "Yep! I have it."

Emily: "Ok. Good. Shall we go to my place where I can help you with the study guide?"

Max: "Aw…you're so sweet."

Emily: (blushing) "Shut up. Ha-ha."

(Max and Emily get up from their seats. He helps her with her coat)

Emily: "Thank you."

Max: "You're very welcome."

(He then puts his coat on)

Max: "Ready?"

(She zips up her coat. He does the same)

Emily: "Yep. Whenever you're ready."

Max: "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

(Max goes to the counter to pay for their drinks. After that, he touches Emily on the shoulder as a signal that he's ready to go. They leave Kelly's. At the hospital, Elizabeth puts on her shoes when there's a knock at the door)

**knock knock**

Liz: "Come in."

(Lucky comes in the room)

Lucky: "Hey, beautiful."

Liz: "Hey, handsome."

(She finishes putting her shoes on. He then gives her a kiss on the cheek)

Lucky: "Ready to leave the hospital?"

Liz: "Yes and no."

Lucky: "What do you mean?"

Liz: "Well, yes I'm ready to leave because I've been in this hospital for a while."

Lucky: "And no because…?"

Liz: (sighs) "I think you know the reason."

Lucky: "Ashlynn Rose?"

Liz: "Yeah. I don't want to leave her here by herself."

Lucky: "She won't be by herself. You wanna know why?"

Liz: (smiles a little) "Why?"

Lucky: "Because we'll be here every single day to visit her until she's released."

Liz: (pouts) "I know, but…"

Lucky: "Honey, I know you were driving yourself crazy in the hospital. Not being able to hold Ashlynn or get out of the

hospital bed much."

Liz: (sighs) "Yeah, I know."

Lucky: "It'll be good for you to get back to work. And just think…after all your shifts are done, you can visit our beautiful daughter."

Liz: "I want to visit her before we leave."

Lucky: "Of course we can. I want to visit her, too."

(Elizabeth gets her stuff ready in a little suitcase she has with her. Lucky helps her. After about 10 minutes, they are ready to leave. They go to the nursery. Elizabeth and Lucky hang their coats up on the coat hanger by the door. Lucky takes her suitcase and puts it by their coats. The nurses give them hospital gowns to put on. After they put them on, they go sit on two chairs by the incubator. They look at her)

Liz: "She's so beautiful."

Lucky: "Yes, she is."

Liz: "Hi, honey."

(Ashlynn turns her head and looks at Elizabeth and Lucky. She smiles a little)

Liz: "Look! She smiled at us!"

Lucky: "Yes, she did."

(A nurse comes to them)

Nurse: "She's very beautiful."

Liz & Lucky: "Thank you."

Lucky: "How are her lungs?"

Nurse: (smiles) "They're getting stronger every day. They've been doing so good, in fact, that you could probably hold her in a few days."

(Lucky and Elizabeth look at each other)

Lucky: "Really?"

Liz: "Are you sure?"

Nurse: "Yep. And I'll bet she'd love her parents to hold her, too."

Liz: (happily) "Oh, I can't wait!"

Lucky: "Neither can I, sweetie."

(The nurse walks away and leaves them with Ashlynn. After about an hour, they decide to go back to their apartment. Nicholas walks to Michelle's room, with flowers in his hand. He knocks at her door, and she says to come in. He walks in)

Michelle: "Hey, Nicholas. What brings you by?"

Nicholas: "Oh, I was just wondering how you are."

Michelle: "Oh, peachy."

Nicholas: "What's going on, Michelle?"

Michelle: "Just thinking of my little boy."

Nicholas: "Come here."

(He puts the flowers by her bed on the stand and then takes her into his arms. She softly cries)

Nicholas: "It'll be okay, Michelle. It's going to be okay."

Michelle: "How do you know that?"

Nicholas: "Do you trust me?"

Michelle: "I….yes, I do. But what's with the question? Why are you asking me if I trust you or not?"

Nicholas: "We need to talk, Michelle."

Michelle: "You sound serious." (worriedly) "Is it bad?"

Nicholas: "No. No. It's nothing bad. There's something I want to talk to you about."

Michelle: (slowly nods) "Okay. What is it?"

Nicholas: "It's…"

Michelle: "It's what? Nicholas, you can tell me anything."

Nicholas: "I know."

Michelle: "So, what do you need to talk to me about?"

Nicholas: "Our…our feelings for each other."

(Michelle sits back against her pillow)

Michelle: (stutters) "What-What did you just say?"

Nicholas: "We need to discuss our feelings for each other, Michelle."

TO BE CONTINUED

Preview for Chapter 47: "Will Nicholas & Michelle finally admit their feelings for each other?"

Please read & review. Thanks for reading!